PERMITTING AND COMPLIANCE

Environmental management involves permitting activities and compliance with the requirements of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. Terra is continuously tracking environmental legislation to maintain expertise and knowledge, and to better develop cost-effective technical solutions consistent with the intent of relevant regulations.

Regulatory permitting and compliance services:

• Agency Negotiations
• Closure Plans
• Corrective Action Plans
• Certification Services
• Permitting
• RCRA, NPDES, NESHAP
• Solid and Special Waste
• Closure and Post Closure
• Underground Injection Control (UIC)
• Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
• Permit Modifications
• Delisting, Exemptions, and Variance Petitions
• Development of Applicable, Relevant, and Appropriate Requirements (ARARs)

STORAGE TANK ENGINEERING

Terra has significant experience in the area of storage tank management services, including:

• Oil and solvent waste management
• Tank closures/replacements
• Contamination assessments
• Remediation
• Consent order negotiations and compliance
• Risk assessments

Our work has involved both underground storage tanks (UST) and above ground storage tanks (AST) and containment areas. 

The firm’s closure and replacement projects have involved Preparation of Tank Closure Plans and Specifications, UST removal, performance of initial remedial actions to remove petroleum contaminated soils, replacement of removed USTs with new USTs or ASTs, and the preparation of the various reports required for these activities.

Terra strives to provide cost-effective, pragmatic solutions to UST contamination challenges by incorporating innovative technologies for assessing and remediating contaminated sites.

SUPERFUND/RCRA

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as revised by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), requires strict clean-up standards that strongly favor permanent remedies. Terra seeks practical, cost-effective remedies to the permanent solutions mandated by SARA and is dedicated to supporting PRP groups as well as individual clients in CERCLA investigations and remedial action programs.

Superfund services include:

• Pre-Remedial Planning and Evaluation
• Pre-Feasibility Studies
• Remedial Investigations
• Feasibility Studies
• Remedial Design/Remedial Action
• PRP Representation
• Agency Negotiations
• Record of Decision Preparation
• Remedial Construction Inspection/Supervision

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) provides the authority for the federal government and the states to regulate hazardous waste generated or stored at active industrial facilities, and was widely broadened by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA), making existing or historical solid waste management units at a facility subject to potentially expensive investigation and remediation requirements. 
Terra’s professional staff includes experts in a full range of disciplines and RCRA experience.

RCRA services include:

• Contamination Assessments
• RCRA Facility Investigations
• Corrective Measures Studies
• Corrective Measures Implementation
• Agency Negotiations
• Risk-Based Approach to Remediation
• Interim Remedial Measures
• Innovative Remedial Design

SOLID WASTE/PHOSPHOGYPSUM MANAGEMENT

Terra has become one of the leading phosphogypsum management engineering firms in the Southeast, conducting a full range of phosphogypsum-related studies, design, construction, and closure projects.

Services Terra has provided to the fertilizer industry:

• Gypsum stack investigation services, including geotechnical and hydrogeologic characterization
• Gypsum stack hydrology and drainage characterization
• Stack slope stability analyses
• Stack pond water/leachate collection, treatment, and disposal
• Fertilizer facility water balance modeling

Engineering and construction services Terra has provided for gypsum stack closures:

• Closure design, including construction plans and specifications
• Post – closure planning
• Final cover design
• Erosion/sediment/stormwater runoff controls
• Financial planning for life – cycle costs
• Value engineering for closure activities
• Evaluation, inspection, and CQA of phosphogypsum stack cover systems
• Construction documentation
• Closure certification

Post-closure services that are provided by Terra:

• Groundwater monitoring.
• Surface settlement re-grading and cover systems repair.
• Stormwater control maintenance.
• Re-vegetation and vegetation maintenance.
• Corrective actions.

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Since its inception in 1990, Terra has expanded its stormwater management and treatment practice, developing its expertise in ten general practice areas:

• Stormwater ponds.
• Stormwater wetlands.
• Watersheds.
• Infiltration.
• Stormwater filtration.
• Groundwater recharge.
• Open channels.
• Channel protection.
• Bank stabilization.
• Over – bank flood control.

The selection and application of stormwater management programs is based on a variety of factors, which is why Terra has developed the following water management service capabilities, encompassing whatever specific requirements might be necessary:  

• Stormwater management planning.
• Stormwater site analysis.
• Stormwater flow modeling.
• Stormwater pollution modeling and analysis.
• Stormwater permitting.
• Site selection and design.
• Stormwater detention/retention and control design.
• Stormwater flow and quality monitoring.

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has developed stringent regulations for air quality and emissions. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments of the original Clean Air Act of 1977 have particular ramifications for industry. With over two decades of experience in providing services for air quality management to clients throughout the country, Terra offers a wide variety of consulting services in air quality compliance:

• Permitting.
• Source Characterization.
• Dispersion Modeling.
• Environmental Monitoring.
• Air Pollution Control Technology.
• Risk Assessment/Chemical Safety.
• Environmental Auditing and Compliance Planning.
• OSHA Compliance.

WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT

Terra is staffed with engineering professionals who have provided services for a wide range of municipal and industrial water and wastewater projects.  Water treatment projects have involved a variety of technologies and processes that:

• Meet quality requirements of the EPA Safe Drinking Water Act
• Meet industrial process or utility requirements for high purity and ultrapure water
• Provide cost-effective treatment with efficient equipment, minimal power and chemical requirements, minimum operator attention and consistent quality
• Provide for potential future regulations

Terra staff members have provided a wide array of comprehensive services including

• Wastewater characterization
• Process evaluation
• Pilot testing
• System design
• Turn-key design/build
• Construction management
• Start-up services
• Operations 

WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT

Terra offers water resources consulting services for municipal and regional water utility districts and private industry, including:

• Water Resources Development and Management.
• Groundwater Management Plans.
• Coastal Aquifer System Delineation and Management.
• Conjunctive-Use Studies of Surface and Groundwater.
• Hydrogeologic Investigations, Groundwater Recharge, and Facility Design.
• Geographic Information Systems Mapping.
• Groundwater and Surface Water Modeling.
• Wellhead Protection Programs.
• Reclaimed Water Use/Recharge Programs.
• Aquifer Testing and Analysis.
• Municipal and Domestic Water Well Design.
• EIR/EIS Support.
• Technical Testimony.
• Water Supply/Injection Pump Stations, Distribution/Water Treatment.
• Well Design, Construction, Operation, Maintenance, Rehabilitation, Modification.
• Municipal Well Field Development and Management.
• Water Distribution System Analysis and Design.

Terra uses state-of-the-art techniques for data collection and interpretation, modeling, and monitoring systems and has considerable experience in, and in-depth knowledge of, diverse hydrogeologic settings and advanced computer technologies.Terra utilizes Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping extensively in water resource projects to identify land uses, wetland areas, and topography for feasibility evaluations as well as for permit compliance issues.

Due Diligence/Phase I ESAs

Terra’s environmental due diligence services include Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), Phase II investigations, and Phase III remediations. Phase I ESAs conducted by Terra typically use the American Standard for Testing and Materials (ASTM)-E1527 as guidance; however, Terra also incorporates client-specific Phase I ESA protocols for completion of site assessments. Phase II investigations usually include the collection of soil, surface water, and/or groundwater samples for chemical analysis and data evaluation.  A typical Phase III remediation project includes the design and implementation of practical site rehabilitation programs using cost-effective and technologically-compatible methods. Terra commonly implements proven technology; however, we also assess and utilize new technology for cost-effective and timely remediation, if feasible.

Contamination Assessments

Terra has been in the business of assessing contaminated sites since its inception.  The diverse backgrounds and experience of Terra’s personnel give the company the ability to effectively address almost any situation that is encountered. From petroleum releases in glacial tills, to dense chlorinated solvents in fractured bedrock, to dissolved metals in shallow karstic acquifers, Terra can quickly meet the challenge.

Our typical approach to most contamination assessments is to rapidly identify the source, implement an interim remedial action to eliminate or control the source, and then assess the vertical and horizontal extent of the contamination. 

A few examples of the assessment tools used that allow Terra to reduce time and/or eliminate repetitive steps while providing the high level of quality that Terra’s clients have come to expect include:

• Direct Push Technologies for quickly collecting discrete soil and groundwater samples
• Geophysical Surveying to identify buried tanks, depths of bedding contacts, and contaminant plumes
• Immuno Assay Field Screening to provide low cost semi-quantitative analytical results for specific compounds, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) while on site

Remediation

Terra offers comprehensive engineering services to merge regulatory criteria with remediation strategies that cost-effectively implement waste management activities. 

Terra’s civil, chemical, environmental, and geotechnical engineering efforts typically focus on adapting a wide variety of design services to meet the client’s particular needs in the following areas:

• Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Facilities
• Surface Impoundments
• Waste Piles
• Landfills
• Land Treatment Units
• Storage Tanks
• Injection Wells
• Underground Storage Tank (UST) Systems
• Groundwater Recovery Systems
• Treatment Systems
• Groundwater
• Leachate
• Soils
• Soil Bioventing Systems
• Soil Aeration Systems
• Containment Systems
  

Further, Terra offers construction services as an extension to our engineering design capabilities which include:

• Construction Quality Assurance Plans
• Construction Supervision/Inspection
• Construction Documentation
• Construction/Closure Certification

These capabilities have given our clients confidence that resources committed to implementing waste management projects are expended wisely and fulfill regulatory requirements while minimizing future environmental concerns.

Injection Wells

Terra has the technical expertise, and experience, to conduct the feasibility studies and analyses required for injection well design and implementation. Terra has provided to clients the following injection well planning services:

• Geologic site studies
• Hydrogeologic site studies
• Analysis of the receiving aquifer system
• Development of conceptual well models
• Analyses of wastewater sub-surface Fate-and-Transport and modeling for fluid flow and migration
• Determination of vertical and horizontal injection well discharge fluid vertical and horizontal migration
• Injection-well risk analyses
• Injection-well uncertainty analyses  

In addition, Terra has provided the following injection well regulatory and technical services:

• Well permitting and regulatory support.
• Preparation of No – Migration Petitions
• Well installation management
• Well performance evaluations
• Well mechanical integrity testing
• Materials of Construction/Corrosivity Studies
• Pre-injection treatment process design
• Pre-injection treatment facility construction management

Litigation Support

The Terra professional staff, including technical, project management, and corporate administrative professionals, is commonly called upon to provide litigation support services to our private and municipal clientele. Expert testimony staff members include experienced professional engineers and geologists, with other technical staff members providing factual testimony in depositions and trials.

Litigation support services are commonly provided for litigation in state and federal courts to bring resolution to various issues including, cost justification, assessment, reliability of findings, and strategic alternatives.

Risk Assessment & Management

Terra can provide specialized professional services in all aspects of risk assessment.  Services offered by the firm include:

• Risk Management/Risk Driven Clean-up Goals
• Regulatory Negotiation and Support
• Risk Communication Training/Public Involvement
• Fate-and-Transport Modeling
  

With expertise in the fields of toxicology, public health, and environmental sciences, Terra can provide a site-specific, in-depth analysis of the potential health risks of existing contamination. When appropriate, Terra can also recommend acceptable clean-up levels, facilitate negotiations with regulatory agencies, support litigation efforts which may ensue, and explain technical information to non-technical audiences.

Brownfields Redevelopment Assistance

As a result of lax or nonexistent environmental regulations from days past, some older urban industrial areas, called “Brownfields,” have become collections of properties tainted by past practices, shunned by corporate real estate and financial institutions, and avoided by site developers. Because of the potential value of these properties and the need to revitalize older urban communities, federal and state agencies have begun to address the Brownfields problem with a series of initiatives.  Beginning in 1995, regulators have implemented new policies to encourage the site developments through:

• Selective suspension of Superfund actions
• Risk-based clean-up goals
• Voluntary remediation programs
• Grants and economic incentives for development of Brownfields programs

Terra has the capabilities and the experienced staff to provide Brownfields redevelopment services to municipalities and real estate developers. Since its inception, Terra as been a pioneer in matching remediation technologies to the risks presented by contaminated lands. The Brownfields concept has provided our clients with the framework to accomplish what Terra has advocated for many years – focus on identifying the problem and finding an appropriate, practical, and flexible solution.

Wetlands Services

To meet the requirements of businesses seeking to comply with wetlands regulations in developing new sites or expanding existing ones, Terra provides the following services:

• Environmental Assessments.
• Environmental Impact Statements/Reports.
• Ecological Studies.
• Wetland Assessments and Delineations.
• Wetland Mitigation and Permitting.
• Wetland Design.
• Endangered/Threatened Species Assessments.
• Vegetation and Animal Community Characterizations.
• Environmental Restoration.
• Related Regulatory Analysis and Guidance.

The Terra team can provide ecologists, biologists, botanists, archaeologists, and other scientists who are experienced in sensitive areas resource assessments. Our technical expertise can provide wetlands assessments, delineations, permitting, flora and fauna audits (including endangered species), and compliance assistance pertaining to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) and the USEPA. 

Marine Resource Assessment

Since our inception in 1990, we have expanded to Illinois, Texas, and New York.  We opened our Marine Center, in the Salt Creek Marine District of St. Petersburg, Florida in 2006 to better serve our clients requiring expertise specific to marine and coastal environments.  We are located adjacent to the Bayboro Campus of the University of South Florida, home to the College of Marine Science, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, the U.S.G.S. Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies, the NOAA Fisheries Service Southeast Regional Office, and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program.  The Terra Marine Center is equipped to support a wide range of field and laboratory capabilities, including:

• Feasibility studies for dredging or dock and seawall construction
• Biological Resource Surveys
• Invertebrate Taxonomy
• Bathymetric mapping
• Water Quality Sampling
• Hydrobiological Monitoring

Coastlines and waterways continue to be subject to considerable developmental pressures.  Projects conducted in or near coastal waters typically require assessment, evaluation and balancing of natural resources, navigation, water quality, public access and riparian rights.  Consideration of regulatory and permitting requirements at the federal, state and local levels is essential to obtaining those permits required for successful project implementation.  Terra Environmental has in-depth project experience and expertise in environmental permitting through federal and state regulatory agencies including:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Southwest Florida Water Management District
• St. Johns River Water Management District
• Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission