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Northern Appalachia Case Studies

Northern Appalachia Case Studies

Upshur County Youth Camp VRP Project – US EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant

Environmental Standards provided LRS and remediation design services at a former disposal area adjacent to the Buckhannon River. Ms. Work, LRS, negotiated remediation changes with WVDEP on behalf of the Upshur County Commission. Residential soil standards were being applied as cleanup standards for proposed recreational use of the disposal area. Ms. Work collaborated with the WVDEP Toxicologist on using yet to be released recreational soil standards. The negotiations were successful, and new recreational use standards were approved, saving the Upshur County Commission thousands of dollars in grant monies and reducing its environmental liability.

Environmental Standards also assisted in developing bid documents and provided direct oversight of the contractor during remediation activities for the Upshur County Commission. VRP Certificate of Completion was received in 2020.

City of Grafton VRP Project – Historic B&O Freight Station

The City of Grafton acquired the Historic B&O Freight Station from CSX Inc. to have a permanent home for the Grafton Farmer’s Market. Originally built in the mid 1880s and is the oldest railroad structure remaining in Taylor County.

Environmental Standards provided LRS and remediation services in support of the redevelopment of the historic railroad freight station. Contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) were identified by the historical rail usage and analytical data from a Phase II ESA. The assessment work at the property included soil boring installation and sampling, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, and groundwater sampling. Remediation planning included the preservation of historic cobblestone, creatively used as soil cover, and land use restrictions.

The Site has been remediated through the WV VRP. The project was completed as scheduled and on budget, and a Certificate of Completion was received in 2019.

City of Wheeling, WV – Brownfields Support and Environmental Consulting Services

The City of Wheeling has repeatedly selected Environmental Standards to provide a broad range of environmental consulting services related to redevelopment and revitalization projects in the City. Environmental Standards’ professionals helped identify opportunities to support redevelopment and remediation activities; planned and conducted Phase I and II ESAs; provided coordination and oversight of underground storage tank removal; conducted asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paint building surveys, and performed remedial design and implementation in accordance with applicable environmental regulations and design standards.

Environmental Standards has ensured continued compliance with federal- and state-funded program requirements, including the US EPA Brownfields Program.

Environmental Standards also provided remediation oversight, WV VRP implementation and oversight services, grant writing, and public meeting/community outreach support.

Olivette Market Act 2 Closure Project – Emporium Shurfine Food Market

History of the Emporium, PA property included the presence of several aboveground and underground storage tanks used to store fuel oil and gasoline. A newspaper printing operation was known to have operated at the Property from 1887 to at least 1897. Adjacent property uses of potential concern included a former railroad that operated south of the Property from approximately 1909 to 1947, and a gasoline filling station to the north that was identified on a 1947 fire insurance map. The railroad that once ran along the southern Property boundary currently serves as a recreational walking and biking trail.

Assessment work included evaluation of historical soil and groundwater data, sub-slab soil gas assessment for vapor intrusion (VI) potential, installation of groundwater monitoring wells, and groundwater sampling based on temporal variability. Statistical evaluation and modeling of groundwater data was conducted and presented to the PA DEP as part of the Final Report submittal.

The Site has been remediated through the PA Act 2 Program. The project was completed as scheduled and on budget, and Release of Liability was obtained for the constituents of concern in 2018.

PA Oil and Gas – Stray Gas Migration Project

When an oil and gas client received notice from the PA DEP to investigate a plugged & abandoned (P&A) gas well, Environmental Standards was brought in to perform a 25 Pa. Code Chapter §78.89(a-i) investigation. The P&A well had detectable methane around the outside of the monument casing as well as distressed vegetation observable radially. The P&A well was located within close proximity to stray gas conditions that were under investigation at an adjacent property, which had distressed vegetative areas as well as methane effervescing through the water column of an on-site stream.

The findings of isotopic sampling and analysis indicated the methane at the P&A well was from shallow coal bed methane. Separate but similarly, the expressions on the property nearby were sourced by shallow coal bed methane. The stream located within the valley, which showed a long history of bubbling that is characteristic of methane emissions through a water column, was determined to follow a lineament and inferred structural feature between the P&A well and the nearby, affected property. The general area was within historic mine workings and contained a mapped fault which provided a pathway for shallow coal bed methane to migrate to surface in this area, including where the P&A well and the nearby property are located.

It was determined that the surface expression of shallow coal bed methane around the P&A well could be mitigated via re-plugging and abandonment, severing the pathway. This work was successfully completed in 2021.