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Liberty’s land and water services team can provide consulting, engineering and field services for environmental land and water projects. Our team has qualified professional engineers to provide design of water supply and waste water treatment systems, storm water runoff systems, constructive wetland systems, and groundwater and soil remediation systems. The land and water group has extensive experience in site investigation and remediation. Liberty’s land and water group has mobile equipment for field soil and water testing. We have qualified scientists to provide long-term maintenance and data collection for soil and water monitoring and remediation equipment.
We pride ourselves in providing prompt service, mobilizing field personnel and equipment within hours of a client’s request when needed. We also realize the importance of data accuracy, and thus our project managers stay in close contact with field personnel and laboratories during a project. This maintains clear communication of project goals, and ensures adherence to project budgets and schedules.
Site Investigation
Site investigations at impacted sites, whether voluntary or mandated by federal or state regulatory authorities, are a major component of Liberty’s work. Our staff has completed several site investigations under a wide range of programs including:
- Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund)
- Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- State (Hazardous Waste and Storage Tanks)
- Voluntary Cleanups (including Brownfields Redevelopment)
Liberty has experience with site investigations at sanitary landfills, hazardous waste landfills, lagoons and impoundments, operating plants, abandoned disposal sites, and waste piles. Liberty’s staff is experienced in a full spectrum of geological and ecological conditions that can be encountered at a project site.
Our investigations typically include the following activities:
- Multi-media (soil, groundwater, surface water, biotic and sediment) sampling and analysis
- Borehole and surface geophysics
- Groundwater modeling
- Aquifer Testing (pump tests, slug tests and packer tests)
- Field analytical screening
- Monitoring well installation (permanent wells, temporary well points, and piezometers)
- Site surveying
- Data analysis
- Data validation
- Risk Assessment (Human Health and Ecological)
Environmental Site Assessments
Liberty’s staff has completed hundreds of Phase I environmental site assessments (ESAs), as well the closely-related transaction screening process, using ASTM standard practices, to determine the potential for the presence of environmental liabilities. ESAs have become an integral component of the overall due diligence efforts when buying or selling commercial properties.
Assessments performed by Liberty’s staff have included various commercial, private and industrial sites, such as:
- Large resort properties
- Bleach and dye facilities
- Iron and steel foundries
- Organic chemical and plastic manufactures
- Textile facilities
- Residential land development
- Painting and other coating facilities
- Multi-use commercial/retail properties
- Waste disposal and transfer facilities.
We have also completed ESAs for clients that are considering leasing a property to provide them with knowledge of the existing environmental conditions before entering into an agreement, and for clients that are terminating their lease to determine if their operations could be a cause for present or future environmental liabilities.
Contaminated Soil Remediation and Containment
Liberty has implemented a full complement of soil remediation technologies. We have experience in the development and implementation of on-site remediation techniques, including innovative technologies that offer significant cost savings over traditional approaches. Provided below is a listing of soil remediation technologies that have been used on various sites:
- Soil Excavation and Disposal
- Bioremediation/Phytoremediation
- Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE)
- Capping
- Ambient Temperature Soil Stripping
- Asphalt Batching
- Soil Washing
- Sludge stabilization and lagoon closures
- Product recovery interceptor and groundwater diversion trenches
Successful remediation involves correct characterization of the types and extent of soil impacts, and close monitoring of the progress of the cleanup. Liberty has thorough knowledge of RCRA and other waste management regulations. We are also familiar with the major hazardous, residual, and municipal waste disposal facilities. We routinely screen these disposal facilities for their compliance status and disposal fees.
Remediation of Groundwater
Liberty designs, constructs, operates and maintains groundwater remediation systems. Some of the technologies employed by Liberty include:
- Traditional groundwater well pump and treat methods
- Multi-phase extraction
- Interceptor trenches
- Soil vapor extraction and air sparging (AS/SVE)
- Bioreactors
- In-situ bioremediation
- Bioenhancement
 Groundwater remediation may require the consideration of non-aqueous phase products (either dense (DNAPL) or light (LNAPLs) non-aqueous phase liquids). We have experience in LNAPL recovery from the top of water tables with both traditional recovery methods and with multiple phase recovery systems. These technologies have been applied and operated by Liberty staff at several hydrocarbon-impacted sites. Liberty also has extensive experience in DNAPL delineation and remediation issues, in both porous and fractured aquifer settings.
Liberty's design experience in groundwater recovery/discharge systems ranges from single wells, to networks of wells, to interceptor trenches, to air sparging systems and multi-phase extraction wells. We have designed air strippers, carbon filtration units, steam strippers, biological treatment units, chemical oxidation/ultraviolet systems, ion exchange, and metals precipitation systems as well as air treatment units which operate successfully at numerous sites. We also have an experienced air group to support off-gas control requirements.
Remediation Projects: Buried Drums, Impacted Waste, and Storage Tanks
Liberty has been involved in, and has considerable experience with, numerous remediation projects that include drum removals, storage tank closures, and waste characterization and disposal. Environmental cleanups of these types of materials represent some of the earliest remedial response actions since environmental regulations were developed. Projects have included single-tank closures to multiple-tank/drum exhumations with investigation and remediation of related soil and groundwater impacts.
Liberty has encountered many situations where the removal of the storage tank system and easily accessible soil excavation were not sufficient to fully address site impacts. Soil impacts at increased depths or beneath structures may limit the ability to remediate the soils through excavation, and groundwater impacts may pose additional concerns. As appropriate, Liberty applies in situ remediation technologies to achieve remedial goals. We routinely incorporate in situ remediation strategies such as soil vapor extraction (SVE) and in situ bioremediation.
Decontamination and Demolition of Impacted Structures
Liberty’s staff has managed a wide variety of decontamination and demolition projects. These projects have ranged from concrete secondary containment units to larger building structures. Some remediation projects have required structural demolition to prepare for environmental remediation tasks. In many instances, the surface structures (e.g., piping, storage tanks, and buildings) need to be decontaminated prior to demolition and disposal. Liberty has the capacity to oversee and coordinate the activities necessary to decontaminate, demolish and remove these structures, as well as any processing equipment located within the structures, and appropriately manage the decontamination and demolition wastes.
Water Quality
Liberty’s engineers and scientists use their knowledge and understanding of the water quality regulations, engineering/scientific disciplines, and pollution control technologies to provide economic and strategic advantages to our clients for water and wastewater treatment systems. We can also provide system construction oversight and system operation and maintenance.
Liberty’s staff has a broad range of industrial wastewater and stormwater design and permitting experience. This experience enables Liberty to deliver state-of-the-art solutions to many wastewater and stormwater management issues. Liberty’s capabilities include permitting and Clean Water Act (CWA) regulatory compliance services, including:
- NPDES permits (Parts I and II)
- CWA Section 316(a) (thermal discharges)
- CWA Section 316(b) (intake structures)
- CWA Section 404
- CWA Section 401
- Coastal Zone Management
Our staff has extensive expertise in assessing and modeling surface waters including volumetric runoff calculations and modeling, pollutant load modeling, biological impact studies, and biological treatment (phytoremediation/wetlands). Liberty can examine the feasibility of recycling stormwater or wastewater streams for reuse within a facility. In today’s environment of tightening discharge requirements and increased demand on water supplies, wastewater reuse is more often seen as a cost-effective measure for industry. Liberty can develop options for wastewater recycling, including detailed equipment/system costs and economic assessment.
Wastewater Treatment Plant Design, Operation and Maintenance
Liberty’s staff members are experienced in the design, construction and operation of numerous types of wastewater treatment facilities. Wastewater projects undertaken by Liberty involve modifications or expansions to existing treatment systems, or the full detailed design and specification of a new system. Our intimate knowledge of new wastewater treatment technologies ensures that our system designs will provide for the most effective and economic wastewater treatment.
Liberty can provide on-site technicians and engineering support staff to provide full operation and maintenance of wastewater treatment systems. Our services include the development of detailed operation and maintenance plans and standard operating procedures, and preparation of training programs for operation and maintenance personnel. Our staff can also provide detailed reviews of existing wastewater systems which are aimed at troubleshooting ongoing performance problems, reducing operating costs, or improving effluent water quality.
Stormwater
Ever-increasing emphasis on assessing and controlling stormwater discharges to surface waters has necessitated major monitoring and management programs for municipal, state, industrial, and construction activities. Liberty’s staff has prepared numerous NPDES stormwater permit applications and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWP3s) for a variety of industrial facilities and has addressed stormwater management issues for sensitive receiving waters.
Our stormwater management services include:
- NPDES permitting
- Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan development
- Best management practices development
- Hydrologic runoff calculations
- Pollutant load modeling
- Floodplain modeling
- Wet weather monitoring programs
- In-stream biological impact assessments
- Engineering design of structural controls
- Non-structural (operational) control development
- Innovative treatment technology development
Wetlands and Ecological Studies
As part of Liberty’s portfolio of services, we provide the experience and expertise for conducting wetland and ecological studies. These services are an important component in real estate development projects, and are frequently part of the risk assessment component for contaminated sites. Liberty’s staff offers the following services:
- Wetland Studies & Investigations
- Joint Permit Applications
- Wetland Delineations
- Alternative Analysis
- Phase I Bog Turtle Surveys
- Regulatory Compliance Issues
- Mitigation & Enhancement Plans
- Biotic & Abiotic Sampling
- Wastewater Treatment Designs
- Environmental Impact Reports
- Flora & Fauna Inventories
- Environmental Assessments
Liberty’s staff has been involved with several land development projects where wetland delineations, jurisdictional determinations, subsequent permitting and mitigation of impacts were crucial steps in achieving project success. Liberty’s staff has designed and constructed wetland enhancement for mitigation, watershed improvement, wastewater treatment, and increased wildlife habitat quality. Liberty has experience in coordinating these efforts with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, State regulators and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
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