March 30

EnviroForensics Achieves No Further Action Designation for Scrap Metal Processing Site

EnviroForensics continues to clean up and close contaminated sites! Most recently, our client Secondary Metal Processing (Secondary Metals) in Wabash, Indiana, a scrap metal processing facility, was issued a No Further Action designation at the end of 2015.

It all began when the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) performed a routine inspection at the Site in April 2010, and an area of accidental contamination was found. Secondary Metals entered into an Agreed Order with the IDEM to facilitate a timely regulatory closure, and sought out EnviroForensics to investigate and address the contamination. Our team of environmental experts conducted a subsurface investigation, which revealed that a release of chlorinated solvents had occurred at the site, in addition to more typical automotive oils and lubricants.

Following a complete investigation and assessment in cooperation with the IDEM, cleanup activities began in November 2013.  Fortunately, a straight-forward soil excavation enabled the contamination to be removed entirely in no more than two phases.  EnviroForensics submitted a Remediation Completion Report to the IDEM, which recommended that the job was complete. IDEM conducted a Follow-Up Inspection in September 2015, and on November 17, 2015 issued a letter stating Secondary Metals had achieved compliance with the terms of the Agreed Order, which resulted in no further action and case closure for the site.

Secondary Metals is one of 12 sites impacted with chlorinated solvents and/or other contaminants we have achieved regulatory closure for in the past five years. Currently, EnviroForensics is performing active remediation activities on behalf of numerous clients, and is performing post-remediation monitoring on many more throughout the Mid-West. Chlorinated solvent contamination can be complicated and challenging to address, but EnviroForensics’ team possesses the unique and specialized expertise, experience to achieve regulatory closure for these types of sites. We have the track record to prove it.