Remediation and Sustainable Decommissioning of a Historic Industrial Site

Strategic remediation and sustainable decommissioning eliminated petroleum discharges while preserving historic site materials.

Client: Manufacturing Company, Kingsville, MD

Integral staff were retained to develop a closure strategy for a complexed industrial site located adjacent to a valuable waterway.  Due to historic used hydraulic oil storage practices, a groundwater seep created an ongoing discharge of sheen and LNAPL to the waterway. The vacant 24,000 sq. ft. facility contained miles of oil-containing pipe, tanks and equipment.

Our team assessed petroleum impacts to groundwater and soil. To address the overly conservative nature of state cleanup standard, we negotiated a remedial plan focused on the removal of the most concentrated areas of potentially mobile LNAPL through excavation.  To minimize disposal costs, groundwater and LNAPL recovered during excavation dewatering were treated onsite. Remedial action resulted in the removal of over 4,400 tons of impacted soil and over 5,000 gallons of hydrocarbons. Furthermore, we decommissioned the building and recycled approximately 60% of the material including steel, wood, brick, concrete and rubber.

In order to remediate, while meeting historic preservation commission requirements, Integral staff surgically dismantled a historic post and beam structure for the purposes of reuse. The materials were donated to a local historic village for the renovation of several structures.

Remediation successfully addressed the source of petroleum discharge to the waterway. However, seepage of groundwater containing hydrocarbons was projected to continue for years. To demonstrate the lack of toxicity from the seepage, our team performed additional surface and groundwater sampling including laboratory aquatic toxicity testing.