PFAS: Risk Management, Investigation, and Remediation
In the United States since the 1950s, per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been utilized in industrial and consumer products for their heat, stain, and water resistance properties. With research revealing adverse impacts from the accumulation of PFAS in water and soils, the promulgation of regulations is evolving, and many governments and industries are embarking on projects to investigate, remediate and manage PFAS-contamination in the environment.
Challenges
PFAS has emerged as an environmental issue presenting numerous management challenges. Governments, industry, manufacturers, and other organizations that are impacted face difficult decisions, often without the benefit of clear guidance. Due to the scale of work and scientific complexity of the response, implementing plans often requires external expertise and support. Common challenges include:
- Source identification
- Contaminant comingling from multiple sources
- Prioritization of sites
- Management of contamination during construction, maintenance works, or redevelopment
- Due diligence when selling or acquiring land
- Disposal of PFAS contaminated materials
Each of these challenges need to be managed carefully in a climate where our technical understanding about these chemicals and regulatory requirements for their management are still evolving.
Our Approach and Experience
Our engineers and consultants understand the science and complexities behind the fate and transport of these emerging contaminants; and develop remedial strategies that account for the business and financial challenges posed by the remedial strategies.
Government
Our team has experience working with state governments in cost recovery claims for environmental investigation and remediation of PFAS. This work includes coordination with state regulators, attorneys, expert witnesses, and a cohort of consultants to evaluate hundreds of PFAS-impacted sites for the purposes of developing investigative and remedial estimates.
Industry
RPS is providing site investigation and regulatory closure support for clients in various manufacturing industries. PFAS compounds were historically used as vapor suppressing agents in many chrome plating operations; and as such, the USEPA and various state regulatory agencies have begun re-visiting many sites that historically had soil/groundwater clean-ups related to their plating operation. RPS provides technical advisory services to clients related to sites potentially impacted by PFAS and has teamed with stakeholders and regulatory representatives to collect and analyze groundwater samples for PFAS in accordance with applicable state/federal guidelines. We use our vast experience in risk-based closures and groundwater remediation to guide PFAS closure strategies.
Risk Management
We specialize in identification and quantification of risk associated with PFAS in the context of mergers and acquisitions. RPS commonly guides private equity sponsors, limited partners, institutional investors, lenders, insurers, and other stakeholders through the rapidly changing regulatory framework surrounding PFAS impacts. Our team is adept at developing liability estimates to allow those impacts to be addressed in the financial framework of a transaction.
Services
- Due Diligence
- Soil and Groundwater Investigations
- Fate and Transport Modelling
- Site Characterization
- Liability Evaluation Remedial Estimating
- Remediation Design and Oversight
- Expert Testimony
- Litigation Support
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