Phase III Environmental Site Assessments

1. Site Investigation Planning

Phase I and Phase II ESAs provide us with the required information we need to plan your site investigation. Based on your requirements, we will need to determine the extent of contamination on your site. This process is known as delineation and confirms the boundaries of the spread of contamination.

Our environmentalists will plan the investigation we need to perform on your property which can include deciding the location of boreholes and coordinating underground utility clearances.

2. Site Investigation

This is the stage when we actually carry out site investigation based on the plans developed in the earlier step. The site investigation is similar to sampling and analysis we did during Phase II ESA, though they may be more exploratory in nature.

We will carry out several investigations like drilling the earth for soil samples, using groundwater monitoring wells for water sampling, logging boreholes to collect samples from greater depths, monitoring specific media, performing soil vapor screening and more.

All the samples will be sent to our laboratories for further testing and analysis.

The site investigation helps us delineate the boundaries of potential contaminants and identify their pathways. We also generate more details about the site and possible human risks. The information helps us develop a remedial plan in our next step.

We will also calculate the volume of contaminated soil, assess and model groundwater flow and perform additional monitoring as necessary.

3. Remediation Action Plan (RAP) Development

All the work we did till now will be used to create the most fitting remedial action plan for your property. Your goals and objectives for the site are major considerations and help us to select a remediation approach that best suits your needs.

During planning, we will determine the exact remediation methods to implement and the ways to implement them. We will also consider other factors such as timeline, cost, applicable regulations and restrictions to choose a suitable remedial action plan for achieving regulatory compliance.

We will also ensure that our RAP gets approval from the applicable environmental agencies before we implement it. Our team will develop the RAP addressing every single REC or environmental concern on your property.

4. Remedial Action

We carry out the remediation following the RAP we have developed. Some remedial actions can be done in a short time while others may take months or even years. For example, we can excavate and dispose of contaminated soil within one or two days from your site. Other remedial methods such as chemical oxidation or bioremediation can take up a few months to complete.

The unique characteristics of a property can also demand a lengthy remedial process for effective cleanup.

We may also take help of other remedial methods may include groundwater treatment, soil vapor extraction, solidification, stabilization, air stripping and more. Sometimes, the most practical option is to leave the environmental concerns undisturbed and adopt a risk management based environmental remediation strategy.

We can guide you with risk-based remediation strategies for properties where cleanup is not feasible. Our team can also help you with Modified Generic Risk Assessments (MGRA) and Site Specific Risk Assessments (SSRA) if you need.

We closely monitor the remediation process so that all work follows our plan for maximum efficiency.

5. Documentation and Approval

 The second last stage of Phase II ESA involves documentation and gaining approval from environmental agencies signifying the effective cleanup of the site. We document the entire remedial process thoroughly so that it can be made accessible for future references.

6. Reporting

We will create an in-depth report of all our findings and remedial action taken on the site for your convenience. The report will describe the presence of any impacted material and the current environmental condition of the site.

We will also include recommendations for any further action that you might need to take for your property. Our team may conduct additional assessments and collect recent samples to establish the effectiveness of the remedial actions. You can file an RSC for brownfield properties after the completion of our report.

That brings an end to our Phase III ESA process. You can consult with our team for more details on how we conduct Phase II ESAs for different types of sites and properties.

We undertake a variety of remediation methods based on the nature of contaminants and RECs present on the site. Here's a brief description of some methods we might utilize-

Soil Excavation : Soil excavation is the most common remediation method where contaminated soil from the property is sent to a landfill or cleaned on the site. We will first determine the amount of soil to be remediated and the types of harmful chemicals present in the soil before we proceed to clean or excavate it.

Groundwater Remediation : We treat and remediate groundwater by installing groundwater monitoring and extraction wells. Our team also tests the water for the effectiveness of the remediation program and prevents the spread of contaminants or the creation of other potential liabilities.

Soil Vapor Extraction : We carry out soil vapor extraction or SVE to eliminate the harmful chemical from the soil above the water table. Our team uses advanced equipment to access the polluted area and extract the contaminants from the soil and groundwater.

Chemical Oxidation : Another useful method of removing contaminants from soil and water is chemical oxidation. We use oxidants to destroy harmful chemicals and pollutants by changing them into harmless compounds like water and carbon dioxide. The process is effective for various chemicals like fuels, solvents and pesticides.