The client’s consideration of divestment and remediation options was facilitated by WSP using a risk analysis tool to estimate costs of remediation and proposed future uses and scenarios.
Remediation works have included a groundwater pump-and-treat system to intercept zinc-impacted groundwater from an area infilled with manufacturing waste and mitigate impacted water from discharging into an adjacent waterway.
In addition, WSP has operated and maintained a biosparge system to treat a 300m-long plume of petroleum hydrocarbon impacted groundwater via 95 air-sparging points. A sustainable low-cost solution was achieved by identifying opportunities to use excess compressed air available from onsite manufacturing operations, with minimal physical impact across the site and easy integration with onsite operations. Remediation objectives have been achieved in more than 90% of the plume and monitoring continues in order to confirm success.
WSP also designed, operated and maintained a soil vapor extraction system including a sustainable low-cost biofilter to remediate unsaturated soils at the source of the plume and protect the health of onsite workers.
To progress towards site divestment and reduce long-term risk, WSP designed and implemented a program to remove 14 underground petroleum storage tanks across multiple sites. The WSP team provided innovative excavation design to maintain the geotechnical stability of adjoining structures, some of which are heritage protected, and achieved excavation of impacted soils to the extent practicable.
WSP’s holistic range of value-adding services and innovative solutions continue to enable this client to meet its regulatory and corporate, including sustainability, requirements, manage risk, and contribute to the circular economy.
* This work was performed by Golder professionals who joined WSP in an acquisition completed in 2021.
