At Pioneer, we relish the opportunity to be stewards of our environment, particularly by assisting in the adaptive re-use of once blighted and neglected sites. And with thoughtful and creative clients, such as Crossroads Development Partners (Crossroads), we were again able to put our philosophy to practice.
In 2015 Pioneer was contracted by our long-time friends at Crossroads to provide environmental assessment and site closure services for a Brownfields site near the Illinois Medical District. The property, located at 13th and Ogden, operated as a chemical storage drum reconditioning plant for over 65 years and had been significantly impacted as a result of these past activities. Following the design of a cost-effective and practical remediation approach, Pioneer assisted Crossroads in enrolling the property in the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Site Remediation Program (SRP). As part of these activities, a comprehensive investigation was performed to fully evaluate the site in accordance with Illinois EPA regulations, and assessment and remediation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) was performed under US EPA guidance.
Pioneer’s investigation included extensive soil, soil gas, and groundwater sampling and analysis for site characterization and delineation purposes. Remediation activities included in-situ chemical oxidation treatment to remediate tetrachlorothene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE) impacts in certain areas, conventional hot spot remediation to remove total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) and PCB impacts, and removal of 13 underground storage tanks (USTs) of various contents from the property. The cumulative post-remediation testing demonstrated that no further active remediation is necessary at the site, given the proposed use of engineered barriers, building control technologies, and institutional controls, and all remedial actions were summarized in reports submitted to and approved by the Illinois EPA and US EPA.
Crossroads is presently completing the first phase of redevelopment, in preparation for the site’s impending commercial/retail use and occupancy by an international brand restaurant. Following completion of remaining engineered barriers as part of the second phase of redevelopment, the site will be issued a comprehensive No Further Remediation (NFR) letter from the Illinois EPA — one of over 600 NFR letters Pioneer has helped its clients obtain (more than any other firm in the state!). Pioneer thanks Crossroads for the opportunity to assist with this exciting redevelopment project.
