An Electronic Newsletter 
of EEA's Environmental Consulting Activities

 
 
 

EEA Hazmat Team at Work:
NYSDEC Brownfield Remediation

Horace Harding Blvd, Queens, New York

 


(printer friendly version uses Acrobat Reader)

Winter 2009

EEA, Inc.

55 Hilton Avenue,
Garden City, New York 11530
(516) 746-4400, (212) 227-3200
(800) 459-5533
additional New York offices:

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(631) 751-4600
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(828) 777-0610

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@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 I ESAs  
    Richard Fasciani
Phase II/III Haz-Mat
Testing and Remediation
    Nicholas Recchia, VP, CPG
Dredge Management Testing
    Jeffrey Shelkey
EAS/EIS Studies
    Janet Collura, CWS
Wetlands Studies and Design
    Laura Schwanof, RLA
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
Restoration Ecologist
    Erin Brosnan
Invasive Species Specialist
    Bill Jacobs
   

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
 

NYSDEC Brownfield Legislation


2003

The Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) was authorized in statute under Title 14 of Article 27 of the Environmental Conservation Law as part of the 2003 Superfund/Brownfield Law.
 

2004

The Draft Brownfield Program Cleanup Guide is released.
 

2008

Governor David Paterson signed into law legislation to reform certain aspects of the State Brownfield program.  Legislation amends Chapter 1 of the 2003 Laws, which established the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). The BCP, among other things, provides BCP tax credits in return for the cleanup and redevelopment of BCP sites. The principal reforms enacted relate to restructuring the tax credits to provide balance between remediation and redevelopment credits. Also, the legislation transferred the administration of the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program from the Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to the Department of State (NYSDOS).
    
    

 

EEA has launched an investigation and remediation on a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Brownfield Redevelopment Site in the Fresh Meadows section of Queens.  Under New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), the 1.67-acre property, located on the northern side of Horace Harding Expressway and 183rd Street, was part of a strip mall containing a movie theater and a dry cleaner.  The dry cleaner was the source of a significant chlorinated solvent spill.  Groundwater was contaminated with tetrachloroethane (PEC). 

   

Under the BCP, cleanups are fully protective of public health and the environment.  Once the problem was identified, the site was labeled as a NYSDEC Brownfield Cleanup site.  EEA was called in to conduct a remediation of the contaminated area, both on and off site.

 

EEA initiated remediation procedures tailored for this site.  Subsurface investigations have identified that the contaminated groundwater has migrated off site.  The on-site source has been identified and the extent of the contamination has been qualified by recent subsurface investigations.

The Clean Up

The water table was lowered in order to isolate the contaminated material and begin removal.  Sheet piling was installed to contain the area of the contamination.  Approximately 15 feet of material was excavated and 3,000 cubic yards of saturated soils.


 

In order to remediate the site the source of the contamination was removed.  The highest levels of contamination exist in the saturated zone at the groundwater, subsurface soil interface to a depth of.  The overburden soil was stripped stockpiled on-site prior to delivery sheet piling to a depth of 40 feet from grade. 

 

After the sheet piling was installed, a well point dewatering system was installed and the water pumped from the area to be excavated.  The water required treatment prior to being discharged to the New York City sewer system.  Treatment consisted of frac tanks with a carbon filter to remove the PCE in water prior to discharge.  A permit from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection was obtained prior to operating the dewatering system.

              

Once the water table was depressed, the contaminated soil was excavated and removed.  By depressing the water table and temporarily staging the soil within the excavation, the soil did not require treatment prior to shipment.   The soil was designated a RCRA hazardous waste, based upon analytical data.

Approximately 2,400 cubic yards of contaminated soils was removed.  Prior to backfilling with clean fill, seven soil samples were obtained from the large area and three from the smaller area.  Each soil sample was analyzed for Volatile Organic Compounds by USEPA Method 8260.

After the contaminated soil was removed, clean fill was brought to the site and placed in the excavated area and compacted in lifts to the level of the future foundations.

EEA is currently completing the interim remedial clean up.  The property will be developed for commercial and residential use in the near future.

 

 

02/12/09