Ref:  PS0037  

Project  Summary   Phase  I  and  Phase  II  Environmental  Site  Assessments Pharmaceutical  Research  and  Development  Facility  in  France

 

Key  Project  Elements  

• Historical  Review  

• Review  of  Current  Site  Data  

• Review  of  Geological,  Hydrogeological  and  Groundwater  Vulnerability  Data  

• Site  Inspection  

• Environmental  Compliance  Audit  

• Conduct  Interviews    

• Drilling  Boreholes  

• Soil  Logging  And  Sampling  

• Groundwater  Monitoring  And  Sampling  

• Surveying    

• Reporting  

CRA   was   commissioned   to   complete   a   Phase   I   Environmental   Site   Assessment   (ESA)   of   a  pharmaceutical   research   and   development   facility   to   identify   Recognised   Environmental  Conditions   (REC’s)   as   defined   in   ASTM   Standard   E1527-­‐05   (the   Standard).   The   assessment  was  undertaken  to  identify  potential  environmental  conditions  and  liabilities  associated  with  historic  and  current  activities  undertaken  at  the  Site  or  neighbouring  properties,  prior  to  the  prospective  acquisition  of  the  Site.  The   Phase   I   ESA   included   a   review   of   geological,   hydrogeological   and   groundwater  vulnerability  data,  historical  and  current  land  uses,  previous  investigation  data  and  a  search  of  environmental   databases.     The   Site   inspection   comprised   the   review   of   former   and   current  operations,  waste  and  raw  material  handling,  storage  and  disposal  practices  associated  with  the   facility   and   visual   inspections   of   the   Site   and   surrounding   areas.     The   Site  was   visually  inspected   for   evidence   of   surface   staining   or   spills,   presence   of   asbestos,   ionising   radiation  sources,   PCBs,   hazardous   wastes,   storage   practices,   condition   of   storage   containers   and  protective   infrastructure,   and  unusual   colour  or  odour  of  air  and  water  emissions.  CRA  also  reviewed   available   on-­‐site   records,   permits   and   licenses,   interviewed   knowledgeable   Site  personnel,   and   contacted   local   regulatory   agencies   to   evaluate   the   Site’s   compliance   against  local  environmental  regulations.      The   Phase   I   ESA   identified   several   REC’s,   business   environmental   risks,   and   environmental  compliance   and   good   management   practice   issues.     In   particular,   the   ESA   identified   an  incident   where   a   mixture   of   chemicals   was   released   to   ground   from   underground   process  drains   and   the   documented   presence   of   metals   and   organic   compounds   in   soils   and  groundwater   in  other  areas  of   the  Site.    Based  on   these   findings,  CRA  was  commissioned   to  undertake  a  Phase  II  ESA  to  further  identify  and  characterise  the  potential  contamination  that  had   resulted   from   activities   on   the   Site   and   from   neighbouring   properties.     Existing  investigation  data  was  used  to  target  areas  of  potential  contamination  and  identify  data  gaps.  The   intrusive   investigation   included  the  advancement  of  11  boreholes  (up  to  6m  deep  using  rotary-­‐sonic  method)  and  the  installation  of  a  deep  groundwater  monitoring  well  (36m  deep),  sampling   of   existing   monitoring   wells,   logging   of   soils,   the   collection   of   subsurface   soil  samples,   an   elevation   survey   of   groundwater   monitoring   wells,   the   measurement   of   static  water   levels,   and   monitoring   and   sampling   of   groundwater.     The   resulting   soil   and  groundwater   analytical   results   were   then   assessed   against   appropriate   French   screening  criteria  to  determine  risk.        A  report  was  produced  interpreting  the  data  collected  from  the  intrusive  works  to  advise  the  Client  on  the  Site’s  environmental  conditions  and  liabilities.  CRA  also  provided  the  client  with  estimated   costs   for   remediation   of   the   soil   and   groundwater,   in   addition   to   a   preliminary  decommissioning   assessment   and   estimated   costs   for   decontamination   of   surface  infrastructure.