Projects - Environmental Services

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. has been providing environmental services for an industrial property consisting of approximately 5.5 acres of land located in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. The developers that purchased the property plan to redevelop the property into a condominium complex. The property had been owned and operated by jewelry manufacturing companies from approximately 1880 until 1988. The manufacturing operations that have been performed at the property consists of metal plating, casting, grinding, polishing, engraving, photo etching, coloring, painting and lacquer spraying, and ceramic manufacturing. The manufacturing and industrial operation activities that were performed over the past century contributed to the contamination of the soil and groundwater underlying the property.

In an effort to evaluate soil and groundwater contamination, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. was retained to assess the subsurface conditions and develop a remedial plan that will allow residential use. Therefore, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. instituted a subsurface investigation program that was initiated and performed in 2003 and 2004. These activities consisted of the advancement of 21 borings, which were completed as monitoring wells, the excavation of 17 test pits, the removal of one UST, the screening of soil samples, the collection of groundwater samples from the each new well and selective existing wells, and the submittal of 32 soil samples and 45 groundwater samples to a state certified laboratory for analyses. The investigation indicated that chlorinated solvents, metals, and petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated the soil and groundwater underlying the property. Two separate areas of contamination were determined for the assessment activities.

In late 2004 and early 2005, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. instituted remedial actions. Approximately 800 cubic yards of petroleum and chlorinated solvent contaminated soil were excavated and transported off-Site to a reclamation facility. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. collected soil samples to verify the limits of the excavation and the analytical data indicated that the soil concentration were below the cleanup standards for residential use.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. performed a pilot test on the bio-accelerant proposed for remediation activities prior to purchasing the full amount of product needed (a cost that could be up to $50,000). The pilot test consisted of injecting Oxygen Releasing Compound (ORC©) and Hydrogen Releasing Compound (HRC©) into the soil and groundwater. The ORC is a bio-accelerant that reduces the vinyl chloride concentrations. HRC reduces the tetrachloroethene (PCE) concentrations. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. collected groundwater samples three months after the injection activities and analyzed them. The data indicated the ORC reduced the vinyl chloride concentration by approximately one-half, and the HRC reduced the PCE concentrations drastically, from greater than 10,000 parts per million to non-detect. The remedial injections of ORC and HRC appeared to be very favorable. Therefore, the application of these bio-accelerants will be implemented as the remedial option to clean-up the soil and groundwater.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. provided civil and environmental engineering services for a 53 acre parcel in preparation for its development as a 40B residential property with approximately 200 units. The development provided unique challenges due to unpermitted waste disposal which was formerly conducted at the property.

In order to determine what risks were present at the Site as the result of prior landfilling, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. Environmental Engineers conducted an ASTM Phase I, Phase II Environmental Assessment Conceptual Remedial Plan and remedial cost estimates. The Environmental Assessment revealed various assessments were conducted at the Site over the past 20 years by the DEP and a four million dollar lien exists on the property. Assessment determined that many of the on-site monitoring wells, as well as several of the drinking water wells located in the area of the Site, were impacted by the chlorinated solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and dichloroethylene (DCE). In addition to these chlorinated solvents in the groundwater, lead, silver, mercury, barium, copper, poly aromatic hydrocarbons, petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, and pesticides were detected at elevated levels. Media impacted included soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water. Results of the subsurface investigation indicated that over 70,000 cubic yards of waste were scattered or buried throughout the Site.

A remediation plan for the property was developed by Coler & Colantonio, Inc. which ensured that a condition of no significant risk could be achieved within a budget that would allow the development project to remain profitable. With the assurance that the project would be financially feasible, Coler & Colantonio, Inc.'s Civil Engineers began work on the details of the residential development.

Several permits including zoning change, public water supply connection, national pollutant discharge elimination system, environmental notification, and conservation commission approval were prepared by Coler & Colantonio, Inc. Multiple ZBA meetings with significant public participation resulted in a denial that was overturned at the Housing Appeals Committee with minimal restrictions.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. provided due diligence environmental site assessment services for a client on a parcel containing a former supermarket as well as adjoining vacant, residential and commercial properties.

The initial ASTM Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was done for the former supermarket property. As a result of the assessment, we discovered that the property previously held a shoe factory that utilized hazardous materials and oil heat. Therefore, we recommended a subsurface investigation be conducted. Additionally, it was determined that a neighboring gasoline service station had an earlier release. Therefore, we recommended a subsurface investigation on the adjacent border of the site property to rule out release migration onto the site.

A Phase II Subsurface Environmental Site Assessment was then conducted throughout paved portions of the supermarket property, focusing on the footprint of the former shoe factory and the border adjacent to the gasoline station. Heating oil and hazardous materials were the contaminants of concern in the area of the former shoe factory. Therefore, soil and groundwater were analyzed for extractable petroleum hydrocarbons (EPH) with target polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). Gasoline contamination was the concern along the border of the site closest to the gasoline station; therefore analysis for volatile petroleum hydrocarbons and VOCs was performed on select soil borings and groundwater samples from the border area. Based on the results of the soil and groundwater analysis, we concluded that neither fuel oil nor VOCs appeared to have significantly impacted the soil and groundwater in this former shoe factory area of the site, and that the soil and groundwater located in the area proximal to the gasoline station was not impacted by releases at the gasoline station at the time of the investigation.

Additionally, the client requested that Coler & Colantonio, Inc. perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment on a neighboring group of parcels to the supermarket, consisting of vacant properties, residential homes and a commercial property. We concluded that several recognized environmental conditions were identified at the properties, including the proximity to the neighboring gasoline station, the use of home heating oil in aboveground storage tanks of indeterminate age on several of the properties, and the potential presence of asbestos containing materials. We recommended to the client to advance several soil borings and complete monitoring wells throughout the site properties to determine if contamination from the neighboring gasoline station has migrated onto the site property and if there have been any releases to the environment by the heating oil storage tanks, as well conducting further research, sampling and analysis to ascertain the presence or absence of asbestos containing material in each building.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. began Environmental Services in 2003 on a Former Gas Station site in Sandwich, Massachusetts as the result of a Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MADEP) Administrative Consent Order with Penalty (ACOP). A release on the site was first identified in 1987 when a complaint from a resident of free phase gasoline in their home water supply lead to an investigation by the MADEP. The gasoline was determined to be from the subject site which was classified as a Tier IA Site, representing a release with the highest potential to pose a risk of harm of health, safety, public welfare, and the environment, due to the drinking water issues.

Initially MADEP response actions assessed and mitigated risks but then the Site sat idle for over 15 years. A prospective new property owner worked with Coler & Colantonio, Inc. to develop a means to purchase the property and meet MADEP requirements with a minimal budget. An ACOP was developed to complete a schedule for regulatory reporting requirements including Phase I through Phase V reporting requirements in accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) 310 CMR 40. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. eventually prepared a Phase V Report that documented that enhanced bio-remediation and recovery of free phase gasoline was functioning for a timely permanent solution.

Presently the site is in Remedy Operation Status with routine manual bailing of free phase gasoline and enhanced bioremediation. In 2003 the thickness of free phase gasoline or Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) was over three feet. Presently less than one half inch of LNAPL is estimated to remain on the water table and the LNAPL has been limited to one well. The associated Site Sketch depicts the estimated extent of the LNAPL over time. In addition, injections of bio remedial additives continue on an as needed basis. This alternative for remediation was designed to meet the financial constraints of the Responsible Party and requirements of the MADEPs ACOP and the MCP.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. provided due diligence environmental hazard assessment services on two parcels of potential preservation land for the The Nature Conservancy. The Environmental Hazard Assessment (EHA) is a report similar to the ASTM Limited Environmental Due Diligence Transaction Screen prescribed by the ASTM Standard 1528-06, but which was developed by The Nature Conservancy for its purposes of acquiring land for preservation.

One parcel, located in Egremont, Massachusetts, consists of 12 acres of undeveloped land, populated by coniferous trees, plowed land, a brook and wetlands and scrubland. The plowed portion of the property was once used for making hay and potentially for farming in the past. Local agencies including the fire department and Board of Health indicated that no environmental concerns have ever existed on the Site. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. found no recognized environmental conditions on-site during the EHA.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. also performed an EHA on an approximately 80 acre property in Mount Washington, Massachusetts. The property was also undeveloped, populated by a forest of coniferous and deciduous trees. According to research on the site, the property had never been developed and may have been logged at some period in the past and the forest allowed to mature. The property is located along two parcels owned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation as a state reservation and a state forest. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. did not find any past or current recognized environmental conditions on the site during the EHA.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. provided LSP services related to drainage system improvements conducted between June 2007 and May 2008 at Lord Pond Plaza off of Freedom Street in Athol, Massachusetts. An existing aluminum pipe arch had collapsed and required immediate replacement.

A survey of existing conditions and soil analysis was conducted to determine the cause of failure. The failed section of aluminum culvert was determined to be caused by road salt and shallow burial depth. However, soil analysis indicated some soil in the vicinity of the culvert with contamination exceeding state standards. Therefore, special environmental considerations were required to work within and transport the contaminated soil material.

Test pits were conducted and samples were collected under COMM-97 standards to determine soil disposal options. Elevated levels of metals and poly aromatic hydrocarbons were detected nonetheless levels were low enough to allow for in-state disposal. Utilizing special exceptions within the Massachusetts Contingency Plan 310 CMR 40.0000 the levels detected did not trigger a Reportable Condition and no additional DEP reporting was necessary.

Emergency Response Services were required during the installation of a pipeline at the Port Authority yard, an off loading facility in Providence, Rhode Island, as part of an upgrade to a propane line. During the replacement of a subsurface pipeline, petroleum contamination was located in the soil within the excavation area and an abandoned catch basin. The client contacted Coler & Colantonio, Inc. for regulatory compliance, documentation, and contaminated material disposal coordination. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. notified the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM) of the condition and developed a remedial plan for soil excavation that did not hinder the installation of the utility line. A berm of native soils and poly sheeting was placed in the excavation to mitigate spreading of the contamination from groundwater infiltration. The replacement of the utility line was delayed only a few hours. The sludge, catch basin and soils were placed in bulk containers and a roll off container and were disposed of within two weeks. Excavation closure sampling confirmed that residual contaminants were present in the soils but the concentrations remaining represented background type conditions at the port and no additional response actions were warranted. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. completed closure documentation, reviewed by the Port Authority and submitted to RI DEM preventing significant delays to the pipeline installation.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. responded to a catastrophic release of over 200 gallons of heating oil from an aboveground storage tank (AST) at a residence. The oil flowed over the frozen lawn down the road for approximately 650 feet and continued down to the lowlands along the Assonet River. Due to the location of the release within a residential area serviced by private drinking water wells, and the proximity of the release to the Assonet River, an aggressive cleanup was implemented with Emergency Response workers from the DEP. Swift and extensive remediation activities were conducted in order to limit the extent of and exposure to the Release.

Fuel oil contaminated only the top two feet of frozen soil. However, the soil was not frozen next to and under the residence where impact soil extended to ten feet. Absorbents were utilized to remove contaminants from the road and a shallow excavation was completed in the side yard of the residence, along the shoulder of the road where warranted, and in the lowlands proximal to the Assonet River. Excavation of soil under the shored foundation remediated the majority of contaminated soils beneath the residence. Multiple rounds of chemical oxidation were used to further treat the residually impacted soils to assure drinking water would not be impacted. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. completed a Risk Characterization that determined that a condition of No Significant Risk existed and a Permanent Solution was achieved at the Site without institutional controls or property restrictions. All activities were approved, accepted and paid for by the homeowner's insurance company and the insurance company's environmental consultant.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. has been providing Professional Consulting Services and legal defense services for Woodlawn Cleaners dry cleaning operations since 2007. Chlorinated solvent contamination was first detected at an adjacent property, located to the southwest of the subject property, during a subsurface investigation in 2005. Chlorinated solvent and petroleum contamination were subsequently identified at the dry cleaning property. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. was hired to delineate the extent of the chlorinated solvent contamination and to determine whether the contamination at the adjacent property was a result of a release at the dry cleaners.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. has completed a variety of assessments in the vicinity of the dry cleaners, including determining groundwater flow direction, advancing 26 soil borings, installing 13 monitoring wells, and installing three soil gas points across five properties. Groundwater flow in the vicinity of the site is predominantly to the southeast, away from the adjacent contaminated property; however, structures such as multiple buildings and sewer lines complicate flow directions. Laboratory analysis completed on groundwater and soil samples and field analysis completed on soil and soil gas samples indicates that chlorinated solvents are present in the majority of the soil and groundwater samples, but concentrations exceed applicable Massachusetts Contingency Plan Method 1 Cleanup Standards in only two of the soil samples and nine of the monitoring wells. Samples with exceedances in the soil were located on properties adjacent to the subject site; exceedances of groundwater were found in samples below the Woodlawn Cleaners building, as well as near a neighboring dry cleaner and around another adjacent building. Based on the assessment activities Coler & Colantonio, Inc. identified three likely source areas of chlorinated solvents. One area is beneath Woodlawn Cleaners itself, where chlorinated solvents have impacted soil, soil gas and groundwater beneath the building, particularly in the vicinity of the former dry cleaning machines.

The second area is along the eastern edge of the adjacent contaminated property; this area contains the highest levels of soil contamination. Soil gas readings in the building were very low; however a sub-slab depressurization system has been installed at the building.

The third source area is in the vicinity of the neighboring dry cleaners, which is located upgradient of the adjacent contaminated property. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. believes that the chlorinated solvents detected at the adjacent contaminated property are primarily originating from the source area identified along the eastern edge of this property. The source area near the neighboring dry cleaner is also a likely contributor to the chlorinated solvent contamination located at this property. A minor amount of chlorinated solvents from the Woodlawn Cleaners property may also be migrating to the property, but these concentrations appear to be insignificant the other sources. Assessment activities at Woodlawn Cleaners are on-going.

Coler & Colantonio, Inc. devised an innovative approach for the commercial development of a major Brownfield site in Boston. The site is the former location of an historic electric generating plant and transportation garages. During extensive subsurface investigations of the Site, it was discovered that petroleum-based free product had been released from underground storage tanks (USTs) and oil/water separators. In addition to fuel oil, soils on the Site were found to be contaminated with heavy metals, apparently from ash fill. Coler & Colantonio, Inc. provided Licensed Site Professional services, permitting, and comprehensive remediation services in response to this situation.

Comprehensive Site remediation included removal of over 20,000 gallons of free product from the ground and the pumping and treatment of over 1 million gallons of groundwater. Savings of over $600,000 was accomplished through the reuse of treated soil as pavement base for a planned parking lot on the property. Asphalt emulsion and cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment was selected and permitted to simultaneously address the lead and petroleum contamination in the soils at the Site. A portable S/S treatment plant was mobilized to the Site.

Contaminated soils were processed through the treatment system, consisting of several mobile components. Processing began with vibrating mechanical screening (orange equipment in photograph above). Oversized material, including valuable granite cobblestones, was separated out for cleaning and reuse; debris was disposed off-Site. Screened material was then conveyed to a pugmill (above, yellow equipment). Computer controls on the pugmill ensured that the proper amounts of asphalt emulsion and portland cement were mixed into the contaminated soils. Curing and treatment performance verification took place in the stockpile. Treated material was then placed and compacted to form a pavement base for a parking lot on-site.

In 2004, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. was contracted to perform soil and groundwater assessment relating to a historic "perc" dry cleaning solvent release for a property in Westerly, Rhode Island. As identified in documentation provided to the Department of Environmental Management (DEM), groundwater had been impacted by chlorinated solvents (PCE's) including: Tetrachloroethylene, Trichloroethylene, and cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene, all at concentrations exceeding the DEM's GA-classified groundwater objectives. (GA classified groundwater is a groundwater resource which is known or presumed to be suitable for drinking water use without treatment.) Chlorinated solvents are difficult to assess due to their specific density that is heavier than water, therefore they sink, to an impermeable barrier, in this case igneous bedrock, and then migrate within fractures.

Between 2005 and 2007, Coler & Colantonio, Inc. performed subsurface investigations at the Site in order to determine the nature and extent of the chlorinated solvents. We implemented a sub-slab depressurization system (SSDS) to mitigate potential exposures from contaminants impacting the indoor air. Additionally, we successfully petitioned the DEM changing the groundwater categories elevating target cleanup levels an order of magnitude. The installation of the SSDS allowed the present occupant to remain in the facility.

The microbial mass in the groundwater was assessed and it was determined that anaerobic PCE degrading bacteria were present but required additional nutrients to thrive. Numerous remedial alternatives were evaluated and enhanced bioremediation was selected as the most advantageous. Specifically infusion of nitrogen and hydrogen gases in a dissolved state to the groundwater was selected. Enhanced bioremediation is anticipated to reduce the PCE concentrations in the groundwater below the groundwater objectives in two years.