An equipment malfunction at a retail gasoline filling station resulted in an underground product release. Lakeshore Environmental determined the source of the release, the extent of free product plume, and the extent of groundwater and soil contamination. Lakeshore’s quick response resulted in the immediate recovery of most of the spilled gasoline. This recovered product was refined and sold as vehicle fuel. Lakeshore completed the following response activities:
- Monitored public storm and sanitary sewers for petroleum infiltration
- Represented the owner at contentious municipal and public meetings
- Determined horizontal and vertical extents of contamination through monitoring wells and soil sampling
- Inspected adjacent properties for evidence of contamination
- Designed and installed the system that recovered over 25,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline
- Reduced the owner’s liability through reduction of punitive fines and negotiated with insurance adjusters
- Remedied the site to a level of “no remaining contamination.”
As a result of the project’s success, Lakeshore wrote the municipality’s first groundwater ordinance, addressing well abandonment and groundwater containment protocol.