Kleinfelder was contracted to perform Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments and implement remediation at a former auto dealership property with 80 years of historical use.  Site assessment work identified contamination sources within and beyond the property boundary, with identified chemicals of concern including petroleum hydrocarbons and heavy metals.

Ensuring a Safe Environment

The County was planning to redevelop the property for a new courthouse to serve citizens in the local area.  The project required remediation to protect the public and employees at the courthouse from potential exposure to contamination.  Achieving site closure required coordination with an environmental regulatory agency (the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) to demonstrate appropriate and successful assessment of affected areas and completion of effective remediation.

Gaining Approval for Closure

Following the site assessments and evaluation of their results, Kleinfelder developed a remediation plan, proposing targeted soil removal and offsite disposal.  This plan was incorporated into a Remediation Project Manual that was used to solicit public bids for the remediation scope.  Kleinfelder provided oversight of the remediation work, performed soil waste characterization prior to disposal, successfully proposed repurposing affected soil for use as road base, negotiated with the regulator to reduce requirements for wastewater collection structures, and submitted detailed reports of the work performed to the regulatory agency.

Project Results

Kleinfelder completed the remediation plan and overcame multiple challenges associated with encountering unanticipated buried debris.  The successful assessment and remediation of the project site resulted in the regulatory agency granting closure; and the courthouse construction was able to proceed.

Project Highlights:

• Successful assessment and remediation of contamination to achieve regulatory closure.
• Strategic negotiation and collaboration with the regulatory agency for optimal project efficiency.
• Achieved project goals while overcoming challenges encountered during the soil removal.

Project Details

Location:
Pasadena, Texas

Owner:
Harris County, Texas