Project: Pesticide Soil and Ground Water Assessment
Hart & Hickman performed an assessment of pesticide impacts to soil and ground water at a North Carolina textile manufacturing facility. As part of a due diligence assessment, organo-chlorine pesticide-affected ground water was encountered at the site. The site was in the vicinity of a former pesticide formulation facility and a former airplane runway which could have been utilized in the past for crop dusting activities.

Hart & Hickman conducted an extensive review of aerial photographs to determine potential areas of concern at the site which may have been utilized in the past for pesticide disposal. An historical document review was also conducted which indicated that the site had been investigated previously by EPA for possible pesticide disposal. The results of the assessment activities indicated several areas of concern.

Source area sampling was performed using DPT methods to limit impact to the site and speed the investigation, as plans were being made to expand the facility. The results of the assessment activities indicated no on-site source area for the pesticides detected in ground water. The results of the ground water survey indicated that the source of the pesticides was from an off-site source.

Project: Chlorinated Solvent Ground Water Bioremediation
Hart & Hickman performed site assessment and corrective action planning for a label printing facility near Wilmington, North Carolina where chlorinated VOCs are present in ground water. Based on moderately high concentrations of PCE and PCE degradation products present, NC DENR was reluctant to approve a natural attenuation corrective action although ground water receptors were not threatened. Hart & Hickman has proposed to implement an enhancement to anaerobic degradation by injection of a food grade substance in the source area. The food substance will provide a substrate for microbial action and promote anaerobic conditions. The injected substance will substantially reduce required time for ground water remediation. Hart & Hickman is preparing to implement the corrective action plan, upon receipt of an injection permit.

Project: Textile Mill Remediation - Chlorinated Solvents
Hart & Hickman conducted a soil and ground water assessment for chlorinated hydrocarbon contamination at a former textile facility in King's Mountain, North Carolina. The source of the affected soil and ground water was determined to be a former solvent underground storage tank, three former solvent above ground storage tanks, and a possible waste disposal area.

Hart & Hickman defined the extent of impacted soils and installed shallow and deep monitor wells to define the horizontal and vertical extent of affected ground water. Direct push techniques were utilized to minimize the number of soil borings and monitor wells needed to define the extent of affected media. Affected soil contamination up to 1,000,000 ug/kg and ground water contamination up to 70,000 ug/l was identified at the site.

Hart & Hickman prepared corrective action plan and associated design involving active remediation of source area soil and ground water with natural attenuation of lower concentration affected media. The system has been installed and is operated and maintained by Hart & Hickman. To date, approximately 7,000 pounds of chlorinated solvents have been removed by the remedial systems.

Project: Bulk Petroleum Distribution Terminal Remediation
Hart & Hickman is performing soil and ground water assessment and remedial system design services due to historical releases at a bulk petroleum distribution terminal. The activities conducted include soil assessment to determine the extent of impacts, monitor well installation, and remedial design, installation, and operation.

The selected remedial action for ground water at the site consists of ground water pumping and treatment to recover both dissolved phase and free-phase petroleum product. Recovered ground water is treated by oil/water separation, air stripping and discharge via NPDES permit. To date over 120,000 gallons of free product and approximately 10,000,000 gallons of water have been recovered.

A large scale two-phase soil vapor extraction system was designed and operated for approximately six years to remediate over two acres of potentially affected soils at the site. A two-phase extraction system was designed in order to increase the radius of influence at the extraction wells and to enhance ground water and product recovery. Off gasses from the air stripper and soil vapor systems were treated by catalytic incineration. A smaller bio-venting system was installed and is being operated in a former railroad spur area.

Because the off-gas concentrations are notably lower at this point in the remediation, Hart & Hickman has ceased operation of the two-phase extraction system and catalytic oxidizer and installed a larger bio-venting system to complete remediation of soils in the tank farm area at a lower operating cost. System off-gases will now be managed by activated carbon.

Hart & Hickman is currently conducting semi-annual ground water monitoring of over thirty site monitor wells, operations and maintenance of remedial systems, system performance sampling, and preparation of semi-annual status reports required by the State.

Other activities conducted in association with the site include due diligence assessment and remediation of several properties adjacent to the terminal and litigation support.

Project: State Superfund Site
Hart & Hickman is conducting soil and ground water investigation at a manufacturing facility in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The investigation and remediation are being conducted pursuant to the North Carolina State Superfund program and this is the first NPL-caliber State deferral site managed under this program. The activities included a review of previous soil, surface water, sediment, and ground water data collected by the State and other parties. The results of these activities were evaluated to determine potential source areas and data gaps.

Hart & Hickman prepared a work plan which utilized the results of previous assessment activities to the maximum extent possible to reduce overall project costs. The work plan activities are currently being implemented and include interior and exterior soil sampling, limited monitor well installation and sampling, and surface water and sediment sampling.

Hart & Hickman will conduct a Baseline Risk Assessment to evaluate human and ecological risk from impacts identified in soil, ground water, surface water, and sediment. A Remedial Action Plan will then be developed to remediate soil and ground water at the site.

Project: Chlorinated Solvent Impacts at Multiple Asphalt Plants
Because of our unparalleled expertise in managing chlorinated solvent impacts, Hart & Hickman was selected from among thirty consulting firms to perform assessment and prepare corrective action plans for numerous asphalt testing sites formerly operated by the NC DOT. Impacts to soil and ground water have occurred as a result of former asphalt testing laboratories operated by NC DOT at the asphalt plants.

Hart & Hickman performed assessment and corrective action planning at former NC Department of Transportation (DOT) asphalt testing sites in Statesville, Hickory, and Aberdeen, North Carolina. The Statesville and Hickory sites have chlorinated VOC ground water plumes in the saprolite-fractured bedrock aquifers of the North Carolina Piedmont. These sites were also a potential threat to nearby streams. Computer modeling was used to determine the potential for receptors to be affected and for ground water concentrations to naturally attenuate in a reasonable period of time. Hart & Hickman demonstrated that active remedies would not perform measurably better than natural attenuation. Upon technically demonstrating no current or future threat to receptors and natural attenuation within an acceptable time period, NC DENR approved natural attenuation corrective actions for the Statesville and Hickory sites.

The former Aberdeen DOT asphalt testing site contains chlorinated VOCs in ground water in the multiple aquifer system of the North Carolina Coastal Plain. The primary VOC of concern TCE was detected on-site and in public water supply wells, nearby monitor wells at a Superfund site, and private drinking water supply wells. Hart & Hickman implemented a thorough ground water assessment plan using multiple well clusters and delineated the plume to be limited to shallow aquifers within the subject property boundaries. Based on Hart & Hickman's thorough plume delineation, NC DENR is seeking another responsible party for the public water well impacts. Hart & Hickman subsequently used three-dimensional fate and transport modeling to demonstrate that the site plume would not affect public water supply wells in the future. Upon technically demonstrating no current or future threat to receptors and natural attenuation within an acceptable time period, NC DENR also approved the natural attenuation corrective action for the Aberdeen site.

Hart & Hickman has been selected to implement the corrective action plans at these sites and is currently implementing assessment and corrective action planning at three additional sites in the North Carolina Piedmont.

As a result of our high quality services, DOT has also contracted Hart & Hickman to assist with design and installation of soil and ground water systems at a number of DOT sites impacted from underground storage tanks.

Project: UST Removal and Free Product Removal at Former Furniture Plant in Lenoir

Hart & Hickman performed a tank closure by removal of a former 30,000-gallon No. 2 fuel oil UST at a former furniture plant in Lenoir. The UST fittings had previously leaked and free product was observed in the excavation. Hart & Hickman quickly obtained DENR pre-approval and managed free product pumping from the open excavation to remove as much of the product as possible while the basin was accessible.

Project: Gas Station Soil Removal

Hart & Hickman determined the location of a former gasoline station at a commercial development site in Boone. The facility adjoined a major roadway intersection and required immediate remediation to allow development of the site. Seven USTs and more than 1200 tons of soil were removed and transported for off-site treatment and recycling. Confirmatory sampling was performed, reports submitted, and a No Further Action Letter will be issued pending administrative action by the site owner.

Project: No Further Action for UST Site

Contrary to an initial assessment conducted by others at a UST site in Wilkesboro, Hart & Hickman’s subsequent assessment determined that the ground water impacts actually originated from off-site. Based on Hart & Hickman’s technically defensible hydrogeologic evaluation and risk-based elimination of soil impacts as a soil exposure risk, DENR issued a No Further Action letter for the site.