Environmental Remediation Companies

• Spill Incident
• Release from underground vessel or system
• Regulatory requirement
• Liability concerns related to a property transaction
  • Findings of a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment
  • Data gap identified in a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment
  • A REC identified in a Phase One Environmental Site Assessment

When investigating for Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs), one must consider the following:

• Not likely to observe free product in subsurface
• Must not create new vertical migration pathways
• Need to be able to discretely sample multiple vertical zones

If you have questions regarding DNAPLs, contact August Mack Environmental at 800.579.0770 and ask to speak to one of our environmental remediation specialists.

In preparing for an audit, you must first select the members of the audit team. Having people on the team that are experts with the OSHA regulations should quickly narrow down the logical choices. This is another reason to consider outside resources since many companies do not have personnel that focus solely on this area of expertise. You can include non-experts on the audit team to add another perspective. This member should be provided with the goal of the audit and be inherently inquisitive...

• Immiscibility with water - they form separate ‘phases’, eg. Oil & water
• Low solubilities - DNAPL can’t dissolve quickly in groundwater: it may persist for decades before dissolving
• Relatively high densities - DNAPLs are denser than water, and can therefore sink beneath the water table, polluting the full thickness of an aquifer
• Low viscosities - allows rapid subsurface migration
• Toxicity - Many DNAPLs are suspected or...

Understanding Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) is important for the following reasons:

• LNAPL is common problem: several hundred thousand petroleum underground storage tanks (USTs) in the United States.
• LNAPL in soil/groundwater serves as continuing source of contamination.
• Can have dangerous physical characteristic – e.g., flammable vapors.
• Can migrate rapidly in subsurface(vertically and horizontally).
• Many LNAPLs are toxic and can cause cancer (e.g., benzene).

Vapor intrusion (VI) is the migration of volatile chemicals from the subsurface into overlying buildings. The chemicals associated with VI are the following:

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, e.g., TCE, PCE, 1,2-DCA, Vinyl Chloride, etc. – drycleaners, manufacturers
  • Benzene & Other Volatile Petroleum Constituents
• Methane – in certain areas of U.S. (e.g., LA Basin)
• Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) - Less Common

House Enrollment Act (HEA) 1162 requires the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to consider risk-based solutions while evaluating environmental closures. Risk-based closures can include several approaches for example:

• Applying pre-approved closure levels
• Determining site-specific closure levels
• Considering risk of exposure

Another in-situ remedial technology is enhanced bioremediation which is also known as enhanced aerobic bioremediation. Natural bioremediation (breakdown) requires the continued presence of bacteria, nutrients, oxygen and moisture whereas enhanced bioremediation is used to accelerate naturally occurring bioremediation of contaminants in the subsurface. Bioremediation provides a supplemental supply of oxygen to bacteria (normally limiting factor). It can increase the rate of contaminant breakdown...

One of the in-situ remedial technologies available is air sparging (AS). This remedial technology reduces the concentrations of volatile constituents in soils and groundwater by the injection of contaminant-free air into the subsurface saturated zone. It produces a phase transfer of hydrocarbons from a dissolved sate to a vapor phase. Then, the air is vented through the unsaturated zone. It is commonly used with soil vapor extraction (SVE).

The advantages of air sparging are the following:

• Proven...

In the in-situ remedial technology of soil vapor extraction (SVE), the following occurs:

• Vacuum is applied to the unsaturated zone through extraction wells.
• Vacuum causes movement of vapors toward extraction wells.
• Volatile constituents are removed through the extraction wells.
• The extracted vapors are discharged to the atmosphere.

• Proven performance; readily available equipment; easy installation; agency approved.
• Minimal disturbance to site...

House Enrollment Act (HEA) 1162 requires the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to consider risk-based solutions to environmental impacts. An important part of risk based thinking is the use of “Multiple Lines of Evidence”. This webinar with summarize risk-based closure thinking and explain how “Lines of Evidence” are used in the process of obtaining environmental closure. You will learn what specific “Lines of Evidence” are most helpful and why.

If a confirmed release has occurred, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations require that an appropriate cleanup response, or Corrective Action, be conducted

The purpose of the corrective action process is to ensure that releases of petroleum and regulated substances do not threaten human health and the environment. The steps in the process are:

1. Release discovery and reporting
2. Initial Abatement
3. Investigation
4. Corrective Action
5. Incident Closure/No Further Action

An underground storage tank (UST) Systems may be closed voluntarily if owner or operator chooses, or by mandate if system is not in compliance with regulations.

The guidelines for a temporary UST closure are:

• Corrosion protection must be maintained
• If UST is temporarily closed for 3-12 months:
• Leave vent line open
• Cap and secure all other lines, pumps, equipment, etc.

Keep in mind that if an UST is temporarily closed for more than 12 months it must be permanently closed.

The guidelines for a permanent...

August Mack Environmental, Inc., a full-service environmental, health and safety (EH&S) consulting firm, is pleased to the promotion of Bennett Thayer to Office Manager for the Dublin, Ohio office. Since joining August Mack in 2004, Thayer has served as a field scientist, staff scientist and project manager.

With more than eight years of experience, Thayer specializes in local, state and federal environmental compliance; environmental, health and safety (EH&S) servicing and reporting;...

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPAs) technical regulations for underground storage tanks (USTs) are designed to:

• Reduce the chance of releases from USTs (Construction & Installation)
• Detect leaks and spills when they do occur (Design)
• Secure a prompt cleanup (Notification)

The notification performance standards are:

• USTs must be registered with the agency and appropriate fees paid
• Releases (suspected and confirmed) reported within 24-hours to implementing agency