Environmental Services
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
ASTM 1527-13 Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) are completed by a certified individual who has performed over 500 site assessments. The ASTM standard is designed to meet the liability concerns of third-party lenders. Lead time is normally 10 days to two weeks for completion of the survey and report. Phase 2 ASTM surveys are completed when there is reason to believe that subsurface contamination may be present.
Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment Process (ASTM E-1527-13) includes the following:
- A detailed visual examination of the subject property, with emphasis on physical evidence of historical environmental problems and potential sources of environmental impairment. Historical aerial photography is also used to verify historic land use for the site and the surrounding properties.
- Records review: Review of available records, including complete regulatory and ownership history. Regulatory review focuses on air, water, waste, UST, and other applicable environmental issues. Available records are researched both through regulatory agencies and applicable site records. A 60- year historical title search is included.
- Interviews with owners and occupants: Information is obtained from both current and former owners, tenants and employees.
- Report: detailed report describes all findings.
- Conclusions and recommendations are provided as appropriate.
- WC Environmental can perform an ASTM 1527 site assessment and produce a report including historical titles search (back a minimum of 60 years), color site photography, site search for erosion concerns, review evidence of underground storage tanks, evaluation of soil and of other environmental issues, conclusions and recommendations. We have completed environmental audits on residential, commercial, farm, health care, educational, and industrial properties. Numerous references are available. All surveys are completed and signed by an Environmental Professional as defined by the ASTM standard.
Transaction Screen Process (ASTM E-1528-14e1) includes the following:
- Questionnaire: A standard questionnaire form is utilized to identify potential environmental problems. The owner/occupant generally provides the necessary information.
- Site Visit: A site walk-through is performed to identify actual or potential environmental problems. Emphasis is placed on visual evidence of problems, with less focus on review of records.
- Site History: Unless specific historical industrial uses are identified, site history investigation is limited to title information.
- Summary Report: A summary report is provided.
Financial Assistance Available
There are a variety of grant and loan programs available to help pay for site assessment and/or cleanup activities associated with contaminated properties. We will gladly assist you in evaluating and applying for these programs.
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment Process includes the following:
-Soil boring program design/implementation
-Soil sampling
-Field monitoring/characterization
-Interim remedial actions (Removal design and Bioremediation design)
Report preparation
Underground Storage Tank Closures
We offer the following services for closing underground storage tanks:
-Removal/closure in place bid preparation
-Contractor oversite
-Regulatory review
-Closure plan preparation/submittal/review
Bioremediation
WC Environmental, LLC produces a proven product, Pimonas® Microbial Solution, that can meet your bioremediation needs! While there are a number of technologies to clean up spills or releases of petroleum to soil or groundwater, bioremediation is the one method that is so safe and proven that the PA Department of Environmental Protection offers training courses in the subject. Bioremediation is the least expensive of all the generally accepted methods of cleaning up petroleum releases.
Most people are aware that there are microbes everywhere; many of these microbes are found in oil-producing areas. These microbes, which consume oil as their “food”, can be removed from soils and engineered in the laboratory to reproduce readily. Pimonas® Microbial Solution is a highly concentrated form (billions per gram!) of these microbes. Bioaugmentation involves placing Pimonas® Microbial Solution in soil and groundwater where contamination is found. While these microbes do have other survival requirements (enough air and water), what they need most is petroleum hydrocarbons for food! There are thousands of documented success stories: bioremediation is effective. Depending on specific soil and/or groundwater conditions, contamination can be gone in an amazingly short time, from several weeks to a few months.
If you are unhappy with the costs associated with traditional “pump and treat” technologies, we hope you will consider using Pimonas® Microbial Solution at your site and watching how quick our microbes go to town on your contamination! Pimonas® Microbial Solution is not only safe and fast, it is also priced less than many competing products and technologies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bioremediation
Q: Is it safe?
A: Yes! Oil-eating microbes are non-hazardous, non-toxic, and biodegradable. Bioremediation technology has been in use for nearly 70 years!
Q: What happens to the microbes when there is no more oil or gasoline for them to consume?
A: Like all organisms, they will die when their source of food is eliminated. Microbes decompose to carbon dioxide, water, and trace elements.
Q: If these micro-organisms are already present in soil naturally, won’t the microbes at my site eventually decompose the petroleum contamination?
A: If soil and groundwater chemistry conditions are ideal, then “natural attenuation” may work. However, the most effective microbes for attacking petroleum are found in soils in oil-producing areas. “Bioaugmentation” – the addition of concentrated oil-eating microbes not found in native soils – works much faster. Pimonas® microbial solution, for instance, has billions of microbes per milliliter, and confluent growth will continue as long as conditions are appropriate.
Q: What are considered ideal conditions for bioremediation of soils and groundwater?
A: Without getting too technical, the key factors are temperature, oxygen level, and pH. Microbes do not do well in cold conditions, they like high dissolved oxygen levels (silty or sandy soils, not heavy clays), and a neutral pH. They are surprisingly hardy, though, particularly if they have plenty of food!
Q: How much Pimonas® do I need for my project?
A: Our studies show that one gallon of solution will typically treat about 4 cubic yards of soil/water.
Q: How long does it take?
A: We have seen successful results in as little as a week, but larger projects may take several months and require two or three applications. Contaminated surface soils can be cleaned up in as little as two days.
Q: What are the advantages of bioremediation over other technologies such as pump and treat or soil washing?
A: The primary advantages are time and money. Bioremediation typically works much faster, and at a cost of between $15 and $30 per cubic yard (depending on number and size of applications), it is usually much less expensive than alternate technologies.
Soil Management/Land Development Consulting
Our experienced consultants and associates have experience in a variety of areas involving soil, water, and land development planning. Let us know what your vision is for your next project and we’ll be glad to help.
Health and Safety Services
Health and Safety Consulting
WC Environmental performs physical inspections and program audits covering EPA, OSHA, and DOT regulations. All inspections and audits are confidential, and are completed by a certified professional with significant experience in dealing with worker safety, air quality, water quality, hazardous waste and associated regulations. Costs are based on the size of the facility and the type of operation.
OSHA requires training to meet a wide variety of worker safety standards, including hazard communication, the laboratory standard, bloodborne pathogens, chemical exposures, respiratory protection, lock out/tag out, emergency response, forklift operation, and confined space entry. WC Environmental offers courses and workshops at your facility or ours which are designed to meet your specific needs. All training is performed by a certified professional. HAZWOPER training is offered with flexible scheduling for the 8 hour refresher, 24 hour on-site, and 40 hour responder levels.
EPA requires training for all workers involved in managing hazardous wastes. WC Environmental offers introductory and advanced workshops from one hour to 24 hours covering all RCRA and state environmental agency requirements for training. Courses are designed to meet the needs of conditionally exempt small quantity generators, small quantity generators, and large generators. WC Environmental’s certified professional trainer has over 25 years experience in RCRA compliance and can also provide a review of your program and/or a full compliance audit.
WC Environmental, LLC offers a part-time environmental health & safety manager program for those facilities that can’t justify a full-time employee and the associated costs. Based on your specific needs, we can provide anywhere between 4 and 20 hours per month of on-site and/or off-site work on regulatory compliance, inspections, written reports, training, or required plans, all at a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee. WC Environmental carries a $1,000,000 professional liability policy from Lloyds of London which protects you from errors and omissions. Contact us for more information.
WC Environmental can do the following for your company:
-OSHA compliance inspections/corrections
-OSHA training course development/presentation
-Training to comply with OSHA standards
-Other regulatory-driven plans (confined space entry, emergency response, bloodborne pathogen exposure control, respiratory protection, personal protection,etc.)
-Preparedness, prevention and contingency plans (required for large waste generators)
-Environmental awareness
-HAZWOPER training levels 1-5; 1910.120(e), (p), and (q)
-Hazardous material inventory
-Chemical hygiene officers
-Laboratory Waste Management
-Right to know/hazard communication plans
-Hazardous material transportation
-Laboratory Safety
Waste Management
WC Environmental offers the following waste management services:
-Waste characterization and classification to determine if a waste is regulated as hazardous
-Hazard assessment
-Manifest preparation
-Packaging
-On-site treatment design/implementation
-Analytical report Review
-Data interpretation
-Field testing
-Waste profile preparation
-Lab packing
-Waste recycling approvals
-TSD facility auditing
-Quality assurance/quality control per EPA specifications
-Expert witness testimony for litigation
Regulatory Plan Preparation
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that all shippers of hazardous materials have a hazardous materials security plan in place, and that employees be trained in hazardous materials awareness and security. WC Environmental develops security plans and designs & presents the required training.
-Superfund work plans, including remedial and removal plans and implementation, health and safety plans and implementation, and decontamination plans and implementation
-Chemical Hygiene plans
-Hazard Communication plans
-Respiratory protection plans
-Waste management plans
-Confined space entry plans
-Remedial action plans (State and Federal)
-Preparedness, prevention & contingency/emergency response plans
Water Quality Consulting
WC Environmental offers the following water quality consulting services:
-Sample/analyze drinking water supplies
-Groundwater monitoring well installation
-Stream Sampling
-Monitoring well sampling/measurement
-Analytical Method Selection
-NPDES Sampling/analysis
-Hydrogeological services (groundwater/soil cleanup)
-Regulatory interface/Act 2 Cleanups
-NPDES permitting (industrial and stormwater discharges)
-Groundwater/soil sampling/analysis
-Underground Storage Tank evaluations (sub-surface sampling)
Indoor Air Quality Consulting
Indoor air quality is one of the most significant environmental issues, both in residential and industrial settings. WC Environmental provides a full range of air monitoring and investigative studies for volatile organic solvents, particulates, mold and other indoor air contaminants.
What WC Environmental can do for you:
-Requests for Determination
Evaluate need for permitting with PA or other states
CAA permit applications
-Air monitoring for regulated contaminants
Monitoring for VOCs, dusts, lead, chromium, cadmium, formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde,etc.
-Indoor air quality studies
Investigate complaints, determine source(s) and propose remedial action
-Construction material assessment
-Federal annual report preparation
-State annual report preparation
Part-Time Environmental Health and Safety Manager Program
For many small businesses, keeping up with environmental and health & safety regulations is important but not significant enough to warrant a full time employee. Project oriented consulting can be quite expensive, particularly for specialists in air quality, TRI reporting, or EH&S training for regulatory compliance. WC Environmental can provide these services on a part-time basis for a fraction of the cost of a full-time employee or project consultant. We typically provide 4-8 hours of onsite/off site work for $300-$600/month. This program gets the client ‘drop-everything” service in the event of an emergency, ongoing familiarity with your particular operation, confidentiality, and a fresh, experienced look at your environmental, health & safety issues. Please contact us for more information on this program.