The Central Falls Detention Facility Corporation selected Berger to evaluate the proposed expansion of Rhode Island's Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility, which processes detainees for placement within the Federal prison system. Berger conducted environmental site assessments and hazardous material inventories, and developed a remedial action plan for the proposed expansion site, an adjacent 3-acre former auto salvage yard. Following approval of the plan, Berger prepared designs and bid documents, oversaw permitting, and provided hazardous material management during demolition and construction.

The West Broadway Neighborhood Association (WBNA) purchases blighted properties in the West End of Providence for redevelopment into affordable residential and retail use. Prior to the purchase of a former automobile sales and repair facility, WBNA selected Berger to perform an Environmental Site Assessment of the property. The initial survey-including a review of public documents, historic site use, field inspections of an adjacent former gasoline service station, and interviews with those familiar with the property-found no groundwater contamination. The WBNA was then able to close on the property and convert it to residential and retail use incorporating a number of "green" features, including use of recycled materials, energy efficient construction and rooftop solar panels.

Investigations from early 1980 have indicated that much of the Passaic River's shoreline was contaminated with dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), PAHs, metals and pesticides-all with concentrations often exceeding Federal and State regulatory limits. NJDEP selected Berger to design a six-mile Source Control Dredge Plan (SCDP). The project faced a number of challenges, including tidally driven river flow; significant physical restrictions-bridge abutments, bulkheads, wetlands, rubble and underground/underwater utilities; the need to minimize sediment re-suspension; and disposal of contaminated sediments. Based on a careful review of the available data, prior findings, and analysis of appropriate remediation technologies, Berger evaluated and presented several remediation options with cost estimates to the NJDEP. Following detailed review of the options, the NJDEP chose a design/build plan involving extensive river dredging and a staging/ processing area for treatment and consolidation of dredged sediments. Berger experts also obtained all necessary permits for the proposed construction.

Following the detection of soil contamination at the Magen factory in Tel Aviv, a former Israeli Military Industry site, the Israeli Water Commission's detailed investigation found 200 square kilometers of VOCs and chromium-contaminated groundwater. Berger, teamed with Tahal, was selected to investigate the sources of contamination, develop groundwater models, establish water quality standards, design a remedial treatment system, and prepare bid documents for procurement and construction.

In keeping with changing military needs, the United States is realigning and closing a number of military facilities. Berger is developing EISs, EAs for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps investigating potential impacts of the proposed Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) programs on endangered species, land use, air quality, noise levels, traffic and cultural resources. As with most environmental studies, Berger's analysis requires technical mapping that accurately identifies ecologically sensitive areas and serves as a tool to establish potential impacts, aids in land use planning, and defines project boundaries. Berger is also assisting installations reach out to their host communities by holding public scoping meetings and coordinating actions with federal, state and local representatives. In the latest round of BRAC programs, Berger is preparing an EA in Fort Dix, NJ, as the Army plans to consolidate Army Reserve facilities by constructing a new 175,000-square-foot reserve center. To avoid construction in environmentally sensitive areas, Berger participated in design charrettes, while providing functional land use alternatives for daily activities.

At Fort Bragg, NC, Berger relocated the 400,000 square feet of command headquarters to a new installation. Since the installation's cantonment areas are surrounded by red-cockaded woodpecker habitat, an endangered species, construction was limited to existing cantonment areas. Under BRAC 2005, the Marine Corps will expand and add at least 130 acres to its Quantico Base, and Berger is preparing a detailed EIS and wetland delineations, including a threatened and endangered species survey for the small whorled pogonia-a rare orchid. Berger will also conduct public meetings to collect comments on the draft EIS.

Berger has recently been selected to prepare an EIS for potential environmental impacts from the BRAC relocation of Walter Reed Army Medical Center from Washington, DC, to the Naval National Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, creating a joint facility called the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The Berger team will also organize public meetings. Berger assisted the USACE with BRAC-related facility and site studies for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), evaluating alternatives for relocation and consolidation of NGA's Washington area facilities into a single Washington location, and preparing an environmental baseline survey (EBS)/environmental condition of property assessment for the current facilities. Berger is also studying alternatives for the relocation of the St. Louis facilities to a new St. Louis site. For a 460-acre site at Fort Meade, MD, Berger prepared an EBS and environmental constraints analysis to classify the area as suitable for lease or transfer. The results of the study, which included interviews and extensive field sampling, were used in estimating costs for site remediation and development.