State-wide Remedial Investigation and Remedial Action Selection Services for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)

On behalf of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Projection (NJDEP), Berger has managed more than 40 environmental investigation and remediation sites since 1998 throughout the state of New Jersey as a part of the three consecutive task order contracts awarded for these services. The projects encompass the full breadth of environmental assessment, investigation and remedial alternative development services including: file reviews, preliminary assessments, site assessment, environmental, geologic and focused engineering field investigations, soil and hydrogeologic investigation, historical documentation, and permitting services.
Technical responsibilities include field coordination and management of subsurface investigations which involve well installation, soil boring installation, UST Removal oversight, soil excavation, geophysics, slug testing, pump testing, packer testing, soil vapor extraction testing, air monitoring, and soil, air, surface water, sediment and groundwater sampling. The contract requires analysis, interpretation and reporting of data associated with the above-mentioned field activities in compliance with state and federal regulations.

Due to the publicly-funded nature of this contract, interaction with homeowners, local officials, and regulatory agencies regarding the environmental impacts associated with various projects is frequently required. All work is conducted, as applicable, in accordance with NJDEP’s Technical Requirements for Site Remediation (NJAC 7:26E) and the NJDEP Field Sampling Procedures Manual. Under these contracts, Berger routinely addresses subsurface contamination and owner non-compliance issues at industrial and petroleum facilities, closed landfills, and other sites. Berger’s experience under this contract includes extensive NJDEP case manager interaction and negotiation/resolution experience. Berger also currently maintains a third task order contract with NJDEP for landfill closure designs and remedial designs statewide.

Berger has completed several subsurface investigation projects on behalf of NJDEP with the scope of work including investigation and characterization of a wide variety of source plumes, both in extent, composition and site-specific conditions requiring tailored solutions, while interacting with NJDEP and other stakeholders. Berger’s approach to the contract noted above is the same as our approach to all of our environmental investigations.
 
Hydrogeological investigation efforts for each site commence with a detailed background review of any existing data and known sources/extents of contamination. At this juncture a “conceptual approach letter” (a detailed conceptual site model) is drafted and discussed with the client for concurrence prior to developing a detailed workplan. Once the detailed workplan is finalized, the project manger, field/task leader, laboratory liaison, and data management staff convene to discuss coordination efforts prior to the outset of field activities and/or investigation. Field goals, procedures, logistics, data management and ultimate data presentation are addressed. Following the successful implementation of all planned field activities, data are uploaded electronically from field and laboratory sources to our Environmental Quality Information System (EQuIS) and GIS data management system. The EQuIS database is utilized, depending on the intent of the project at hand, to generate boring logs, identify contaminants above standards, tabulate results, and aid in the presentation of 3D graphics (example of graphic is shown).

Berger is accustomed to developing and presenting the most practical remedial actions factoring both effectiveness and cost by utilizing all site data and integrating it with the remedial design engineering evaluations and designs. Data is typically incorporated into figures depicting the existing contaminant extent. Furthermore, 3D graphical presentation, utilizing data directly from EQuIS, can be generated in both MVS and GIS software. For each site, Berger presents the most practical remedial action to the case team based on the data generated in the field, the future land use of the site, human/ecological impact, implementability and risk minimization. 

A summary of typical services provided under the Statewide Remedial Investigation and Remedial Action Selection Services Contract is as follows:

Typical environmental contamination/consulting issues encountered at these sites include:

• Soil contamination due to spills and manufacturing processes
• UST related issues/releases, past and current
• Dealing with contaminant exposure pathways via surface water and groundwater
• Potential indoor air quality issues
• Ecological impacts and restoration issues
• Numerous permitting and regulatory compliance issues

Typical work includes:

• Extensive File Reviews and Preliminary Recommendations
• Development of Additional Investigation Workplans (including detailed HASPs)
• Baseline Ecological and/or Receptor Evaluations
• Environmental, Geologic and Focused Engineering Field Investigations and Site Condition Analyses
• Development of Comprehensive/Detailed Remedial Action Designs and Workplans
• Propose measures to protect human and environmental receptors
• Developing Remediation Costs and Technical Specifications
• Remediation, Remediation Oversight, Post-Remediation Support

Two Representative Projects associated with this contract are summarized below:

Project #1: Remedial Investigations: Former Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital, Marlboro Township, New Jersey and Supplemental Remedial Investigation: Marlboro Park Site, Marlboro Township, New Jersey

The Louis Berger Group Inc. (Berger) was contracted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to conduct a site specific Remedial Investigation (RI) at the former Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital located in Marlboro Township, New Jersey. This RI was initiated to characterize subsurface conditions at various areas of concern (AOC) identified within the Preliminary Assessment as well as Hazardous Building Materials (HBM) and additional environmental AOCs identified during follow-up assessment activities.  

The RI activities were performed to meet the following investigation goals:

• Assess on-site structures for the ACM and LBP
• Review of site-wide Arsenic Sampling Data
• Inspect all AOCs for potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination
• Analyze soil quality where suspected sources of contamination are identified
• Characterize the quality and flow of groundwater where soil contamination is found
• Attempt to delineate all source areas, soil contamination and groundwater contamination
• Evaluate impacts to human receptors and natural ecological resources
• Determine the extent of landfill waste and other fill

During the early stages of the remedial investigation at the Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital and the adjacent Marlboro Park site, the ubiquitous nature of low level arsenic concentrations in soil detected by others during previous investigations at both sites was noted to be of interest. Berger hypothesized that the previously detected arsenic was not anthropogenic as originally assumed by NJDEP, but actually a naturally occurring condition in local and regional soil in this area. In our desire to reduce the scope, time and expense to the State (Treasury and NJDEP) in order to complete the remedial investigation and cleanup needed to close these two sites and prepare them for development, Berger initiated the research and evaluation of previous data needed to support this hypothesis prior to implementation of an overly complex and comprehensive remedial investigation previously written by others and originally planned for implementation by NJDEP.

Berger’s initial arsenic research and evaluation did indeed indicate that arsenic in soil at both sites is naturally occurring and, as previously assumed by NJDEP and others, was not a result of past land use and/or disposal practices. These conclusions provided Berger with the means to present a compelling argument to NJDEP that the previously planned exhaustive arsenic delineation efforts at the two sites would not be needed, and as such, Berger was able to write and implement greatly reduced investigation plans for both sites that still met all of NJDEP’s requirements for site remediation, and have resulted in the award of No Further Action decisions for soils at both sites.

The significant reductions in the originally planned remedial investigation scope resulting from Berger’s arsenic evaluation has since enabled the State to reduce the time needed for additional investigation by several years, reduce the cost of that investigation by over $1-2 million dollars, and significantly reduce the potential costs of ultimate site remediation by an estimated $10 million (and possibly more) dollars. These significant reductions in scope, schedule and budget have, and will, save the Treasury, NJDEP and Monmouth County valuable time, money and inconvenience by expediting the transition of these two sites into developable properties. Due to the now minimal remedial cleanup actions needed at both sites, the expected opening of the Marlboro Park site as a county park for public use has been pushed ahead by up to five years, and Treasury is already in negotiations for the sale of their former Marlboro Hospital site for private development.

As noted above, Berger was also contracted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to conduct a site specific Supplemental Remedial Investigation (SRI) at the Marlboro Park Site, adjacent to the Marlboro Hospital Site. The site was purchased by Monmouth County from the State of New Jersey with the intention of creating a county park with potential passive and active recreational uses.

Berger implemented their SIR to provide the data needed to fulfill the following primary objectives:

• Inspect all identified areas of concern (AOCs) for potential sources of soil or groundwater contamination
• Analyze soil quality where suspected sources of contamination were identified
• Delineate all source areas of soil contamination
• Determine the nature and extent of buried and surface waste
• Further characterize the quality and flow of site groundwater
• Assess building interiors and the nature and extent of potentially hazardous materials
• Evaluate impacts to human receptors and ecological resources

By conducting various SIR activities including but not limited to soil borings, groundwater well installation, groundwater sampling and analysis, arsenic delineation, and wetlands delineation, Berger was able to indicate seven areas of concern (AOC). Among these areas, a former septic system, pesticide mixing building, fuel oil UST, and construction debris were found to be sources of the contamination. Berger recommended the following to the NJDEP as possible remedial alternative concepts:

• UST closure (in accordance with the requirements of the NJDEP Underground Storage Tank Regulations)
• Excavation of surficial soils along with post excavation sampling
• Removal of septic systems
• Asbestos abatement
• Wetlands restoration

Project #2: Cleaveland Industrial Center Site, Washington Township, NJ

The Louis Berger Group Inc. (Berger) was contracted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to conduct a site specific Remedial Investigation (RI) at The Cleaveland Industrial Center (CIC) located in Washington Township, New Jersey. Environmental investigations began when industrial-related contamination was found in groundwater from a potable well and a nearby spring.

Subsequent investigations were conducted that verified the presence of soil contamination at the site and identified an elongated plume of contaminated groundwater beneath the site and neighboring properties that was believed to be the primary source of contamination to the spring. The primary contaminants of concern identified in this groundwater plume, which is approximately two miles long by 0.5 miles wide, are constituents typically related to solvents and process materials formerly and/or currently used in manufacturing processes at the site. This RI was initiated to characterize the existing on-site and off-site soil and groundwater conditions and identify and delineate the sources and extent of the contaminated media. Berger implemented their RI to meet the following investigative goals:

• Evaluate the horizontal and vertical extent of the site-related groundwater contamination
• Determine the sources of the identified contamination
• Characterize the groundwater flow regime
• Identify the impacts to soil, sediment, and surface water
• Assess the potential human and ecological receptors

Upon completion of the following RI activities, which include but are not limited to: geophysical survey (i.e. ground penetrating radar (GPR)/pipe location, very low frequency electromagnetic survey), soil and groundwater sampling and analysis, the primary contaminants identified on-site included thallium, arsenic, organics in the soils, and chlorinated solvents (primarily PCE and TCE) in the groundwater. Various remedial alternative concepts were presented to the NJDEP for consideration. These concepts included:

• No action
• Solidification/Stabilization
• Capping
• Excavation
• Enhanced monitored natural attenuation
• Groundwater recovery and treatment
• Permeable reactive barrier