Characterization of Contaminated Sites
The need to evaluate a site before starting any production activities; the use and handling of hazardous substances and waste on a property that has been previously occupied by a company as well as the need to put better assessment techniques into practice to determine the possible degree of damage in these sites all require the use of techniques now accepted in the developed world. One of these techniques is Environmental Site Assessment of ASTM International, for carrying out the assessments involved with environmental characterization of a site, that will be an aid to identifying the preliminary and current conditions of the soil.
These methodologies consist of technically assessing the soil and groundwater conditions to determine whether there is any environmental liability, as Title V of the General Law for the Prevention and Comprehensive Management of Waste specifies that whosoever is found to be responsible for the contamination of a site, shall be obliged to repair the damage, the proprietors or holders of the properties as well as the holders of the areas under concession being held to be jointly liable. In view of this, CAM carries out Site Environmental Assessments in Phases in which, depending on how much analysis is required and justified, we decide on the strategies to be pursued. The particular goals and strategies for every phase are presented below:
Phase I:
The first Phase consists of a review of the information about the property and, when applicable, the type of materials previously handled and stored there, their characteristics, earlier studies and their results, the bibliographic review on the soil and hydrogeology of the area, together with an inspection of the premises. In the event that evidence is found to back up suspicion about the soil having been damaged, a Master Plan shall be incorporated into this document.
Phase II
This phase will consist in the execution of the Master Plan in order to determine the degree of damage, in other words, a characterization of the soil. The results of this will allow us to accept or discard damage to the groundwater or the nearest body of water. If this is the case, it will include the techniques to be implemented for their description.
Phase III
In this phase, when necessary, the conditions of the groundwater are described, showing in the conceptual hydrogeological model characteristics such as the type and geometry of the aquifer, the hydraulic parameters are quantified and even a mathematical model is made of the potential dissolved-phase plume of contamination.
Phase IV
If there is any ambiguity in the conditions that justify the remediation of the site, we would implement Phase IV, consisting of a Risk Assessment that would recommend the limits that must be reached or the actions required to lower the risk to human health.
Phase V
This stage would consist of the Site Restoration Project, which would include a description of the techniques and resources to be implemented, a schedule of events, the criteria for the assessment of the system and the evaluation of results.
Phase VI
In this last phase the Site will be remediated, the effectiveness of the remediation assessed and the parameters under study monitored. Corporación Ambiental de México, S.A. de C.V. (CAM) aims to provide all the services involved with the safety and conservation of the environment and thus contribute to the sustainable development of our country. It is important to point out that in all the environmental activities that are performed during every phase of the Environment Site Assessment (ESA) our specialists carry out the procedures for drilling as well as the obtaining and assessing soil samples in compliance with the following protocols:
- ASTM International, American Society for Testing and Materials, assessments involved with the environmental site characterization.
- NOM-138-SEMARNAT/SS-2003, maximum permissible limits for hydrocarbons in soils and the specifications for their characterization and restoration.
