Investigation and Remediation of PCE Contamination at Former Dry Cleaner

Project Details:

KERAMIDA was retained by an insurance company to investigate the extent of impacts related to the historic operation of a dry cleaner, develop a remedial strategy to address PCE-impacted groundwater and indoor air, and implement the remedial strategy. The PCE groundwater plume extended below an adjacent street, under a residential area, and onto another down-gradient industrial property. The remedial actions included installation and operation of a large, multi-blower vapor intrusion (VI) mitigation system at the site building, and treatment of the impacted groundwater via enhanced reductive dechlorination (ERD). 

KERAMIDA installed and sampled approximately 20 additional monitoring wells to complement the original four wells installed by others and to delineate the extent of the plume. KERAMIDA then worked with a subcontractor to design and install a vapor mitigation system on the former dry cleaner building that includes four blowers and 11 extraction points. Operation of the vapor intrusion (VI) mitigation system included quarterly operation, maintenance, and monitoring (OM&M) inspections and annual sub-slab/indoor air sampling.

Following completion of plume delineation, KERAMIDA developed a remedial strategy that included ERD via injection of chemicals and anaerobic bacteria into the plume. A Remediation Work Plan (RWP) was developed and submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) and the remedial approach was approved. KERAMIDA completed the initial injection which included Regenesis ERD Products 3D Microemulsion (3DME), an engineered electron donor material, and Bio-Dechlor INOCULUM® Plus (BDI Plus), an enriched natural microbial consortium. The initial injection was a multi-week process and resulted in significant reductions in PCE concentrations (85-90%) in most of the impacted wells. The project involved working with a municipality to secure access to multiple properties and right-of-way areas for remedial injections.

KERAMIDA was retained to perform a focused, supplemental ERD injection and subsequent groundwater monitoring to further enhance anaerobic biodegradation initiated by an initial injection. The supplemental injection was designed to polish small areas where residual impacts remain above applicable cleanup levels.


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