Client: Industrial Manufacturing Company
Location: Torrance, California
Services:
- Regulatory Engagement, Interactions, & Negotiation
- Soil, Soil Vapor and Indoor Air Testing
- Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA)
- Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE)
- Shallow Soil Removal
Date: 2010 – Present
During an investigation of an above-ground storage tank (AST) at an industrial manufacturing company in Torrance, CA, the landowner discovered impacts of trichloroethene (TCE) in soil at the Site. The owner was required to enter a Voluntary Cleanup Agreement (VCA) with the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to address this issue. BEC was retained by the owner in 2010 to investigate the impacts and develop a strategy for the Site cleanup.
BEC’s investigations confirmed that TCE and related products were present in historical fill soils near the surface. The impacts were located in a high-traffic area of the Site, which is used to manufacture heat exchangers for petroleum refineries and other specialized machinery. In addition, given the concentrations, soil excavation without treatment would have generated RCRA hazardous waste. The proposed cleanup would need to achieve DTSC standards for soil and soil vapor, minimizing the impact to on-going Site operations and limit the volume of RCRA waste generation.
To address these conditions, BEC proposed and implemented a multi-phase remedial approach. First, a horizontal soil vapor extraction (SVE) system was installed and operated in the source area. The SVE system significantly reduced the footprint of the impacted area in soil and reduced concentration to levels that did not represent RCRA waste. Secondly, a targeted shallow soil excavation program was implemented, which successfully removed all impacted soil above DTSC screening levels. All of BEC’s work was performed during active facility operations. Due to the reduced area of impact, on-Site traffic was able to be redirected around the work area, which had minimal to no effect on the operations on-Site.
On behalf of the Site owner, BEC successfully negotiated and received closure for the on-Site remedial program in 2021. As part of the closure, BEC also prepared a soil management plan (SMP) and an indoor air operations and monitoring (O&M) plan, as part of a land use covenant (LUC) for the Site.
