In 2006, a long-standing client, and one of the largest convenience store chains in the U.S., engaged MD Shaw to audit multiple underground storage tanks as part of due diligence related to a major merger and acquisition. Given the sensitivity and timing of the proposed acquisition, the company was asked to significantly reduce the timeline in order to maintain profitability and production levels.

By focusing resources, working around the clock and using the most efficient processes and equipment available, MD Shaw was able to complete 80 phase one environmental evaluations in a three week period (a process that would normally take more than three months). The entire project, with the exception of the ongoing assessment phase, was completed in less than 18 months.

It was during the phase one environmental evaluations that the company discovered a major issue with a particular site. Older, obsolete gasoline storage tanks buried at one location had leeched fuel into the surrounding soil, contaminating an area of more than 20,000 square feet and impacting three local water supply wells. Fractured bedrock near the leak made it difficult to know the exact scope and severity of the leak.

“Cracks in bedrock will cause fluid to move more quickly and in directions we cannot readily anticipate,” Mike Shaw, President of MD Shaw and Associates, explained. “Gas can ‘leapfrog’ across large distances quickly, making it harder to delineate the area of the plume. This was the case at this particular site.” The company began dealing directly with the leaks in the older tanks, which were buried deep underground and were inaccessible via traditional means. Electrical resistivity testing revealed the precise locations and nature of the bedrock fractures. Monitoring wells could then be placed in optimum locations.

Working directly with the client and local state government environmental agencies, MD Shaw quickly drafted a corrective action plan to address issues at the site. The local homeowners were contacted immediately, warned of the dangers and provided with temporary sources of clean water.

MD Shaw next initiated a bioremediation effort to restore the impacted soil and ground water. Enzymes and cleansing bacteria were used to remove contaminants from affected areas as quickly and thoroughly as possible. More than 20 monitoring wells were installed to facilitate this process.

Currently, the site is in the last phase of the audit/remediation process, which involves continually monitoring and testing to ensure safety. The company expects to receive a “no further action” notice from the state in early 2010.

Final costs for this project totaled about $300,000, all of which was covered by the EPA’s Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Trust Fund.

“On most projects, we guarantee our clients that we can work within state funding parameters or we will pay the overages,” Shaw said. “We have a lot of experience handling these types of projects and know what is and is not accepted through government regulations.”

This particular project presented unique challenges in scope, complexity and environmental impact – all of which could have negatively impacted the value of the pending acquisition. By dedicating resources and facilitating interaction between everyone involved – including business owners, local residents, government and environmental officials – the project will be complete well within the client’s guidelines and ensure both profitability (the site remained operational throughout the phase one environmental evaluations and remediation) and safety at the affected site.