Environmental Consulting Projects

Allterra engineers and constructs a variety of environmental designs, ranging from residential green retrofits to soil and groundwater remediation systems for benzene and MTBE contaminated sites. Check out some of our key projects.

Pay For Performance Remediation Project No.1 – E. Taylor Street, San Jose

Allterra designed and built a dual-phase extraction and remediation system for a MTBE contamination site in San Jose. This remediation project operated under the State UST Cleanup Fund’s pilot “Pay For Performance” Program, where payments were made upon achievement of contamination reduction milestones. Within 2 years, Allterra achieved 100% completion of the PFP project, making us one of only 5 companies in California to complete a PFP Project. Other noteworthy information – Regulatory agencies overseeing this project included the State Water Resources Control Board, Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, City of San Jose, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. The project also required private property access agreements because the MTBE plume migrated off-site under the neighboring property.

Biological Assessment – Loch Lomond, Santa Cruz County

A year long study was conducted on the Western Pond Turtle population at Lock Lomond, just outside of Santa Cruz. A total of five turtles were tagged with radio transmitters and tracked weekly using a telemetry receiver from April, 2008 to April, 2009. The study was conducted to determine the turtles terrestial activities over the course of one year to understand nesting habits and locations.

Pay For Performance Remediation Project No.2 – S. 7th Street, San Jose

Allterra’s second PFP Project included the design and construction of a soil vapor and groundwater extraction and treatment system for a site in San Jose. The remediation system was designed to remove and remediate vapor phase and dissolved phase contaminants from the subsurface (primarily TPHg and benzene). To date, the 25%, 50%, and 75% contamination reduction milestones have been achieved. This project was completed under the oversight of the Santa Clara County District Attorney, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, and the State Water Resources Control Board.

Court Injunction and Remediation System Augmentation – San Jose

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Allterra agreed to take on a project with a court injuction mandating the property owner to add four groundwater extraction wells in neighboring properties in a residential area of San Jose. To complete this job, Allterra had to negotiate access with four adjacent property owners, install approximately 500-feet of horizontal borings to convey contaminated groundwater from the wells to the treatment compound, modify treatment equipment to handle the increased groundwater flow, and start the system by a court imposed deadline. The court imposed deadline was a result of previous environmental consultants failing to complete the remediation work in a timely manner. Allterra successfully completed the required work scope, started the system, and met the court mandated cleanup goals. Additionally, Allterra worked with the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health and the property owner to reduce project costs since no additional funding from the UST Cleanup Fund was available. Other noteworthy information – Regulatory agencies overseeing this project included the State Water Resources Control Board, Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, City of San Jose, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.

Soil and Groundwater Remediation System – San Francisco

In 2008 Allterra started operation of a dual-phase extraction and treatment system in San Francisco. The system is designed to mitigate elevated concentrations of benzene, MTBE, and total petroleum hydrocarbons as gasoline (TPHg) and diesel (TPHd) that leaked from the former UST system at the site. Allterra continues to operate and monitor the systems performance until cleanup goals are achieved. Other noteworthy information - Regulatory agencies overseeing this project included the State Water Resources Control Board, San Francisco County and City Department of Environmental Health, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission.

Soil and Groundwater Remediation System – Los Gatos

In 2008 Allterra completed construction of a dual-phase extraction and treatment system in Los Gatos, California. The system was designed to mitigate elevated concentrations of TPHg, benzene, and MTBE beneath the existing UST. Startup of the remediation system is scheduled for June of 2009. Other noteworthy information – Regulatory agencies overseeing this project included the State Water Resources Control Board, Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, City of Los Gatos, City of San Jose, and Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Remediation System – Santa Cruz

Allterra worked with the property owner’s architect and building contractor to incorporate a groundwater extraction and treatment system into the property’s redevelopment plan. In 2007 Allterra designed, permitted, and constructed the groundwater extraction and treatment system while the new building and parking lot were being built concurrently. Environmental work doesn’t have to hold up your properties redevelopment. Other noteworthy information Regulatory agencies overseeing this project included the State Water Resources Control Board, Santa Cruz County Department of Environmental Health, and City of Santa Cruz.

Vertical and Lateral Extent of Contamination Investigation -Livermore

Allterra completed a groundwater investigation to determine the vertical and lateral extent of MTBE impacted groundwater for a site in Livermore, California. The investigation was conducted to determine if a municipal water supply well was impacted by dissolved MTBE originating from the site. Allterra delineated the dissolved MTBE plume vertically and laterally and used the data to prepare a Corrective Action Plan for the site. Allterra plans to implement the Corrective Action Plan second half of 2009.

Underground Storage Tank (UST) Closure – Santa Cruz

Allterra prepared a work plan, permitted, and closed an UST for a Church in Santa Cruz. Allterra was able to address the UST abandoned at the Church in a timely manner while working within the Church’s budget. The UST case was closed and Allterra demonstrated that the soil and groundwater was not impacted by the UST. Subsequently, the environmental case was closed and the Church could refinance the property.

Fuel Leak Case Closure – Sunnyvale

Allterra completed the investigation and risk assessment for a fuel leak case in Sunnyvale, California. An office complex was built over a former fuel service station with unknown quantities of fuel impacting soil and groundwater beneath the office complex. Allterra installed several wells, determined groundwater characteristics such as elevation and gradient direction, and demonstrated that no sensitive receptors were impacted and concentrations of fuel related contaminants didn’t require any remediation. The site was issued closure in 2008 and the site’s property owner is now refinancing his property since the environmental liability has been addressed.

Fuel Leak Case Closures – Greater Bay Area

Allterra has facilitated environmental Case Closure for properties in the following cities:

UST fuel leak and hydraulic hoist removal, Salinas, CA
UST fuel leak, San Francsico, CA
UST fuel leak, San Francisco, CA
UST fuel leak, San Jose, CA
UST fuel leak, Sunnyvale, CA
UST fuel leak, Santa Cruz, CA
UST fuel leak, San Rafael, CA
Hydraulic fuel leak, San Jose, CA