ECT’s Brownfields Interaction Team completed a site characterization to discover the extent of subsurface contamination at an EPA-funded brownfield property in Suwannee County, Florida. The purpose of the investigation was to quickly and qualitatively determine if, and at what depth, remnant petroleum or chlorinated solvent contamination might exist beneath the property due to historical site uses. The membrane-interface probe (MIP) investigation was used to gain information regarding soil types and depth to limestone at key locations.

A MIP functions as a screening tool with semi-quantitative capabilities that can detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil and sediment. The probe captures the vapor sample, and a carrier gas transports the sample to the surface for analysis. A log then shows the response of flame-ionization and photo-ionization detectors with depth in the soil to facilitate soil logging and contaminant concentrations.

At Live Oak, the MIP evaluation suggested a strong correlation between the flame-ionization and photo-ionization detectors at one location. Notably, this was also the location of a former railroad property, and the location and depth of potential residual or weathered petroleum products identified during previous assessment activities completed by others in 1996.

The ECT Brownfields Interaction Team leveraged their backgrounds in state and local government, real estate, economic development, finance, law, public relations, and marketing to help a purchaser and lender work through complicated questions related to acquisition, redevelopment, cleanup, job creation and construction. This team’s expertise is called upon routinely to help local units of government reposition, assemble and market their sites for interest by developers and other end users.