Environmental Cleanup And Restoration

Henry S. Cole & Associates has extensive experience advising clients on issues relating to the investigation and cleanup of environmental releases and hazardous waste sites. Cole has experience with a variety of contaminants, sites and technologies and has helped many clients obtain effective cleanups. Services include:

  • Third party review of remedial investigations and cleanup plans
  • Selection of firms for field investigations and remediation
  • Advice on the selection of remedial technologies
  • Negotiations with regulatory agencies, responsible parties, stakeholders

Occidental Chemical Superfund Site (Pottstown, PA)
Dr. Cole serves as Superfund Technical Assistance Advisor to Alliance for a Clean Environment (ACE). This project is funded under EPA’s Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) program that enables community organizations to hire their own experts. Key issues at the site involve groundwater contamination and cleanup, the cleanup of contaminated lagoons, and dioxin contamination. (2001-present)

Contact: Donna Cuthbert,ACE
Email: aceactivists@netzero.net

Articles on the Occidental Site that feature Cole and ACE:
Hunters fear deer tumors were caused by OxyChem
Neighbors of OxyChem worry about tainted wells
Contamination fears fuel ACE conference

Valleycrest Landfill, Dayton, OH
Since 2002, Dr. Cole has served as Superfund TAG advisor to the Valleycrest Neighborhood Concerned Citizens (VNCC). This Superfund Site served as both a municipal and industrial landfill for many decades prior to its closing. About 50,000 drums were removed from the landfill over the past 3 years. Issues include: groundwater contamination, migration of toxic landfill gas constituents into surrounding neighborhoods, and future land use.

Contact: Emilee George,
Email: Emilee.George@wpafb.af.mil

Hilton Davis Site, Cincinnati, OH
Large quantities of industrial wastes were disposed on a site located adjacent to a residential neighborhood. The clients are the Pleasant Ridge Community Council (PRCC) and a community organization. Kodak (the PRP) and the City of Cincinnati provide funding for the technical assistance project.

  • Cole provides technical assistance and represents the clients in a multi-party process that includes community organizations, Kodak, Ohio EPA, and the City of Cincinnati.
  • Cole has provided technical backing for the client's goal for a cleanup that will encourage commercial, residential and recreational development of the 80 acre site.
  • Issues also include risk assessment, groundwater contamination, and the need for proactive cleanup of site hot spots and groundwater.

Contact: Majorie and Carl Evert, PRCC and Citizens Concerned about Hilton Davis
Email: evertcf@email.uc.edu

Boston-Area Shopping Centers. Dr. Cole serves as environmental advisor to Gravestar, Inc., a firm that owns and operates Boston-area shopping centers. The most serious problems include dry cleaner releases located over aquifers used for drinking water. Cole:

  • Provides advice on the choice of remedial contractors and reviews all scopes of work, field investigation reports, remedial proposals and regulatory submittals.
  • Crafted a policy that forbids cleaners from using perchloroethylene at Gravestar shopping centers and encourages the cleaning firms to use environmentally safe alternatives.
  • See Sustainable Shopping Centers

Evesham Township, NJ. Dr. Cole serves as technical advisor to the Township's Ellis Site Task Force on issues pertaining to the Ellis Properties Superfund Site. Problems include heavy metal and solvent contamination from a former drum recycling operation. Cole has reviewed all documents and proposals pertaining to the site and has helped the Township win a more complete cleanup. Cole is currently developing a plan to enhance the efficacy of the site's groundwater pump and treat system through the use of advanced technologies.

Hudson River PCB Cleanup. Sediments in the Upper Hudson River are contaminated with high levels of PCBs. People are advised to restrict or eliminate fish consumption due to high PCB levels. Dr. Cole serves as technical advisor to the environmental organization Scenic Hudson. His technical comments demonstrated the need for expanded sediment cleanup and were incorporated into Scenic Hudson's formal comments on EPA's proposed cleanup of the Upper Hudson River.