Braun Intertec was retained by Rottlund Homes to perform a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and a geotechnical evaluation of a large tract of land for a housing development in Plymouth, Minnesota.

Challenges

The land was characterized by poor soils and was determined to have a dumpsite on a portion of the property. The dumpsite was believed to contain mostly concrete demolition debris, which would be suitable for crushing and used as engineered backfill during soil correction.

Solutions

We performed test pits in the dump material and determined that the demolition debris contained small amounts of asbestos-containing materials and was unsuitable for crushing. We then determined the extent of the dump material, which allowed Rottlund to carve out the dump area and develop the remainder of the property in a timely manner. We performed a Phase II ESA under the oversight of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Program (MPCA VIC) and received a No Action Determination with respect to the groundwater.

As a follow-up measure, we performed additional evaluations of the demolition debris and conducted a pilot screening test to evaluate potential cleanup options. A Response Action Plan was developed, submitted to the MPCA VIC program and approved. We worked with the City of Plymouth to develop a cleanup grant application that was submitted to the Department of Trade and Economic Development.