Former Henry Woods Sons Paint Factory, Wellesley, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
The remediation of this abandoned pigment manufacturing facility resulted in the transformation of this property into an active recreational sports complex and nature trails. East Coast Engineering accomplished this difficult conversion through a comprehensive understanding of waste site cleanup initiatives, engineering design, and facilitating communication between the property owner, the community, and local, state and federal regulatory stakeholders. Historical operations at the 19th century pigment manufacturer resulted in metal contamination of nearly 200 acres of uplands, wetlands, and surface water bodies. Extensive applied forensic investigation of historical documents, mapping, and research of the Henry Woods site and of other turn-of-the-century pigment and paint manufacturers resulted in a comprehensive knowledge of type of materials produced, waste generation, facility layouts, and common industrial practices.

East Coast conducted a comprehensive site assessment to characterize the metals contamination at the site, evaluated risks of harm to public health, safety, public welfare and the environment and developed remedial design plans for the off-site management of pigment and consolidation and encapsulation of metal contaminated soil and sediment. East Coast planned and provided construction oversight for a 1.6 million dollar removal action of 4,000 cubic yards of waste pigment and closure of former waste pile areas and a former lagoon. Following these initial response actions, and further site characterization, East Coast developed innovative conceptual plans incorporating the remediation design for the entire site of encapsulation of contaminated media with post-closure use and redevelopment of the property as an active recreational sports complex. This remedial design resulted in the beneficial use of greater than 50 acres of prime real estate and at a substantial savings to the client.
 

Construction & Demolition Landfill, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
A polyurethane polymer concrete material disposed at a construction and demolition debris landfill resulted in the leaching of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) into the groundwater. Nearby residential water supply wells and cranberry bogs immediately adjacent to and downgradient of the landfill were potentially at risk. Environmental forensic techniques were used to locate 800 tons of polymer concrete and predict its’ behavior in the landfill environment. Extensive hydrogeological assessment of a complex aquifer beneath the landfill and throughout nearly 300 acres of study area found that landfill conditions caused rapid biodegradation of PCE to vinyl chloride. However, the resulting vinyl chloride contaminant plume was greater than 80 feet below the ground surface and migrating with the groundwater at a rate of one foot per day. East Coast was instrumental in determining the extent and fate of the volatile organic plume and designing and implementing multiple risk reduction measures including a residential vapor and water supply monitoring program and contingency plans for providing municipal water into a town with no municipal water sources. Permanent remedial measures designed for the site included capping and closure of the source area and landfill with a multi-media system to prevent future releases of PCE without disruption of landfill activities, extending a municipal water supply to residential homes and implementation of an in-situ enhanced bioremediation system to treat the contaminated groundwater.

East Coast worked closely with multiple departments of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and local agencies on this complex regulatory project; developed and implemented a community awareness and education programs at the onset of the project to establish positive communication between the clients and the community; and coordinated with four potentially responsible parties with diverse concerns to ensure forward progression of the project towards remediation.
 

Belle Isle Fish Company, Boston, Massachusetts
Condor Street, Boston, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
The Belle Isle and Condor Street waste sites were selected by the City of Boston for remediation and re-development into parks and re-created salt marshes. Both properties were formerly used for industrial/commercial purposes and over the years had undergone historic filling with construction debris and soils contaminated with petroleum-related compounds, metals and polychlorinated biphyenyls (PCBs). A comprehensive soil characterization program was undertaken to delineate and quantify the nature and extent of contamination with the focus on determining whether re-development of these properties was feasible. The results of the feasibility analysis found that the most optimal solution included the on-site re-use of soils landscaped to create a park-like environment with the most highly contaminated soil managed off-site.

East Coast prepared remedial design plans and construction specifications for contractor operations and provided oversight during construction activities which included the removal of solid waste debris including cars, barges and demolition materials from the shoreline; excavation, consolidation and encapsulation of contaminated soils into park-like features; stabilization of shoreline using steel sheeting piles; and re-establishing a salt-marsh environment. Both projects involved obtaining multiple local, state and federal permits to conduct the remediation work in an inter-coastal waterways and participation in community outreach programs. East Coast aided the legal pursuit of the parties responsible for the contamination resulting in the recovery of substantial costs for the City.
 

Berkshire Hathaway Mill Complex, New Bedford, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
At a former textile mill complex, East Coast provided LSP Services, forensic investigation, groundwater characterization and remediation oversight relative to historical No. 6 petroleum releases.

A forensic analysis was conducted to determine the source of release of No. 6 fuel oil into a water pump chamber; assessment and remediation of a 100,000 gallon underground fuel storage tank and associated fuel distribution system including the underground piping, pump chambers, trenches and sumps; and preparation of remedial design and construction plans.

Remedial plans were developed for the cleaning and permanent removal of the underground concrete storage tanks and associated fuel distribution pumping chambers and lines along with contaminated soil. Unique challenges encountered during this remediation project included the location of the underground tank within five-feet of the 5-story brick mill building, numerous underground utilities located adjacent to the former tank and the overhead catwalks and construction columns impeding soil removal. Construction oversight and record keeping were provided during the removal action, conducted as a Release Abatement Measure, which included removal of over 850 tons of petroleum contaminated soil and approximately 10,800 gallons of oily water.

Post-remedial action assessment included groundwater and air quality within and beneath adjacent buildings to assess extent and potential impact of petroleum and inorganic contamination and impact to indoor work environments.
 

American Fiber & Finishing, Colrain, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Historic releases of No. 6 fuel oil from 3-25,000 gallon underground storage tanks resulted in extensive soil, surface water, groundwater, and sediment contamination at a former cotton manufacturer. In support of this complex environmental assessment, East Coast gathered forensic data and evaluated chemical fingerprinting data in support of dating the releases of oil from the site in support of litigation and identifying the petroleum type. The complexity of the site and extent of oil migration led to an expanded remedial design which included the demolition of several buildings; shoring of a state road adjacent to the site to maintain the flow of traffic during remedial activities; re-routing a surface water canal away from the contaminated area without the interruption of service to a neighboring factory; and the off-site removal of contaminated soil and sediment. This project presented a unique challenge of completing the demolition and cleanup with minimal impact to an adjacent river bank and wetlands area. Groundwater and surface water remediation during construction included extraction and carbon treatment with an NPDES permit to the North River. East Coast provided extensive public relations and community outreach prior to and during construction activities.
 

Twinkle Cleaners, Raynham, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Provided technical support and expert testimony in a case brought against Twinkle Cleaners by the property owners. Ms. LeBlanc’s testimony, on behalf of Twinkle Cleaner, addressed the characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and the fate, transport and degradation of VOCs in groundwater. The testimony resulted in Twinkle Cleaners not being held as a responsible party for the release of VOCs in the site’s groundwater.
 

Downgradient Property

Project Profile:
Ms. LeBlanc provided technical support to a private developer of a nearly 400-acre residential golf resort where a portion of the real estate was contaminated by the release of chlorinated volatile organic compounds from an upgradient industrial property. Through forensic evaluation of an industrial facility and the knowledge and application of biotransformation of organic compounds in the groundwater, Ms. LeBlanc was able to establish the sources of multiple releases and timeframe of the releases. Ms. LeBlanc’s testimony not only resulted in a significant monetary settlement for the downgradient property owner, her technical credibility and capacity to provide clear concise information to potential buyers fostered property sales.
 

Polymer Concrete Project, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Ms. LeBlanc is providing technical and expert witness testimony in a case involving the migration and fate of volatile organic contaminants in the groundwater and treatment of the impacted groundwater. This case results from the disposal of over 800 tons of a polyurethane concrete material at an unlined solid waste landfill in Massachusetts and the release of tetrachloroethylene from the concrete matrix into the groundwater. The case is complicated by several cross suits, impacts to the groundwater on multiple private properties, and potential impacts to residential private water supplies throughout the study area.

Cohen Landfill, Taunton, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Operations at a former salvage yard and metal recycling company resulted in soil and groundwater contaminated with volatile organic compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB’s). As a designated Brownsfield project, the City of Taunton contracted with East Coast to prepare the design and contract specifications to remediate the site which included the excavation and off-site removal and chemical treatment of over 10,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, an on-site stormwater conveyance system, and the grading and capping of a landfill area. An integral component of this project involved designing the remediation scheme to incorporate the post-closure use of the property as the City of Taunton’s public works salt storage and vehicle maintenance area. Post-closure environmental monitoring and inspection of the integrity of the closure system are conducted to ensure the effectiveness of remediation.
 

Quarry Hills Recreational Complex, Quincy, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
The construction of a 27-hole golf course and recreational complex over the former Quincy and Milton municipal landfills offered unique challenges involving an environmentally and politically sensitive arena, complex regulatory issues and engineering applications. East Coast completed permit-level designs, specification and application to use about 11 million cubic yards of excavated material from the Boston Central Artery project to reconfigure the landfill. The comprehensive construction designs included stormwater management systems to minimize off-site migration of the excavated materials and stormwater storage systems for reuse of stormwater for irrigation purposes. The complex civil site design of this project included the construction of a luxury clubhouse over the landfill incorporating underground utilities, landfill settlement techniques, and gas management systems.
 

Ravenbrook Landfill, Carver, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Ravenbrook Landfill is a construction & demolition debris landfill operating from the late 1970’s to the mid 1990’s. East Coast was contracted to modify the original closure designs and to oversee construction of the multi-media capping system for the 25-acre landfill. Modifications to the original design saved the client approximately $750,000 in construction costs. East Coast was involved extensively with the regulator agency soliciting input and approval of changes. Maintaining ongoing communication with regulators ensured the smooth completion of the project in compliance with the solid waste regulations and at a savings to the client. Post-closure monitoring and maintenance continues to demonstrate the effectiveness of the capping system.
 

Bedminster-Marlborough, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
Bedminster-Marlborough is the first Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) compost facility in Massachusetts to be permitted and operational. The project consisted of design and permitting for a 500 ton per day MSW/Biosolids compost plant and citizen’s recycling center. East Coast’s site specific designs tailored Bedminsters’ system to work in a low-lying valley near residential neighborhoods to ensure that nearby residents did not fall victim to odor problems. A roof over Bedminster’s biofilter system allowed the air to be released higher into the atmosphere and diffuse before odor was recognized. East Coast played an intergral role in mediating issues of odor management between the homeowners and the City of Marlborough. These community actions helped gain citizen support for the Bedminster facility.
 

Leominster Transfer Station, Leominster, Massachusetts

Project Profile:
East Coast designed and permitted the Leominster Transfer Station to include facilities for separated residential recyclables, commercial waste recycling facilities, construction and demolition material processing and yard waste management, and solid waste transfer activities. A key component of the design is the segregated Municipal Solid Waste and Construction & Demolition tipping floors, allowing for separation of the various components of the waste stream. Working with local officials and community members, East Coast also designed this facility to provide for increased recycling opportunities and easy access for residents.