www.stonehillenvironmental.com StoneHill
News
Novemer
2003
www.stonehillenvironmental.com
President’s
Message
We send you all heart-felt appreciation for helping make 2003 another year of
growth for StoneHill Environmental, Inc. As always,
we hope that we have managed your environmental concern efficiently so that
you could get back to doing what you do best. Thank you.
This year’s Christmas greeting card did not following our traditional
endangered species theme, but we love this photograph and feel that the City
of Portsmouth’s working waterfront and nationally registered historic
properties with the North Church steeple in the background, represents a similar
theme of importance to us, the preservation and management of endangered resources.
We feel fortunate that Portsmouth recognizes the value of these resources and
has moved to preserve and maintain the historic characteristics of the city.
So this year we proudly display our fair city, home to our offices and more
than half of our employees. The photograph on the card was taken by a local
Portsmouth photographer, Neil Troost of Seacoast
Impressions, who prides himself in creation of heirloom quality images of
the seacoast region. I hope you will enjoy this frameable print.
2003 was a successful and busy year at StoneHill.
Tim Dolan returns to StoneHill as our business development manager after a six
year period working with other consulting firms. Our office manager, Sara Woods,
has a baby daughter born in September; we assembled a mobile water treatment
trailer; we completed many interesting and challenging projects; and our website
is up and running. Tim Stone and I are extremely proud of the professional and
personal achievements of StoneHill’s staff
and I hope you will read more about them below.
As always, I hope you will feel free to provide feedback regarding our services,
and when you’re coming this way, please let us know and we’ll show
you around Portsmouth.
Best Regards,
Elissa H. Stone, President
StoneHill
Environmental, Inc.
New Employees
Timothy J. Dolan, PG, Senior Project Manager Tim is
a licensed geologist with 12 years of experience working throughout the United
States as an environmental consultant. His experience includes comprehensive
site investigations and remediation programs at complex multi-dimensional industrial,
commercial and residential sites. He has extensive experience with various petroleum,
metal, solvent, and PCB impacted properties. He is now putting his M.B.A. to
work as StoneHill’s business development
manager.
Project Highlights
Residential Fuel Oil Release Cleanup
Under the harsh conditions of last winter, StoneHill managed
a complex residential heating oil release project in central Massachusetts which
involved the sudden release of 200 gallons of heating oil from an exterior tank
just several days before Christmas. The oil seeped into the crawlspace under
the home, resulting in significant impacts to indoor air, soil and groundwater
quality. StoneHill modified the forced hot air
ventilation system to prevent vapors from entering the home and the residents
were only temporarily displaced from the home for a few days even though initial
indoor air sampling indicated petroleum constituent concentrations significantly
exceeding indoor air quality guidelines. The limited access to the crawl space
(through a trap door in the floor of a bedroom closet), frozen soil conditions
and high water table conditions which had flooded the crawlspace, complicated
the cleanup effort. In conjunction with soil removal, StoneHill
mobilized its’ new groundwater treatment trailer to the Site and began
an intensive pump and treat program to contain the oil impacts to the immediate
area of the release since bedrock water supply wells were located directly downgradient.
Site investigation activities were conducted concurrent with the remediation
phase, including indoor air sampling, soil sampling, monitoring well installation
and groundwater sampling. Following three months of groundwater pumping and
removal of readily accessible oil impacted soil, groundwater and soil quality
achieved applicable MADEP standards.
Arsenic, Arsenic, Arsenic
StoneHill has been involved with numerous arsenic
related projects over the past decade, but this past year saw more than it’s
fair share. In one such project, a developer in southern NH was attempting to
obtain approvals for construction of an upscale residential development in an
apple orchard. StoneHill was retained to assess
the significance of pesticide residuals in soils, the regulatory complications,
and risk issues. Prior to the late 1940's, lead arsenate was a common pesticide
used on apple orchards. Between the late 1940's and 1970, persistent organochlorine
pesticides were used. The project was conducted in phases. First, aerial photographs
were reviewed to identify areas of the orchard that may have received lead arsenate
and/or organochlorine pesticides. From there, sampling areas were delineated
based upon orchard age and development plans. Both the surface (0 to 6 inches)
and near surface (6 to 12 inches) soil horizons were sampled. Arsenic concentrations
above NH soil standards were identified in the pre-late 1940's areas of the
orchard. Organochlorine pesticides were identified in the post late 1940's and
pre-1970 portions of the orchard, but not above soil standards. Arsenic concentrations
decreased dramatically from the surface to near surface depth. With regard to
regulatory implications, technically, there are none with respect to residual
soil impacts as pesticides applied within the guidelines of the label are not
considered a “waste”, and therefore are exempt from cleanup requirements
in most cases. However, the State of NH does regulate impacts to groundwater
if the pesticides leached into the groundwater and of course there is the practical
matter of the potential risk posed by exposure to residual pesticides in a residential
setting. Working closely with a developer, thoughtful planning, and the implementation
of land use controls, can achieve significant reduction in potential future
risks.
StoneHill became involved in another arsenic project
after several consultants and property owners had become exasperated at the
magnitude of cleanup they believed was required at a former pig farm/sawmill/apple
orchard/solid waste landfill/drum burial site. Elevated concentrations of arsenic
in soil had been identified which was originally believed to be associated with
the improper disposal of wastes at the property. StoneHill
conducted detailed assessment of the arsenic distribution in overburden soils
and sediments within an on site stream, and determined that the arsenic concentrations
were primarily related to the natural overburden deposits and bedrock, and not
illegal disposal operations or the historical use of arsenical pesticides on
the apple orchards. Instead, the elevated arsenic concentrations were the result
of the reductive dissolution of arsenic from soils, and subsequent precipitation
with iron in stream sediments and soils which resulted in significant arsenic
concentrations in localized areas of the site. The level of data collection
allowed StoneHill to establish that the arsenic
was natural and therefore considered to be background in the general site vicinity.
Notwithstanding, several voluntary risk reduction measures were taken to reduce
the potential for exposure to arsenic since the property was slated for residential
development.
As reported by the United States Geological Society in the June 2003 edition
of Environmental Science and Technology, 20 percent of the drinking water in
New England is privately supplied from wells drilled through bedrock and in
parts of New Hampshire and Maine that percentage increases to 50 percent. The
study revealed that arsenic contamination in private bedrock wells is more widespread
than originally believed and overall it was found that one out of five wells
exhibited arsenic concentrations above the federal standard of 10 parts per
billion. This is just one of many potential contaminants in private drinking
water wells. We at StoneHill can help any of our
clients or their friends or neighbors test their drinking water to ensure they
are receiving good quality water.
Employee News
It’s a Girl!!
On September 26, 2003 at approximately 10:00 pm, our office manager, Sara Woods,
became the proud mother of daughter Kayla. Kayla weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces
and was 20 1/2 inches tall with a full head of black hair. Both Kayla and her
mother are doing great and are at home resting.
A Sailing Adventure
StoneHill principals, Tim and Elissa, are the new
owners of a 1988 Ericson 38 sloop, named Kuivato, a native American term meaning
“Greeting the Sun”. The sloop was acquired in October 2002 on the
west coast of Florida after eight years of being cruised in the Caribbean and
South America by the previous owner. On their maiden voyage over the Christmas
holidays, Tim, Elissa and their two daughters, sailed offshore to the Dry Tortugas,
then on to Key West and Marathon in the Florida Keys where they docked the boat
for the winter. In late April they crossed the Gulf Stream to Abacos for a week
in the Bahamas before sailing north to Charleston, SC. In late May, Tim and
Elissa continued north including a wonderful three day run through the Intracoastal
Waterway (ICW) from Beaufort, NC to Norfolk, VA. This stretch of the ICW is
marked by beautiful scenery, wildlife and side creeks. It is remarkable for
it’s anchorages with no signs of development. Tim’s father and a
friend joined him for the final offshore leg of the voyage to Block Island,
RI, and on to Salem, MA. In all, they logged over 2000 miles, caught many fish
including a dolphin (also known as mahi mahi), and had a wonderful adventure.
The boat is moored during the summer in Salem, MA and sometimes in Portsmouth.
We invite our clients and colleagues to join us for an evening sail next season.
Please let us know if you are interested.
StoneHill Employees in Their Communities
Serving Newmarket & Resurrecting The Stone Church
StoneHill Project Manager, John Pasquale, serves
on the Newmarket Planning Board and recently entered into an agreement along
with several partners to purchase the Stone Church on top of Zion Hill in downtown
Newmarket. The Stone Church has over a 30 year history of being one of the premier
music clubs in New Hampshire where artist such as Phish, Suzanne Vega, and Patti
Larkin have performed. The owners of the Stone Church had been looking for a
buyer for several years and the venue closed indefinitely this past summer.
Those associated with the Seacoast music scene were concerned that the property
would be lost to residential development. John originally attempted to generate
interest for the formation of a non-profit to purchase the property and continue
to operate it as a music and arts club, to no avail. Instead of risking the
loss of this venerable music club, he, along with partners, decided to purchase
it. The endeavor is of monumental proportions and will result in the opening
of the second story ballroom, formerly the main church hall, which has never
been open to the public for live entertainment. If all goes as planned, live
entertainment will return in early 2004 and The Stone Church will once again
rise as a premier music club in New England.
Portsmouth Community Radio
In addition to his outside responsibility as Vice President of the Geological
Society of NH, StoneHill Principal, Tim Stone, has taken on a new project as
founding member and President of the non-profit organization Portsmouth Community
Radio (PCR). This project started over three years ago when the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) established the Low Power FM (LPFM) program to provide opportunities
for community organizations to operate 100 watt, non-commercial FM radio stations.
Tim had been involved with college radio throughout undergraduate and graduate
school, so when the FCC opened an application window to apply for LPFM frequency,
he jumped at the opportunity. Nearly three years after submission of their initial
application, PCR was granted a construction permit by the FCC in May 2003. Tim
is currently spearheading the fundraising campaign to cover the purchase of
a transmitter, antenna, and other equipment. PCR plans to be on the air locally
and webcasting worldwide by June 2004. If you are interested in finding out
more about Portsmouth Community Radio, becoming a member, or making a contribution,
visit their web site www.wscafm.org.
Political Ramblings
With nine Democratic Presidential candidates campaigning for the presidential
nomination, you can usually find one or more candidates somewhere in the “First
in the Nation Primary” Granite State. The candidates are all discussing
the war on terrorism, Iraq, and international relations. The the sluggish economy,
education, unemployment, and health care are also getting a lot of attention.
There is also talk about the erosion of civil liberties, environmental policies
and social services, and predictions of how the spiraling deficits at both the
federal and state levels will be felt well into the future. We at StoneHill
encourage you to invest your time and effort to understand where the candidates
stand on issues important to you and the future of our country as a member of
a global community. Then, make sure you exercise your right and responsibility
as US citizen to vote in the upcoming elections.
StoneHill Services Include:
UST/AST Closure Assessment/Facility Audit
Expert Witness and Litigation Support
Groundwater and Soil Investigations
Septic
System Design & Installation
Insurance Loss Control Services
Environmental Due Diligence
Spill Cleanup Cost Control
Petroleum Spill Cleanup
Water Supply Studies
NEPA Compliance
Site Remediation
LSP Services
StoneHill Environmental, Inc
600 State Street, Suite 2
Portsmouth, NH 03801
603-433-1935 Fax 433-1942