John Schoolfield, P.E.

Course Outline

Whether under Federal or State regulations, a manager is many times required to contract or oversee excavation and removal of contaminated soil. Excavation is a relatively simple cleanup technology, and the general approach at this point may be to start the excavation work and collect samples to determine if the site is clean. This approach, however, can lead to problems. Experience has shown that excavations are better managed using a systematic approach that included the following elements: (1) grid and sample the site to verify true boundaries and develop a preliminary excavation plan, (2) perform a management review of cleanup strategy based on increased knowledge of the site and currently available options, and (3) refine and optimize the excavation plan and to minimize removal costs.

This course will provide guidance for conducting or managing excavation operations for environmental cleanup of contaminated soil from historical practices. The overall approach for planning these operations, as well as methods, techniques, and examples for reducing excavation/disposal costs, is provided. This course is based on lessons learned, case studies and proven techniques for optimizing excavation plans. Course terminology is kept simple and easy to understand, recognizing that many professionals taking this course will not have prior environmental engineering experience. Any and all examples referenced in this course are from actual excavation operations.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of the course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this 8-hour course, the student willbe able to:

• Understand the typical approach for planning and conducting contaminated soil removal operations and why this approach should not be used.
• Understand why the typical dig and sample approach for executing these projects may be expected by management over the alternative approaches described in this course.
• Recognize why the RI/FS or equivalent study virtually never provides adequate information to commence excavation operations in an efficient manner.
• Be familiar with examples of excavation operations that went wrong.
• Learn of the three step management approach for managing excavation operations.
• Be familiar with methods to set up and execute grid based pre-excavation sampling.
• Be familiar with special precautions when collecting and handling samples for trace contaminant analysis.
• Be familiar with sampling equipment decontamination, storage, and handling requirements.
• Be knowledgeable of common laboratory contaminants and how these may effect excavation operations.
• Understand analytical requirements for delineation sampling.
• Understand systematic approach for developing a sound preliminary excavation plan.
• Understand why a management review of cleanup strategy should be conducted after pre-excavation sampling.
• Be familiar with the alternatives to excavation that should be evaluated prior to excavation.
• Be familiar with methods for refining the excavation plan.
• Be familiar with derivation of an equation to conduct sample vs. excavation cost evaluations in order to optimize excavation.
• Be familiar with compliance averaging methodologies that can be design in the excavation plan to minimize excavation needed to meet cleanup goals.
• Be familiar with the site closure process with respect to the excavation project.
• Be familiar with a number of different methodologies for conducting verification sampling.
• Be familiar with guidance documents for conducting verification sampling.
• Be familiar with recommended approach for verification sampling.
• Have a cursory understanding of site restoration and reports needed to complete the project.
• Be familiar with structuring the contract actions to accommodate the approach described in this course.
  
  

Intended Audience

Engineers and/or managers involved in contracting, planning, or managing environmental cleanup operations, facility managers where excavation and disposal of contaminated soil is planned, and environmental contractors involved in performing these types of operations.

Benefit to Attendees

The course provides proven methods and lessons learned for conducting these operations, from the basic approach for setting up the effort, to implementing techniques for reducing costs, and avoiding pitfalls common to these operations. If you are a manager of a facility where removal operations are planned, or a cleanup contractor, chances are that you "don't know what you don't know" about these efforts, and this course will certainly pay for itself many times over.

Course Content

The course content is in a PDF file Contaminated Soil Excavations, Planning and Managing to Minimize Cost . You need to open or download this document to study this course.

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.