Roux Blog

Massachusetts Amended Clean-Up Regulations Help Promote Brownfield Redevelopment Projects

As noted in a recent Boston Globe editorial, amendments to the Massachusetts clean up regulations may help promote redevelopment of Brownfield sites.  The Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) amendments which are intended to "enhance program efficiency while maintaining a high standard of environmental protection" may be published as soon as the end of April 2014 in the Massachusetts Register.  Also included will be Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's effective dates for the various provisions.  Click on the Boston Globe logo below to read the full article.

Roux Associates' experts and team of Massachusetts LSP's have been providing environmental services at Brownfield sites at urban, suburban, rural commercial and industrial properties in Massachusetts and across the United States for over 30 years.  If you would like more information or are interested in a tailored technical brownbag presentation to help you and your organization understand how the amendments to the MCP may affect your projects click below or call 781.569.4000 and ask for Mitch:

Roux Associates is pleased to have collaborated with The Durst Organization to conduct a Track 1 Unrestricted remediation of the Mid Block #57 Project under the New York State Brownfields Cleanup Program. Durst has received a Certificate of Completion from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to document approval of the Final Engineering Report, enabling construction of a 711-unit 80/20 residential building on West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. The remediation, designed and supervised by Roux Associates, included soil excavation and in-situ groundwater

The building is designed by renowned Danish Architect firm BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and is their inaugural North American project. The unique shape of the building will reshape New York City’s skyline and provide sweeping views of the Hudson River. We are honored to be a part of the redevelopment team for this project.

Roux Associates, Inc. is a professional services firm providing a broad range of consulting and project management services to solve complex environmental issues associated with air, water and land. We have been providing these services to an impressive list of clients nationwide for over 30 years through six offices, which are located in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

The American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) has just released the fifth update to the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment standard (E 1527) that will include significant changes clarifying and expanding the Phase I process.

For more inforamtion click below:

If you are interested in learning more about the above topic contact Roux via the button below to request a technical brown bag tailored to your needs.

Roux Associates, Inc. is a professional services firm providing a broad range of consulting and project management services to solve complex environmental issues associated with air, water and land. We have been providing these services to an impressive list of Fortune 500 and public sector clients nationwide for over 30 years through six offices, which are located in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

Join Roux Associates on November 7th at the LA County Bar Association Environmental Law Fall Symposium, where Mauricio Escobar, Principal Geologist, will be moderating a vapor intrusion panel titled: 

“Vexing Vapors: How Evolving Vapor Intrusion Guidance Can Impact your Practice”

The panel will discuss how recent vapor intrusion developments, as well as the new Phase 1 due diligence standard, may change the way practitioners and risk managers approach the evaluation of uncertainty and risk in both transactions and litigation. The evolving science of vapor intrusion, regulatory uncertainty, and inconsistent agency interpretations are leading to increased transactional and development costs, heightened perceived risk, and lengthened cleanup time lines. These factors may lead to risk uncertainty and a wave of litigation.  For event information click below:

If you are interested in learning more about the above topic or cannot attend the event contact Roux via the button below to request the presentation and/or to schedule a technical brown bag taliored to your needs.

Brownfields Update

On October 5, 2013, Governor Brown signed AB 440, authored by Assembly Member Mike Gatto, that will reinstate, expand and improve the important Polanco tools that were vital to many brownfield successes prior to the dissolution of redevelopment agencies.  On October 27th, the DTSC Assistant Deputy Director for the Brownfields and Environmental Restoration Programs said that DTSC is preparing for the first Gatto-Act submissions in early January 2014.  Roux Associates is helping Cities and Developers prepare for how this important law will re-start brownfields redevelopments.

If you are interested in learning more about the above topic contact Roux via the button below to request a technical brown bag tailored to your needs.

Look Who Joined Roux

Roux continues to expand its national expert witness and litigation support capability as Dr. Adam Love joins Roux in its San Francisco office as Principal Scientist. Adam has 15+ years of domestic and international experience in environmental forensics and contaminant fate and transport. Prior to joining Roux, Adam led the Environmental Forensics and Allocation practice area at Johnson Wright Inc. where he provided clients in the public and private sector with the technical information needed to make decisions with confidence. He has been asked to provide expert technical guidance for state legislative actions and federal advisory panels regarding a range of traditional and non-traditional environmental hazards. His work on private party and CERCLA/RCRA litigation related projects has involved petroleum (crude oil, diesel, and gasoline), solvents (PCE, TCE, TCA, 1,4 dioxane), pesticides, PCBs, radionuclides and heavy metals, as well as non-traditional threats. Adam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geoscience from Franklin & Marshall College, a Master’s degree in Material Science and Mineral Engineering from UC Berkeley, and a Doctorate degree in Environmental Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Roux Associates has recently given several brownbag presentations to leading law firms and private sector clients to track important regulatory and/or market developments relating to:

• California Hexavalent Chromium Drinking Water Standard – Draft Standard Mandated by August, 2013 (August 1, SF Chronicle Article RE: Judge’s ruling on MCL);

• Never-Ceasing Developments in Vapor Intrusion Guidance and/or Application

  (April, 2013: USEPA OSWER Draft VI Guidance)

• The IRIS TCE non-cancer endpoint change may create far-reaching ramifications in the California due diligence, Brownfield and Remediation sectors (2013 DTSC/Cal-EPA Presentation on Implications of TCE RfC);

• New ASTM/AAI Phase I, Due-Diligence Guidance coming late Summer/early Fall (EDR Blog on ASTM Guidance Update);

• Next Round of UCMR for Drinking Water Wells and/or 1,4-dioxane developments (ACWA August Safe Drinking Water Agenda)

We also are closely monitoring the progress of Senate Bill 470 (Wright) in relation to potential re-institution of former Polanco powers that may kick start California Brownfields developments in the aftermath of the 2011/2012 dissolution of California redevelopment agencies.

If you are interested in learning more about any of the above topics and/or would like a technical brownbag tailored to your needs, please click below:

California Brownfields Services Update

Roux Associates has been leveraging our decades of high-profile large brownfields project experience earned in the crucible of the New York market to assist our developer, property owner, municipal, and attorney clients in California.  Through our numerous real estate Clients, we have been active participants in the increased real estate activities spurned by the slow, but gradual economic recovery in California. We are actively working on several distressed and under-utilized properties, putting them back to safe and beneficial uses by providing such services as, traditional due-diligence (Phase I/II), vapor barrier design, vapor intrusion assessments, agency negotiations; and active remediation of historical contaminants.

Roux Welcomes Darby Cutler

Darby Cutler has joined the Roux Associates Los Angeles office as the Business Development Manager. Darby’s areas of experience include marketing, management, market research, project management, and recruiting. Prior to joining Roux Associates, Darby was the product marketing and merchandising manager for a private medical office in Southern California, where she developed and executed strategic marketing programs to increase clientele and maximize sales. Darby holds a B.S. degree in Health Science from Cal State Fullerton University.

Roux Associates has been leveraging our decades of high-profile large-brownfields project experience earned in the crucible of the New York market to assist our developer, property owner, municipal, and attorney clients in California.  Through our numerous real estate clients, we have been active participants in the increased real estate activities spurned by the slow, but gradual economic recovery in California.  We are actively working on several distressed and under-utilized properties, putting them back to safe and beneficial uses by providing such services as traditional due-diligence (Phase I/II), vapor barrier design, vapor intrusion assessments, agency negotiations, and active remediation of historical contaminants. 

If you are interested in learning more about Roux Associates Brownfield Redevelopment / Due Diligence Services please click below:

Vapor intrusion (VI) has become one of the biggest concerns at Brownfield sites and a major cause for re-opening sites previously considered cleaned up. VI is much more complex than previously thought and the regulations and guidance documents for VI are constantly changing. Learn more about VI at the upcoming Brownfields 2013 Conference, Thursday, May 16 at the 4:00pm session: Vapor Intrusion Concerns at Your BF Site? – ‘Soil Gas Safe’ Development as a Selling Point

This session features experts in the VI field like, David G Dixon, P.G., Principal Hydrogeologist, at Roux Associates Inc., who is involved with VI regulations and guidance and helping developers address VI issues. Discussions will focus on identifying VI issues at Brownfield Sites and maximizing the potential for successful ‘Soil Gas Safe’ Brownfield developments.

Roux Associates, Inc. is a professional services firm providing a broad range of consulting and project management services to solve complex environmental issues associated with air, water and land. We have been providing these services to an impressive list of Fortune 500 and public sector clients nationwide for over 30 years through six offices, which are located in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

To request more information, click on the button below:

Brownfields 2013 Conference		Visit Us At: ICSC RECon 2013 - Booth # 616
May 15 - 17, 2013 - Atlanta, GA The National Brownfields Conference, co-sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), is the largest training and networking event in the nation focusing on environmental revitalization and economic redevelopment. The conference will bring together stakeholders in government, business, nonprofits, and academia who promote positive change in their community. Now in its 15th year, the event attracts over 5,000 attendees and 200 exhibitors for two and a half days of educational sessions, training workshops, volunteer activities, mobile workshops, film screenings and much more. Read more >>		May 19 - 22, 2013 - Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV RECon is the global convention for the shopping center industry and provides networking, deal making and educational opportunities for retail real estate professionals from around the world. With over 30,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibitors it is the largest industry convention, making it an unparalleled opportunity to do a year's worth of business in just four days! If you are looking to meet retailers to discuss new or existing leases in your centers, view the latest industry products and services that are critical to your business, attend over 30 educational sessions or find the next deal, then you need to attend RECon. Read more >>

January 2013 the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) issued the revised Vapor Intrusion Technical Guidance Manual and revised the vapor intrusion screening levels.

Click here to review the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Site Remediation Program Vapor Intrusion Technical Guidelines

The chemicals below, have been dropped from the list of substances for vapor screening due to the absence of inhalation toxicity information.

• 1, 3-dichlorobenzene,
• 1, 2-dichloroethene (cis),
• 1, 2-dichloroethene (total),
• 2-chlorotoluene,
• and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA)

The screening levels for several substances (such as tetrachloroethene or PCE) are higher than the 2007 screening levels (good news for dry cleaning sites). This may result in situations in which cases currently classified as an immediate environmental concern (IEC) or vapor concern (VC) may be reclassified based on the new screening levels.

On the other hand, the new screening levels for some substances are lower than the 2007 screening levels. For example, the screening levels for ethylbenzene are significantly lower. This may result in reclassifying some cases as an IEC or VC.

Key to the changes is the time frame for assessing conditions at your site relative to the revised VI screening levels.

• For ongoing sites and sites with approved remedial action work plans (RAWPs) for groundwater, the assessment must be completed by April 16, 2013.
• For sites with restricted use remedial action outcomes (RAOs) or restricted use no further action (NFA) determinations, the assessment needs to be completed during the next biennial certification.

Roux Associates is uniquely positioned to assist you with your VI compliance needs. Our LSRPs are stakeholders on several committees with the NJDEP on guidance documents and regulations with valuable insights into the NJDEP. In addition one of our LSRP's served on the VI Screening Level Implementation Committee with the NJDEP.

To learn more about the NJDEP New Vapor Intrusion Standards contact one of Roux Associates LSRP's or click on the below link to request more information.

• Bill Silverstein
• Michael Gonshor
• Kathi Stetser
• Greg Martin
• Thomas Buggey
• Bill Gilchrist