Tectonic was selected by Union College to assist their facilities department with preparing a building for demolition and the parcel it sat upon for redevelopment. The structure for razing was originally a railroad industry building from circa. 1940s that was repurposed over time. Tectonic surveyed the building for hazardous materials (HM) in the form of lead, asbestos, compressed gases, Poly-Chlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), waste oils, and looked for Underground Storage Tank Systems (USTs).

The building envelope and building interior were surveyed to satisfy National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M et al. Tectonic prepared an inventory of materials requiring specific handling before demolition. Scanning surveys of the ground provisionally identified an Unregulated Heating Oil Tank (UHOT) system. Construction commenced, and the UST system excavated was determined to be a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) -Regulated Gasoline Underground Storage Tank (RUST) and not a UHOT oil tank. Tectonic scrambled to address the changed conditions promptly, coordinated the project, backregistered the RUST and filed retention as the Licensed Site Remediation Professional (LSRP) for the Site, and filed for closure with the NJDEP. During this closure via removal another, second tank was discovered in the same excavation area.

This second tank was determined to have discharged. A Spill Act Discharge notification was reported, and the soil promptly remediated. Through careful over-excavation using direct observation and field screening (FS) with a Photo-Ionization Detector (PID) Tectonic successfully remediated without undermining the building. Soil testing (sampling and analysis) confirmed the successful closures: Both tanks — regulated and unregulated — were closed by the issuance of a Response Action Outcome (RAO) letter from one of Tectonic’ LSRPs. Any NJDEP Remedial Action Permit (RAP) in was avoided and Tectonic closed the case without any restrictions or encumbrances. Tectonic ended the NJDEP’s oversight of the location and the demolition proceeded.