Synergy Responds to Vapor Intrusion Issues in New Jersey

Rick Shoyer, Director of Engineering, provided an update today on how Synergy has responded to New Jersey’s growing number of vapor intrusion cases.  In response to an inquiry, Rick highlighted a number of recently completed and ongoing Synergy Projects:

LIBERTY CORNER, NJ – VAPOR DEPRESSURIZATION SYSTEM - Synergy performed indoor and subslab vapor sampling.  Contaminants of concern were PCE and TCE above State and Federal limits.  Synergy performed a pilot study to determine vacuum, airflow, number of extraction points and blower sizing requirements for this 7,600 square ft building.  Due to different basement elevations and subslab construction, two independent systems were installed.  Post vacuum measurements confirmed full vapor depressurization under the subslab. 

WOODBURY HEIGHTS, NJ – PASSIVE VAPOR BARRIER - Synergy designed and supervised the installation of a passive vapor barrier for new construction of a bank building on an impacted Brownfields Site.  The contaminants of concern were volatile organics including TCE.

NEWARK, NJ – SVE TREATMENT OF PCE AND TCE IN SOIL - Synergy has designed, permitted and will initiate startup of a SVE treatment specifically to treat PCE and TCE from subsurface soils.  Obtaining an air permit from NJDEP was part of the SVE system design and installation tasks.

LUMBERTON TOWNSHIP, NJ – VAPOR INTRUSION SAMPLING, SVE PILOT TEST, SUBSLAB SOIL SAMPLING - A former dry cleaners located in a strip mall released PCE beneath the building.  Synergy is performing subslab soil and vapor sampling, pilot testing for SVE extraction and treatment of PCE.

Pennsylvania Storage Tank Advisory Committee Selects Synergy’s Bob May

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Secretary John Hanger has requested the experience of Synergy’s Bob May for an additional two year term as a member of PADEP’s Storage Tank Advisory Committee (STAC).  May was originally appointed to the committee in 2000 by then Secretary James Seif.  May’s background as a consulting engineer and compliance and remediation expert, including 18 years of work in the remediation group of Exxon (now ExxonMobil), has proven to be a valuable resource to the committee, which is charged by PADEP with providing practical guidance to assist in ongoing regulatory issues relating to petroleum storage tanks.

STAC most recently helped provide guidance to PADEP for enabling legislation in the Commonwealth to comply with the Federal Energy Act of 2005, including regulations adopted on December 26, 2009 requiring that all operators of retail petroleum service stations must complete prescribed training and maintain a certification.  For further discussion of this and to obtain training see CLASS A B and C operator training at the Synergy Training Center

Brownfield Properties And Your Business Property Search

Brian Loughnane, PG, a senior hydrogeologist for Synergy Environmental, Inc. was recently published in The Route 422 Business Advisor, the monthly publication of the Philadelphia TriCounty Area Chamber of Commerce. 

Brian has over 18 years experience in working on dozens of brownfields investigation and site remediation projects.  Brian’s article provides a brownfields definition and explains the business considerations as well as the technical procedures involved in restoring a contaminated site to a usable property.

For a copy of the article or other questions regarding brownfields/contaminated property redevelopment,  please fill out the “Contact Us”  form on this page.

Study Confirms Ozone Gas is Effective in Treating E-coli Contamination

Synergy Environmental, in cooperation with Ozone Solutions, Inc. has recently completed a detailed field test to determine the feasibility of using ozone gas for disinfection of e-coli contaminated ground beef.  The purpose of this first of its kind study was to validate a more practical application of ozone for use as a disinfectant for the ground beef food industry.

For many years, aqueous ozone has been used as a disinfectant for many types of food production.  For a number of reasons, however, application of aqueous ozone is not a practical technology for use in the production of ground beef.  The purpose of the study was to determine if the application of ozone gas would function as a suitable alternative.  The study evaluated both the efficacy of disinfection in this alternative application method, as well as the impact of ozone gas application on the taste of the beef.

Results confirmed gaseous ozone as an effective disinfectant; it was demonstrated that for a 150 ppm concentration of ozone with a 3 minute exposure time approximately 96% of e-coli was destroyed.  Recommendations for additional research for more specific applications were also developed.

Synergy Environmental and Ozone Solutions, Inc. plan to present the results of this study at a number of technology conferences in 2010.  For a copy of the white paper please send an email to
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or fill out the contact form on this page.

Licensed Site Remediation Professional Roundtable

The New Jersey Site Remediation Reform Act makes sweeping changes to the way New Jersey will clean up more than 20,000 contaminated sites. Six prominent New Jersey attorneys and environmental professionals were recently convened to share their thoughts on the impact of this legislation.  Synergy’s Rick Shoyer, one of the very first LSRP’s commissioned in New Jersey, was part of this discussion. 

For specific questions regarding the effects on your business of the new LSRP legislation, contact Synergy at.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Click here to download New Jersey Law Journal article which includes Rick’s insights on the LSRP legislation(Adobe PDF Reader required to view)

Synergy Environmental’s Training group announces 2010 webinar series:

Reading, PA

Tammy Hessler, Synergy Environmental’s training coordinator has announced the schedule for upcoming education seminars from Synergy Environmental. Click on the link to register for any of the sessions listed.  Synergy Training Center

Synergy Training also offers online courses in Environmental Compliance, 2010 Energy Act Compliance, OSHA, Wastewater operators training.

For more information please call us at 484 369 5000 or email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Synergy Environmental awarded site environmental management project

Royersford, PA

Brian FitzPatrick, President, Synergy Environmental, Inc. has announced the award of a new 86 site retail petroleum service station portfolio for ongoing compliance and remediation. Synergy had performed environmental due diligence, insurance underwriting technical support, environmental due diligence, and fund availability determination on behalf of their client, a regional petroleum distributor who recently concluded the purchase of these sites.  Synergy was able to help their client negotiate a significant increase in compensation for environmental liabilities through a detailed technical evaluation of site characterization reports provided by the major multinational petrochemical firm which was divesting the sites to Synergy’s client.

As a critical next step in implementing a cost effective compliance system, Synergy will be implementing FUEL-VIEW, Synergy’s patented web based compliance system for underground storage tanks (UST).

Synergy’s expertise in managing working on behalf of buyers of real estate has enabled buyers and sellers of gasoline service station portfolios to complete dozens of transactions totaling over 500 individual sites.

For more information please call us at 484 369 5000 or email:.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)