Leading Environmental Consulting Firm launches Research Project on Costs of Vapor Intrusion Regulation Inconsistencies
Indianapolis, Indiana (PRWEB) September 03, 2015 -- Over the last 13 years, regulated businesses have had to adapt to numerous shifts in technical guidance measures for assessing Vapor Intrusion. These shifts have certainly imposed a financial impact on the regulated businesses. Indiana environmental consultants, EnviroForensics is taking the lead on determining just how much in a new research study.
In 2002, just at the very onset of rapid growth and innovation in environmental science addressing Vapor Intrusion, the Environmental Protection Agency released a draft of Vapor Intrusion Guidance for assessments conducted at contaminated sites impacted by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Since the draft of the Guidance was released, the science began to grow and shift at an astonishing rate. The Guidance addressed how sites should be assessed for pce contamination, tce ground water and soil contamination, among other toxic emissions.
Some states embraced and remained steadfast to the proposed EPA regulations, while other state and interstate governing agencies developed individual pilot programs and draft documents to adapt to the evolving science.
To set the stage for the goal of the study, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, Jeff Carnahan, asks, “To what extent does the balance between the rate of developing science and emerging environmental regulations impact the wallets of the regulated community?”
With the recent release of the final EPA-stamped and approved federal Guidance on Vapor Intrusion Assessments, EnviroForensics is now conducting research to gain more comprehensive insight. The study is composed of nearly 100 subsurface releases of PCE or TCE, with an objective to compare the actual costs incurred during a Vapor Intrusion assessment and mitigation projects (under old, more conservative guidance), with the predicted costs a of a Vapor Intrusion assessment under today’s less conservative Guidance. The relative degrees of legal exposure under each scenario are also being assessed.
Carnahan states, “Practitioners and regulators alike have struggled in the past to agree upon Vapor Intrusion assessment work plans that were properly balanced between rapidly evolving methods and risk assessment data, plus outdated guidance. It was the regulated community that felt the greatest impact. The study aims to provide a number that can better inform how we proceed in the future as advances in science continue to flourish.”
The findings of EnviroForensic’s study may provide some insight into how often the regulators should consider updating guidance documents, based on the science, necessity, and the costs involved. Carnahan also hopes the study will open the door a bit further in regard to incorporating cutting-edge and up-to-date science to develop alternative investigation plans to cut cost and increase effectiveness.
For more information on the study, contact Jeff Carnahan, L.P.G., Vice President, Chief Technical Officer at 866-888-7911.
About EnviroForensics
Enviroforensics provides advanced, comprehensive engineering and litigation support services to businesses, law firms and municipalities. The firm devotes itself to accurate, defensible work products on time and within budget. The team of engineers and scientists resolve environmental issues cost effectively to protect the long-term interests of its clients. EnviroForensics has offices in Indiana, Wisconsin, and California.
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Dru Shields, EnviroForensics, http://www.enviroforensics.com/, +1 (317) 362-4678, [email protected]
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