Florida International Engineering understands the myriad environmental conditions, outside of a business risk or lending scope of work, that require further investigation and remediation. These additional activities can be caused by a public relation concern, pending legal action, and/or regulatory driven requirements. We assess and investigate sites suspected of containing hazardous materials on a regular basis. Prior to initiating any assessment, we review client and project objectives, also considering site specifics to determine the best assessment strategy. We perform regulatory consultations and negotiations on behalf of our clients, to ensure their facilities comply with applicable standards at every phase of a project. We prefer to prevent environmental liability for our clients rather than addressing its aftermath, and feel all involved parties benefit from this perspective.
Site Investigations are performed to determine the quantity, location, and nature of hazardous materials and their impact on site-specific conditions. During our investigations, we specifically account for the past, present, and future use of the subject site and surrounding properties. A conceptual site model is developed using existing data, literature searches, geological reports, historical records, aerial photographs, and local, state, and federal regulatory files. This model is further refined from field data by performing field screening activities such as soil gas studies, preliminary surface soil surveys, air quality surveys, and other physical and chemical studies. Detailed site assessment may involve vadose zone monitoring; sampling air, water, materials, and soil; aquifer testing; and tracer or treatability studies. We tailor each investigation work plan for specific site requirements in conjunction with our client’s objectives and applicable regulatory standards. Risk assessments are then prepared, that evaluate the potential impact of hazardous materials on human health and the environment. The risk assessment will define materials of concern, identify potential receptors (surface water, drinking water resources, human inhalation, and air quality), and evaluate available analytical data, eventually determining exposures, toxicity, and risk characterizations. Risk assessment conclusions are used to develop cleanup criteria that dictate remedial design for a contaminated property.
Site Remediation, derived from a thorough risk assessment and evaluation of remedial alternatives, is at the core of Florida International Engineering services. Remedial technologies must be consistent with state and federal requirements, meet our client’s objectives, and most importantly, be within our client’s economic feasibility. Florida International Engineering professionals use risk based corrective action to determine the hazard a contaminant of concern poses to human health and the environment. When environmental risks require active remediation of contaminants, Florida International Engineering is experienced with current remediation design strategies including, but not limited to, red-ox injection, hydraulic control, soil vapor extraction, airsparging, bio-remediation, solidification, and landfill disposal.
Asbestos and LBP Investigations and Remedial Design are material-specific services required for renovation and demolition projects. These inspections mitigate the exposure risk to workers and residents by identifying hazardous building materials prior to their disturbance. We take this responsibility very seriously, and realize that cost effective remedial solutions are at the heart of a good investigation. Florida International Engineering not only identifies hazardous materials in our reports, we also quantify and definitively locate these materials in a property structure. Further, we prepare remedial plans that are tailored to the client’s project specific requirements.
Moisture and Mold Investigations and Remedial Design, typically driven by resident health concerns, require a proactive approach. Often, indoor mold growth is caused by a basic construction defect resulting in excess moisture intrusion. Florida International Engineering has identified that mold, in most cases, is a symptom of wet conditions. Our construction specialists and environmental scientists work in concert to not only remove and mitigate active mold, but also address identified construction deficiencies with recommendations gathered from practical experience and building science.