Risk evaluation and remediation of PFAS released at an industrial facility

Challenge

SLR was retained by a confidential client to assess, remediate and risk manage per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and water related to the use of modern firefighting foam products during emergency response activities at an industrial facility.

Solution

Services provided by SLR over the course of the project include:

• coordinating the installation and operation of an on-site surface water treatment system, and regular testing of the system’s effectiveness at PFAS removal;
• characterization of PFAS in soil and water, and adherence to PFAS-specific protocols during all sampling events;
• reviewing quality assurance/quality control metrics to confirm representativeness and reliability of all data;
• development of a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) to organize, communicate and interpret data, and support remediation and risk management planning;
• completion of an aquatic pathway evaluation and a biophysical survey to support the CSM;
• provided local and federal regulatory insight and specific PFAS knowledge;
• liaison with provincial regulatory officials to discuss project status and address concerns, obtain approvals for site-specific remediation/risk management approaches, and to identify acceptable PFAS waste management options;
• development of a comprehensive Remediation and Risk Management Plan, submitted to and approved by provincial regulatory officials;
• supervision of subcontractors during site assessment, risk-based remediation and decommissioning work.