case study

Unit III Case Study Scenario

The QD Group Inc., a company that provides services on safety and environmental assessments and

remediation, has been contracted to perform a Phase I environmental site assessment (ESA) of a 160-

acre parcel (property) in a sparsely populated area near a small city in the United States.

Note: A Phase I ESA consists mainly of a site inspection, records review, and interviews with government

agencies and other parties to assess if the current and historical uses of the property have impacted the

property that could pose a threat to the environment and/or human health.

You will be managing this Phase I ESA project. Your client is the law firm that represents a corporation

that is interested in buying this property. The corporation plans to use the property to construct a 30-

megawatt solar power plant.

The property is located approximately 20 miles west of the town center, but a couple of residential homes

are located within a mile to the east of the property. The property is bounded by a county road to the

south, undeveloped land to the north and west, and a fruit orchard directly to the east. Across the road to

the south is also undeveloped land used for animal grazing. An intermittent stream transects the property

in an east-west direction running parallel to the northern boundary of the property. Groundwater in the

area is approximately 25 feet below ground surface. The municipal landfill is located approximately 5

miles to the west of the property.

A review of records that include historical aerial photographs indicated that the subject property has never

been developed; however, there have been reports of illegal dumping in the area. Site reconnaissance

was conducted by you and a technician who reports directly to you. On the day of the site visit, weather

was sunny and clear, temperature was in the mid-90°Fs, relative humidity was 60%, and a westerly wind

of 5–7 miles per hour was blowing from the west to the east.

Findings during the site reconnaissance are detailed below.

 Scattered historical solid waste (cans, bottles, cardboards, metals (supports, piping and corrugated panels), rubber truck tires, tree trimmings, lumber) were observed at various locations within the property.

 A huge pile containing miscellaneous solid wastes was observed on the northern boundary of the property. Upon closer inspection, you identified the following: o construction debris (wood and some concrete), o magnesium shavings on one corner of the huge solid waste pile, o two 1-gal containers of phosphorus oxychloride, and o two 1-gal plastic bottles of ammonia.

A small mound of soil was observed approximately 25 feet to the northeast of the huge pile. In addition to

some household wastes (e.g., cardboards, empty plastic bottles, rugs, newspaper), the following

chemicals were identified from this pile:

 four 1-gal containers of muriatic acid (all were about half full),

 five 2-lb containers of sodium carbonate, and

 one 5-gal bucket of pool shock chemicals (sodium hypochlorite).