AdvancedGeo, Inc., and its subsidiary offer a wide spectrum of environmental and applied geological services. Commonly utilized services provided by AGI include:

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Environmental Site Assessments

The objective of the site assessment is to evaluate the environmental status of a commercial or industrial property prior to transfer. Most lending institutions require an environmental assessment of commercial and industrial properties prior to granting loan commitments for transfers or improvements.

Environmental assessments are generally performed in several phases. The first phase (Phase I) comprises a review of historic environmental records for the property and surrounding area to identify and locate recognized environmental concerns that could affect the subject property, which is part of the “due diligence” effort required to establish the innocent property owner defense for the buyer and/or lender. AGI adheres to current ASTM standards in conducting the historical research for Phase I projects unless modified at the request of the client. The Phase I research typically includes review of records at regulatory agencies, other readily available historical documents and aerial photographs related to the property, and conducting personal interviews with persons knowledgeable of past and current usage of the property. The Phase I is completed with a site reconnaissance, which  is usually conducted towards the end of the investigation.

A written report summarizing the findings and including recommendations regarding further investigation, if deemed necessary, is provided. The report represents a “due diligence” effort to ascertain the environmental condition of the property.

The Phase II Environmental Assessment is initiated at the client’s discretion to determine whether any gross contamination exists in the soil and/or ground water at the site related to potential concerns identified in the Phase I report. This phase involves sampling and analysis of vapor, soil and/or ground water samples. If encountered, the delineation of the impacted media is performed as specified below.

If soil and/or ground water has been contaminated, an accurate assessment and characterization of the impacted area/zone is imperative. Typically, assessment services range from soil-vapor analysis to drilling of exploratory borings and installation of monitoring wells to meet the following objectives:

• Delineate the vertical and lateral extent of the contamination plume.
• Determine the distribution and concentrations of the contaminants and calculate the volume of the impacted soil/ground water.
• Determine the approximate volume or mass of the released contaminants in both soil and ground water.
• Devise a remediation method that best addresses the issues of soil and/or aquifer characteristics and the physical properties and concentrations of the
  contaminant(s), and is cost-effective and minimizes disruption of normal site usage.

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Underground Storage Tank Investigations

AGI is a leader in Underground Storage Tank (UST) investigations. From removal of the USTs to development of a comprehensive plan for assessment and, if necessary, remediation of contamination associated with UST leaks, AGI has over 25 years of experience handling UST-related investigations. Additionally, AGI has procured over $10,000,000 for our Clients from various State Cleanup Funds for reimbursement of leaking UST projects.

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Soil and Groundwater Remediation

Following completion of the characterization/assessment phase, a clear agreement on cleanup objectives must be established with the enforcing regulatory agencies. AGI will work to reach an environmentally sound and reasonable goal that is within the client’s interest. Some of the most frequently applied remediation techniques include:

• Excavation and subsequent above ground treatment of contaminated soil or recycling of the soil at an approved facility.
• Recovery of free-floating hydrocarbon product from the subsurface with subsequent product recycling.
• Treatment of extracted contaminated ground water utilizing bioreactors, oxidation chambers, activated carbon filtration methods, and/or air strippers.
• In-situ (in place) and ex-situ (above ground) vapor extraction/soil venting and treating recovered hydrocarbon vapors utilizing an internal combustion engine or thermal oxidizer.
• In-situ chemical oxidation, including ozone injection, ORC® injection and RegenOx® injection.
• In-situ and ex-situ bioremediation.
• In-situ dual-phase extraction.
• In-situ treatment of soil and ground water/capillary fringe contamination using vapor extraction in combination with air sparging.
• Monitoring natural attenuation.
• Metals stabilization and/or solidification.

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Air Quality Services

AGI can provide complete air quality services including -

• Meteorological Monitoring and Analysis: Acquiring a Permit to Operate from an air quality agency such as the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the state Air Resources Board (ARB), or the local Air Quality Management/Air Pollution Control District (AQMD/APCD) may require identification of the potential dispersion patterns of emissions from the facility into the surrounding environment. Winds monitored at the closest weather station may not adequately reflect air mass movement over the client’s property. AGI meteorologists have over 25 years of experience collecting, analyzing and modeling meteorological data.
• Ambient Air and Workplace Air Quality Monitoring: Facilities having the potential for elevated levels of effluent may be required to conduct periodic audits of workplace air quality. AGI staff has an extensive record of effective and accurate operation and maintenance of NIST-certified sampling instruments in accordance with EPA, ARB, or OSHA reference-method (or equivalent) sampling techniques.
• Preparation of Air Quality Assessments and Emissions Inventories: Both the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) require identification of potential air pollution sources whose emissions may exceed the federal or state standards. To accomplish this, an Air Quality Assessment is required, which includes developing an Emissions Inventory in accordance with US-EPA 454/R-97-004. AGI staff has extensive experience developing emission inventories that commonly involve complex terrain, mixed urban and rural area and point sources, and influx from multiple air basins.
• Preparation and Review of Air Quality Permits: Air quality regulations require the owners/operators to prepare permit applications that identify regulated equipment and its projected location, staff qualifications, sampling protocol, quality assurance procedures, and analytical techniques. AGI staff is well experienced preparing and/or reviewing air quality permits for applicability and effectiveness, and will prepare, review and/or modify existing permits to ensure appropriate input to the client’s permit application.

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Water and Wastewater Services

AGI performs a variety of water and wastewater services for clients in the food processing, winery and dairy industries, including:

• Waste Discharge Requirements Permitting
• Operation and Management Plans
• Spill Prevention, Control and Counter-measure Plans
• Salinity Reduction Studies
• Water Quality Studies
• Periodic Sampling and Reporting
• Wastewater Discharge Planning and Development
• Anti-Degradation Studies/Reporting
• Regulatory Compliance Assistance

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Landfill Monitoring and Compliance

AGI staff has over ten years of experience working with state air quality agencies conducting landfill monitoring and surveillance. AGI Professionals are well-qualified to perform all facets of air monitoring requirements at both active and inactive landfills. These qualifications include: operation, maintenance and calibration of organic vapor analyzers and meteorological equipment; construction and operation of ambient air samplers; collection of instantaneous, monthly and quarterly integrated samples; performing grid-walk sampling; collection of main gas collection header samples; and monitoring and maintaining collection and control system equipment.

Additionally, AGI's landfill experience includes the performance of hydrogeological investigations for landfill siting, installation of ground water monitoring well networks, design and installation of methane recovery systems, and various permitting and compliance support services.

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Stormwater Services

AGI offers a full scope of Stormwater-related services, including:

• Preparation of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP)
• Development of Best Management Practices (BMPs)
• Permit Compliance and Permitting assistance
• Hydrologic Modeling
• Stormwater sample collection and analysis
• Facility Inspection
• Periodic and Annual Reporting

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Clandestine Drug Lab Cleanup

In recent years, the incidence of clandestine methamphetamine laboratories has been sharply increasing. Whether in a private home, commercial unit or auxiliary building (e.g. barn or garage), AGI can provide complete discovery-to-cleanup services for property owners. Initially, AGI Professionals evaluate and sample areas in the structures -- including septic systems, if necessary -- and can design and implement a rigorous, thorough remediation plan that will allow the facility to be re-occupied.

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Asbestos and Lead-Based Paint

The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) and Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (Section 1532.1, Cal/OSHA Construction Safety Orders, Lead 8CCR1532.1), require surveys be conducted to determine the presence of lead and asbestos. AGI has trained, experienced staff that can perform these surveys, following applicable regulatory guidelines, and implement cost-effective abatement, as required.

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