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Pinchin LeBlanc Environmental
Ltd.
Tel: 902.461.9999 Fax: 902.461.9932 Email: info@pinchinleblanc.com |
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Our senior environmental professionals have developed training programs in site assessment and remediation. We have delivered training to university students through guest lecture and adjunct professor positions at Dalhousie University in Halifax and Memorial University in Newfoundland. We have also trained environmental professionals in other countries through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Phase I ESA All of our Phase I ESAs are comprehensive and the client can be assured that the best practices available in the industry have been applied to the project. We have conducted hundreds of Phase I ESAs. Our office locations throughout the Atlantic provinces and across Canada enable us to complete assessments at virtually any location in the most cost-efficient and timely manner possible. Phase II ESA The Phase II process is iterative. Supplementary Phase II work is often conducted to delineate a concern and to further characterize the physical, biological and chemical attributes of a site. A thorough knowledge of the various federal and provincial guidelines respecting contaminated sites is critical. These guidelines and the Atlantic PIRI Risk Based Corrective Action (RBCA) approach will be used together to address many environmental issues. Our assessors have extensive training in CSA Phase II protocols, provincial guidelines and RBCA. We have successfully navigated the process in all provincial settings and our Site Professionals can guide the assignment through to successful closure. RBCA Modelling Our staff complement includes Site Professionals whose assessment work is recognized by provincial regulators and specialists trained specifically in RBCA modeling. If site conditions require advancement to Tier II or Tier III modeling, we are equipped with the professional skills and computer software necessary to fully assess a property and develop plans for a course of action. Remedial Action Plans (RAPs) PLEL routinely prepares RAPs and our senior professionals have decades of experience in site remediation. We have a solid reputation for developing remedial approaches to contaminated sites that are practical, cost-effective and withstand the scrutiny of the regulators and the public-at-large. We conduct the necessary qualitative and quantitative risk assessment, ecological screenings and option assessments before submitting our RAPs for approvals. Regulatory compliance documents, such as Notification Reports, are also prepared by PLEL. Site Remediation |
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Phase I ESA is used to form opinions on the likelihood, types
and locations of issues affecting the environmental condition
of a property. Common issues range from the possible presence
of hazardous building materials (e.g. lead paint, asbestos insulation,
PCBs) to past land use and on-site petroleum storage practices.
The information gathered by a Phase I ESA can be used by owners,
purchasers and lenders to make informed decisions about property
management, acquisition and financing. A Phase I ESA includes
records review, a site visit, interviews and an evaluation of
all information by qualified assessors. It is critical that the
assessor be fully conversant with the potential sources of information
including government databases, archives, underwriters, etc. This
first step in the assessment process is normally non-intrusive
but PLEL will often enhance the program to meet the specific needs
of the client or to address known concerns in a proactive, cost-efficient
manner. 
If,
through a Phase I ESA or some other means, environmental concerns
are identified on a property, the process continues to the next
step. Phase II Environmental Site Assessments are carried out
to confirm the presence of a concern and to characterize the site
in greater detail. The issues of concern can range from potentially
hazardous building materials to impacted soils and groundwater.
It is extremely important to be equipped with the various professional
skills necessary to address the full range of issues that can
be encountered. Using in-house resources, PLEL geoscientists,
chemists, engineers and specialists can conduct Phase II ESAs
to address a host of issues ranging from mould in buildings to
chemical impacts in soils and groundwater. 
When
a site has been affected by petroleum contamination, the assessment
process utilizes criteria established in the Atlantic RBCA (Risk-Based
Corrective Action) for Petroleum Impacted Sites in Atlantic Canada
User Guidance Document (Version 2.0; October, 2003). Developed
specifically for our region, Atlantic RBCA is a tiered approach
whereby increasingly site-specific criteria can be used to develop
remedial levels for a property. Tier I (or "generic")
levels have been derived using the RBCA software with "default"
values for Atlantic Canadian conditions that employ substantial
conservatism. If site conditions differ significantly from conditions
defined by the Tier I default assumptions or contaminant concentrations
so dictate, then the assessment must proceed to Tier II. Computer
modelling is then used to develop Site Specific Target Levels
(SSTLs) for the property. 
Once
an environmental concern has been thoroughly delineated and the
site fully characterized (including Tier II RBCA modelling), a
Remedial Action Plan (RAP) is prepared to address site conditions.
The plan typically includes the evaluation of numerous options
and the selection of one that best meets the needs of the environment,
the client and the regulators. The RAP provides comprehensive
details on: approach, methodology, physical conditions, area and
quantities, constraints (including site access), and special considerations.
