Potomac-Hudson Environmental, Inc. (PHEnv) is an environmental consulting company with wide-ranging expertise in environmental assessment, soil and groundwater remediation, compliance documentation, and permitting. Our company mission is to assist our clients in the satisfaction of their goals through a creative balance between project aims and environmental opportunity.
We have humbly selected the chambered nautilus as a symbol of our company. Its symmetrical proportion is mirrored in our company's blend of engineering and scientific expertise that can be brought to focus on our client's needs. Its evolutionary mystery provokes the scientific inquiry that is the basis of our fact-focused assessment process and reflects our philosophy of seeking the new, the creative, the ever-evolving solutions to our client's environmental issues. As each turn of its shell is built upon the last, so to do we construct a logical and lasting solution.
We invite you to browse our site and learn more of the types of work we have performed and to whom we have provided environmental assistance.
| New Jersey | New York |
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MAIN CORPORATE OFFICE: 207 South Stevens Avenue South Amboy, New Jersey 08879 Phone (732) 525-3100 Fax (732) 525-9254 |
136 West 16th Street, Suite 3E New York, New York 10011 Phone (212) 243-3574 Fax (212) 645-4634 |
16-4 Chapel Avenue Jersey City, New Jersey 07305 Phone (201) 413-0990 Fax (201) 413-0960 |
339 Middle Road
Hudson, New York 12534 Phone (518) 822-9830 Fax (518) 822-9831 |
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Each of our core service programs is integrated to seamlessly mesh with the other so that as projects evolve we are able to efficiently and effectively address changes in project needs as they occur.
For example, we can take a Brownfield project from inception and guide that project through the process of soil and groundwater remediation with the goal of achieving a Remedial Action Work Plan that can be implemented concurrent with development activities. During the remediation process, our environmental mitigation program can identify mitigation opportunities to reduce impacts to sensitive communities as well as enhance existing or create new protected areas and thereby avoid extensive project delays. Finally, our permitting program comprehensively envelopes that total project, initiates an early regulatory review, and fosters a phased approach that allows development to proceed in step with remediation and mitigation.
Please "click" on the following program areas for a more detailed description of the environmental services offered by PHEnv.
PHEnv provides a comprehensive array of services to characterize and delineate soil and groundwater contaminants. Our professional staff includes geologists, hydrogeologists, soil scientists, and chemical and civil engineers. Our approach to site investigation is based on a thorough understanding of the site's structural geology as well as the operational history of uses that may have contributed contaminants. If the site requires the use of groundwater modeling as a predictive tool to identify contaminant transport and migration or to establish hydraulic conductivity, our staff is completely familiar with such state-of-the-art simulation models as Visual MODFLO. In keeping with the overall PHEnv philosophy, each project is evaluated by a multidisciplinary team to facilitate early identification of innovative strategies that can result in the simplest, most cost-effective remedial approach.
A brownfield is defined as "any former or current commercial or industrial site that is presently vacant or underutilized and on which there has been, or there is suspected to have been, a discharge of a contaminant." Generally, brownfields are properties that are abandoned or underutilized because of either real or perceived contamination. PHEnv personnel expertise encompasses all of the environmental disciplines required to effectively address the needs of a brownfield project. PHEnv has worked with municipalities to identify Brownfield Development Areas (BDAs) and assist with completion of requisite applications and community organization. We have worked on a number of brownfield sites with clients who have successfully sought to redevelop former industrial areas to higher and more beneficial uses. Because PHEnv is a full-service company, we have been able to integrate remedial approaches or remedial design with the site plan and accommodate all phases of the project from permitting through final cleanup. We have also successfully secured funding for key projects through application under the Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act (BCSRA) and Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF).
PHEnv provides a full spectrum of qualified professionals with extensive experience in the investigation of sites to determine potential risks of contamination to site soils and groundwater. Once contamination is identified, our staff tailors a set of remedial actions to respond to the site- specific conditions present. We have designed and constructed a number of groundwater extraction and treatment facilities, ranging from simple pump-and-treat technology to sophisticated multi-point extraction systems. All treatment facilities are operated and maintained by our accredited N2 and N3 treatment operators. As part of our overall remedial design services, we also routinely prepare Treatment Works Permit and Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) applications.
PHEnv has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to provide a range of services associated with underground storage tanks (UST) management, including orthodic protection, UST closure, installation, subsurface evaluation, and tank testing. PHEnv professionals have managed the closure of hundreds of USTs, including coordination with NJDEP Bureau of Underground Storage Tanks (BUST), UST registration (where applicable), NJDEP closure permits, soil and/or groundwater sampling, and preparation of remedial action reports.
PHEnv provides clients with the information they need to make informed decisions regarding property conveyance and site cleanup actions. The generally accepted due diligence assessment is the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), prepared in accordance with ASTM guidelines. The ESA is focused on the determination of whether current or historic operations on the site or adjacent properties resulted in the discharge of contaminants affecting the site. The ESA is based on a site inspection; interviews; federal, state and local database review; and review of historic maps and aerials. The ESA identifies any areas of concern (AOCs) and provides recommendations regarding their resolution. Such resolution may require additional Phase Il testing.
The Federal mandate for conducting environmental impact studies derives from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), as implemented through regulations published by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). In addition to Federal NEPA requirements, many states have promulgated their own regulations requiring stringent evaluation of projects expected to affect the environment, including the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and New Jersey Executive Order 215.ElSs and EAS are often "lightning rods" for public opposition to a proposed action and typically hinge on such issues as air quality, wetlands, aquatic species, threatened or endangered species, cultural resources, or other sensitive concern. Where projects affect parkland, wildlife refuges and other sensitive areas, a Section 40) evaluation may be required to assess feasible alternatives to the proposed action, Some EAS may be completed in a matter of days and need not be more than a responsible review for potential environmental problems. The experience of PHEnv's NEPA staff facilitates the rapid review and recognition of potential conflicts and the parallel development of appropriate, effective and implementable mitigation efforts, when required.
For development projects that are located along the water's edge or have the potential to affect the aquatic environment, state and Federal permitting programs generally require impact assessment. Project elements that typically affect the aquatic environment include marinas, piers or docking facilities, ferry service, waterfront walkways, and outfalls. PHEnv professional staff include aquatic biologists, ecologists, and water quality specialists. We have 17-foot and 19-foot Boston Whalers that are fully outfitted for fisheries, benthic, and water quality surveys. If a project need arises, we are able to design an appropriate monitoring program to collect sufficient data to address the specific need. PHEnv has designed and conducted both short-term and long-term seasonal surveys. We have also designed and implemented mitigation measures where non-reversible project-related impacts have been identified, PHEnv has also conducted many sediment studies, including both collection and analysis of sediment contaminants, toxicological analysis, and interpretation of community effects.
With the passage of the USEPA Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990 (CAAA), new focus was provided on the issues of airborne pollutants from stationary (smokestack) and mobile (vehicular) sources. The 1 990 CAAA required states to develop control strategies with implementable schedules to abate air pollution and bring all areas in attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants. PHEnv possesses a full- time accredited meteorologist and air quality specialists who have extensive experience with state-of-the-art air quality modeling of stationary, line (mobile), and area (parking lot) sources of pollution. Principals of PHEnv have also been involved in all phases of air quality monitoring for the past 30 years, including program design, set-up, and operation; site selection; calibration and QAQC audits; and quantitative and statistical interpretation of data. We have conducted monitoring programs for carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, total and inhalable particulates, chromium, PCBs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
With passage of the Noise Control Act of 1972, noise was formally recognized for its capacity to significantly degrade the quality of the human environment. USEPA, HUD, FHWA and other agencies have defined acceptable noise levels with a range of different noise descriptors, source targets, and measurement methodologies. PHEnv professionals are completely familiar with state-of-the-art modeling methodologies, including FHWA's Tranportation Noise Model (TNM), as well as the evolution of current noise assessment regulations. Basic to the application of a noise assessment model is the measurement of ambient noise through noise monitoring. Monitoring is conducted using highly specialized instruments that are selectively calibrated to record sound in various ranges, including the A-weighted human auditory range, PHEnv has conducted noise monitoring and performed noise modeling for many noise sources, including airports and aircraft, ground level and elevated rail operations, construction activities, gas and diesel vehicle operation, and other commercial and industrial operations. Key personnel have also published widely on innovative noise monitoring and noise assessment techniques that were developed as creative, cost-effective approaches to our client's needs.
PHEnv, in association with Hunter Research, Inc., provides a full range of cultural resource services to document archaeological and historic resources in accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR Part 800). These services include the design and implementation of Phase I and Phase 2 archaeological site surveys, documentation to HABS and HAER standards, architectural surveys, construction monitoring, and report preparation.
The Environmental Baseline Survey (EBS) is used to determine whether the property proposed for transfer or other action poses a potential risk to human health and the environment by evaluating the use or disposal of hazardous materials at the property and providing proper notification and remediation recommendations (?) to effect the desired action. PHEnv has conducted a number of EBSs and is fully knowledgeable of the applicable guidance documents, including AR 200-1 , the Army Reserves' guidance document, and ASTM Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments.
As part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act, military (?) installations have been required to evaluate their physical facilities to determine it the facilities are absolutely necessary to accommodate their mission. As a result, they are increasingly transfering or selling unneeded property. The process for this transfer has been simplified and shortened through use of the "early transfer" procedure; however, the overall process from NEPA documentation to execution of a Finding of Suitability for Early Transfer (FOSET) can be a complex and time-consuming operation. PHEnv has participated in a number of such transfers and brings to each project a knowledgeable technical staff. Most recently, for the 77th RSC, PHEnv conducted an EBS for a 50-acre portion of the Caven Point, New Jersey Army Reserve Center in support of a transfer of excess property to Jersey City. PHEnv also prepared a NEPA EA for the transfer, was responsible for all CERCLA reviews, updated the Remedial Investigation, developed a Remedial Action Work Plan, and prepared all FOSET documentation. PHEnv received a commendation from the Office of the Chief, Army Reserve (OCAR) for our work on this project.
Since 1960, the Sikes Act has required military installations to provide for the conservation and rehabilitation of natural resources on their lands. In 1997, an amendment to the act required each military installation with significant natural resources to prepare and implement an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan (INRMP) for, and to do so in cooperation with the US Fish & Wildlife Service and the appropriate state agencies. PHEnv has prepared and reviewed numerous INRMPs and has conducted individual surveys and made specific natural resource management recommendations to conserve, enhance, and maintain critical populations. PHEnv's professional staff includes all of the technical disciplines necessary for identifying and managingtarget resources, understanding the interactive nature of management strategies, and preparing the INRMP document.
PHEnv has delineated hundreds of freshwater and tidal wetland areas throughout the New Jersey and New York areas using the US Army Corps of Engineers three-parameter methodology. This methodology evaluates soils, vegetation, and hydrology to determine the presence and extent of wetland areas. Our personnel are also experts in applicable permitting guidelines and regulations. By working closely with the client, PHEnv's wetland specialists can identify the permits required and effectively prepare the application documentation. PHEnv has also designed and created numerous tidal and freshwater wetlands to either mitigate for wetland loss or to enhance habitat.
PHEnv has successfully undertaken numerous large-scale habitat restoration and creation projects. These projects have included design and creation of tidal wetlands, freshwater wetlands, vegetated lagoons, vegetated terraces, and bio-engineered shore stabilization, and eradication of exotic, invasive vegetation. For the State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, PHEnv conducted a restoration project on a 18- acre peninsula that is part of Liberty State Park. The project included eradication of 5-acres of common reed, creation of a 3-acre tidal marsh, and 2.5-acre freshwater wetland, and restoration of an adjacent creek corridor to enhance its value as habitat for the threatened Black-crowned night heron.
In bioengineering design, engineering principles are applied to a problem condition using natural elements to achieve a "soft" rather than '"hard" edge solution. PHEnv's bioengineering staff includes engineers, biologists, ecologists, and geologists. Many of our projects have entailed beach stabilization in areas where use of hard edge technology, i.e., sheet pile, riprap armoring, revetment, has been discouraged. The typical armory of natural elements includes live and dead fascines (wood bundles), seeded and unseeded coir mattresses and logs, poles, stone, and a selection of vegetative typos appropriate for the given circumstances. Along river banks or open channels, such structures as fascines or stout logs are anchored to the leading edge of the slope to dissipate energy. Overlapping pockets of biodegradable geotextile filled with sand extend up the slope and are overlain with coir fiber and planted with clumping vegetation. In some instances the fascines are composed of live tree branches that root to provide additional stability. Our experience with these projects indicates that the bioengineered elements are long-lasting, self-healing, and beneficial in that they do not result in the scouring that typically occurs waterward Of hard structures.
© 2018 Potomac Hudson Environmental, Inc.
