Industrial Hygiene and Remediation Services for Historical Redevelopment Site
Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA)/City of Chicago • Chicago, IL
Solution Overview
Client:
Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA)/City of Chicago
Business Challenge:
The client was seeking to redevelop two tracts of land in downtown Chicago which had been contaminated by a gasoline station, manufacturing and plating operations, and a printing facility.
Solution:
Apex remediated the soil and groundwater contamination, conducted asbestos inspection and abatement oversight, reduced the vapor intrusion risk, protected construction worker health and safety, and obtained regulatory closure.
Results:
The high-profile project achieved the client’s goals and enabled construction to begin on time.
Challenge
Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and the City of Chicago were seeking to redevelop two tracts (approximately 2-3 acres) of land in downtown Chicago with a 50+ story hotel tower and 10,000 seat multi-purpose arena. Prior industrial uses of a gasoline station, manufacturing and plating operations, and a printing facility had contaminated the land with petroleum products and hazardous substances including two, co-mingled solvent plumes. The client also needed to renovate a portion of the printing facility that had a historic preservation designation. Further, the MPEA and City acquired the properties and were working with a third-party developer for the hotel portion.
Solution
Apex Companies addressed the environmental impacts. We remediated the soil and groundwater contamination which included significant polynuclear aromatic (PNA) impact in the soil and two co-mingled chlorinated VOC groundwater plumes, conducted asbestos inspection and abatement oversight, reduced the vapor intrusion risk, protected construction worker health and safety, and obtained regulatory closure via the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Site Remediation Program. Closure was achieved via successful application of an in-situ chemical oxidation program. Further, Apex consulted with the stakeholders during the design process to maximize the use of the proposed improvements to reduce/remove potential exposure pathways.
Regarding the historic portion of the printing facility, Apex performed asbestos and lead paint surveys that were used to abate/mitigate those materials prior to renovation work. Apex also assisted in evaluating potential worker safety issues during construction and assisted in discussions with the client and end user to utilize design elements to reduce the potential exposure for the end user’s employees and guests.
Results
The high-profile project—complicated by severe winter weather and a tight schedule—achieved the client’s goals and enabled construction to begin on time. This project turned two underutilized, blighted properties into additional anchors for the neighborhood surrounding Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center.