Health & Safety

Health & Safety – Contractor Support Services

Seattle Waterfront Construction Project

Environmental Site Assessment, Remediation, and Worker Health & Safety Services

Seattle, WA

This property was originally part of the Seattle Tide Lands. At that time, the shoreline was situated approximately 400 feet northeast of the property. Railroad property, situated immediately west of the Site, was developed with railroad tracks built on creosote-treated wood piles. The demolition of the railroad tracks and dredge filling of the subject property and relocation of the shoreline to its current position was completed in circa 1920. Reportedly, the wood (creosote-treated) wood piles may have been demolished and/or disposed of in-place as part of the dredge filling of the tide lands.

The planned office complex development of the property included the excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 24,000 cubic yards (cys) of soil from the site and the installation of a sub-slab water collection system situated beneath the concrete sub-floor in the basement of the buildings. The depth of removals ranged from about eight (8) feet to about twelve (12) feet throughout the site.

The owner's excavation contractor encountered soils that had creosote and heavy oil odors and notified the owner that the materials appeared to be contaminated. To properly characterize the soils for off-site disposal, GEI collected approximately 100 soil samples from throughout the site for field screening and follow-up chemical analysis. The objective of this sampling and analysis was to segregate the affected materials from non-affected materials prior to off-site transportation.

Based on the characterization of the soils, GEI identified approximately 24,000 cys (38,400 tons) of impacted soil that needed to be disposed of in a permitted (Subtitle D) landfill. The disposal costs for the creosote-impacted soils was estimated to be about $1,150,000 (at $30/ton). GEI identified a local landfill that was undergoing "Closure" and negotiated an agreement with the landfill that allowed GEI's client to save over $1,000,000 in disposal fees and saved the landfill approximately $200,000 in soil import costs (at $8/cy for import fees). Additionally, approximately 9,000 tons of petroleum-affected or debris-containing materials, associated with underground storage tanks that were discovered during the planned excavation, were transported to Rabanco’s transfer station.

The Washington State Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) recognized GEI as the "Environmental Consultant of the Year" for this "Office Development of the Year" project.

Former Gas Station Project

Environmental Remediation, Health & Safety Management, and UST

Seattle, WA

Key Tasks:

Environmental Contamination Characterization and Remediation in Soil and Water
On-Site Field Testing
Health & Safety Management
Assist with Negotiations for Cost Recovery with Responsible Party

Key Features:

Cleanup of 4,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil
Extraction and recycling of 20,000 gallons of petroleum contaminated groundwater

GEI conducted UST decommissioning, site remediation, and health & safety management during the redevelopment of a former retail fuel station into residential apartments. This project included the removal of one small (500 gallon) UST, excavation, transportation, and thermal desorption of 4,000 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, extraction and recycling of 20,000 gallons of petroleum contaminated groundwater, installation of a bentonite slurry wall, installation of several groundwater monitoring wells and installation of a sub-slab depressurization system (SSD). GEI’s negotiation with the Washington State Petroleum Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) is expected to obtain a NFA determination by the first quarter of 2020.

Kaiser Grade & Fill Project

Health & Safety, Environmental Remediation

Port of Tacoma, WA

Key Tasks:

Environmental Contamination Characterization and Remediation in Soil and Sediment
On-Site Field Testing

Health & Safety Management

Key Features:

Washington State Dangerous Wastes and highly contaminated media

2,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and sediment with multiple contaminants including arsenic, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

GEI provided health & safety and remediation oversight at the historic Kaiser Aluminum facility in Tacoma. The Kaiser Aluminum Facility operated almost continuously at the Kaiser site from 1942 to 2002. During the course of Kaiser's operations, portions of the site have been used for settling ponds and sludge storage areas. Settling ponds had been filled and relocated, and sludge stockpiles had been removed and consolidated on-site.

The Port of Tacoma purchased the Kaiser Aluminum site in the first quarter of 2003. The Port's long-term plan for the property is to redevelop the site for port maritime industrial uses. However, in order for the redevelopment of the Kaiser Property to occur, the Port has determined that the entire site will need to be brought up to the grade of nearby Port facilities, which is approximately three feet higher than the pre-existing elevation of the site. Approximately 500,000 cubic yards of fill materials will be needed to cover the entire site.

The Port conducted an investigation of the portion of the project site previously used as a log sort yard. This investigation revealed areas of Asarco slag with arsenic concentrations above Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) Method C industrial soil cleanup levels. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were also contaminates of concern in some of the materials. Approximately 2,000 cubic yards of Washington State Dangerous Wastes and Contaminated Wastes were excavated and removed from the site.

Thea Foss Waterway, BNSF/Sound Transit Project

Health & Safety, UST, Environmental Remediation

Tacoma, WA

Key Tasks:

Environmental Contamination Characterization and Remediation in Soil and Sediment
UST Decommissioning
On-Site Field Testing

Health & Safety Training and Management

Key Features:

Fulfilled multiple tasks simultaneously – reduced overall project costs and timelines
Maintained community and worker health & safety protection
Protected the Thea Foss Waterway from being contaminated with PCBs

GEI worked on a BNSF/Sound Transit contract to add set of rail lines along the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, Washington. BNSF’s environmental consultant has recently completed an environmental assessment of the work area to investigate for potential presence of contaminants in soil, surface water and ground water, which needed to be removed and properly disposed. The consultant’s investigation confirmed the presence of metals and carcinogenic polyaromatic hydrocarbons (cPAHs) in soil and naphthalene and benzene in water above the allowable state limits.

Based on these findings, the contractor’s workers were required to have completed specialized training for work with contaminated media (HAZWOPER). GEI developed a Site-specific Health and Safety Plan targeted to ensure the proper protection of site personnel during the execution of the contract. The contents and provision of the HASP applied to all on-site personnel working in or near the work (exclusion zone) zone(s), which have been identified as containing or are suspected to contain concentrations of hazardous compounds. GEI provided health & safety oversight for the general contractor and its subcontractors at the site.

Cedar Hills Landfill- Landfill Cap and Gas Extraction Well Repairs

Health & Safety

Maple Valley, WA

GEI was contracted to provide project Health & Safety Plans and H&S oversight on this landfill project in Maple Valley, Washington. GEI’s Health and Safety Plan (HASP) was targeted to ensure the proper protection of site personnel during the execution of Cedar Hill Regional Landfill’s construction of the Area 5 Stage 4 Closure in King County, Washington. The work completed under this contract included grading, compacting, trenching, backfilling soils, erosion and sedimentation control, and installing geosynthetic materials and pipes, and other related facilities necessary for construction.

GEI subcontracted a painting contractor to apply an epoxy coating to gas collection wells at the facility. GEI ensured that all health & safety procedures were properly followed and conducted safety monitoring at the site during the sand blasting, priming and coating the walls of the wells.

Washington Department of Transportation Road Improvement

Project Environmental Assessment and Health & Safety

Multiple Locations throughout WA

GEI provided Health & Safety oversight and impacted soil remediation services for contractors on DOT projects throughout Washington. Portions of these projects were completed at night to minimize traffic disruptions to the highway.

Bridge Construction H&S Services, BNSF

Health & Safety

Renton, WA

GEI provided a project-specific Health and Safety Plan (HASP) targeted to ensure the proper protection of site personnel during the execution of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway Company’s bridge construction over Hardie Avenue and Rainier Avenue South in Renton, Washington.

Because of the potential health and environmental hazards associated with contaminated media at this site, the work was performed in compliance with the applicable provisions of the Washington State Model Toxics Control Act, Washington State Labor & Industries Codes, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Washington Administrative Codes as well as other applicable Federal, State, and local codes and regulations governing hazardous materials and hazardous waste.