This unique project required assessment of both subsurface contamination related to the site’s historical use as an unregulated landfill and above grade waste materials illegally disposed of on a 30-acre site and related to the “Silver Shovel” incidents in Chicago and surrounding suburbs. The work performed by Pioneer began as a due diligence project on behalf of a prospective buyer and included a Phase I ESA that required a rigorous review of historical and legal documents that subsequently provided certain evidence and links to an ongoing investigation by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. A substantial Phase II investigation was then performed that required subsurface testing of the historical landfilled materials and included environmental testing of solid wastes, leachate in monitoring wells installed by Pioneer, an evaluation of methane concentrations, and a preliminary geotechnical investigation. This was complicated by the depth of the landfill which was found at approximately 180 feet and on top of bedrock as well as dealing with extremely high concentrations of methane gas which both required specialized drilling equipment/procedures and constant monitoring for safe working conditions. The second focus of investigation required environmental sampling of soil and waste materials present in berm piles that totaled more than 200,000 cubic yards of material, a large percentage of which was comprised of auto fluff and characteristically hazardous waste. The combined assessment activities completed by Pioneer sufficiently documented site conditions to the satisfaction of the Illinois EPA and subsequent negotiations resulted in one of the few successfully negotiated Prospective Purchaser Agreements with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Pioneer, working closely with our client and their attorney, were instrumental in this process. A remedial design and implementation plan were completed by Pioneer to provide overall coordination and oversight of the massive waste removal activities and documentation required to facilitate the eventual redevelopment of this complex and challenging historical landfill site.
Case Studies
Site Assessment
- Brownfields Redevelopment – Closed Municipal Landfill
- Brownfields Redevelopment – Former Petroleum Distributor & Chemical Facility
- Brownfields Redevelopment – UIC South Campus Redevelopment Project
- PCA – 100 year old 12-Story Building
- PCA – Commercial Office Building
- PCA – Hotel
- PCA – Industrial Facility
- Phase I ESA – Active Steel/Forging Plant – Louisville, KY
- Phase I ESA – Historical Landfill Site – Upstate New York
- Phase I ESA – Internet Campus Redevelopment
Remediation
- Brownfields Redevelopment – Former Petroleum Distributor & Chemical Facility
- In-Situ Chemical Oxidation – Chlorinated Solvents at a Commercial Dry Cleaner
- In-Situ Chemical Oxidation – Heating Oil Release
- PCB Remediation Project – Chicago
- Regulatory Closure – Former Retail Gasoline Stations
- Remediation – CTA Bus Garage Redevelopment Project
- Remediation – Former Chemical Storage Drum Reconditioning Plant
- Remediation – Former Industrial Facility
- Remediation – Former Steel Manufacturing Plant
- Remediation – Historical Scrap Metal Facility
Geotech+Construction
- Brownfields Redevelopment – Former Petroleum Distributor & Chemical Facility
- Geotechnical Investigation – Former CHA Redevelopment
- Geotechnical Investigation – Proposed 5-story Building, Chicago
- Geotechnical Investigation – Proposed High-Rise Building, Chicago, IL
- Geotechnical Investigation – Warehouse Facility, Chicago, IL
- Phase I ESA – Dam Inspection & Evaluation for Dam Safety Permit, Cortland, IL