Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School
E2S has partnered with the Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School (SWLA) to assist with multi-year redevelopment project of a 7.8-acre city block in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. E2S completed various environmental services from June 2016 to September 2018. The site formerly operated as an orphanage and a church. The site contained nine buildings, a pool, former building foundations/slabs, and grassy areas.
Hazardous Materials Survey
E2S completed a hazardous materials survey on all nine buildings located on the site. The survey included the identification of any materials which contained asbestos, lead, or PCBs. E2S identified asbestos containing materials in eight of nine buildings on the site. The survey identified lead containing materials in one building— the gymnasium. Light ballasts throughout all buildings on site were randomly selected for inspection and visually checked for any indication of PCBs or mercury. Multiple ballasts in all buildings were identified as PCB and mercury containing, and the lights were identified as hazardous waste.
The findings of the hazardous materials survey indicated the need for abatement specifications for the site. E2S provided SWLA with scope of work and procedure documents for the abatement of all hazardous materials on site. Due to the location of the site, special removal guidelines were necessary. All asbestos containing material removal from the site must follow the City of Philadelphia Asbestos Control Regulations (ACR). The City of Philadelphia regulations require all asbestos containing material being abated by a licensed contractor be overseen by a City of Philadelphia Asbestos Project Inspector (API), certified by the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health Air Management Services. E2S employs four Asbestos Project Inspectors who oversee the removal of the hazardous building materials within the City of Philadelphia.
Environmental Site Assessment Services
E2S completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) as part of the client’s due diligence process. E2S identified the following recognized environmental conditions (RECs) during the investigation, which represent a potential material threat of a release of hazardous substances or petroleum:
- Evidence of an underground storage tank (UST)
- Bus garage with floor drains and petroleum saturated floors
- Multiple rusted 55-gallon drums and containers observed on a small concrete pad, exposed to the elements
- Historic dry cleaner and filling station, up-gradient off-site sources with a potential to impact the target site
The recognized environmental conditions identified by E2S resulted in the need for additional environmental investigation.
E2S completed a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) to further investigate the RECs identified during the Phase I ESA. E2S completed a geophysical investigation to identify the approximate location of the UST and any associated piping on site. In addition, targeted soil borings were installed across the site and sampled to determine whether any contamination was present in soil surrounding the UST, bus garage, and other identified features. No evidence of contamination was observed. E2S oversaw and documented the removal of the heating oil UST.
The soil investigation within vicinity of the rusted drums and containers revealed that soil surrounding the concrete pad had been impacted by petroleum. The contamination was limited to an approximate depth of 3-feet below ground surface in an area approximately 10-feet around the concrete pad, resulting in the excavation and disposal of 750 cubic yards of petroleum impacted soil. Investigation of the offsite sources of potential contamination required soil gas samples be collected from soil vapor monitoring points that were installed along the northern boundary of the site. The samples collected from the soil vapor monitoring points revealed no potential for offsite releases impacting future buildings at the site.
Pennsylvania Act 2 Environmental Compliance Services
E2S assisted SWLA with the completion of a combined Remedial Investigation/Final Report to obtain a release of environmental liability under Pennsylvania’s Act 2 Program for the petroleum impacted soils on site. Remediation began in March 2018 with the removal and disposal of a total of 1,200 cubic yards of impacted soil removed from the site. Systematic Random Sampling was performed, and laboratory results confirmed all contaminated soil had been removed. E2S and Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School submitted the Remedial Investigation/Final Report to Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protect Southeast Region in August of 2018. Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection approved the Remedial Investigation/Final Report in September 2018, indicating that E2S and Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School had successfully remediated the impacted soil by demonstrating attainment of the Act 2 Residential Statewide Health Standard.
E2S was pleased to work on this project for Southwest Leadership Academy Charter School. The redevelopment of this property is expected to result in the creation of over 120 jobs.
