Excel Environmental Resources, Inc. (Excel) has been retained by several municipalities in Salem County, New Jersey, including Township of Carneys point, the Borough of Penns Grove, Quinton Township, and Salem City, to provide overall management and technical consulting for numerous under-utilized properties that are targeted for redevelopment but have known or potential environmental impacts associated with historic industrial and/or commercial operations. On behalf of each of these Salem County municipalities, Excel has applied for and received multiple grants from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) Program to conduct the Preliminary Assessment (PA), Site Investigation (SI), Remedial Investigation (RI) and Remedial Action (RA) necessary to assess and cleanup the actual environmental condition of each property.
Excel has worked with each municipality to successfully navigate through the process of grant acquisition, PA/SI/RI/RA implementation, NJDEP Coordination, data evaluation and interpretation, and evaluation of remedial action alternatives and costs so that the redevelopment potential of each property could be accurately assessed. Several projects have or will expand into the RI/RA phases of work so that actual environmental impacts can be more accurately quantified and redevelopment plans can be evaluated for successful future reuse of these Brownfields properties.
Project Overview
- HDSRF grants were used to conduct PA, SI, RI, and in some cases RA activities at these properties in support of the municipality’s overall redevelopment plans.
- The PA/SI/RI and RA phases of work were conducted to satisfy the minimum requirements of the NJDEP Technical Requirements for Site Remediation, including identification of areas of environmental concern, contaminant delineation and remedial action evaluation and implementation.
- For each project, Excel conducted the work utilizing HDSRF grant funds with no out-of-pocket expenditures by the municipality.
- Utilizing the results of the PA/SI, Excel evaluated the actual environmental condition of each property and worked with each municipality to determine if they were eligible for additional HDSRF grant funds to conduct an RI, which is a separate grant award, in the event that additional investigation was warranted.
- As appropriate, Excel worked with the municipalities to evaluate estimated ranges of remediation costs based on multiple redevelopment scenarios that were consistent with redevelopment plans and feasible land uses.
- In cases where additional grant funding and/or other financial assistance was available, Excel worked with the municipality to identify and obtain additional funding.
- Excel is also working with each municipality in evaluating remediation and redevelopment alternatives and assisting with preparation of information packages and conceptual plans for discussion with third-party redevelopers.
Key Components of Excel’s Work Scope
- Preparation of the HDSRF applications and acquisition of the grants, including filing of all necessary paperwork with the NJDEP and the Economic Development Authority (EDA).
- Performance of effective and efficient PA and SI work scopes designed to satisfy minimum NJDEP requirements and target the site characterization data necessary to enable an accurate assessment of the environmental condition and potential risk, if any, associated with redevelopment of the property.
- Based on the findings of the PA, designed and implemented the SI scope or work as necessary to characterize soil and/or groundwater quality at each site.
- Depending upon the site, the SI work scopes included geophysical surveys, performance of soil borings, excavation of test pits, installation of well points and/or monitoring wells, and sampling and analysis of soil and groundwater, as necessary to efficiently characterize site conditions.
- These data were then used by Excel to develop conclusions and recommendations regarding the need to conduct any additional SI or RI activities and, as appropriate, to evaluate feasible remedial action alternatives to address any soil or groundwater contamination.
- In an effort to offset the cost of remediation, the evaluation or remedial action alternatives included, where appropriate, integration of Engineering Controls in the form of future buildings, asphalt paved parking lots, landscaped areas, etc. that may be associated with redevelopment plans for the property into the remediation scope.
Primary Environmental Services Provided by Excel
- Preparation and Acquisition of HDSRF Grants
- Implementation of multiple Preliminary Assessments, often on a parallel schedule to maximize cost-efficiency and expedite the schedule of completion
- Implementation of multiple Site Investigations, often on a parallel schedule to maximize cost-efficiency and expedite the schedule of completion
- Implementation of focused Remedial Investigation to quantify actual impacts to soil and/or groundwater
- Performance of focused and realistic Remedial Action Alternatives Analyses aimed at integration of redevelopment plans into remediation
- Preparation of accurate Remediation Cost Estimates
- Implementation and completion of Remedial Action
- Interaction and Negotiation with the NJDEP
- Preparation of Project Documents, including Workplans and Report
- Project Management