Most remediation projects fall into this category. Recently, we completed a couple of lead-impacted soil remediation projects. In these cases, the lead impacts were at and slight below the ground surface. It was decided that digging up the contamination aligned best with our client's goals. The soil needed to be removed from the site for redevelopment, so we field screened the contaminated soil to ensure the clean soil was not being sent off as hazardous waste at a much higher price. This minimize the soil removal cost for our client and the removal was completed in two days.
Before starting any construction or other related project, it is necessary to conduct a proper site and groundwater cleanup, if the property is contaminated.
In most cases, potential hazards beneath the site need adequate investigation. The presence of soil and groundwater contamination requires proper remediation to avoid the risk to human health and the environment.
For example, drinking contaminated groundwater can cause hepatitis and dysentery. In addition, contaminated groundwater can also harm wildlife. There are other long-term effects. Namely, certain types of cancer may also result from exposure to polluted water.
Groundwater is the water underneath the ground surface, in the rocks and soil. The environmental significance of groundwater is immense. A large volume of soil or rock containing groundwater forms an aquifer, which supplies wells and springs and moves into lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
There are various techniques for soil and groundwater cleanup. Most common are bioremediation, carbon adsorption, air stripping, and the physical removal of contaminated substances.
Bioremediation is the process of groundwater cleanup based on fertilizing organisms that are present at the contaminated site. In some cases, by giving them nutrients and oxygen, they grow stronger. That enables them to eat the contamination, allowing the site to revert to its natural state. Bioremediation is usually in use when the groundwater contamination is an oil spill. The organisms living in the contaminated soil can remediate the site much faster and more cost-effectively than other types of groundwater cleanup.
Sometimes groundwater cleanup requires pumping the contaminated water from the aquifer, running it through a treatment system, and returning it to the ground. Treatments usually involve carbon adsorption and air stripping.
Carbon adsorption consists of soaking up contaminants through porous particles. After these particles fully absorb the hazardous matter, the process reintroduces the clean water to the environment.
On the other hand, air stripping treatment forces the groundwater through an aeration tank. That technique works by bubbling air through the groundwater which releases the contaminants. After that, cleaned water then flows back to the aquifer.
Incineration, sometimes called thermal desorption, is a method of soil cleanup.. This method is used in the case of a large amount of soil when the organisms cannot eat contaminated particles. The incineration process uses encapsulated towers at extremely high heat. High temperatures break down the contaminant particles and destroy any organic compounds present.
However, the size, location, and type of the contamination sometimes require complete removal of the contaminants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or state agencies like the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) supervise this process. At Hanis Consulting, we will ensure that contaminated ground is removed and safely transported to a hazardous waste facility.
Recently, we completed a couple of lead-impacted soil remediation projects. In these cases, the lead impacts were at and slightly below the ground surface. We decided that digging up the contamination aligned best with our client’s goals. The soil needed to be removed for redevelopment, so we field screened the contaminated soil to avoid sending the clean ground as hazardous waste at a much higher price. That minimized the soil removal cost for our client, and we completed the project in two days.
We have extensive experience with all of the mentioned soil and groundwater remediation techniques as well as many others. Whether you are dealing with petroleum, dry cleaner, or industrial contaminants, Hanis Consulting will find a solution to remedy the soil and groundwater that meets your needs and the constraints of the project.
By using different soil and groundwater cleanup methods, at Hanis Consulting, we will successfully deal with any contamination at your site.
Bedrock remediation is one of the most difficult challenges for a client. We will spare you the science of it right now, but the bedrock is like a sponge. If you take a dry hard sponge and wet it, you can squeeze a bunch of water out, but you can’t squeeze it enough, so it becomes dry and hard again. Bedrock behaves like a sponge, and contaminants are like water. To remediate bedrock, you typically remove what you can and then convince the regulators that there is no longer a risk. That is hard to achieve, and very few firms do it successfully. Our founder, Eric Hanis, worked on a team developing national guidance for investigating and remediating fractured bedrock, so you can be assured that your project is in the right hands.
To remediate bedrock, we will use the most innovative remediation techniques. These may include excavation, injection wells, and open boreholes.
Excavation is an effective way to remediate accessible bedrock. That means not too deep or not beneath the building. Mostly, it is only the groundwater within the bedrock fractures that are contaminated. The excavation in that situation is expensive. Besides, it is most likely unnecessary.
Injection wells fall into the category of traditional bedrock remediation methods. Installing injection wells is an effective technique to remediate fresh contamination, meaning contamination that has not had time to diffuse into microfractures. The process consists of injecting liquid soluble remedial amendments into such wells.
An open borehole is an alternative method. It consists of drilling open boreholes in the bedrock and injecting pressure-packer assemblies. Using the open boreholes technique achieves much higher pressures in injecting remedial amendments, which gives a better effect than injection wells. In addition, this approach offers long-lasting groundwater treatment and protection.
We will design a remediation plan to achieve a No Further Remediation (NFR) or No Further Action (NFA) letter from the state if this is an objective of the client. NFR/NFA letter acknowledges that a site owner or operator has satisfied specific laws and regulations and typically protects the property owner from future liability.
State programs are usually very detailed on what information needs to be collected and presented. The NFR letter often serves as an institutional control through various land-use restrictions it imposes. The conditions of an NFR letter depend on the intended post-remediation land use, remaining contamination, and the risk level that the remaining contamination poses.
Sometimes the NFR conditions prohibit using groundwater beneath the site as drinking water. In other cases, the condition prohibits ground from residential use.
At Hanis Consulting, we have experience working with different agencies in different states and designing a solution to achieve a goal that meets the needs of our clients and satisfies state regulations at the same time.
Risk-free project completion of our clients is our top priority. To that aim, we will thoroughly clean your site from any contaminants that endanger human health and pollute the environment.
In addition, we will minimize the disruption of your property use as much as we can. We recognize your need to continue regular activities uninterrupted, and to that end we will complete the remediation process without interfering with your daily operations.
By using innovative solutions, we will make the remediation cheaper and quicker whenever possible..
At the same time, we will ensure your project is in harmony with relevant state laws and regulations.
Do not hesitate to contact us today to set up a free consultation appointment.
