Remediation
Environmental Health and Safety Plan for Utility and Roadway Improvements in PPCA Areas
ESE prepared a Site Environmental Health and Safety Plan designed specifically for utility construction activities conducted within Potentially Petroleum Contaminated Areas associated with LPST/PST conditions, providing a clear framework to protect workers, maintain safe operations, and support compliant field execution during active construction. Construction activities in potentially petroleum contaminated areas can create exposure potential to impacted soil and vapors during excavation, trenching, and material handling — requiring a practical plan that addresses petroleum-related hazards without duplicating site-wide requirements already managed by the general contractor. ESE developed the EHASP as a supplement to the primary project HASP, defining procedures for training, work practices, site controls, air monitoring, PPE, decontamination, and emergency response coordination — delivering an implementation-ready framework that supports consistent field practices across crews and subcontractors while keeping utility and roadway construction progressing safely and efficiently.
EPA-Funded Brownfields QAPP and Sampling Plan for Municipal Redevelopment
ESE prepared a Quality Assurance Project Plan for an EPA-funded Brownfields effort supporting a municipal brownfields program, providing the quality framework and sampling plan needed to conduct limited subsurface investigations and produce defensible, regulator-ready data. In EPA-funded Brownfields programs, decisions depend on data quality from the outset — requiring a compliant QAPP that clearly defines data usability requirements, field methods, laboratory standards, and corrective action procedures to protect both funding eligibility and project schedules. ESE developed the QAPP in alignment with EPA QA/R-5 requirements, integrating a Sampling and Analysis Plan covering data quality objectives, chain-of-custody defensibility, quality control procedures, and defined response actions for discrepancies — enabling the municipal program to advance assessment activities with confidence that resulting data would be usable for redevelopment decisions and stakeholder review.
Phase II ESA for Flood Control Storm Sewer Improvements in Transportation Corridor
ESE performed a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment to support flood control storm sewer improvements within a transportation corridor, evaluating soil and shallow groundwater conditions to confirm whether chemicals of concern could affect construction worker exposure pathways or project implementation. Transportation corridor projects can encounter legacy urban fill and variable subsurface conditions that create uncertainty during excavation and dewatering, requiring a focused investigation that produces defensible data and clearly communicates any special handling needs under the Texas Risk Reduction Program. ESE installed temporary monitoring wells using direct-push technology, collected representative soil and groundwater samples, and compared results to Texas-specific background concentrations and TCEQ TRRP Tier 1 Residential PCLs — finding that while select metals exceeded critical screening levels, no chemicals of concern exceeded total-soil-combined protective concentration levels, and affected soils and groundwater were recommended for proper handling and management during construction activities.
Limited Environmental Site Assessment for Unauthorized Dumping Impacts
ESE completed a Limited Environmental Site Assessment for a commercial property impacted by unauthorized dumping, with the objective of defining the nature and extent of dumped materials and evaluating whether chemicals of concern in soil and groundwater could trigger corrective action requirements under the Texas Risk Reduction Program. The project involved evaluating buried and surface debris, potential petroleum and metals impacts, and the presence of asbestos-containing material across multiple field mobilizations that included exploratory trenching, targeted material sampling, and groundwater assessment using temporary and permanent monitoring wells. Results confirmed regulated asbestos-containing material within dumped debris, soil impacts above applicable screening criteria for petroleum hydrocarbons and metals, and arsenic in groundwater slightly above the TRRP Tier 1 residential PCL — establishing a clear technical basis for delineation, continued monitoring, and development of an appropriate TRRP-aligned response strategy.
EPA-Funded Brownfields QAPP and Sampling Plan for Municipal Redevelopment
ESE prepared a Quality Assurance Project Plan for an EPA-funded Brownfields effort supporting a municipal brownfields program, providing the quality framework and sampling plan needed to conduct subsurface investigations and produce defensible, regulator-ready data. Brownfields projects involve time-sensitive redevelopment priorities where decisions depend on data quality, not just data collection — requiring a compliant QAPP that clearly defined data usability requirements, field methods, laboratory standards, and corrective action procedures. ESE developed the QAPP in alignment with EPA QA/R-5 requirements, integrating a Sampling and Analysis Plan that defined data quality objectives, sampling rationale, chain-of-custody protocols, and quality control procedures across field and laboratory activities. The result was an implementation-ready quality framework that enabled the municipal program to advance assessment activities with confidence that resulting data would be usable for redevelopment decisions and stakeholder review.
Phase II ESA Supporting Corrective Action Pathway for Redevelopment Tract
ESE completed a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment for a redevelopment tract in Texas to evaluate subsurface conditions and provide the technical basis for a corrective action pathway under the Texas Risk Reduction Program. Groundwater data indicated chlorinated solvent impacts, including trichloroethylene, requiring clear differentiation between legacy conditions and actionable exceedances to keep redevelopment planning on track. ESE performed targeted groundwater sampling, laboratory analysis for volatile organic compounds, and a contextual review of historical data and prior regulatory closures — confirming a TRRP Tier 1 PCL exceedance and distinguishing chlorinated solvent concerns from legacy petroleum issues. The result was a defensible technical record that identified the primary driver for corrective action and positioned the project for enrollment into an appropriate TCEQ remedial program.
Municipal Setting Designation Application Supporting VCP Closure Strategy
ESE prepared a Municipal Setting Designation application for a municipal redevelopment area in Texas to support a corrective action pathway and long-term redevelopment flexibility by restricting groundwater use for potable purposes within the designated boundary. The site carried a long history of chlorinated solvent impacts to groundwater investigated by multiple consultants over decades, requiring ESE to consolidate that data into a single, defensible submittal demonstrating plume delineation, stability, and a clear basis for eliminating the groundwater ingestion exposure pathway. ESE compiled and evaluated historical assessment data, documented contaminants of concern including PCE, TCE, and related daughter products, and supported plume stability using Mann-Kendall trend analysis — positioning the site to pursue regulatory closure through the TCEQ Voluntary Cleanup Program.
Tank Removal and Release Determination for Diesel UST
ESE completed a tank removal and release determination for a diesel underground storage tank at an active healthcare facility in Texas, delivering regulator-ready documentation to support compliant closure and reduce environmental liability. ESE coordinated removal activities with qualified contractors, verified safe conditions through explosive vapor screening, documented tank condition through inspection and photography, and collected confirmatory soil samples consistent with TCEQ release determination guidance. Laboratory results indicated no actionable petroleum release, and ESE prepared the Release Determination Report for submission to TCEQ, requesting a No Further Action letter to support regulatory closure.
Limited Environmental Site Assessment and Subsurface Investigation
ESE conducted a limited environmental site assessment and subsurface investigation for a former disposal site in North Texas to evaluate potential environmental impacts and support future planning. Through targeted soil borings, monitoring well installation, and laboratory analysis, ESE characterized subsurface conditions and assessed potential contamination related to historical site use. The result was a clear, defensible dataset that informed planning decisions and guided next steps for site management and regulatory considerations.