CE Schmidt, Ph.D Project Summaries

CLIENT: Environmental Resource Management

DATES: February 1999 to Present

A residential neighborhood in Eugene, Oregon was impacted by a large, groundwater plume from a rail yard. CE Schmidt, Ph.D developed and conducted an assessment of air emissions from the groundwater plume using the US EPA surface flux chamber on-site and in several portions of the impacted area. Testing was conducted on private property near foundations and exposed areas and health risk assessment was performed assuming an infiltration into structures using the outdoor flux data. Indoor emissions from contaminated groundwater leaking into basements during peak rainfall was assessed by conducting flux tests on contaminated groundwater from neighborhood wells. The flux data was used in a detailed health risk assessment to demonstrate no significant impact to residents in the neighborhood via the air pathway.

CLIENT: Chevron Products Company

DATES: April 1998 to Present

Years of refining petroleum products in Hooven, Ohio resulted in floating product on groundwater and soils contamination on-site and in the neighborhood of Hooven. Both surface and downhole flux testing were conducted for a site assessment and health risk assessment in Hooven. Several borings were made in the neighborhood and downhole flux data were collected at multiple depths to demonstrate that shallow soil gas with petroleum compounds were not related to product at depth from the refinery. Surface flux testing was conducted in the neighborhood and these data were used to conduct an exposure assessment that showed no impact off-site via the air pathway. Testing was conducted on the refinery site and these data were used show that planned reuse of the facility would not increase the health risk of property users.

CLIENT: Ciba Specialty Chemical Corporation

DATES: March 1998 to Present

Ciba Specialty Chemical is the PRP for a superfund site in the King of Prussia, PA where soils contaminated with 1,2,3-trichloropropane (TCP) are contained on-site. The scientists and engineers at Ciba developed a wet soil cover cap system for the multiple landfills on the Tyson Superfund site and a surface flux testing program was developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the cap system. The innovative capping system was necessary because of the toxicity of 1,2,3-TCP. The technical approach included testing at one or more locations per landfill twice a year to demonstrate the control efficiency of the cap system.

CLIENT: Lewis, Fisher, Hamilton, and Scripps, Attorneys at Law

DATES: October 1997 to December 1998

An industrial facility adjacent to an elementary school in El Cajon, California was responsible for a groundwater plume of chlorinated compounds. The plume migrated off-site and under the elementary school. Surface flux testing was conducted on school grounds in the athletic fields and around the school buildings in order to assess the exposure potential to the students. In addition to the outdoor flux testing, indoor ambient air was collected in several structures during the flux testing in order to confirm the results of the surface flux data. The data, both surface flux and indoor ambient air data, were used to demonstrate that the children were not at risk to the contaminated groundwater via the air pathway.

CLIENT: Woodward Clyde Consultants

DATES: February 1998 to June 1998

A large industrial facility located in southern California was responsible for a groundwater plume on-site. The aerospace parts manufacturer used chlorinated solvents that leaked from containment areas into the ground in a small area under the facility. A detailed indoor study was conducted where infiltration into the building via migration through continuous concrete and cracked/seamed concrete was conducted. Likely infiltration points were screened using real-time instruments and on-site GCs to define the testing approach. Representative infiltration locales were tested and a complete assessment was performed in the impact area. These data were used to estimate total infiltration into the building (both through concrete and through cracks in concrete) and these data were used to show that the plume had no significant impact to the air quality in the structure. These data were used to support a property sale and purchase.

CLIENT: Bright and Brown, Attorneys at Law

DATES: October 1996 to Present

Years of refining petroleum products resulted in floating product on groundwater and an off-site plume in a southern California city. The neighboring downgradient property was impacted by this source as well as from leaking petroleum product pipelines across the property. Both surface and downhole flux testing were used in a site assessment. Over 20 borings were made in the neighborhood and downhole flux data were collected at multiple depths to assign impact from pipelines and from the product plume on groundwater. Surface flux was conducted to assess the impact from both types of sources on the land surface. These data were used in support of litigation for the neighboring landowner.