1166355 - Forensic Waste Stream Characterization at a Former Coking/MGP Facility in Support of Brownfield Site Investigation Work Planning

Redevelopment in urban areas has become attractive to developers seeking to take advantage of tax incentives through brownfield redevelopment programs. In one such case in western New York, a developer submitted a brownfield application to redevelop a former coking coal manufacturing facility that was also a major manufacturer of town gas – a portion of the operation sometimes known as a Manufactured Gas Plant or MGP. The facility was operational from around 1920 for about one hundred years. As a result of egregious non-compliance with environmental regulations and intense community pressure, the site was eventually shuttered and management jailed. The engineering consultant for the developer performed typical due diligence in accordance with ASTM All Appropriate Inquiry, however, historical maps were not readily available from its vendor and therefore could not be used to develop a targeted site investigation work plan. Working on behalf of the community, nygeology was retained to find the missing information and help engage local legislators to pressure regulatory agencies to include the new information in a revised work plan. In order to complete a sound work plan design, a forensic waste stream characterization was conducted based on the newly discovered historical maps, which was further supported by interviews with former employees. The characterization revealed dozens of specific waste streams located at specific buildings necessary to manage the byproducts of the coking and MGP operations. The locations and expected wastes were then referenced to the engineer’s existing site grid using GIS, allowing work to be reconfigured to allow for a more targeted investigation. This paper presents the techniques used to understand the specific waste byproducts generated and their locations scattered across the 100-acre abandoned site. The waste characterization work led to a more accurate site characterization and will soon lead to a more appropriate site remediation in support of brownfield redevelopment.