Client:  Real Estate Developer

Project:  Sanitary Waste Landfill Investigation for Disruption Permit
 
Location:  New Jersey

Description:  EWMA was retained by a large real estate developer to prepare a Landfill Disruption Permit and implement a site investigation of a 39-acre former sanitary landfill located in New Jersey.  The landfill was a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) permitted sanitary landfill facility that operated continuously from 1941 to 1974.  It had previously been closed by another environmental contractor and partially redeveloped.  As part of the closure plan, a shopping mall was constructed on a portion of the landfill, to serve as a cap for the landfill.  EWMA was charged with the responsibility to investigate the former landfill site for potential cleanup liabilities, and to determine whether or not any additional costs would be incurred if the mall were to be expanded and the landfill disrupted.
 
EWMA’s actions for this client included the following: 

• A complete Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) was performed to identify the history of the landfill.  In addition to implementing the site assessment procedures outlined in the American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) Standard Practice for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, EWMA completed a detailed review of available file information pertaining to the landfill, along with an analysis of applicable regulations. 

• Upon completion of the Phase I ESA, a Phase II Site Investigation was implemented to screen for landfill gases and potential toxic chemical hazardous substances.  The investigation was also used to determine the thickness of the solid waste contained within the landfill.  The Phase II addressed underground storage tanks (USTs), a surface water detention basin, surface water leaving the site and an on-site leachate collection system. 

As a result of the detailed landfill site investigation activities completed by EWMA, the real estate developer was able to obtain insurance coverage for potential environmental cleanup liabilities associated with the mall expansion.  Additionally, EWMA provided site characterization data for the engineering design phase of the proposed project, which included the preparation of a Landfill Disruption Permit and Closure Plan.  The mall expansion project was able to proceed with the proper environmental permits and documents in place.