ASSESSING THE RISKS
In January 2018 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued revised guidance( Pub. RR-800) on addressing vapor intrusion at remediation and redevelopment sites in the state. Follow these links to learn more about how consultants and other responsible parties are screening for, investigating, remediating, and mitigating vapor pathways at contaminated sites.
dnr. wi. gov / topic / brownfields / vapor. html dnr. wi. gov / files / PDF / pubs / rr / RR800. pdf
And visit dnr. wi. gov / topic / landfills / development. html for guidance documents and the application form to build on historic fill sites.
Wisconsin, where a recreational complex was constructed on top of the closed Bender Road Landfill. The City contracted with Ayres to provide groundwater and methane gas monitoring and modifications to the landfill’ s design to accommodate the new recreational facility that, to date, includes a multi-use building, a small outdoor amphitheater, a playground, parking areas, roads, and new utilities. Ayres’ role was to develop landfill design modifications to accommodate the development and submit them to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources( WDNR) for review and approval. Services also included designing the vapor mitigation system.“ It’ s a pretty neat site, and we had to try to make sure that all the old gas, what was left, was venting out and staying away from people,” said Shupert, a technician on the project.
Jerry DeMers, an environmental engineer with the WDNR’ s Waste and Materials Management Program, reviewed the proposed design at the Glendale site and issued a conditional closure plan modification allowing building on the landfill – a regulatory necessity to ensure that concerns about settling and methane exposure are sufficiently addressed.“ Any landfill that contains waste that can break down biologically will produce methane. The bacteria naturally produce about 50 % methane and 50 % carbon dioxide when they’ re breaking down the organic materials, so if something is going to be built, particularly near a landfill with waste in it, that methane needs to be prevented from getting into confined spaces where it can accumulate and build up to an explosive concentration,” DeMers said.
Back in Eau Claire, substantial completion of the new fire station is expected by mid-June with a move-in date slated for early July. Installation of the vapor system is well under way. At this point just the test probes and exhaust system are left to install, according to Kelly. He added that, for him, simply knowing a system like this will be in place – working quietly in the background to eliminate the possibility of hazards – gives him great peace of mind.“ The whole process has been very easy,” Kelly said.“ It’ s one of those specialty areas that none of us has any experience with. Having local experts come in and be part of the process kind of puts your mind at ease.”
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