Environmental Standards, Inc. services

A well-developed Corporate Laboratory Program improves technical quality, customer service, laboratory consistency, and cost efficiency while providing a mechanism to simplify contracting practices. We have developed (and are currently maintaining) laboratory programs for numerous clients, many of whom realize a 20 to 30 percent annual savings in analytical costs. Our professionals assess your needs, identify candidate laboratories, perform on-site laboratory audits, oversee performance evaluation studies, and develop comprehensive technical requests for proposals and evaluate laboratory responses.

A comprehensive QAPjP leads to consistent quality of field sampling efforts and generation of reliable analytical data. Environmental Standards has prepared project-specific QAPjPs by carefully documenting the sampling and analysis quality assurance and quality control procedures necessary to achieve project data quality objectives. We avoid the pitfalls – such as delays, excessive costs, and jeopardizing an industry’s relationship with regulators – of submitting a deficient QAPjP for agency review.

Our Chemistry Quality Assurance Department has performed hundreds of audits of laboratories in North America, Central and South America, and Europe on behalf of industrial clients, potentially responsible party committees, and engineering firms. These rigorous audits may exceed regulatory-based and ISO Standard 17025 requirements. Laboratory audits are an important tool for assessing liabilities that may arise from using a commercial laboratory.

Analytical results that are generated from environmental samples become the basis for assessments and remedial decisions. The degree to which data are valid can make the difference between a correct assessment and an unnecessary cleanup effort. We examine raw data to determine if a particular analysis conforms to client, method, and regulatory agency specifications. Our data validation offers justification and reassurance that analytical data are usable for their intended purpose and will withstand rigorous litigation proceedings or agency scrutiny.

Unique chemicals of concern at many investigation sites often cannot be analyzed for by standard US EPA methods or may require special preparation and analysis procedures, low detection limits, or modifications to reduce interferences. Our chemists evaluate and develop analytical methods to provide solutions for non-routine chemical analysis by altering the design of a US EPA method to achieve a project-specific requirement or by developing a new analytical method for a specific chemical or matrix.

Environmental Standards personnel have provided chemistry and quality assurance litigation support services to private industry, insurance companies, and legal firms. Our technical review of investigation and remediation documents provides litigation strategies for questioning opposing witnesses on critical technical issues. We have provided third-party damage claims review, including CERCLA cost recovery claims analysis, to help clients develop a technical basis for challenging unrealistic damage claims.

Environmental risk associated with real estate transaction, and Brownfields redevelopments is a concern to all parties involved with a transaction. Present and historical environmental practices and conditions must be identified so that a realistic picture of the total environmental liability is known prior to the transaction. We conduct Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, calculation of liabilities and remedial costs, real estate portfolio analysis, and project management and oversight for existing properties as well as Brownfields redevelopment programs. Anchored in sound science and years of practical experience, we evaluate each facility and property considering its historical, current, and future use. If the property assessment identifies potential environmental liabilities, we can proceed to investigate site conditions more thoroughly by conducting multi-media sampling and identify specific issues.

Environmental Standards has no specific remedial technology licenses or patents; therefore, we are free to choose the correct remedial technology for our clients based on site-specific needs and circumstances. Our remedial design team carefully assesses site-specific circumstances and crafts remediation systems that operate efficiently, bringing projects to closure as soon as possible. Whether the method is soil vapor extraction, chemical treatment, or bioremediation, our remediation experts can design a soil remedy that is tailored to the business needs of our clients. Cost, speed, client operational concerns, and the regulatory climate are all considered in selecting and implementing the correct soil

A non-biased review of field procedures conducted during site investigation and sampling programs helps identify quality deficiencies prior to generating environmental data for risk-management decisions. Field auditing of sample collection procedures is effective in implementing real-time corrective action measures, and as such, is an integral step in ensuring quality data in a project life cycle. Our auditors have experience in identifying data collection, sample procurement, record-keeping, and health & safety issues before they become problematic. Results of our audits can be used to evaluate contractor performance and for future contract awards.

Often, responsible parties continue to design or operate remedial systems based on outdated information or antiquated scientific concepts. A timely and current understanding of site conditions and the latest thinking on remedial technologies can often lead to the redesign or adjustment of remedial systems such that the systems can be operated more economically with an improved remedial performance. Environmental Standards gathers and organizes the needed information to approach regulatory agencies for meaningful discussion and negotiation for improving remedial system performance.