Successful environmental cleanup projects are a result of thorough and well developed understanding of the distribution of impacts. A good investigation strategy is designed to provide a higher density of data, thereby avoiding confusing data gaps. Fewer investigation data points can lead to misinterpretations of subsurface plume geometry, a miscalculation of contaminant fate and transport mechanisms and timing, and an underestimation of costs to remediate the impacts. It’s important to promote the implementation of thorough investigations that incorporate a greater amount of subsurface soil and groundwater screening data at early project phases, which avoid the “blinders” that can sometimes result from an improperly designed or incomplete well network. To know how to clean it up, you have to know exactly where all of the impacts lie in the subsurface. Experienced environmental consultants at complex PCE and TCE chlorinated solvent contamination sites, like dry cleaners, know that a small increase in early costs to support a better investigation plan will pay off exponentially during the subsequent cleanup phase.

Key Strategies to Enhance the Environmental Process:

1. Promote a higher data density derived from grab sampling methods during investigation to yield a more precise understanding of contaminant distribution, thereby allowing the installation of permanent wells after we already know where the impacts are located.
2. Implement 2D fate and transport models early on to get a rough idea of the downgradient extent of impacts as you scope groundwater investigative phases.
3.  Employ the use of state of the art 2D or 3D visualization tools to not only help identify data gaps and plan for next phases; but also to create accurate graphic depictions for reports to help explain the conceptual site model to your clients and regulators.
4. Collect key hydrogeological and geochemical parameters from the subsurface early on, which can be input to groundwater modeling tools if larger-scale plumes are under study.

In 2015, over $14 billion is projected by analysts to be spent worldwide to remove metals, VOCs and other contaminants from groundwater. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a major component of the chemicals of concern and are present in over 2/3 of all superfund, EPA Resource Recovery Act and Department of Defense sites. Besides VOCs, metals, including: arsenic, chromium, lead, zinc, nickel, and cadmium are also a leading chemical concern in groundwater. Groundwater remediation is a way to clean-up these once spilled chemicals using a variety of techniques, including: thermal, biological, chemical, and physical technologies.

The United States is said to be the world leader for groundwater remediation and is expected to be the largest global market in 2015 and beyond. With this groundwater remediation market growth, it can be expected that some unqualified companies will look to capitalize. It is important for those looking to hire qualified experts to choose the right company for their particular problem. It will be even more important in the future to ask some key questions when evaluating potential groundwater remediation experts, whether it is an environmental consultanting firm to engineer the remediation, a vendor to perform subcontracted remedial activities, or the developer of a new remedial technology.

These Questions Should Include…

1. What type of remedial work has the company conquered (VOCs, metals, other chemicals of concern)?
2. Have they actually implemented groundwater remedial efforts successfully, rather than simply designed and implemented failing approaches?
3. How many regulatory closures have they procured on behalf of their clients?
4. In how many states has the chosen remedial technology been accepted or denied by regulatory agencies, or by the US EPA?
5. Do they have any references of work or prior scenarios they are willing to share?
6. How long have they been in the business?
7. What are their core values/would you feel comfortable taking on a business relationship with them?

By performing appropriate due diligence through asking a few small questions, those parties responsible for performing and paying for groundwater remediation can be confident that they are hiring a responsible and qualified team and avoiding opportunistic and unprofessional carpetbaggers.