Winter 2008
EEA, Inc.
55 Hilton Avenue,
Garden City, New York 11530
(516) 746-4400, (212) 227-3200
(800) 459-5533
additional New York offices:
Stony Brook
(631) 751-4600
Altamont
(518) 861-8586
Asheville, NC
(828) 777-0610 |
e-mail addresses:
General:
mailto:eea@eeaconsultants.com
Individual:
First initial and last name
@eeaconsultants.com
EEA services include
Phase I ESAs, Haz-Mat
Testing and Remediation, Wetlands
Delineation
and Creation, Natural
Resources Inventories,
Marine Ecology Studies,
Air Quality and Noise
studies, and Environmental Management
System (ISO 14000) implementation.
Visit our web site
at
http://www.eeaconsultants.com/
For information or quotes,
contact:
Phase II/III Haz-Mat
Testing and Remediation
Nicholas Recchia, VP, CPG
Dredge Management Testing
Jeffrey Shelkey
EAS/EIS Studies
Janet Collura, CWS
Marine Ecology
Michelle Nannen
Terrestrial Ecology
Denise Harrington, AICP
Air Quality and Noise
Victor Fahrer, P.E.
Environmental Management
Systems (ISO 14000)
Robert Clifford
Director of Strategic Planning
James McAleer
Lake and Pond
Management
Erin Brosnan
EEA, Inc. –
Founded in 1979
Principals
Leland M. Hairr, Ph.D.
President
Allen Serper, M.S., P.E.
Vice President
Roy R. Stoecker, Ph.D.
Vice President
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For
the past 15 years, EEA has been at the forefront of vibratory core
sampling studies. Assisted by a team of scientists, EEA Senior
Scientist Jeff Shelkey has been there since the beginning,
developing and crafting the techniques necessary for what can be a
complex undertaking. Recently, our team of scientists were rapid
responders to a train wreck in Washington D.C.
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EEA Responds to the CSX Train Derailment
On Friday, November 9, 2007, a CSX 89-car coal train
derailed while crossing an abandoned section of the Sousa
Bridge on the Anacostia River in southeastern Washington
D.C. (Anacostia
Train Wreck).
About 600 tons of coal were dumped into an already heavily
contaminated river after six cars fell into the water. |
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Another eight cars were above threatening to also plunge
into the river below. Coal contamination was certainly a
concern, but another issue was at hand. Other potentially
contaminated sediments could be re-suspended during removal
of the freight cars and the coal. The risk of contaminating
the river with toxic substances was real. |
Concern was raised immediately by the
District of Washington Department of the Environment (DOE), and
other regulatory agencies, as to the suspension of highly toxic
sediments into the water column during the initial train wreck, and
then, the potential re-suspension of the sediments during removal
and excavation of the submerged cars and spilled coal.
Sediment testing had to be done quickly and before the cars were
removed from the scene. |
EEA’s
previous work on various Army Corps of Engineer’s projects from
Maine to Georgia led to an urgent call late Sunday night that
our vibratory coring services would be required to delineate
existing sediment conditions and help determine the potential spread
of highly toxic sediments. |
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While two other contractors were called to the scene to
respond, EEA was able to rapidly conduct all field sampling
and coordinate the laboratory testing. |
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EEA mobilized our
24-foot Carolina skiff and our electrically powered Rossfelder
P-1 vibratory corer for this project. The skiff was chosen
because of its portability and the ability to remove the
entire pilot house in less than 1 hour. The shallow draft and
low overhead clearance with the pilot house removed allowed
easy access to all the upstream sampling locations with
passage under the overhanging trains on the collapsed bridge.
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EEA
collected over 40 vibratory cores at all the predetermined locations
both upstream and downstream of the train wreck during one 20-hour
workday. The sediment core samples were logged, sub-sampled and
rushed for immediate laboratory analysis. DOE and assisting
agencies monitored the water quality as they prepared for the
removal of the freight cars. See the links below for more on the
train derailment. |
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Vibratory Coring
Basics
So what is this vibratory core sampling, anyway? About 35
years ago, soviet scientists invented an apparatus to extract
sediment core samples from aquatic environments. They
developed a corer device that could retrieve up to 20-foot
long sections of sediment. Today up to 40-foot lengths can be
successfully obtained. Coastal engineers and geologists can
examine these cores to collect all kinds of scientific data,
including global inventories allowing scientists to map the
Earth’s sediments. How do we use it here at EEA? Vibracoring
is an essential tool for assessing contamination within
aquatic sediments. |
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EEA,
Inc. has assisted numerous U S Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)
Districts from New England to Georgia with their requirements to
sample and analyze marine and riverine sediments prior to
undertaking dredging projects. Why do they need to dredge? Lots of
reasons: to clear shoal areas, deepen channels, expand ship turning
basins, beach replenishment/nourishment and stabilization programs.
A major focus of the vibratory coring program is to determine the
sediment toxicity through chemical and physical analysis. EEA has
collected thousands of linear feet of core samples from severely
contaminated superfund sites and petroleum refineries to pristine
marshes and beaches. |
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