Services
Groundwater Investigation and Remediation
The Virginia office of Bennett & Williams, Inc. has performed over 500 groundwater investigations and remediations. Project types vary according to the nature of the contaminant and its source, and include solid waste facilities, chemical releases, lagoons, drums, underground storage tanks, above ground storage facilities and encompass hazardous and non-hazardous waste and product releases. Technical approaches to site characterization include: drilling (hollow stem auger, air rotary), geoprobe, soil gas survey, monitoring well design and placement, surface geophysics (electromagnetic survey, ground penetrating radar), and sampling methodologies for low-flow sampling of groundwater, surface water, solid waste and hazardous waste.
Remediation Techniques employed include in-situ and ex-situ means of treatment for saturated and unsaturated zone soils, groundwater and phase separated contaminants. Specifically, pump and treat technology, aggressive fluid vapor recovery, dual-phase extraction, bioremediation, vapor extraction, trench and passive skimmer recovery.
After sampling and monitoring is complete, data evaluation methods, such as statistical analysis, trend analysis, quantitative risk assessment and computer fate and transport modeling are utilized to determine remediation endpoints, cost-effective technical approaches, and successful project completion in accordance with applicable regulatory standards.
Water Supply Development
Using fracture trace analysis, Bennett & Williams, Inc. has performed nearly 50 water supply development projects, with a greater than 99% success rate. These projects require specialized technical skills for evaluation of topographic maps, geologic data, aerial photography, stereoscopic prints and mapping of photolinear and geologic features. Field verification of professional interpretive conclusions ensure proper siting of water supply wells. Pumping tests to determine aquifer performance characteristics are also used to predict well yield and provide usage recommendations. Geologic environments include fracture bedrock of the Piedmont and Valley and Ridge Physiographic Provinces, Coastal Plain sediments, karst settings and Triassic Basin sandstones.
Emergency Operations Planning
Bennett & Williams, Inc. brings a unique, holistic approach to disaster and emergency response planning which incorporates human, business and environmental facets to disaster mitigation, planning, response and recovery phases. Project experience has included the preparation of Emergency Response Plans, Emergency Operations Plans, Methane Gas Mitigation and Response Plans, and training programs designed to guide users in integrated, effective emergency preparedness and response. Additionally, Bennett & Williams, Inc. provides 24-hour emergency response to oil spills, chemical releases and explosive threats. First response consultation to mitigate immediate threats, coordination with regulatory agencies, followed by site investigation and remediation provides clients with start-to-finish expertise. Personnel are 40-hour OSHA trained and certified in Emergency Management by FEMA
Voluntary Remediation and Brownfields Program
Water and land are finite resources, and Bennett & Williams, Inc. is experienced in providing rehabilitative technical and regulatory assistance to maximize our collective natural resources. We have completed the first-ever solid municipal waste facility reclamation in Virginia, employing a waste separation process to reduce costs with an analytical testing program to ensure environmental quality. Other projects have included the design, oversight and final completion of risk-based site remediation and restoration addressing solid waste, gas and groundwater resources.
Solid Waste Management
Bennett and Williams, Inc. has extensive experience with municipal solid waste facilities, including design, operation, closure and post-closure care. Our work includes groundwater, surface water and gas monitoring, planning and implementation, emergency mitigation, active and passive methane gas management systems, geotextiles, statistical data analysis, clay cap installation and all phases of regulatory compliance. We have employed various methane management approaches, such as active extraction trenches, enhanced point-of-extraction methods and passive ventilation. Groundwater monitoring methods have included low-flow sampling to reduce turbidity associated with elevated metals concentrations, and innovative well design and sampling approaches to ensure sample representativeness. Finally, our statistical capabilities and geologic expertise enable data analysis that is site-specific and based on each site’s unique characteristics.
Mineralogical Valuation
Our geologists bring more than 200 years of collective experience to bear on characterizing the subsurface. Using both invasive and non-invasive techniques, Bennett & Williams, Inc. has performed hundreds of geologic site characterizations, meeting a wide range of client needs. From locating water sources to quantifying mineralogical properties and geological profiles, our geologists are capable of valuating and quantifying resources for both economic and environmental benefit.
