Contract – Leaaf is currently under contract with JESCO Environmental & Geotechnical Services, Inc. (JESCO) to assist them in the completion of numerous site investigations as part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Region 6 Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program.  These projects included Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), Environmental Risk Assessment Investigations, Clean-Up Plans, Asbestos and Lead Inspections, and Regulated Materials Surveys throughout Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

Location: San Elizario, Texas

Background – The 166-acre site is currently an agricultural lease with a 3,246 square foot main house, a 3,677 square foot small house with offices, a 20,072 square foot manufacturing and mill facility, a 2,308 square foot accessory structure, and 7,440 square feet in agricultural bays.  The main house is over 100 years old and other structures were constructed from the 1960s to the 1990s.  The site is planned to be redeveloped as a multi-use public access including a park, community center, event venue, camping, athletics, trails, and agriculture.

Phase I ESA – Leaaf conducted a Phase I ESA in accordance with ASTM E1527-13 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process and All Appropriate Inquiry on “The Farm” in San Elizario, Texas as part of an EPA Region 6 TBA. The Farm is an active cotton farm and former grain mill, with plans to be redeveloped into community space.  Historic and current recognized environmental conditions (RECs) were identified as possible environmental risks associated with redevelopment. The Phase I ESA Report was produced outlining the following RECs: arsenic used as a common pesticide; unknown pesticide and herbicide application; and use of petroleum products associated with the grain mill.

Phase II ESA – A Phase II ESA was conducted on a portion of the property that will be converted into a community garden. Nine soil borings were advanced and soil samples from this area, as well as groundwater samples from the onsite domestic well, were collected to further investigate the RECs identified during the Phase I ESA. Samples were analyzed for arsenic, organochlorine pesticides, and chlorinated herbicides and evaluated in accordance with Texas Risk Reduction Program (TRRP) guidance.A report summarizing the activities and findings of the Phase II investigation was produced.  Levels of arsenic in the soil and groundwater were detected at concentrations above the TRRP protective concentration levels (PCLs).