Phase II Targeted Brownfields Assessment: Sumner School

Service Lines

• Site Assessment & Brownfields Redevelopment
• Due Diligence

Project Summary

Blackstone Environmental, Inc. conducted a Phase II Brownfields Targeted Assessment (BTA) project as a team with Golder Associates of Denver, Colorado, who are the primary contractor under a state contract with KDHE. The Site is a national historic landmark associated with the Brown vs. Board of Education court case. A Phase I of the Site found a recognized environmental condition (REC) for potential petroleum contamination associated with a former 2,000 gallon underground storage tank (UST) used to heat the school. The actual location of the tank was unknown, but it thought to be located inside of the building basement. Services provided by Blackstone included:

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Services Provided

• Conducting a pre-mobilization Site visit with KDHE and the local neighborhood association representative to help determine where the former tank may have been located;
• Developing a work plan, quality assurance project plan (QAPP), and health and safety plan (HASP) for soil and groundwater sampling;
• Completing utility clearance before mobilization to the Site;
• Performing soil coring, screening, and sampling activities for the investigation; and
• Documenting fieldwork activities and findings in a final report.

Results

Inspection of the school indicated that the tank might have been located on the outside of the building. Drilling and sampling activities completed by Blackstone determined the location of the former UST pit and that soil was not impacted by petroleum compounds. No groundwater was encountered at the site. In summary, Blackstone was able to visit the Site and determine the best sampling strategy for the BTA. Due to Blackstone’s experience with KDHE and our local presence, Blackstone was able to locate the former UST pit and complete the project under the scope of work (SOW) required by KDHE. The property was not impacted with petroleum from the former heating tank and the Site can now move forward in the redevelopment process.