Joe Ruiz serves as a Client Account Manager in Weston’s Commercial, State, and Local businesses, playing an integral role in understanding client needs and guiding them throughout the project lifecycle. He has a comprehensive knowledge of environmental contamination, with over two decades of experience investigating hazardous waste sites and implementing remediation projects for both the private and public sectors. Joe has led diverse teams, overseeing all aspects of different impacted sites. His job includes negotiating with regulatory agencies under administrative/consent orders, conducting advanced site characterization, and optimizing long-term remediation systems.
Could you clarify why lead is being recognized as a re-emerging contaminant and what has led to its renewed concern recently?
On January 17, 2024, the EPA lowered the residential lead screening levels for the first time in 30 years. While lead’s toxicity has been recognized for centuries and known to be a contaminant since the inception of environmental regulations, public awareness has increased in recent years. The EPA’s Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 drew attention to the dangers of lead-based paint lurking in older homes. This critical legislation not only raised awareness among residential contractors and homeowners but empowered them to become public health champions, urging action to address the associated health. Furthermore, national news coverage of the 2014 Flint Michigan lead drinking water crisis sparked national awareness about the dangers of lead exposure, calling for testing, and mitigation of lead pipes and old infrastructure. The movement was further bolstered by policy changes at the Federal level, with initiatives like the White House’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan and EPA’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.
I anticipate that the focus on lead will persist due to the abundant historic sources that remain in the environment, and the countless experts who agree that there is no known safe level of lead in a child’s blood. The EPA’s 2022 Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities, which outlines their plan to reduce cumulative lead exposures and promote environmental justice, contribute to the sustained attention on lead as an aggregate environmental contaminant. These factors make it very likely that lead will remain a significant concern for an extended period.
What are the major sources of lead contamination in the environment, and how does it affect ecosystems and human health?
While lead occurs naturally in the environment, the primary sources of lead contamination derive from industrial activities, lead paint, lead additives in gasoline, and lead pipes and fittings in water systems. Lead exposure has significant potential for adverse effects on human health as it accumulates in the body, impacting the brains and nervous systems of children. Lead also disrupts ecosystems by adversely impacting the health of plants and animals, resulting in negative impacts on biodiversity.
Weston has worked on many projects that have addressed lead contamination, where, often, the contamination we are mitigating is the byproduct of industrial activities. For example, we recently completed a soil remediation project in Depew, New York. Weston supported mitigation of lead- contaminated soil that affected 70 residential properties, which are adjacent to several industrial facilities that formerly produced lead waste. We removed 17,100 tons of lead-contaminated soil and associated vegetation, restoring confidence that kids can play in their own backyards and families can enjoy home-grown vegetables without worry. You can imagine the remarkable transformation an entire community can undergo when its soil is free from lead contamination.
What are the key steps involved in assessing lead contamination and what methods and techniques are used?
The investigative approach will vary by site and is dependent on the source and extent of the contamination. To assess any potential impact of lead released to the environment, and to determine the potential for adverse effects on human health and the environment, we often use a two-phase investigative approach.
During the first phase, an X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) meter is used in the field to determine how spread out the contamination is. The XRF results are then used to direct the second phase, which includes sampling and laboratory analysis. We use the EPA-approved incremental sampling methodology (ISM) to provide a representative average soil concentration within an exposure area, also called a decision unit (DU), to support the assessment of risk to human and ecological receptors. Blood lead models developed by the EPA are used to assess the exposure and risk to young children (12 to 72 months old) and adult workers. In addition, we frequently collect discrete subsurface samples to assess how deep the contamination goes, and its potential on the groundwater.
To characterize and assess the presence of lead contamination in surface water and sediment, samples are collected closest to the source. Sampling is then expanded using a systematic approach to assess the extent of potential impact upstream and downstream of the source.
If the lead source material can be sampled, a lead isotope analysis can be performed to compare the isotope ratio in environmental media and the isotope ratio in the source material. Isotope analysis is a powerful tool and a reliable method to determine the source of the contamination by comparing the “DNA” of the source materials with a second sample.
How do you determine whether the levels of lead found in an area are significant and require remediation?
Despite the EPA indicating that there is no safe level of exposure to lead, the process of determining cleanup levels for lead is complex. Cleanup levels are commonly developed by combining an evaluation of risks associated with the lead concentrations in soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment; background concentrations that vary by location (e.g., urban vs. rural); and state-specific regulatory standards. By collaborating with state agencies, we can develop appropriate cleanup levels that protect both human health and the environment. Once the cleanup level is established, we then tailor the most effective remediation strategy to the specific needs of the property, considering its current and future use.
If required, what remedial alternatives are recommended to address lead impacts?
Once a thorough investigation has been completed, a remediation plan is developed that includes a review of proposed technologies, options for remedial actions, and a strategy that satisfies regulatory requirements and overall remedial objectives. These plans vary based on the regulatory program and consider elements like the volume of contaminated media, implementation strategy, necessary permits, long-term/short-term effectiveness, and quality assurance/quality control.
Remedial plans are developed in accordance with federal and state regulatory requirements, and Weston may recommend one or several of the following remedial approaches:
- Excavation and off-site disposal of impacted media (e.g., soil/sediment)
- In-situ stabilization of impacted media (treating contaminated soil on site without excavating or removing)
- Groundwater treatment
- Use of engineering controls (e.g., cover or cap systems for soils; fencing, or other barriers limiting access)
- Institutional controls (e.g., notification of residual contamination limiting the use of impacted/remediated areas, industrial land use restrictions)
- Monitored natural attenuation (e.g., for impacted water) and inspections/monitoring of remediated media, as applicable (e.g., soil cover systems, etc.)
How do you work with stakeholders, such as property owners, local authorities, and community members, during the investigation and remediation process?
Throughout my career, I have engaged with a variety of stakeholders, and the key to successful interactions has consistently been frequent communication. In some cases, property owners are not the primary client, so negotiating access agreements, providing updated data, and maintaining a relationship with the property owner is critical to keeping the project moving forward. It is critical that we earn the trust of property owners so that they are comfortable with the work we are doing on their land.
When working with the community, a different level of engagement is often required to ensure they understand how the contamination affects them and their families and that Weston is there to help clean up. To achieve this, Weston has used various approaches such as direct mailings, toll-free helplines for any questions, public meetings, and one-on-one meetings in residents’ living rooms. By adapting our engagement strategies based on the specific situation, we have been able to strike the right balance, ensuring the progress of our projects while keeping our clients and the community informed and satisfied with the remedial progress.
Can you describe how and why it is important to effectively communicate technical information about lead contamination to non-experts, such as community members or public officials?
Weston brings an exciting element to the table when it comes to this area of effective communication. Our internal Enterprise Visualization and Analytics (EVA) group is adept at managing vast amounts of data and creating real-time tables and figures immediately after receiving data from a laboratory. For example, we were recently tasked with remediating a former electroplating facility in a residential neighborhood. Due to the site’s proximity to the residences, the client wanted to ensure that progress of the remediation and conditions at the site were available to residents and other stakeholders. Weston created a publicly accessible website that provided site history and background and displayed remediation status and air monitoring results in real-time. The website was widely used by the neighborhood to understand what was happening in their backyards.
Our EVA group makes all this happen using web-based GIS technologies, infographics, and data visualization techniques. By continually updating these visual representations, we effectively communicate progress, results, and next steps to keep stakeholders well-informed and actively engaged. Frequent communication is essential, and everyone must be aligned throughout the project. We have found the most effective way to accomplish this goal is by using our EVA tools. Keeping stakeholders informed is non-negotiable and is key to limiting any unwelcome surprises that may impact the client or project.