Time Critical Removal Action, Greenville, CA
Client: Department of Toxic Substance Control
Project Overview: As a result of the Dixie Fire in August 2021 approximately 75% of the structures in the town of Greenville were destroyed. Cal OES and CalRecycle have completed the fire debris removal work with their contractors, but in the process discovered that much of the soil remaining in the properties of the town contained high levels of lead contamination (up 3,500 mg/kg, well above residential and commercial cleanup levels). DTSC was brought in to resolve this issue so that the people of Greenville could begin to rebuild the town.
ERRG’s Sacramento Office was called upon by DTSC to assist them in this endeavor, and in June 2022 we negotiated a sole source contract award of over $40 Million to excavate and remove the lead contaminated soil from 125 properties; and to import and backfill those properties so that the homeowners can rebuild. The work was planned to include the removal and disposal of over 97,000 bank cubic yards of contaminated soil and the import and placement of over 116,000 cubic yards of fill material. In August of 2022 we mobilized and worked through October until the snow stopped us and when we demobilized for the season, we had excavated 41 properties and backfilled 20 of those properties. In 2023 we were able to remobilize in late May and worked through the beginning of September. We successfully completed excavation and backfill activities on a total of 93 properties over the two field seasons.
Distinctive/Unique Features: Working in a town that was destroyed and with a population that is anxious to get back to rebuilding and gain some sense of normalcy had ERRG working on a contaminated soil removal project in multiple locations that are adjacent to active elementary and high schools, reopening businesses, home rebuilding projects, and underground utility repair projects. Sensitive receptors surrounded us each day and we employed proper control measures to protect both our staff and the community. Copious amounts of water were utilized to mitigate any potential dust migration; and dust monitors and personal air samplers were deployed to confirm and document proper work practices were being employed and our employees were properly protected from exposure. Traffic control efforts were of paramount importance as on a daily basis we typically had 30 to 40 haul trucks moving around town and competing with other vehicles on narrow town streets.
Challenges: The DTSC wished to begin work rapidly with a limited time to prepare and plan. ERRG worked to obtain enough staff to be able to efficiently complete the work in that first season. During the second field season the PG&E utility undergrounding crews were engaged both in town and on every road accessing the town. This added another variable to mitigate traffic delays in our daily activities. The town became more active the further along our field work progressed; ERRG provided creative work approaches so that we did not adversely impact the community.
Solutions: ERRG technical and field staff that were able to quickly mobilize to Greenville in 2022 to get the first season of work completed within a very short window of opportunity. In 2023 we were able to adequately plan our field season with ERRG staff and suppliers ready to mobilize on June 1.
We utilized many lessons learned from the first season to streamline our operations to be more efficient. The ERRG team rose to the daily challenges and communicated the ever-changing approaches to deliver a safe and successful project to the town of Greenville.
End Result/Customer Satisfaction: The two-year project has totaled over 27,000 hours worked with zero injuries or accidents! A total of 93 properties were remediated and returned to homeowners to be able to rebuild their homes. Over 41,500 tons of lead impacted soil was excavated and properly disposed of and over 43,000 cubic yards of clean imported fill was placed (the backfill was purchased from local sources in Greenville so we were able to keep the revenue “in town”).