Green Remediation Efforts as Part of LEED Silver Brownfield Development ProjectDavid Winslow and Angela Altieri GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc.

Presentation Overview

Project Overview and Background Why Sustainability was important to the

Developer What is Green Remediation and why is

important to the public and the Developer How we applied Green Remediation

Principals to the Site Conclusions

Background

15-acre riverfront property Former industrial usage: chemical plants,

edible oil, soaps and detergents, roofing pitch storage, hydrogen gas plant

Proposed redevelopment as new Borough Hall and Police Station and a mixed use residential/commercial property

Contaminated with arsenic, other metals, roofing tar/pitch material, benzene

Northern portion of site impacted by Quanta Superfund Site

Remedial Drivers

Both roofing pitch and arsenic were defined as industrial process waste under NJDEP regulations

Coal-Tar derived roofing pitch defined as separate-phase product by the NJDEP

Arsenic associated with arsenopyrite-rich slag from an adjacent sulfuric acid plant used as fill in the region

Roofing Pitch and Arsenic were impacting Groundwater (As 20,000 ppb, benzene 4,000 ppb)

Roofing Pitch and Arsenic impacting Hudson River Sediments

Direct Contact and Vapor Intrusion Exposure

Importance of Sustainability

End-User requirement

Environmental, economic, and social benefits for building owners,

occupants, and general public

Improve energy efficiency via sustainable design and construction

Recycle land to reduce negative environmental impacts

Reduce O&M and energy costs, improve ROI and net operating

income

Enhance building marketability, worker productivity and indoor air

quality

Take advantage of market and financial incentives for LEED

certification on new buildings

Why Green Remediation

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Reference

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ProjectionsHistory

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Why Green Remediation

EPA ADMINISTRATOR’S ACTION PLAN• …[Foster technological innovations to support the clean development of domestic energy resources

(oil, gas, nuclear, coal, wind, and solar)• Restore contaminated properties, including brownfields, to environmental and economic vitality• Promote stewardship through increased resource conservation, including waste minimization and

recycling• Expand the use of biofuels and promote diesel emissions reductions through retrofit and other

technologies

OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (OSWER) ACTION PLAN

• Promote the reduction, reuse, and recycling of both municipal and industrial wastes

• Encourage the appropriate reuse and revitalization of brownfields, USTfields, Superfund sites, RCRA facilities, BRAC sites, and other federal properties

EPA STRATEGIC PLAN 2006-11“EPA’s Cleanup Programs have set a National Goal of returning formerly contaminated sites to long-

term, sustainable and productive use.”

Why Green Remediation

State, Local, NGO, business, international, community initiatives 35 states have renewable portfolio standards (RPS)

Specifies a percentage of total energy to be derived from renewable sources

19 states have public benefit funds (PBFs) Supports energy efficiency and renewable energy projects;

collected through small charge to electric customers or utility contributions 22 states have GHG inventories

Why Green Remediation

23 states have energy efficiency standards 22 states have carbon sequestration programs Regional Initiatives

6 Regional GHG Initiatives composed of states collaborating to create “cap and trade” systems and address GHG emissions across broad geographic areas

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) will cap carbon emissions in 11 northeastern states.

Social Benefits

• Improve public health of work force and community.

•Create more walkable, accessible, and livable neighborhoods by incorporating Smart Growth principles and ecological enhancements.

• Improve aesthetics and public safety by cleaning up and reusing blighted areas.

•Create jobs for the community and higher tax revenues for local government by creating new construction, commercial, and industrial opportunities and increasing property values.

•Reduce construction traffic, noise, dust, and safety concerns by reusing existing buildings and by employing deconstruction and material recovery practices.

Environmental Benefits

•Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by incorporating energy efficient processes, using renewable energy sources, recycling materials, and implementing activities that sequester carbon.

• Improve air quality by employing Smart Growth principles, making ecological enhancements, and incorporating Green Design features.

•Preserve greenspace and slow suburban sprawl by cleaning up and reusing contaminated properties and facilitating their reuse.

•Conserve resources, reduce landfill disposal, and limit the environmental impact of waste hauling by recycling and reusing industrial materials.

• Increase biodiversity and restore watersheds by incorporating ecological enhancements and preserving green infrastructure.

•Reduce long-term impact of structures on the environment and resource use by incorporating green approaches in building and landscaping construction, including stormwater management.

Economic Benefits•Achieve lifecycle cost savings associated with green remediation and buildings.

•Reduce energy footprint and save resources by using energy efficient equipment/processes and renewable energy.

•Qualify for tax benefits associated with brownfield redevelopment and LEED certification.

•Reduce construction costs, reduce disposal fees, and gain a new source of revenue by recycling materials onsite.

• Increase property value by incorporating Green Design and Smart Growth principles, which can bring more business, people, and revenues into the community.

• Improve employee satisfaction and productivity through green building design.

Some Benefits Achieved by Adopting Sustainable Approaches

Optimal Sustainable Revitalization

Social

Economic

Environmental

Green Remediation Practices

Commitment to optimal solutions

Costs of fuel and electricity Remediation footprint Remediation optimization Remediation options

selection criteria

Boulevard Sewage Treatment Plant and Proposed Aquaculture Regional Center

How ?

• Use a systems approach• Look for environmental opportunities• Identify and balance tradeoffs

Cleanup, Remediation,

and Waste Management

Deconstruction, Demolition, and

Removal

Design and Construction

for Reuse

Sustainable Use &

Long-Term Stewardship

Cleanup, Remediation, and

Waste Management

Deconstruction, Demolition, and

Removal

Design and Construction for

Reuse

Sustainable Use and Long Term

Stewardship

• Reuse/recycle deconstruction and demolition materials

• Reuse materials on site whenever possible

• Consider future site use and reuse existing infrastructure

• Preserve/Reuse Historic Buildings

• Use clean diesel and low sulfur fuels in equipment and noise controls for power generation

• Retain native vegetation and soils, wherever possible

• Protect water resources from runoff and contamination

• Power machinery and equipment using clean fuels

• Use renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and methane to power remediation activities

• Improve energy efficiency of chosen remediation strategies

• Select remediation approaches, such as phytoremediation, that reduce resource use and impact on air, water, adjacent lands, and public health

• Employ remediation practices that can restore soil health and ecosystems and, in some cases, sequester carbon through soil amendments and vegetation

• Use Energy Star, LEED, and GreenScapes principles in both new and existing buildings

• Reduce environmental impact by reusing existing structures and recycling industrial materials

• Incorporate natural systems to manage stormwater, like green roofs, landscaped swales, and wetlands

• Incorporate Smart Growth principles that promote more balanced land uses, walkable neighborhoods, and open space

• Create ecological enhancements to promote biodiversity and provide wildlife habitat and recreation

• Reduce use of toxic materials in manufacturing, maintenance, and use of buildings and land

• Minimize waste generation, manage waste properly, and recycle materials used/generated

• Maintain engineering and institutional controls on site where waste is left in place

• Reduce water use by incorporating water efficient systems and use native vegetation to limit irrigation

• Maximize energy efficiency and increase use of renewable energy

• Take appropriate steps to prevent (recontamination)

Cleanup, Remediation, &

Waste Management

Design and Construction for

Reuse

Sustainable Use &

Long Term Stewardship

Deconstruction, Demolition, and Removal

Some Examples– Reuse/recycle deconstruction and demolition materials – Reuse materials on site whenever possible– Consider future site use and reuse existing infrastructure – Preserve/Reuse Historic Buildings– Use clean diesel and low sulfur fuels in equipment and noise

controls for power generation– Retain native vegetation and soils, wherever possible– Protect water resources from runoff and contamination

Sawyer Passway Asbestos Abatement Project

• Some Examples

• Power machinery and equipment using clean fuels

• Use renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind, and methane to power remediation activities

• Improve energy efficiency of chosen remediation strategies

• Select remediation approaches, such as phytoremediation, that reduce resource use and impact on air, water, adjacent lands, and public health

• Employ remediation practices that can restore soil health and ecosystems and, in some cases, sequester carbon through soil amendments and vegetation

Cleanup, Remediation,& Waste

Management

Design and Construction

for Reuse

Deconstruction, Demolition, and

Removal

Sustainable Use &

Long Term Stewardship

Sawyer Passway Asbestos Abatement Project

Risk Based Cleanups, Vapor Intrusion and Residential Use

• Assess ecological and human health risks to evaluate risk –based cleanup criteria for exposure to soil, groundwater and volatilization

• Assess contaminant fate and transport mechanisms through establishing and verifying a conceptual site model

• Design engineering and institutional controls on site where waste is left in place

• Analyze risks due to dewatering, excavation, transport and disposal

• Take appropriate steps to remove sources of contamination or isolate contamination to mitigate risks and reduce energy

Cleanup, Remediation, &

Waste Management

Deconstruction, Demolition, and

Removal

Sustainable Use & Long Term Stewardship

Design & Construction for Reuse

Some Examples• Reduce use of toxic materials in manufacturing,

maintenance, and use of buildings and land

• Minimize waste generation, manage waste properly, and recycle materials used/generated

• Maintain engineering and institutional controls on site where waste is left in place

• Reduce water use by incorporating water efficient systems and use native vegetation to limit irrigation

• Maximize energy efficiency and increase use of renewable energy

• Take appropriate steps to evaluate insurance for financial, legal, regulatory risks due to unknowns (cost cap policy, guaranteed remediation contracts)

• Plan to prevent re-contamination

Cleanup, Remediation, &

Waste Management

Deconstruction, Demolition, and

Removal

Sustainable Use & Long Term Stewardship

Design & Construction for Reuse

Application to The Site

Remedial Footprint Negotiate Site Specific Cleanup Standards

and Remedial ObjectivesARSR for Arsenic 600 ppmRemediate Pitch Areas Impacting

Groundwater Protect Hudson River from residual dissolved

contamination and Pitch

Arsenic and Groundwater Geochemistry

Groundwater geochemistry was causing arsenic dissolutionEvaluated Eh (ORP)Evaluated pH

Found different geochemical zones corresponding with dissolved arsenicLow Eh / High pH (Zone 1)High Eh / Low pH (Zone 2)

Eh > 100 mV

pH < 5.5

Eh < 0 mV

pH > 8.0

Range of arsenic speciation Eh/pH range indicated

groundwater zones straddled the arsenite (As[III]) stability field

As(III) is more soluble than As(V)

Eh/pH range indicated groundwater in two zones fell outside iron oxyhydroxide stability field

Eh/pH conditions promote mineral formation that occurs in the iron oxyhydroxide stability field

Highest concentration of arsenic is found in the dissolved ferrous iron stability field where there are no iron oxyhydroxides to which arsenic can bond

Dissolved As > 1,000 ppb

Zone 2

Zone 1

Dissolved As > 1,000 ppb

Arsenic Cleanup Standard

NJDEP sets direct contact SCC Recently issued guidance for calculating Impact

to Groundwater ARSAnalyze soils for SPLP compare to LS (3 ppb)

ARS = Highest CT for which CL ≤ LS = 22 ppmARS using site specific Kd

Kd ranged from 22 to 17,000 L/kg. ARS using 22 = 0.8 ppm

Regression analysis of CT vs CL = Failed

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SLLSTd

C

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HKCARS

b

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Arsenic Cleanup Standard

Arsenic cleanup standard is very dependent on site geochemistryNo clear correlations with SPLP results or Coefficient

of Distribution

Argued that arsenic solubility was dependent on Eh, pH and iron oxyhydroxide stability Look at correlations between soil and groundwater hot spots

Arsenic in Unsaturated Soil

Arsenic in Saturated Soil

Arsenic > 1,000 ppb in groundwater

Arsenic > 600 ppm in soil

Carbon Footprint

Remedial Alternatives Screening and Selection During the Feasibility Process Evaluate

Alternatives for Sustainability Carbon FootprintEnergy UsageReuse/Recycling of Material

Option A

Option D

Option B

Option C

Transportation

Air releases

Treatment

Water use

Off-site transfers

Greenhouse gases

Energy consumed

Soil/Solid material

Water use

Land use

volume

matrix material

depth

mobility

contaminants

2Remedial Options

3Calculation

Modules

4Sustainability

Factors

1Project Data

Option E

Conceptual Framework for Sustainability Analysis

Step 3 – Identify ComponentsISS + MNA

Task Item Quantities

Mobilization and Site Prep TimeStaffEquipment

10 days11 - 1 Super, 1 Eng’r, 9 Operators & LaborersMan lift, forklifts (2), crane, mix head, others

Crane and Mix Head Assembly Time 5 day

Soil Mixing TimeStaffEquipmentMaterials

14 days11 - 1 Super, 1 Eng’r, 9 Operators & LaborersMix head/crane, fork lifts, excavator1200 tons Cement, 240 tons ferric sulfate130,000 gal water

Demob, including grading TimeStaffEquipment

4 days11 - 1 Super, 1 Eng’r, 9 Operators & LaborersExcavator, man lift, forklifts (2), crane, mix head

Step 3 - Quantify ComponentsISS + MNA

Fuel for remedy• Mobilization/demob• Soil mixing• Regrading• Sub-base installation• Delivery of Concrete• Delivery of Ferric Sulfate• Sampling events

Consumables• Concrete• Ferric Sulfate

Gasoline (gallons)

Diesel (gallons)

Combustion of Fuels

Fuel Quantity Unit

Pre-Combustion Combustion Total Data Source

Total GWP kg CO2 eq

lb CO2 lb CO2 lb CO2Diesel 1000 Gal 3258 22543 25801 nrel.gov/lciGasoline 1000 Gal 2776 17403 20179 nrel.gov/lci

Quantity Unit kg CO2 kg CO2 kg CO2Diesel 1 kg 0.46 3.18 3.64 nrel.gov/lciGasoline 1 kg 0.46 2.86 3.31 nrel.gov/lciPropane 1 kg 0.48 3.00 3.48 ecoinvent 3.59

Consumables Quantity Unit kg CO2 kg CO2 kg CO2Total GWP kg CO2 eq

Electricity, US Average 1 kWh 0.85 nrel.gov/lci 0.861Electricity, US Average 1 kWh 0.73 MSU data 0.77Cement 1 kg 0.74 Ecoinvent 0.77Concrete 1 cubic yard 195.47 Ecoinvent 202.53HDPE Sheet 1 kg 2.41 Plastics Europe 2.47High Alloy Steel Pipe 1 kg 4.99 Ecoinvent 5.31Carbon Steel Pipe 1 kg 1.85 Ecoinvent 2.02PVC pipe 1 kg 2.35 Industry data 2.58Activated Carbon 1 kg 6.45 Kirk-Othmer,nrel.gov/lciAsphalt 1 USD 2.00 US Input-Output DB 2.49Zero Valent Iron 1 kg 1.21 Ecoinvent 1.32Kiln Dust 1 kg 0.74 Co-product of Cement 0.77Bentonite 1 kg 0.44 Ecoinvent 0.47

Transportation - Use the table below from NREL, then the combustion data above to get to energy and CO2Quantity Unit lb CO2 lb CO2 lb CO2

Xport - Tractor trailor 1000 ton-miles 34.2 236.7 270.9 nrel.gov/lci10.5 Gal Diesel

Quantity Unit kg CO2 kg CO2 kg CO2Xport - Tractor trailor 1000 tonne-kg 0.009 0.059 0.068 nrel.gov/lci

18.67 Gal DieselQuantity Unit kg CO2 kg CO2 kg CO2

Earthwork 1000 kg earth 0.244 1.688 1.932 Ecoinvent0.53 kg Diesel

CO2 emissions

Activity Excavation, Transportation and Disposal

In-situ ISS and T&D Arsenic

Pitch T&D 1339 Tons -

Arsenic T&D 161 Tons 161

Earthwork 166 Tons 166

Import Fill 157 Tons 62

Place Fill 166 Tons 66

Import Concrete - 82

Total CO2 Tons T&D = 1989Total CO2 Tons ISS = 537

Other Sustainable Measures

Selected AirLogics Perimeter Air Monitoring System

Re-used Concrete and Cinderblock from Building Demolition as Fill Above the Water Table

Evaluating Permeable Reactive Barrier or Solar Powered Groundwater Control System to Protect Hudson River

Passive Venting Systems and Vapor Barriers Beneath all Buildings.

Conclusions Portions of Site Were LEED

Silver Developer wanted Green

Remediation in order to fit his Development Model

Used Sustainable Development Principals to help select and “sell” remedial options

ISS resulted in decreased Carbon Footprint

Used alternative energy systems as well as low energy remedial options when possible