Clean-up Makes Way for San Diego Bay Hotel

“WESTON demonstrated flexibility in their scheduling and sequencing of work to meet [permitting and technical] challenges with minimal impact to the project…the field work was exceptionally well executed.” 4/10/03 – Allen Fernstrom, President, Campbell Industries

For over 100 years, the former Campbell Shipyard site (an inner-city port property adjacent to the San Diego Bay and Convention Center) was impacted by industrial operations including activities at the shipyard, a petroleum products tank farm, a municipal refuse incinerator, and a manufactured gas plant. On-site contaminants such as metals, gasoline and diesel, and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) threatened the shallow, tidally influenced groundwater table.

WESTON was awarded a contract from the San Diego Unified Port District (SDUPD) to perform soil remediation and related activities at the site and teamed up with Campbell Industries Marine Construction and Design Company to address a Cleanup and Abatement order issued by the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) in search of an answer to the growing contamination problem. Through proper planning and a thorough understanding of the client’s needs, WESTON successfully completed a highly visible, complex remedial action by restoring the economic and development potential of the formerly impaired property and enabling progress on plans to develop a hotel on the remediated site.

Exceptional Time Management Leads to Success

WESTON and SDUPD worked together to successfully complete the following tasks on deadline:

• Excavated 30,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil

• Stabilized and solidified material on-site to meet specified criteria, and backfilled the site for future development

• Developed all necessary work plans and reports, including HASP, SAP, and SWPPP

• Acquired necessary permits and mobilized personnel and equipment

• Constructed a double-lined treatment pad; set up screening and mixing equipment

• Dewatered and screened soil prior to mixing with cement to reduce contaminant leachability, mixed soil and cement using pug mill

• Installed temporary and permanent sheet piling along an adjacent street and seawall to protect existing structures and utilities during excavation

• Relocated existing utilities, including electrical and water lines

• Performed TPH analyses with quick turnaround using an on-site laboratory

• Mapped sample collection locations and used the data to produce daily maps for quick review and response by project manager

• Recycled/disposed of debris generated during removal activities

• Restored areas affected by work

WESTON Cares About Safety

During excavation, WESTON:

• Controlled dust using a water truck and an odor/vapor suppressant to minimize emissions of particles and volatiles and maintain compliance with air permit criteria

• Used three continuous air monitoring stations and various direct read devices to ensure air quality was kept within permit requirements

• Tested clean on-site overburden to certify that the material met clean-up requirements before using it as backfill

WESTON Adheres to Schedule/Strict Deadline, Overcomes Challenges

WESTON was given a strict, 6-month deadline for project completion because of client commitments to the developer planning to build a new hotel on the revitalized site. The scope of work increased during the project because the client assigned two additional tasks – remove a 2,000-gallon UST and crush and stabilize/solidify 6,800 tons of debris to be used for a parking lot. Still, WESTON finished the project on deadline, under budget, and with a client-savings of $250,000 in off-site disposal costs; despite several challenges that threatened the schedule. Major accomplishments:

• Developed a field approach to successfully excavate impacted soil abutting an 80-year old seawall, enabling low-tide excavation, sampling, and immediate backfilling. The process maintained seawall integrity and eliminated any additional costs and delays.

• Conducted perimeter air monitoring to ensure acceptable air quality; protecting site and shipyard workers and Convention Center visitors from potentially harmful odor and dust emissions

• Obtained permits from the Air Pollution Control District in just 2 ½ months, despite a 6-month average acquisition period for the required San Diego area air permits

• Completed the highly visible, complex remedial action despite a challenging urban footprint and challenging scope of work

Economic and Property Development Benefits Client

WESTON achieved environmental regulatory compliance and reduced liability for the client by restoring the economic and development potential of this formerly impaired property. WESTON achieved project success through proper planning and a thorough understanding of the client’s needs.