Assessing the Liabilities of PFAS at a Site, and Prioritising your Resources
Tuesday, August 14, 2018: 9:35 a.m.
Douglas Smith
,
Contamination Assessment and Remediation, GHD Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
Jacqui Hallchurch
,
Contamination Assessment and Remediation, GHD Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
Completing contaminated site assessments has long-since provided a means for decision makers to assess the potential environmental liabilities associated with a property. The emergence of new contaminants such as per- and poly-fluoroalky substances (PFAS) present unique challenges to those who rely on the results for making informed decisions on the long term use of these sites. Organizations with years of data pertaining to contaminants at their sites are now being asked to assess their sites for potential PFAS contamination. In a time of regulatory uncertainty and rapidly evolving science regarding the risk of PFAS, both consultants and decision makers are looking for effective strategies to determine the potential liabilities.
Over the past few years, organisations, consultants, and regulators across Australia and internationally have been working in a similar environment of uncertainty and adapting our traditional approach for site investigations to this emerging contaminant of concern. How these approaches have been adapted vary greatly based on the regulatory status where the organization operates.
Critical to making informed decisions is the need to understand the potential magnitude of the issue including broader appreciation of not only where PFAS maybe present across a site or portfolio of sites, but also the individual site characteristics and potential risk exposure pathways through PFAS may be introduced to the environment.
From the perspective of a project and client manager who completes environmental site assessments, this presentation will discuss the importance of understanding where the risks of PFAS contamination are high, and how to prioritise resources to better understand these risks and potential liabilities. Supported by case studies, this presentation will review the need to understand the potential sources-pathway-receptor linkages for PFAS contamination in prioritising resources.
Douglas Smith, Contamination Assessment and Remediation, GHD Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
Doug is a senior environmental scientist with more than 13 years of experience in North America and almost three years of experience in Australia. Following GHD’s merger with CRA, Doug accepted an internal transfer to relocate to Sydney, Australia to help facilitate the exchange of knowledge and resources. This includes the mobilization of knowledge with respect to emerging contaminants such as PFAS. Doug’s experience includes excavation, disposal, and capping projects; and groundwater remediation programmes. Doug’s primary responsibilities include managing project teams, preparation of budgets, data review and interpretation, providing senior technical guidance and preparation of technical reports.
Jacqui Hallchurch, Contamination Assessment and Remediation, GHD Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia
Jacqui is a Principal Environmental Scientist with more than 13 years’ experience completing environmental site assessments, property portfolio evaluations and remedial options assessments. Jacqui has managed more than 200 projects across Australia and delivered remediation projects for a range of contamination issues. Over the past five years, Jacqui has been involved with the assessment of PFAS impacted sites including operational airport facilities, fire training grounds and operational Defence bases. She has developed and implemented sampling programs specifically designed to delineate the extent of PFAS contamination with particular emphasis on the potential for off-site migration and consideration of sensitive receptors.
