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Welcome to the

International Right of Way Association’s

Course 603Understanding

Environmental Contamination in Real Estate

603-PT – Revision 4 – 04.30.08.CAN

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Introductions

Who we are…What we do…

Where we do it…

How long we’ve been doing it…

Our goals for the course...

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Objectives At the conclusion of the course,

you will be able to...

• Recognise situations that have the potential for site contamination

• Identify common types of contamination

• Discuss potential implications of contamination on the right of way and on the project

• Present options to manage or remediate environmental contamination

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Housekeeping

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Schedule (1)

8:00 - 8:30 Introductions, Etc.

8:30 -10:00 Contamination and Contaminants

10:15 -11:15 Geology, Hydrogeology and Hydrology

11:15 - 12:00 Contaminant Movement

1:00 - 2:00 Contamination Discovery

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Schedule (2)

2:15 - 3:15 Contaminations Affects on the

Right of Way and on the Project

3:15 - 3:45 Options to Manage or Remediate Environmental Contamination

3:45 - 4:00 Summary and Review

4:00 - 5:00 Exam

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Definitions (1)

Contaminants are any physical, chemical,

biological or radiological substance or

matter that has an adverse effect on air,

water or soil.

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Definitions (2)

Hazardous substances are any materials

that pose a threat to human health and/or

the environment.

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Definitions (3)

A contaminated or hazardous waste site is a site

at which hazardous substances occur in

concentrations above background levels and

where assessment indicates the site poses, or

is likely to pose, an immediate or long-term

hazard to human health or the environment.

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Exercise No. 1(1)

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Exercise No. 1(2)

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Exercise No. 1(3)

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Exercise No. 1(4)

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Contamination Sources

Point Source

Non-Point Source

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Point Source Contamination(1)

Point Source… a release from a small, specific

and usually identifiable area

• leaking storage tanks

• leaking buried pipes/transfer lines

• leaking lagoons

• landfill leachate seeps, leaking buried drums

• spills

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Point Source Contamination (2)

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Point Source Contamination (3)

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Point Source Contamination (4)

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Non-Point Source Contamination

Non-Point Source… a release over a wide area

• fertilizer applications

• infiltration of ditch water

• sewage sludge applications

• particulate fallout

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Hazardous or Designated Substances

• Asbestos-containing material (ACM)

• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

• Lead-based paints

• Mercury-containing equipment

• Urea formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI)

• radioactive sources/radon gas

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Asbestos-Containing Material (1)

Popular from the 1900s to 1970s

• floor tiles and linoleum

• ceiling tiles

• thermal mud insulation on pipe elbows

• check boilers and boiler rooms

• transit boards

• asbestos cement drain piping

• spray on (fire retardant) insulation

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Asbestos-Containing Material (2)

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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (1)

Manufactured up to 1977

• coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment (e.g., fluorescent light ballasts, fluid cooled transformers, capacitors)

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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (2)

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Lead-Based Paint

Fully phased out in the early 1980s

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Mercury-Containing Equipment

• switches

• fluorescent light tubes

• mercury halide lights

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Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation

Used from the 1960s to about 1980

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Radioactive Sources/Radon

•  older smoke detectors

• industrial sensors

• radon gas

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Geology

Geology is the science that deals with the

Earth, especially as recorded in rocks.

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Hydrogeology

Hydrogeology is a branch of geology

concerned with the occurrence,

use and functions of surface water

and ground water.

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Hydrology (1)

Hydrology is the science that deals with the properties, distribution and

circulation of water on and below the Earth’s

surface and in the atmosphere.

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Hydrology (2)

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Subsurface

Overburden

Bedrock

Sand and Gravel

Gravel

Sand

Clay

BedrockTill

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PorosityPore space

Fractures

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Groundwater

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Groundwater FlowRecharge Area Recharge Area

Discharge Area

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Permeability

Permeability is a material’s capacity totransmit water.

An aquifer is a geological unit having a high permeability.

As aquitard is a geological unit havinga low permeability.

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Exercise No. 4(1)

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Exercise No. 4(2)

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Exercise No. 4(3)

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Exercise No. 5 (1)

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Exercise No. 5 (2)

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Exercise No. 5 (3)

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Organic v. Inorganic

Organic compounds are biological. Contain carbon. (Methane, butane,acetone, toluene, acetylene, ethyl alcohol)

Inorganic compounds are mineral. (Ammonium, cadmium, chromium,lead, mercury)

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Contaminant Properties

Solubility

Miscibility

Specific gravity

Volatility

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LNAPL Light non-aqueous phase liquids

Lighter than water

Gasoline

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DNAPL Dense non-aqueous phase liquids

Denser than water

Trichloroethylene (TCE)

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The Break (1)

Marsh / Wetland

Creek50

6070

80

A’

River

A

Crude Oil pipeline 3’ below grade

Pipeline Break

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The Break (2)

Sand

Clay and Silt

Silt and fine

sand

Pipeline break

River Water table

A A’

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Exercise No. 6(1)

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Exercise No. 6(2)

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Exercise No. 6(3)

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Exercise No. 6(4)

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Environmental Site Assessments

… an analysis of a specific parcel of real

property to identify environmental risk.

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

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Testing Methods (1)

Non-intrusive Intrusive

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Testing Methods (2)

Geophysical survey

Auger drill rig

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Testing Methods (3)

Hollow stem auger Excavator

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Testing Methods (4)

Drilling insidea building

Installing amonitoring well

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Testing Methods (5)

Shallow test pit

Soil sample from sonic rig

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Testing Methods (6)

Soil samples fromhollow stem auger

Sampling a monitoring well

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Environmental Site Assessments

… an analysis of a specific parcel of real

property to identify environmental risk.

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

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Elevated Rapid Transit Line

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Options

Contaminated site clean-up or

remediation options range from

do-nothing to partial or total

remediation either in-situ (on-site)or ex-situ (off-site).

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In-situ

In-situ remediation means to treat

the contamination on-site or in-place.

Ozone and oxygen spargingExcavation and on-site storage

Excavation/treatment and replaceBioremediation

Groundwater soil vapor recoveryPhytoremediation

EncapsulationThermal desorption

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In-situ: Vapor Extraction

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In-situ: Encapsulation

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In-situ: Encapsulation

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In-situ: Bioremediation

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Ex-situEx-situ remediation means to remove

the contamination from the site.

Excavation and off-site disposalat a legally authorized disposal site.

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Ex-situ: Removal

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Ex-situ: Removal

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Exercise No. 10

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Objectives Now, you are able to...

• Recognise situations that have the potential for site contamination

• Identify common types of contamination

• Discuss potential implications of contamination on the right of way and on the project

• Present options to manage or remediate environmental contamination

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Thank you!

603-PT – Revision 4 – 04.30.08.. CAN