Underground Storage Tanks Remediated Under NJ’s LSRP Program

Project Challenges

Between 2013 and 2016, TRC conducted soil and ground water investigation and remediation at this publicly-owned facility. Two heating oil tanks were abandoned in place and discharge-related cleanup was conducted in 1992 by another firm. The closure documentation was never submitted to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) so we were retained to submit the documentation of proper closure.

Existing records did not clearly indicate whether the two 15,000-gallon underground storage tanks (USTs) contained No. 2 or No. 4 heating oil nor did it document that all petroleum-impacted soil had been removed. The documentation provided did not indicate the source of soil backfill used for the initial remediation so sampling was required to verify that the backfill soil met current clean fill requirements.

 

Our Solutions
Investigation of soil and ground water was completed to determine if the area had been cleaned up to current regulatory standards. The USTs were located at an active municipal property so field work was scheduled around the facility’s operation calendar to minimize disruption to personnel and the surrounding neighborhood. As the former contents of the USTs were not known, our team completed all sampling and data evaluation under conservative assumptions to facilitate a more expedient site closure.

During investigation/remediation, UST piping that had not been properly cleaned or closed when the tanks were abandoned was discovered; product from these lines had leaked and re-contaminated the soil after the initial cleanup. The investigation also determined that backfill soil used during the original closure did not meet current remediation standards.

Petroleum-impacted soil and backfill material were excavated for off-site disposal. A monitoring well was installed to determine the impact to the ground water. Site closure was achieved in January 2016 and a Response Action Outcome (RAO) was issued by the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP).

 

The Outcome
Post-excavation soil and well sampling demonstrated that TRC’s cleanup successfully remediated the area surrounding the former USTs to levels below the NJDEP’s cleanup standards. The work was completed within the timeframes mandated by New Jersey regulations and the town was able to close this potential environmental liability.

 

Client
Westfield Board of Education

Project Location
Union County, New Jersey