REMEDIATION
Site Remediation Construction Management and Oversight
ELM maintains a team of professional staff including Certified Construction Project Managers and Professional Engineers experienced in construction implementation that provides high quality construction oversight that meets/exceeds industry standards. Our team has implemented projects ranging in size from a few thousand to tens of millions of dollars. ELM’s collaborative approach between the design engineers and construction managers promotes innovative solutions to complex remediations leading to substantial cost savings for our clients.
ELM provides construction management services to manage remediation contractors retained by the Client or contracted directly by ELM. In this role, ELM can serve as the Owner’s Representative to manage the project on your behalf. ELM manages the project implementation, tracks/controls the project budgets and schedules, and monitors/manages potential risks and changes to optimize project implementation and limit potential cost increases. ELM also monitors the remediation for quality assurance and compliance with the project design plans and specifications.
Throughout the remediation process, ELM documents the remediation and maintains the project record and can prepare the appliable regulatory reports to document completion of the remedial actions and obtain applicable regulatory approvals. ELM maintains an exceptional Health and Safety record which is a priority on all our projects.
During remediation, ELM can also perform support services, based on project needs, including:
- Remedial design.
- Contractor bidding and procurement.
- Perimeter air monitoring.
- Confirmatory sampling.
- Waste classification and management.
- Construction documentation.
- Project Closeout.
For more information regarding ELM’s Site Remediation Construction Management and Oversight services, please contact Mike McNally (mmcnally@elminc.com) or Jeff Amant (jamant@elminc.com).
Brownfields Redevelopment
ELM provides award-winning environmental services for Brownfields redevelopment projects. ELM provides a number of services, including:
- Environmental due diligence.
- Site/remedial investigations.
- Remedial plan development and implementation.
- Remediation cost projections.
- Site planning.
- Assistance in the procurement of Brownfields reimbursement incentives.
ELM customizes each project approach utilizing our thorough knowledge of the Federal, State and local regulatory and planning/zoning context. ELM also works with our client’s team to incorporate remediation activities into the redevelopment project where applicable to save time and money. We completed the first Brownfields incentive submittal in New Jersey where the developer received reimbursement of over $1 Million for the majority of its remediation costs. One of our projects also received the Phoenix Award from the National Brownfields Association for Region 2, which recognized an important redevelopment project along the Route 1 corridor in New Jersey.
ELM also performs a wide range of environmental due diligence services to facilitate real estate and business transactions. Our extensive experience and expertise in conducting due diligence allows ELM to quickly navigate large volumes of data/information and provide a comprehensive evaluation of potential liabilities and remediation cost projections. ELM’s focus on client needs and risk tolerances allows for well-informed decision making and recognizes the importance of early identification of potential issues in the transaction negotiation process.
For more information regarding ELM’s Brownfields Redevelopment services, please contact Jeff Moore (jmoore@elminc.com) or Kim Skibo (kskibo@elminc.com).
Investigation and Remediation
ELM excels at providing our clients with sensible and cost-effective solutions for the investigation and remediation of known or suspected discharges to the environment. ELM provides consulting support to clients on a variety of environmental issues, from straightforward tank closures to the most complex remedial efforts driven by CERCLA, RCRA, State Enforcement, ISRA, Brownfields or other conditions.
ELM focuses on the collection of decision-relevant data and information to develop practical solutions in line with our client’s business needs. A senior-level ELM principal or manager with extensive knowledge, experience and expertise in this field develops client and site-specific objectives that support site regulatory closure and ensure compliance with project deadlines and directs all site investigation and remediation work. The senior manager is supported by a project team assembled based on site-specific needs. ELM maintains a diverse team of highly credentialed personnel, including:
- Licensed Site Remediation Professionals (LSRPs),
- Professional engineers
- Environmental scientists
- Professional geologists
- Certified wetlands/land use specialists
- GIS/data management/analysis specialists
- Certified hazardous materials managers (CHMM)
- Safety professionals.
ELM professionals are leaders in our industry, and specifically in relation to the New Jersey LSRP program. We continue to help shape the LSRP legislation and regulations and maintain a leadership role in the LSRP Association (LSRPA) by having served on its Executive Board of Trustees and continuing to participate in numerous LSRPA / NJDEP technical committees. ELM continues to work on assuring that this important initiative continues to be successful.
For more information regarding ELM’s Investigation and Remediation services, please contact Lauren LaPort (llaport@elminc.com) or Jeff Fehr (jfehr@elminc.com).
Risk Assessment
ELM technical staff has demonstrated expertise in conducting realistic risk assessments, ranging from baseline to complex site-specific evaluations, depending on the needs of the project. We can support the development of management strategies that emphasize benefit-cost risk reduction, which results in remedial programs that are objectively focused, limited in scope and managed with lower overall costs.
Human Health Risk Assessment
ELM scientists have expertise in the assessment of risks posed by chemicals to workers and the general public, including the following services:
- Baseline Human Health Risk Assessment
- Worker Exposure Assessments
- Alternate Cleanup Criteria and Alternate Concentration Limits
- Short-term Risks Associated with Remedial Alternatives
- Assessment of Risks Associated with Unusual Chemicals and Mixtures
- Risk Communication
Our primary focus is to understand the potential exposure pathways and associated management options rather than emphasis on risk quantification, which is often more academic than risk management relevant.
Ecological Risk Assessments
ELM has extensive experience and in-depth expertise in ecological risk assessment, including the following services:
- Screening Level Risk Assessment (qualitative)
- Baseline Ecological Risk Assessments (quantitative elements)
- Alternate Impact Analysis
- Environmental Impact Studies
We place emphasis on: (1) understanding potential exposure pathways; (2) the dominant role of natural attenuation/recovery; (3) identifying relevant ecological receptors; (4) quantifying risks to those ecologically-relevant species as opposed to the most sensitive species; (5) presenting the magnitude of the risks to certain community components in relation to the components not apparently at risk; and (6) presenting the results in the context of the overall habitat and watershed, including consideration of the substantial ecological impacts that can be caused by remedial actions. This approach is utilized by ELM to minimize the potential for agency selection of intrusive remedial actions that will cause more harm from the action than toxicological harm to the community from the chemicals of concern.
ELM has conducted numerous assessments of sites located along streams, rivers and floodplains, and tidal estuaries. Key factors considered have included ground water/surface water interactions, wetlands quality, and sediment dynamics. Sediment stability, transport, and chemical sequestration (i.e., natural recovery) analyses are typically used in varying levels of detail to provide multiple lines of evidence to support a balanced risk management strategy. ELM has also successfully used ecological risk assessments to support site-specific permit limits, recognizing the limited potential for harm from most effluent outfalls.
For more information regarding ELM’s Risk Assessment services, please contact Mike Firth (mfirth@elminc.com) or Peter Brussock (ppbrussock@elminc.com).
Natural Resource Damages (NRD)
ELM provides scientific and technical expertise to support management of corporate liability related to natural resource damages (NRD). Compensation for impacts to natural resources can be pursued by Trustees under state (e.g., the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act) or federal statutes (e.g., Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act [CERCLA]). To support settlements and litigation related to NRD claims, ELM’s multi-disciplinary teams prepare assessments of potential natural resource damages for purposes of determining mitigation projects that would offset the, often hypothetical, damages with measurable resource improvements or enhancements. This equivalency approach is often more cost-effective and politically acceptable than the more contentious monetary compensation settlement approach. However, with either approach, ELM retains the expertise and resources to fairly value the resources in question and calculate more realistic injury estimates (e.g., using relevant toxicity thresholds and risk assessment) to support an agreement with the trustees. ELM has engaged in mediation and negotiated settlements on ground water NRD claims using site-specific data to limit the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection NRD calculations, and in some cases by adding mitigating factors such as protection of ground water recharge areas. Where a reasonable settlement is not reached, ELM can provide expert reports and testimony as part of a litigation strategy.
For more information regarding ELM’s NRD services, please contact Mike Firth (mfirth@elminc.com) or Peter Brussock (ppbrussock@elminc.com).
