Client's Issue and Needs

Stakeholder involvement included facility partner and the municipality.   The client commissioned PHH ARC to coordinate and supervise the excavation, off-site disposal, and on-site treatment for 50,000 tonnes of petroleum hydrocarbon impacted soil, including coordinating all subcontractors, and project activities.  The facility was located in a large city surrounded by major traffic routes, commercial, and residential areas.

Our Services and Solutions

As the prime contractor PHH ARC, coordinated the work of all subcontractors and supervised the excavation, including collection of confirmatory soil samples.  PHH ARC performed a pre-job hazard assessment, identifying project hazards and implemented control measures, and successfully completed the project with 13,000 hours of accident free work.  In addition, PHH ARC effectively abandoned numerous process pipes, cables and concrete located within the excavation area and arranged for and received landfill approval for soil disposal.  A portion of impacted soil was treated on-site, while seventeen hundred truckloads of waste material hauled off-site.  The excavation was backfilled after successfully meeting remediation objective; and a risk management plan was developed to mitigate long-term liability.

Client's Issue and Needs
Three source areas of contaminants were identified during the Phase II ESA. Quarterly groundwater monitoring was initiated to address dissolved parameters above criteria including petroleum hydrocarbons, metals and salinity and free phase product. The proximity of identified parameters above criteria to a residential water supply well was a concern.

Our Services and Solutions
Free phase product recovery was implemented in on lease and off lease areas. 2002 field observations and analytical results indicated free phase and hydrocarbon plume have advanced towards domestic water well located approximately 100m off lease. A new domestic water well was installed in January 2003 and was completed in a deeper bedrock aquifer that was approximately 12m below the contaminated aquifer. The old domestic water well was abandoned in accordance with Water Act. The same 2002 analytical results indicated that hydrocarbon plumes extended beyond the groundwater monitoring well network, therefore further delineation was recommended. Eight groundwater monitoring wells were installed in December 2003. Results from the 2003 groundwater monitoring (ARC, 2003) indicated that hydrocarbon plume had moved off lease necessitating installation of additional wells. Twenty two additional groundwater monitoring wells were installed in 2004.

Outcome
Three source areas of hydrocarbon, metal and salinity impacts were excavated between fall of 2002 and winter of 2004. A general decrease in dissolved hydrocarbon concentrations and free phase thickness was achieved by the spring of 2004. The areal extent of dissolved hydrocarbon and free phase plumes was defined by the end of 2004.

Client's Issue and Needs

Our Services and Solutions
Working under provincial and federal legislation (Alberta Wildlife Act, Species at Risk Act, and Migratory Birds Convention Act), PHH ARC Environmental Ltd. (PHH ARC) conducted wildlife surveys on all seven sites and, based on the results, provided recommendations for site management.

Outcome
The client proceeded with reclamation after detailed site assessments and management plans were presented by PHH ARC. Plans included mitigation and timing restrictions.

Our Services and Solutions
PHH ARC implemented a tank removal program and conducted an intrusive environmental site assessment program to delineate extent of impacted sediments. An excavation program was conducted. Impacted sediments were treated off-site using ex-situ remediation techniques as means of reducing landfill and trucking cost.

Outcome
County of Starland Public Works used their own equipment to excavate and treat impacted soils. Landfill tipping and trucking fees were eliminated leading to cost effective remediation program.

Our Services and Solutions
PHH ARC compiled facility data including plant capacity, facility activities, inventory of above ground and underground storage tanks, pollution prevention and control measures, environmental monitoring information, waste produced and minimization methods, and industrial runoff and surface runoff drainage system. As part of the approval, air dispersion modelling was conducted to predict the facility emission concentration of nitrogen oxide from reciprocating and turbine engines, natural gas heaters, treaters, boilers and steam generators. The sulphur dioxide emission concentration from hydrogen sulphide flaring was also predicted through modelling. The NO_x and SO ₂ emissions must meet the Alberta Ambient Air Quality Guidelines in order for the application to be approved. A public notice was advertised in the local newspaper. Any statements of concern must be resolved before the approval is issued.

Outcome
One facility has received the operating approval under the EPEA and is valid until 2014. The other two applications are presently under review by Alberta Environment, Regulatory Approvals Centre.

Client's Issue and Needs
A major oil and gas company (the client) lease site suffered a blowout releasing hazardous gases and fumes into the air affecting residences adjacent to the site and potentially some residents of the city east of the site.

Our Services and Solutions
To address concerns of adjacent residents, in addition to monitoring provided by Alberta Environment, PHH ARC was requested to provide additional ambient monitoring for a wide range of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's), Reduced Sulphur Compounds (RSC's) and Polyaromantic Hydrocarbons (PAH's)

Outcome
The client completed a controlled burn of the gases being released 60 feet below surface.  Two days after the samples were collected, the well was capped and further release of gases and fumes was stopped.

Scans of the compounts in the air samples collected showed a few compounds present in the ambient air but at a concentrations at the parts per billion (ppb) and parts per trillion (ppt) range.