Allocation and Cost Recovery Technical Support
The Problem
A private owner of a property located on a portion of a 5-mile long industrial waterway Superfund Site was invited to participate among more than 40 parties in the allocation process. The property, contaminated by legacy operations, is located between several major known source areas of PCBs. Sediments adjacent to the property exhibited concentrations of PCBs exceeding remedial action levels. The proposed remedy for this area, monitored natural recovery, was a technology incompatible with current and future long-term use of the property’s in-water infrastructure. The property owner was confronted with potential liability for cleanup of PCBs in sediment from multiple potential sources of contamination as well as a proposed remedial action that could shutter the business.
The Solution
Working with the property owner’s attorney, TIG Environmental collected and analyzed PCB concentrations in sediment, surface soil, and catch basin solid samples, and evaluated PCB signatures from potential on- and off-property sources. Using a sediment transport model, we were able to quantify PCBs depositing into sediments adjacent to the property from other in-water sources and developed a quantitative allocation methodology. We also developed an engineering cost estimate for active remediation to address contamination while accounting for current and future land use.
Value Added
TIG Environmental applied an allocation strategy using multiple lines of evidence to quantify an allocable share to all parties for contamination near the client’s property, thereby potentially reducing the client’s liabilities for cleanup costs. The remedial technology assigned to sediments adjacent to the property have been formally recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as incompatible with long-term use of the site and is being reassessed following pre-design investigation studies.
