WEM is working for the City of Burlington on an ongoing Phase II ESA at a former electrical generating facility along the Burlington Waterfront. This work has involved interior building surveys and sampling, the installation of 13 groundwater monitoring wells, sediment sampling, and shallow soil sampling to characterize groundwater, soil, and indoor hazardous material on the 4-acre site. WEM has been able to rule out significant concerns for many contaminants. However, the results indicate the presence of low-level residual contaminants in groundwater, soil, and the basement stemming from the former operations at the coal-burning facility. WEM continues to work with the City, the VT DEC, and the EPA on several tasks related to eventual reuse of the property. This project has allowed WEM to specialize in the assessment and mitigation of arsenic in soil, which is a common environmental issue when dealing with redevelopment of industrial properties in Vermont. WEM worked with the VT DEC to develop a site specific cleanup level for the project.
