Service: Hexavalent Chromium Clean-Up
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Regional Water Quality Control Boards have required hundreds of businesses in Southern California that use, have used, or may have used hexavalent chromium in their operations to provide further information about their potential impact on the environment.
The Reynolds Group can assist these targeted businesses with all aspects of their due diligence, assessment, monitoring, and remediation work.
Financial Responsibility (6687VII)
| Client: |
CHROMAL PLATING & GRINDING |
| Proj Mgr: |
Al Fuan
|
Completed: |
In Progress |
| Industry: |
Insurance Companies
|
Service: |
Hexavalent Chromium Clean-up
|
| The Los Angeles Regional Water Board (LARWQCB) began searching in the early 2000's for sources of chromium that had impacted key beneficial drinking water supplies in its jurisdiction One of TRG's clients, a plating company, was asked by the LARWQCB to provide a history of its past practices and assess the subsurface. A Fortune 500 company downgradient from The Reynolds Groups client had detected elevated concentrations of chromium and believed it originated from TRG's client. Working with the law firm of Franklin, Bevins, Walsworth & McCall, TRG was able to advance work enough to demonstrate that the problem at the Fortune 500 company was more likely its own problem than TRG's clients. By creating a compilation, surveyed regional issues report, TRG was able to graphically demonstrate that its client's chromium issue was "de minimus". In this case, TRG worked through its clients insurer, Zurich Insurance North America. Zurich had very specific terminology in its insurance policies and The Reynolds Group had to work very closely with Zurich and its third party overseer, Vertex to partition what was Zurichs financial responsibility and what was the Clients. |
Heavy Metals Contamination Cleanup (7637.X)
| Client: |
RICHLINE PROPERTIES |
| Proj Mgr: |
Ed Reynolds Jr.
|
Completed: |
08/23/2011 |
| Industry: |
Metal Finishers
Real Estate Managers/owners
|
Service: |
Hexavalent Chromium Clean-up
Soil Remediation
Regulatory Response & Negotiation
|
TRG assisted a property management company in the wrap up of a tenant lease in Beverly Hills. The former occupant operated a metal plating business in the leased space. As part of the wind down of the lease, the tenant was required to return the property to its original condition. The property manager had been working with another environmental consultant who had identified metals in the soil beneath the former plating operation. However, the property manager retained TRG to perform the cleanup of the property and obtain case closure from the Los Angeles County Fire Department HAZMAT Division.
Concentrations of contaminants such as chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc in the soil exceeded allowable limits and necessitated the physical excavation of the soils in order to clean up the site. Unfortunately, the impacted soils were beneath the building and below a shallow basement. Approximately 50 cubic yards of soil needed to be dug up, manifested and properly disposed of. TRG was able to mobilized specialized equipment to the site in order to excavate the contamination from the basement level and load it into bins for transport to an appropriate disposal facility. Confirmation sampling showed pockets of contamination still in place after the initial excavation, and additional spot excavation was performed. TRG reported on the excavation activities which confirmed the metals at the site are now below concentrations negotiated with the County Fire Department. Case closure is eminent. |
Expert Witness (7670.I)
| Client: |
WAGSTAFF & CARTMELL |
| Proj Mgr: |
Ed Reynolds Jr.
|
Completed: |
01/17/2012 |
| Industry: |
Attorneys
Metal Finishers
Manufacturers
|
Service: |
Litigation Support
Hexavalent Chromium Clean-up
Brownfields/redevelopment
|
| In 2011 through 2012, Ed Reynolds services were engaged in the matter of "S. Berry Johnson, et al., vs. Prime Tanning Corp., et al, Case No. 09BU-CV06421" for the law firms of Wagstaff & Cartmell and Girardi & Keese. Mr. Reynolds provided two expert opinions: the cost to cure chromium impacted farmland, and the relative cost to cure related to the value of their farmland. Mr. Reynolds provided expert consulting services, preparation and pre-trial deposition services. Mr. Reynolds worked with Counsel Tom Wagstaff and began pre-trial preparation for trial in Circuit Court of Buchanan County, Missouri. However, the engagement was terminated when a confidential settlement agreement was reached. |