Fulcrum Environmental Consulting

During pre-purchase environmental due diligence by the buyer’s consultant, a former employee recalled the presence of a pesticide container burial area. The assertion placed the multi-million dollar sale of the commercial property on hold. Compounding the site concerns, was the presence of the Columbia River less than 200-feet to the west of the reported burial area. With the area of the reported burial located between a manufactured home and the nearby site access, limitation of work space was a challenge. Pairing Fulcrum’s expertise and the services of a local excavation contractor, Fulcrum’s project staff utilized a cautious approach of hand shoveling and mechanical excavation to located cardboard boxes, glass bottles, and paper bags, consistent with the employee’s recollection. 

Further investigation identified buried packages labeled “DDT” and containing new product. Laboratory analysis identified a variety of detectable pesticides in the underlying site soils. However, only Dieldren was identified at concentrations exceeding MTCA Method A cleanup levels and requiring remediation. Packaged DDT and other agricultural chemicals, totaling two 55-gallon drums, were removed for disposal and approximately 87 cubic yards of pesticide impacted soil was excavated during three separate excavation phases. While the physical location of the Columbia River was nearly adjacent to the burial area, final laboratory results, and a distance of more than 30 feet to site groundwater enabled site closure to be achieved without groundwater investigation. Following completion of remediation, the site received a No Further Action determination from Ecology under the Voluntary Cleanup Program and facilitated the sale of the property.

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