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Environmental Due Diligence

PSI

Project Overview This Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) project, designated under IDOT Job No. D-91-442-20, focuses on assessing potential subsurface contamination across sections of McConner Parkway in Schaumburg, Illinois. The investigation, covering areas between Meacham Road and Golf Road, seeks to evaluate recognized environmental conditions (RECs) that may impact the construction timeline and worker safety. Weston

Gnarly to Nice

I’ve volunteered to head up a American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) Standard committee regarding Wetland Screens. Part of the process is to explain why I think the standard is necessary. This is my attempt to explain my thoughts.   In the due diligence phase of a property transaction, assessing the buildability of a

3rd Party Environmental Review

Commercial lenders who rely on Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) will inevitably face the challenge of determining whether they can trust the work presented by an environmental consultant. Trust in these reports is critical, as the findings directly impact the lender’s risk assessment and decision-making process. There are several reasons why a lender might

Quadcopter Drone

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), or as we call them, drones, are finding their way into engineering applications. The price to fly (use)  these machines is coming down and ideas about how they can be incorporated into the work we do is rising. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we find ourselves in the curious position of both

Drones in Environmental Consulting

The latest technology which is seeking applications in every industry is that of what is commonly known as “drones“. We call them “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” or UAV’s for short. A3 Environmental Consultants recognizes the need to keep up with what our engineering and government agency clients are looking for. To that end, we have partnered

ACM Survey at College of Dupage

College of DuPage is a public community college with its main campus in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates satellite campuses in Addison, Carol Stream, Naperville and Westmont. With more than 20,000 students, the College of DuPage is the second largest provider of undergraduate education in Illinois, after University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  Asbestos Containing Materials Survey Before starting any demolition, rehabilitation, or renovation of

UAV Tank Pull

In May of 2024, Taylor Closen, a project manager at A3 Environmental Consultants, managed and oversaw the removal of the fuel tanks and the contaminated soil from the site over the course of seven days. This project was not just a routine removal but involved meticulous planning and execution to ensure safety and compliance with

Jet3

The Illinois Air National Guard (IL ANG) is a reserve component of the U.S. Air Force and a state militia unit under the jurisdiction of the Illinois governor. Its 3000 employees are stationed with the 126th Air Refueling Wing, the 182nd Airlift Wing, and the 183rd Wing. In the spring of 2023, A3 Environmental Consultants

JET 2

The largest airline in the world, consisting of over 100,000 employees, who is the leading United States carrier for flights across both the Atlantic and Pacific, offering direct flights to international destinations continually contracts A3 Environmental Consultants to perform preliminary environmental site assessments on various international airports nationwide, including but not limited to, Chicago O’Hare

Jet

The largest airline in the world, consisting of over 100,000 employees, who is the leading United States carrier for flights across both the Atlantic and Pacific, offering direct flights to international destinations contracted A3E in 2024 to perform PFAS groundwater sampling and tap water testing at the hangars on the northwest side of Chicago O’Hare

Tiered Approach To Corrective Action Objectives (TACO)

You are here because you are annoyed that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t have a spreadsheet version of the Tiered Approach to Corrective Action Objectives (TACO) on their website. Well, I do and I’d like to share it with you. Tiered Approach to Correction Action Objectives (TACO) (Illinois) Download XLS Here There are some

CCDD Landfill Map Artwork

You’re looking for the Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) Table to download as a spreadsheet (xlsx) because you want to do something fancy with a database. I wanted that too and was frustrated to find that Illinois doesn’t have an official download. I had to make my own. Let’s get you taken care of. Maximum Allowable

drawn image of two people reviewing the contents of their Phase 1 Environmental reports

Phase 1 Environmental Reports serve as pivotal documents in assessing environmental risks associated with a property. Central to their integrity is the assurance of confidentiality, a cornerstone of professional practice within the environmental consulting industry. Access to these reports is typically restricted to parties directly involved in the contractual agreement governing their production. Without such

Brownfield Chicago Southwest Development Corporation

In 2012, what began as the site for a new Saint Anthony Hospital to replace its 121-year old facility and continue providing services and employment to the west and southwest sides of Chicago, evolved to a vision for greater access to the other areas of critical need for healthy communities, including education, safe housing and

Brownfield Chicago Southwest Development Corporation

In 2012, what began as the site for a new Saint Anthony Hospital to replace its 121-year old facility and continue providing services and employment to the west and southwest sides of Chicago, evolved to a vision for greater access to the other areas of critical need for healthy communities, including education, safe housing and

Perimeter Air Monitoring

In 1868 Chicago Gas Light and Coke Company built a Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP Plant) to produce coal gas at 1180 N. Crosby Street, Chicago, Illinois. In the early 1960’s, People’s Gas, the subsequent owner, closed the plant. ComEd, an Exelon company, purchased a 5.5 acre parcel, one of several which the MGP site was

CRE Professionals Need Environmental Reports

Commercial Real Estate Professionals can benefit from building a warm relationship with A3 Environmental Consultants. A good environmental consultant can help a CRE professional close deals that would otherwise have blown up at the first sign of a bad environmental report. Let’s discuss…   Sell-Side CRE Professionals: Sell-Side CRE Pros often don’t believe there’s anything

Illinois CCDD Map for Civil Engineers

After the promulgation of the Clean Construction or Demolition Debris (CCDD) rulemaking on August 24, 2006 (modified on August 27, 2012) by the Illinois Pollution Control Board, CCDD facilities began operations all across the state.  However, to date, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), has yet to establish a good database of these facilities. The

Large wetland requiring extra time to determine wetland delineation cost

If you’d like a wetland delineation cost and you’re not interested in reading a bunch of information about how we price a project, the best thing to do is call us at (888) 216-3201. For the rest of you that are interested in the components of a wetland and how they come together to create

  Air Monitoring Project Profile 2023 (Manufactured Gas Plant) Wetland Project Profile in DuPage County Illinois Wetland Survey for Cell Tower Industry – Project Profile 2023 Pre-Demolition Hazardous Building Materials Survey: Why it’s Important for Safe & Compliant Demolition Lake Villa School District UST Remediation Project Profile 2023 NFR Letter for a Federal Prison –

great blue heron fishing for frogs taken while A3E was Wetland Permitting- Jurisdictional Determination Request

If you have a vacant property which you’d like to purchase and you need to make absolutely certain your project won’t be blocked because of a wetland, you will need to submit a jurisdictional determination request. Essentially this is a letter you will receive back from the US Army Corp of Engineers and / or

Wetland Delineation Map

In the universe of services termed “environmental due diligence” one of these services is determining if a property has a wetland. There are different levels of due diligence needed to answer important questions before the sale of a commercial property. Wetland due diligence is no different. We created four different levels with four different price

Close up of a wood duck taken during a Wetland Delineation Report- Ecological Due Diligence

A wetland delineation report is the “deliverable”, the thing you receive, when you purchase a wetland delineation. This work is performed during the due diligence process which happens in advance of purchasing a commercial property. Not every project is the same. Not every client needs the same level of inspection done on their property. Because of

Plant found by wetland identification program in McHenry County Illinois

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Wetland Confirmation survey being done by woman in Lake County Illinois

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Woman standing in water after doing a wetland inspection in chicago illinois

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Woman standing in water performing a wetland determination in DuPage County Illinois

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Female Scientist performing a wetland screen in Illinois

A full wetland delineation is a known quantity. It’s an established report whose contents and format are done the same way by everyone who perform wetland delineations professionally. There are drawbacks to a full wetland delineation. They take time to schedule and complete. They are the most involved and therefore the most expensive option available.

Swamp Milkweed found at a wetland project in DuPage County Illinois

Wetland Project Background In April 2023,  A3 Environmental Consultant’s joint venture with Olson Ecological Solutions (A3E+OES) conducted a wetland project for an approximately 1.2-acre parcel planned for minor development by the landowner in Section 1, Township 40 North, Range 10 East, located in Medinah, Illinois in DuPage County. The purpose of the wetland delineation was

Wetland Survey finding Common DuckWeed

In April 2023, a wetland survey was conducted for a 3-acre project area in the town of Wyanet, found in lovely Bureau County, Illinois, intended for cell tower construction. The land use at the time was grazing pasture with a pond and drainage ditch, a wooded area to the east, and a naturalized area to

Cardinal Flower, a native plant found in a jurisdictional wetland in DuPage County

Jurisdictional vs Non-Jurisdictional Wetlands Wetlands can be considered jurisdictional if they meet certain criteria established by the government agency that has jurisdiction over them. In the United States, the primary agency responsible for wetland regulation is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which administers the Clean Water Act. It’s important to note, the USACE

Asbestos Containing Materials Survey in Aurora Illinois on a dilapidated house

In January 2023, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) was commissioned to perform an asbestos containing materials (ACM) survey on a residential property slated for demolition in Aurora Illinois. The survey was critical to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to asbestos abatement and to protect public health and safety during the demolition process.

Hazardous Building Materials Survey

Demolition is a crucial process in the construction industry that involves removing a building or structure to make way for a new project. However, it’s essential to ensure that demolition projects are executed safely and efficiently, which is where the pre-demolition hazardous building materials survey comes in. The purpose of a pre-demolition hazardous building materials

UST Remediation project at a school in Lake Villa Illinois

The Lake Villa Illinois School District purchased a property back in 2000. The site is a former gasoline station that had three underground storage tanks (UST) removed in 2009. A release was declared during removal of the USTs because of corrosion and overfilling. Early Action and Stage I Investigations took place from June to September

Leaking Underground Storage Tank Projects

A3 Environmental Consultant’s client is the owner of several gas stations. One of these gas stations, located in Alsip, Illinois, experienced a LUST incident (IEMA Incident #20150675, IEPA LPC #0310035069) in 2015. Following the release, approved Stage 1 and Stage 2 investigations were undertaken from 2016 to 2019. However, shortly after submission of the Stage

NFR For a Federal Correctional Institution for a Leaking Underground Storage Tank

The site is a Federal Correctional Institution.  A3 Environmental Consultants performed a UST Environmental Project at a facility located at 2600 South Second Street in Pekin, Illinois (the ‘Site’). On June 14-15, 2021, Earth Services, contracted by Greenwave Consultants (Greenwave) of Springfield, IL removed one (1) 1,000- gallon used oil Underground Storage Tank (UST), one

3D CADD Underground Storage Tank

. . . . . . . . . . When it comes to environmental consulting, typically the laboratories and environmental scientists get all the glory. Labs prove definitively what’s in the soil. But what do you do if you can’t do lab work because there’s nothing there to test? Gather ’round the children and

Source Water Protection Area diagram

Part of the services we provide at A3 Environmental Consultants is Environmental Screening for Wellhead Protection Areas (WPA) for Point Source Pollution. The logical first question everyone asks is “What does a Environmental Screen for a Wellhead Protection Area look like?” Well, click through this link and download a sample. A3E provides these services for

Wellhead Protection Area. A map of an area where a water well draws down groundwater shown in the style of a Computer Aided Drafting and Design CADD drawing

A Wellhead Protection Area (WPA) is a type of designation made by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to safeguard underground sources of drinking water, such as aquifers, from potential contamination. The purpose of designating a WPA is to prevent or limit the migration of pollutants from the surface into the aquifers which supply

Baseline Environmental Assessment on a industrial facility with truck docks and a rail road spur

In the State of Michigan, any property which is known to contain contamination at concentrations which exceed the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Part 201 Residential Cleanup Criteria (RCC) is defined as a “facility.” Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) of 1994 contains two sections (Part 201 and Part 213) which allow

Every civil engineer at some time or another needs to move soil offsite. The question is always where to move it and what does it cost. One of our specialties at A3 Environmental Consultants is performing soil management projects. You may, however, want to do them yourself. In the spirit of collaboration, I give you

Wetland

Wetlands are vital components of the natural landscape, providing important ecosystem services such as water filtration, flood control, and habitat for a diverse array of plants and animals. In Illinois, wetland resources are protected under state and federal regulations, including the Illinois Wetland Protection Act and the Clean Water Act. These regulations require that wetlands

Environmental Site Assessment on Commercial Real Estate

An environmental site assessment (ESA) is a critical step in the process of buying a commercial property. It involves identifying, reviewing, and analyzing any potential environmental concerns or risks associated with the property. By conducting an ESA, you can make informed decisions about whether to purchase the property and, if so, what actions may be

Understanding Environmental Liens

An environmental lien is a legal claim against a property for damages or other environmental harm caused by the owner or previous owner of the property. Environmental liens can be placed on a property by a government agency, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or by a private party who has suffered damages as

Asbestos Containing Materials Survey

Illinois Tool Works (ITW) is ranked 201 in Fortune Magazine’s 500 largest US Businesses. Headquartered in Glenview Illinois, ITW is a manufacturer of thousands of different items from Zip Ties to Hobart Mixers. In the course of doing business, ITW was interested in purchasing the former Chase Brass & Copper building which also formerly held

IDOT

Weston Solutions is an engineering and environmental consulting company located in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Serving the Chicago Metropolitan area out of Lincolnshire, Illinois, Weston Solutions partnered with A3 Environmental Consultants on various projects for the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) A3E was subcontracted by Weston Solutions to perform a Preliminary Site

Environmental Teamwork

From the first time we held a ball we knew. The Crayons, Speak & Spell, the Slinky are all toys that could be played with in solitude. …But the ball. The ball is no fun alone. You throw the ball, you need someone to catch the ball. That someone needs to throw it back. And

Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA)

In the State of Michigan, the state legislature created a process to accommodate the continued use of contaminated property called the Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA).  Table Of Contents What Problem was Michigan Trying to Solve with the BEA? How Does a Baseline Environmental Assessment Work? Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Phase II Environmental Site Assessment

Turning 7 A3E

I wanted to take a beat from our normal marketing messaging to talk about entrepreneurship in general and my experience as a woman-owned business. I believe there are many members of ACEC who have contemplated starting their own consulting business and might be interested in the story. In addition; I’d like to be a resource for

Crab Orchard NPL Site

The Sangamo Electric Dump/Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge (the Refuge) is located five miles west of Marion in Williamson County, Illinois. The Refuge includes about 43,500 acres of land. The area is a wildlife refuge and is also in use for recreation, agriculture, and industrial purposes. Prior to and during World War II, the U.S.

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