SITE INVESTIGATION AND CLOSURE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION, EXETER, CALIFORNIA U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Salt Lake City, UT; 2001-2004; $314,000 This project involved environmental closure of an abandoned waste oil collection facility formerly operated under a permit from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The work consisted of the following: Demolition of concrete pad previously used for waste storage Preparation of an amendment to a previously approved closure plan and a job hazard analysis for field activities. Obtaining drilling permit from Tulare County. Removal, packaging, and off site disposal of all wastes and discarded items. Sweeping, pressure washing, profiling, and demolishing of the concrete containment structures and transportation of debris to an offsite recycling center. Removal of the water/wastes in an on-site sump as well as wastewater resulting from pressure washing of structures via vacuum truck and transportation to an offsite disposal facility. Demolishing and removal of an on-site storage shed. Excavation of soil in a stained area and confirmation sampling prior to backfilling with imported fill and compaction. Site characterization via hollow-stem auger to obtain subsurface soil samples and grab groundwater samples. Hollow-stem augering to obtain soil and groundwater samples Excavation and confirmation soil sampling in suspected contamination areas and backfilling and compaction of the excavation. Processing and shipping soil and groundwater samples to a laboratory for analysis. Removal of pump and accessories from an onsite water supply well and providing a surface seal for the well. Preparation of a site closure plan that was reviewed and approved by DTSC, and based on which DTSC issued a no-further-action letter, thus allowing the property to be placed on the market for sale. Keeping the client (HUD) and the regulatory agency (DTSC) informed of project status and plans through regular communication via electronic mail, telephone calls, and submittal interim letter reports. This project had several "surprise" and unanticipated situations that R&M successfully dealt with. For example, removal of concrete pad in the former drum storage area revealed contamination of the underlying soil, something that had not been anticipated and planned for. This required re-thinking of the entire strategy and modification of the contract. The depth to the apparent bottom of the well had been measured as 59 feet; however, when the pump and discharge pipe were removed, a well depth of greater than 125 feet, which was the length of the line removed, was indicated. This suggested that obstructions may have been encountered during the previous depth measurement, as during the removal of the discharge pipe, much corrosion and holes in the fatigued metal pipe were observed and there was deleterious material growing through the holes in the pipe.