SESCO had the privilege of presenting alongside IDEM at the MSECA Conference on Environmental Liabilities, Risk Assessment, and Remediation on December 11, 2018. Our COO, Brent Graves, talked about our recent experience and the cost and time saving benefits of a consultant/regulator partnership as it pertains to the characterization of ELTF eligible petroleum sites. SESCO reached out to IDEM ELTF and LUST section chiefs in late 2016 to ask if they were considering the use of high resolution site characterization (HRSC) tools on ELTF eligible sites as part of their proposed rule changes. Over a series of conversations and meetings between IDEM and SESCO environmental professionals, IDEM approved a pilot test of HRSC tools on one of our sites in Hebron, Indiana in March 2018. In July 2018, SESCO received approval of our Further Site Investigation work plan which proposed using an Optical Image Profiler (OIP), a Membrane Interface Probe (MIP), Electrical Conductivity (EC), and a Hydraulic Profiling Tool (HPT) to define the vertical and horizontal extents of diesel and gasoline impacts in soil and groundwater. Field activities were implemented in October 2018, at which time SESCO and IDEM were in constant communication to discuss the findings in real time and discuss the next steps. Over the course of one week, IDEM determined that that delineation of impacts was sufficient and collaborated with SESCO environmental professionals to select specific locations and depth intervals for the collection of soil samples, and the placement of temporary wells for the collection of groundwater samples.
IDEM’s presentation by Harold Templin (Geological Environmental Specialist) and Robyn Raftis (LUST Project Manager) further discussed the benefits of the consultant/regulator partnership and the cost and time saving measures that result from such a collaboration. Specifically, IDEM stated that compared to traditional investigations, SESCO saved 1.5 years in time and approximately $100,000 in ELTF costs using HRSC on our site.
Regulatory/consultant collaborative efforts in conjunction with advanced site characterization technology can be applied to a variety of impacted sites, not just ELTF eligible petroleum sites. SESCO provides our clients with cost effective and innovative methodologies to determine environmental assessment, remediation, and closure goals. If you are looking for value and a pathway to efficient site closure, we can help. SESCO Group – Peace of Mind, Restored.