At a facility in Iowa, a release of denatured ethanol occurred during material transfer in the tank farm. The farm is underlain by a liner, but soils above the liner were impacted by the release. Barr was providing on-site environmental management assistance when the release occurred, and we were asked to evaluate the release.
Our investigation did not identify impacts to soil or groundwater outside of the secondary containment; however, review of facility drawings identified the presence of drain tile in the secondary containment area, which could provide a groundwater-flow pathway. Subsequent soil sampling of the drain-tile-discharge ditch showed no soil impacts in the ditch, and surface water was not present.
Barr’s on-site presence, familiarity with the facility and operations, and experience with petroleum investigation and remediation allowed for an efficient, thorough evaluation of site conditions. These factors contributed to a rapid resolution with no facility downtime.
After a fire at a large industrial facility, Barr was hired to provide emergency response services and longer-term environmental monitoring activities. One of the primary concerns was addressing contamination of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), contained in fire-fighting foams, in stormwater and fire-water ponds. We also provided general environmental compliance support during site cleanup and reconstruction activities.
Barr conducted sampling and observation activities associated with PFAS-impacted water and potential stormwater runoff, collecting samples in accordance with industry best practices to prevent cross-contamination. We also inspected off-site surface-water bodies, from stream banks and by boat, for evidence of fire-related contamination.
In addition, Barr worked with our client and the state environmental agency to determine treatment objectives and permit a system for removing PFAS compounds from water before it was discharged. We assisted with the design, permitting, and installation of a system that used granular activated carbon and ion exchange to remove PFAS. Once the system was operational, we conducted routine treatment-system sampling activities and tracked operational effectiveness. Finally, we helped identify regulatory requirements triggered by the event; prepared incident follow-up reports; assisted with waste management and disposal; and provided contractor oversight.
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A chemical-processing facility in Washington hired Barr to provide a third-party applicability and compliance review of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) following an inspection by the regulating agency. The facility uses flammable liquids as solvents in their synthesis process and produces hazardous waste consisting of those solvents. Barr completed an independent review of the requirements focused on Subparts J, AA, BB, and CC, which encompass the hazardous waste tanks and piping systems. Barr then supported negotiations with the regulatory agency to resolve the alleged violations.
As part of this work, Barr supported the specification, procurement, and mechanical and structural design for the installation of closure devices for sump and hazardous waste tank systems. The scope of work also consisted of completing necessary inspections as well as developing hazardous waste tank system certifications and applications for flammable and combustible liquids stationary tank and piping permits for the modifications to the tank systems. Barr also scoped the leak detection and repair (LDAR) program requirements under Subpart BB for implementation by the facility and a local contractor.
The modified hazardous waste tank system was certified following installation of the closure devices. As a result, the facility was able to resolve the alleged violations and continue operations.
Since 2006, Barr has provided a range of environmental services at a confidential manufacturing client’s Upper Midwest facility and in support of corporate environmental initiatives. At the client’s facility, Barr has helped develop a long-term remediation plan to voluntarily clean up historical contamination.
Due to unique site challenges, including contamination in fine-grained soils beneath the active facility, Barr evaluated alternatives for innovative remedial solutions. Remedy design is underway with implementation to follow shortly thereafter.
In addition to the remediation, Barr has completed groundwater monitoring and reporting, groundwater modeling services, geotechnical work, NPDES permitting assistance, liability estimating, vapor-intrusion evaluation, and water treatment system upgrades. Barr has also provided environmental permitting and compliance support, including NPDES permitting, wastewater treatment system design, and PFAS evaluations.
Storms in July 2018 flooded a refinery’s combination unit, oil-water separator, roadside drainage ditches, and the laydown yard where a new processing unit was being constructed on a tight schedule.
In the combo unit, up to 8 inches of standing water posed operational safety concerns, and standing water in ditches caused condensation inside steam pipes, resulting in pressure drops that reduced process efficiency. The refinery asked Barr to develop emergency flood-mitigation measures to divert standing water from the combo unit and laydown yard until we could design a permanent stormwater-management solution.
Within a week of receiving notice to proceed, we had made multiple visits to the refinery; designed two temporary lift stations and associated outlet works; developed an O&M plan for ditches; and secured a commitment from a vendor to deliver and install pumps and fittings that met our specifications.
Having dozens of qualified engineers allowed Barr to provide immediate assistance, and their expertise enabled the fast-track design of a reliable solution despite dual constraints: the site’s limited stormwater-conveyance capacity and the client’s special request for electric rather than diesel-powered pumps.
Barr is currently leading the design of a permanent stormwater-management solution, which comprises the combination of a lift station, open-channel flow, and additional stormwater storage. The project is still in the feasibility phase; construction is expected to begin in mid-2024.
The emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were recently discovered in the groundwater at two of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s closed landfills, the East Bethel and WDE landfills. Existing remediation systems have been in operation for many years to address volatile organic compounds in groundwater at these two landfills. Based on updated groundwater regulatory guidance for these emerging compounds, it was determined that the existing remediation systems have not fully captured the larger plumes associated with 1,4-dioxane and PFAS. The MPCA hired Barr to help understand the extent of the contamination by developing updated conceptual models for the two sites.
Barr conducted groundwater modeling and planned additional site investigation with the MPCA to create an updated conceptual model of the plumes. Based on this information, we expanded the groundwater monitoring network and identified potential remediation approaches and alternate treatment technologies to address the plumes and the emerging regulatory guidance for 1,4-dioxane and PFAS.
Barr has completed two projects for the Prairie Island Tribe related to access to the tribe’s reservation and casino, located near Red Wing, Minnesota, on an island between the Vermillion and Mississippi Rivers. The island has a single highway access. Barr’s first project consisted of designing and coordinating the emergency raising of the access road to the island during the June 1993 Mississippi River floods. We designed an innovative method of raising the road without widening, which would have required permits to fill in the adjacent wetlands. Concrete road barriers were used to contain road fill and to provide erosion protection above the raised portion of the roadway. The temporary road raise was constructed in less than a week and removed after the threat of flooding ended. The entire project cost less than the revenues the tribe would have lost in a single day had floods washed out the highway. Barr’s second project for the tribe involved preparing conceptual designs for a second road access to the Prairie Island during floods and other transportation emergencies. We pre-pared a joint permit application that included supplemental information for both a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit to place fill in waters, and a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources permit to work in protected waters. Barr staff also assisted the tribe in presenting the proposed project to local, regional, state, and federal agencies.
Barr assisted the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District with reducing flood risk in the Snail Lake and Grass Lake areas. We evaluated ways to lower flood levels in the area’s water bodies, reduce the risk of flooding to habitable structures, and lessen the impacts to surrounding properties. Specifically, we studied possible changes to overflow and outlet elevations of water bodies in the system, pipe changes to modify discharge rates and volumes, and the possibility of lowering the existing 15-inch reinforced-concrete pipe under Highway 694.
To evaluate the risks involved in undertaking the recommended actions, Barr surveyed low points of concern not covered by recent previous surveys. We used monitoring data that the district had collected for the area and expanded an existing XP-SWMM model. In addition, the Metropolitan Council’s groundwater flow model of the Twin Cities was employed to create a more localized, detailed version for use in evaluating options.
The outcomes of this study are updated flood levels of Snail and Grass lakes for potential management and regulatory use by the district and the implementation of flood management features that optimize flood storage while protecting habitable structures. In addition, modeling results were shared regularly with the district’s member cities to help them in their own flood-management and communication efforts in the area.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in public water supplies and private wells at or near active and former manufacturing facilities owned by Saint-Gobain. At these sites in the eastern United States, a group of potentially responsible parties is working with local, state, and federal regulatory authorities.
Barr is part of a collaborative consulting team conducting remedial investigations and feasibility studies. The team is evaluating potential release mechanisms from multiple facilities, including sampling and analyzing process streams, air emissions, and process wastewater. Site investigations involve soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment sampling; interior building surveys; and review of historical and background materials. Barr is leading development and iterative refinement of complex site conceptual models that incorporate coupled air-dispersion, groundwater-flow, and fate-and-transport models. All work is being completed in accordance with strict quality assurance protocols.
Interim remedial actions, including groundwater extraction and treatment and in-situ groundwater treatment, are being considered at several of the sites in tandem with investigations. Barr has conducted PFAS water-treatment bench- and pilot-testing, evaluated treatment-technology options such as granular activated carbon and ion exchange, and designed a full-scale pretreatment system. Our work has been closely coordinated with the potentially responsible parties and regulators addressing intense public interest in these sites.
Learn more about our PFAS engineering and environmental capabilities.
While decommissioning a former power plant, a confidential client found water contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the process of dewatering the facility’s basement. After discovering the PFAS, the client hired Barr to characterize impacts and develop a water treatment system.
We began by collecting samples to evaluate both potential sources of PFAS and treatment methods. During sampling, the water generated during the basement dewatering was also found to have a pH level higher than applicable discharge criteria, meaning that the pH would also need to be mitigated before discharge. Barr completed a feasibility-level assessment of treatment methods for PFAS and pH, recommending a system that used granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove PFAS and carbon dioxide aeration to mitigate pH. We worked with a remediation contractor to complete bench- and pilot-scale testing before providing a turnkey design of the treatment system. We also oversaw the operation of the treatment system, which included conducting routine sampling to assess the remaining absorptive capacity of media and adjust the system as needed.
Approximately 26.5 million gallons of PFAS-impacted and high-pH water were treated by the system. Throughout the duration of the project, monitoring results indicated that effluent water quality met the project objectives. Continual treatment of water generated from the dewatering activities allowed the decommissioning process to continue uninterrupted, and the project was successfully completed in 2020.
Learn more about our PFAS engineering and environmental capabilities.