As part of assessing the feasibility of two routes proposed for a 15-mile-long natural gas pipeline, GMG asked Barr to perform a desktop review and assist the utility in selecting and modifying the final route.
Our work included performing a detailed land-ownership survey to identify required permits and agency consultations. Because the proposed pipeline would cross state and federal lands, as well as land belonging to the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, the project required numerous approvals. Barr prepared an application for transportation and utility systems and facilities on federal lands and submitted it to the Chippewa National Forest on behalf of GMG, and developed a stormwater pollution-prevention plan for submittal to the U.S. EPA. In addition, we prepared an application for a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources license to cross public lands and waters, and consulted with the State Historic Preservation Office and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers on cultural resources requirements.
After the Leech Lake tribe requested a Phase I archaeological survey, Barr worked with the tribe’s Heritage Sites Program to conduct one. We continued to assist GMG with stormwater pollution prevention during pipeline construction, which was completed in autumn 2020.
An oil sands client hired Barr to assess the ecological status of pilot-scale ponds constructed in the early 1990s. These ponds have been researched for decades to help understand the potential for ecological development of end-pit lakes, former mine pits that may contain tailings as well as fresh water or oil-sand-process water or both.
Barr designed and implemented an assessment program for 11 test ponds to understand biological conditions in the ponds after two decades under natural conditions. These small, water-capped, closed systems had initially been established using combinations of tailings or natural soils with process water or fresh water as the cap. We worked with the client to collect water, plant, organism, and sediment samples from each pond for an ecological trend analysis of water chemistry parameters, phytoplankton, zooplankton, microbes, aquatic macrophytes, aquatic macroinvertebrates, sediment, and water microbes.
Helping a manufacturing facility understand its PFAS footprint
A manufacturing client hired Barr to provide a desktop assessment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) use in its operations and the potential impacts. A class of emerging contaminants, PFAS has seen increased regulation throughout the U.S. The purpose of the assessment was to provide a snapshot of the facility’s current operations to inform the client on potential risks associated with PFAS.
Barr first reviewed the client’s safety data sheet (SDS) database to identify chemicals that contain PFAS or are suspected to contain PFAS and then reviewed identified chemicals for PFAS content. We also reviewed processes at the facility and evaluated the fate of chemicals containing or suspected to contain PFAS. In addition to the desktop assessment, Barr sampled and coordinated the analysis of wastewater and incorporated the results into the assessment. We then prepared a technical memorandum that summarized the results of the SDS review and the potential pathways to the environment for PFAS chemicals, identified potential regulatory triggers, and recommended a path forward.
Our client was able to understand its PFAS footprint to assess if chemicals used in the manufacturing process could be replaced or the use modified to decrease the risk of PFAS reaching the environment. The information gathered during the desktop evaluation also prepared the client for emerging regulations related to PFAS.
Learn more about our PFAS engineering and environmental capabilities.
A local area within a highwall at Bald Mountain had an existing instability and rock fall hazard in the upper open-pit slope. This instability was potentially jeopardizing mining operations due to its location above a primary haul ramp for active mining. With a mine plan that increased use of this haul ramp for future mining activities, Bald Mountain sought to assess the potential risk of the instability, learn its impact on mining activities, and gain recommendations on an appropriate course of action for ongoing employee safety. In 2020, Barr was retained to provide an independent evaluation of this instability, ultimately delivering a project report of findings, slope analyses, and recommendations for moving forward.
To study the instability, Barr conducted a geological and geotechnical analysis and reviewed previously collected slope monitoring data with respect to precipitation before delivering our assessment of the highwall condition and geotechnical approach for slope instability. Additionally, Barr reviewed all aspects related to risk mitigation, including geotechnical and operational controls and practices, development of threshold movement rates, and industry best practices for mitigating geotechnical risk.
Barr worked with Lehmann Exploration Management and, following an ownership transition, Franconia Minerals Corporation to develop the Birch Lake deposit (including the Birch Lake site and Maturi site) near Babbitt, Minnesota. We began working on this deposit in 2001 by collecting baseline data to support project advancement.
In 2005, Barr’s team developed a draft Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) for collecting a bulk sample, which was submitted to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. A number of environmental studies were undertaken to prepare the EAW.
Environmental activities conducted in support of the EAW and proposed project included work with state agencies on the scope of work for mine-waste characterization; hydrogeologic investigations; noise monitoring at the Maturi site; a parks and recreation resources inventory; sensitive species surveys; surface-water monitoring; a wetland delineation and functional assessment; a wetland replacement plan for pilot shaft; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit applications for pilot shaft and drilling; obtaining wetland banking credits; a wildlife and lynx assessment; a wild rice study; cultural resources consideration; plans for road upgrade; and a public presentation.
In early 2007, Franconia hired Barr to complete an expedited Phase I environmental site assessment of the 1,600-acre Dunka property near Babbitt. To expedite the ESA, Barr made intentional deviations from ASTM Practice E 1527-05. The assessment involved a records review, site reconnaissance, interviews, and reporting. The goal of the assessment was to develop a big-picture view of the possible environmental liabilities associated with the purchase of the Dunka property.
Barr worked with the City of Minneapolis to evaluate the pressure within its tunnel system and prevent the explosive release of air-water mixture at the dropshaft. We developed models to simulate the tunnel system’s hydraulics and evaluated transient flows (also known as pressure surges) within the tunnel system and the release of large air pockets—both of which can cause a geyser. The model was calibrated using pressure readings in the tunnel during three storm events.
After the model was calibrated, Barr used it to develop hydraulic design criteria for a deflector plate at the top of the dropshaft that would redirect a geyser into a surge chamber located below the street. The model was also used to size the surge chamber. In addition, Barr completed an on-site inspection, utility locate, and civil and structural design services.
Critical analysis completed on fast-track schedule
Altius Resources was considering developing an iron ore deposit at Julienne Lake in Labrador, Canada. Due to the deposit’s location, the client hired Barr to assist with the geotechnical portion of a conceptual study needed on an aggressive schedule.
Our team completed a seepage and stability analysis for the proposed dyke that would surround an open-pit iron mine in Julienne Lake. Because this would be only one of a few dykes of this type in the world, verifying its viability was critical to the project. Another critical aspect was the proposed 525-metre-high pit wall adjacent to the dyke, which we also analyzed.
Barr’s work involved characterizing the geotechnical and hydrogeologic parameters of geologic materials. We also developed dyke-construction methodology options along with a schedule and cost estimate and provided scope recommendations and estimated costs for future field investigations. Additionally, we developed geotechnical and hydrogeologic investigation programs for both the project’s prefeasibility and feasibility phases.
As solar development has rapidly increased in the U.S., so has the demand for suitable land for solar projects. Looking for creative ways to increase renewable energy generation, the state of Minnesota turned to the idea of solar development on the 110 landfills in the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s Closed Landfill Program (CLP). In 2019, the Minnesota Legislature funded a study managed by the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) to better understand the potential for solar development at the CLP sites. The EQB hired Barr to assist with stakeholder engagement and to provide a technical assessment that ranked the CLP sites (and two additional eligible sites) for solar development, identified barriers to development, and made recommendations to address the barriers.
The EQB, Barr, and the assembled stakeholders identified a comprehensive list of criteria and narrowed it down to key criteria that included site generation capacity, general obligation bond (GOB) usage, and transmission and distribution proximity. Because half of the CLP sites had GOB restrictions, Barr used the key criteria to develop a scoring and ranking model that identified the top five sites with GOB restrictions and the top five without them.
Barr estimated that there was 950 MW of solar potential on approximately 4,500 acres of CLP sites and that the top five bond-restricted and top five non-restricted sites did not represent the only favorable CLP sites for solar development. Barr also concluded there were some barriers to solar development on the sites, but they were not insurmountable, and we provided recommendations for addressing each key barrier. The report was accepted by the EQB board and provided to the Minnesota Legislature for its consideration.
The Pine Point lead-zinc mine, which operated from 1964 to 1988, included more than 50 open pits and associated waste-rock dumps, a mill site and concentrate loadout, a tailings impoundment area containing processing waste, and associated infrastructure. The pits, mill site, roads, waste-rock dumps, and powerlines were reclaimed to the standards in place at the time the mine closed, and the land leases were returned to the government. Teck Metals retained the lease for the tailings impoundment area to supply ongoing care and maintenance.
In 2017, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board asked Teck to submit an updated closure and reclamation plan for the tailings area that followed revised guidelines the board had issued in 2013. The newer guidance was based on the closure principles of physical and chemical stability, no need for long-term active care, and compatibility with future land use.
Before a revised closure plan could be developed, more information about the site was needed to provide a better understanding of the fate and transport of zinc and other metals within the tailings area. Barr developed a multi-year research plan to study metal concentrations as well as the fate and transport of metals across the site. We also studied the watersheds and surface-water routing, groundwater conditions, and the water balance and geochemistry at the site, and conducted an assessment of human-health and ecological risks associated with the existing conditions. In 2018, the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board authorized the research plan for implementation.
Barr’s work began with reviewing the existing closure plan for the tailings area, which covers 2 square kilometers and contains 54 million tonnes of tailings from the mine. From there we identified the research activities and studies needed to resolve remaining uncertainties and data gaps, and developed a phased approach for implementing that work. The results of the research and studies are helping Teck choose the best overall closure option and further revise its long-term plan.
One field component of the research involved collecting environmental samples to obtain a better understanding of the tailings’ chemical and physical characteristics. Geochemical testing — aimed at investigating the potential for ongoing metals leaching due to the weathering of sphalerite and other trace minerals — included static testing, column leaching, and evaporative drying tests.
Data from the samples were incorporated into several desktop studies. Using the GoldSim platform, Barr developed coupled water-balance and fate-and-transport models that incorporated methods for evaluating closure options offering climate-change resiliency. That integrated modeling was key to informing development of the closure and reclamation plan. Other supporting studies are currently underway.
Engaging local Indigenous communities allowed Teck and Barr to learn what the communities envisioned for the restored site, including how it should look and what it should provide. Involving local communities early in the research process helped shape studies to address their concerns. For example, concerns related to the potential for dust generation have arisen in meetings and Barr has performed air dispersion modeling to assess potential risks and inform future decision making. In addition, we partnered with community members to collect samples of surface water and wild berries.
Barr prepared the research plan and revised the larger closure plan with the outcome in mind: long-term closure that is cost-effective, meets regulatory requirements, and addresses community concerns. Addressing high-level tasks up front and conducting work in phases has kept activities focused on the key issues, so that time and money aren’t taken up by noncritical pursuits.
Barr has also been supporting annual water-treatment operations at the site, including forecasting pondwater levels and the timing of spring melt so operators can schedule resources; evaluating the efficacy of the lime low-density-sludge process; and assisting with process optimization plans. In addition, we have bench- and field-tested several chemical aids to improve particle formation and settling.
In 2019, Upsher-Smith Laboratories, a pharmaceutical company, planned to construct a new manufacturing facility at its Maple Grove headquarters. Since emissions for the expansion would require a Federal Part 70 permit, Upsher-Smith retained Barr to obtain an air permit prior to construction.
While the original facility did not contain any manufacturing operations, the new construction plans included full-scale batch production and a pilot plant for new product development. Barr helped Upsher-Smith strategize for compliance and operational flexibility by balancing the number of permit limits while still maintaining the ability to make process changes at the facility quickly. To achieve this, our team of environmental permitting experts minimized the use of Title 1 conditions and worked with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to put flexible language in the permit to better accommodate batch operations. We also helped our client navigate the complexities of the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) GGG federal standard.
The air permit for the new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility was issued in August 2020. Throughout construction and as the facility became operational in 2022, Barr also assisted with additional compliance services, including post-construction stack testing and emissions tracking.
(stock photo shown above)