Environmental Site Assessment and Cleanup

An expedited assessment and cleanup at a former bulk terminal facility in Panama City is one of the best examples Earth Systems can provide of its experience with the Florida Petroleum Contamination Cleanup Program. A large oil client contacted Earth Systems as they were attempting to sell a former petroleum bulk storage tank terminal, which had been de-commissioned in the late 1960s. During a Phase II Environmental Audit, a prospective buyer had identified groundwater contamination at the site. The discovery was preventing the sale and re-development of 30 acres of valuable, waterfront property. Within one year, Earth Systems completed remedial action, submitted an assessment, and obtained a SRCO for the property.

Work provided under this expedited cleanup included:

• Upon notification of the circumstances, Earth Systems contacted FDEP and advised the Department that an Alternative RAP was being prepared for submittal. The air sparging/vapor extraction Alternative RAP was submitted within 2 weeks of receipt of client authorization, and approved by FDEP 4 weeks thereafter, with no comments.
• Three weeks following receipt of Alternative RAP approval, Earth Systems mobilized to the site and installed 12 air-sparging wells, 8 vapor extraction wells, and the associated piping system. Piping from the wells was manifolded into a trailer mounted air-sparge system. At system startup, a source area groundwater sample contained 1,200 µg/L total BTEX.
• Five months following implementation of the Alternative RAP, Earth Systems submitted a TSAR, in accordance with 62-770 FAC requirements. Groundwater data collected during site assessment sampling indicated dissolved hydrocarbon levels had been reduced to below NA Monitoring Levels, though Xylenes remained above Groundwater Cleanup Target Levels (GCTLs). No soil contamination was identified except in the smear zone, where 100 tons of petroleum impacted soil was delineated. The TSAR was approved by FDEP with no regulatory comments.
• Despite aggressive, focused air sparging, dissolved hydrocarbon levels remained slightly above cleanup levels for the following three months of remedial action.
• Based upon the stabilized dissolved hydrocarbon levels and the need to reach GCTLs, eight months following Alternative RAP implementation, Earth Systems performed a limited source removal excavation. 100 tons of petroleum impacted soil was removed from the smear zone during the excavation. Post excavation sampling confirmed that all petroleum impacts were removed.

Following receipt of a remedial action/source removal report, FDEP waived its requirement that the site maintain cleanup target levels for two consecutive quarters and issued a SRCO for the site. Upon receipt of the SRCO, the property transaction was completed and the site was developed.