Environmental Remediation

SPCC compliance audit of aboveground oil storage tanks in secondary containment at an Illinois utility facility

An SPCC compliance audit verifies that a facility’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan — required under 40 CFR Part 112 for facilities storing oil above regulatory thresholds — is accurate, enforceable, and ready for a regulator’s visit. Since 2020, a Northern Illinois natural gas utility has relied on A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) to run

Brownfield Assessment - St Charles Phase I ESA

Redeveloping industrial properties comes with unique challenges, and a thorough Brownfield Assessment is critical for success. In 2025, A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) conducted a detailed Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) for the 24.7-acre St. Charles Brownfield Site in Kane County, Illinois. This assessment, performed in accordance with ASTM E1527-21 and the USEPA All Appropriate

UST compliance audit for Illinois OSFM tank inspections

Public utility provider(s) in Northern Illinois rely on A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) to manage their Underground Storage Tank (UST) removal and closures. In addition, A3E provides UST Compliance Audits to keep our clients on the right side of the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Our clients work hard to avoid regulatory compliance issues

Leaking underground storage tank LUST

Discovering a leaking underground storage tank (UST) on your property is like finding out your basement has a swimming pool you didn’t order—and it’s full of gasoline. Whether you’re preparing to buy, sell, or simply manage a site, a UST is rarely a welcome surprise. Regulators are strict, buyers get nervous, and cleanup costs can

Clean Construction Demolition Debris CCDD

The following is a guide for regular people regarding CCDD – which stands for Clean Construction Demolition Debris. In this primer, we’re going to take a beat to cover background information you’ll need to keep in mind while reading. I’m making the assumption that you, the reader, is not an engineer or environmental consultant but is in an industry that is touched by these regulations.

A front end loader filling a dump truck with clean fill

The Illinois MAC value table sets the Maximum Allowable Concentration (MAC) limits that decide whether soil qualifies as clean fill (CCDD). MAC refers to the maximum allowable levels of contamination in clean fill. CCDD stands for Clean Construction Demolition Debris and is a body of laws from the IEPA (Illinois EPA) that regulate clean fill

a stack of rusted barrels waiting for environmental remediation

When most people hear the phrase Environmental Remediation, they picture white-suited consultants scrubbing away spills with oversized toothbrushes or magically restoring soil overnight. The reality is far less cinematic and far more complex. Contamination doesn’t just disappear—it lingers, shifts, and reshapes the way we use land for decades, even centuries. At A3 Environmental Consultants, we

Brownfield

What is a brownfield? It’s not a fancy eco-buzzword—it’s an abandoned piece of real estate that once held a gas station, a factory, or even a strip mall. Instead of thriving, these properties sit empty for years, fenced off and avoided, because they’re weighed down by one ugly truth: real or suspected contamination. Brownfields are

Blue Island brownfield grant site at 119th Street and Vincennes

Introduction Hello again to the elected officials of the City of Blue Island. You may remember me from my time at the podium of your December 17th 2024 board meeting. I’m Tim Allen, in Business Development for A3 Environmental Consultants, a woman owned environmental consultancy in Lisle, Illinois. We’ve been working in Chicagoland for 24

Leaking underground storage tank closure at Midway Airport

This leaking underground storage tank closure project at Midway Airport began with an open LUST incident that the IEPA had not closed. 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

Jet at Chicago O'Hare, site of A3E's PFAS sampling project

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 sampling (groundwater and tap water testing) at the hangars on the northwest side of Chicago O’Hare

Brownfield Chicago Southwest Development Corporation

This brownfield community involvement project profile covers the Focal Point Community Campus in Chicago. 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

Brownfield Chicago Southwest Development Corporation

This brownfield grant writing project profile covers how A3E helped secure USEPA brownfield grant funding for the Focal Point Community Campus in Chicago. 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

Brownfield Chicago Southwest Development Corporation

This brownfield remediation project profile covers A3E’s work for Chicago Southwest Development Corporation on the Focal Point Community Campus in Chicago. 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

Perimeter Air Monitoring

This air monitoring project profile covers the four months of perimeter and personnel air monitoring A3E performed, starting September 2023, at a former manufactured gas plant in Chicago. 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

CCDD facilities in Illinois 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 in Illinois began operations all across the state.  However, to date, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), has yet to establish a good database of these

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.

UST Remediation project at a school in Lake Villa Illinois

This UST remediation project profile covers a former gas station owned by the Lake Villa School District. 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

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

FCI Pekin NFR letter for a leaking underground storage tank

The site is a Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Pekin).  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

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

A Michigan Baseline Environmental Assessment is the State of Michigan’s legal tool for buying contaminated property without inheriting liability for someone else’s pollution. In Michigan, any property known to contain contamination above the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Part 201 Residential Cleanup Criteria (RCC) is defined as a “facility.” Michigan’s Natural

Asbestos survey of asbestos containing materials in a Chicago industrial facility

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

Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA)

A baseline environmental assessment is the Michigan legal process that lets you buy and reuse contaminated property without inheriting liability for the pollution. In the State of Michigan, the state legislature created this process to accommodate the continued use of contaminated property, called the Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA). For the Michigan-specific eligibility and Due Care

Site remediation Project Profile for Crane Rental Company

A client with 65 years history providing heavy construction equipment rental from 109 facilities located across all 50 states contacted A3 Environmental Consultants seeking help with their purchase of a 24 acre industrial site. They had historic a Phase I ESA and a Phase II ESA showing contamination on the site indicative of heavy automotive

CADD for CCDD

This CADD project profile shows A3E’s drafting and GIS work producing CCDD site figures. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third largest school district in the United States and is entrusted with educating the children of Chicago Illinois. With a total of 658 schools servicing over 400,000 students, CPS aims to provide a safe, healthy

Soil Management Plan

A Soil Management Plan tells contractors exactly how to handle and dispose of the soil they excavate on a development site — and getting it wrong is expensive. Before we dig into the details, a quick scene-setter. Architects are interested in designing beautiful buildings. Engineers are interested in making sure the architect’s beautiful buildings will

CADD Due Diligence

Busey Bank is headquartered in Champaign Illinois and has lending operations across the midwest and Florida. With a history dating back to 1868, Busey Bank currently has 1400 employees serving 47 locations and is a major business lender in their three state footprint. Due Diligence Figures A3E CADD Services provides due diligence figure packages for

Leaking underground storage tank LUST

A Chicagoland environmental company performed a Phase I ESA as part of a refinancing program for an apartment complex in Chicago Illinois. In the process they identified two underground storage tanks (UST) which were used to serve fuel oil to the HVAC system in years past. That meant an underground oil tank removal. A3E works

Wendler Engineering brownfield redevelopment site in DeKalb, Illinois

This brownfield redevelopment project profile covers a former auto service and dry cleaner site in DeKalb. In 2017 Wendler Engineering Services contacted A3 Environmental Consultants requesting to have their Site Remediation Project (SRP) site closed out so they could sell the property. The site was located in downtown DeKalb, Illinois and was the former location

MWRD Logo

In 2019 A3 Environmental Consultants won their first of two consecutive bids for routine groundwater sampling at the Thornton Quarry, in Thornton Illinois for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRDGC). The MWRD is responsible for all the water runoff and storm sewer outflow for their management area. They built an enormous public

Dry Cleaner SRP Project for Oxford Bank

Oxford Bank & Trust refinanced a large strip mall in Mundelein Illinois for a closely held real estate company. During the Phase I ESA a dry cleaning facility which was still an active tenant at the strip mall was suspected to have leaked chlorinated solvents, including tetrachloroethylene or PCE. A Phase II ESA was performed

CADD Asbestos Abatement Plans

CBRE is a worldwide real estate services company headquartered in Dallas Texas with satellite offices in Oakbrook Illinois. CBRE is in the business of property management, sales and due diligence for property transactions. As such they employ many professionals who work hard to illuminate risks being taking by buyers and sellers of commercial real estate.

Image of a Industrial Site Phase II ESA

This project profile documents an industrial Phase II ESA A3 Environmental Consultants performed on a former steel fabrication plant in Hammond, Indiana. New to the process? Start with what a Phase II ESA is and what a Phase 2 ESA costs. A steel fabrication business that has been in business for over 100 years contracted A3 Environmental Consultants to perform a

CADD - A3E

A3E CADD Services provide complete figure sets for all clients requiring UST removal and excavation sampling. When we identify tanks in the ground that have been damaged or forgotten, action needs to be taken the ensure the safety of the public for the generations to come. Part of this process is to convey to the

Gas station UST removal at Rand River Auto

This gas station UST removal project at Rand River Auto in Streamwood, Illinois was completed through the Illinois Site Remediation Program (SRP). In 2018, A3 Environmental Consultants was contracted to review a Phase I ESA which was completed twenty years earlier. The Phase I ESA identified the property as a former gas station. At the

Hydrovac Truck

Public utility provider(s) in Northern Illinois rely on A3 Environmental Consultants (A3E) to track waste streams, both hazardous and non-hazardous in their systems. A3E performs sample collection and analytical data reviews to determine the correct method for disposal of the material, which includes incineration, grouting in place, or final disposal at a Subtitle D landfill.

Soil management plan for contaminated soil disposal at Chicago Public Schools

This CPS Soil Management Plan project profile shows how A3E handles excavated soil and contaminated soil disposal for the City of Chicago Public Schools (CPS), which builds and renovates playgrounds, athletic fields, facilities, parking lots and ADA compliance every year. By way of these facility improvement projects, CPS contracts with a host of subcontractors such

Leaking underground storage tank LUST

I’ve been thinking about collecting what I’ve learned about the Illinois Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) incidents through the eyes of business development. I have a fresh set of eyes. I’ve never called on LUST projects before and I’m learning new things every day. Bad Juju I’ve only heard bad things about the LUST program

Underground Storage Tank Removal

This underground storage tank removal project profile covers a heating oil tank at an Evanston apartment building. In October 2017, A3E was contracted to remove a 1,000-gallon fuel oil UST from an apartment building in Evanston, IL. A release was identified and reported to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. 20-Day/45-Day Reports A3E submitted the required

Red Tag OSFM Illinois UST database

This page shows how to look up your facility in the Illinois UST database kept by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), starting with the Red Tag list. You’ve received a letter from us telling you your facility is in the “Red Tag” database at the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM).

Clean construction demolition debris field delineation

These CCDD project profiles show how A3 Environmental Consultants provides Clean Construction Demolition Debris (CCDD) services as a less expensive alternative for disposing of soil from construction projects. We wrote extensively about how to understand Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)  regulations in this article: Understanding CCDD, A Guide for Regular People.  The following paragraphs are

Leaking Underground Storage tank infographic

The Illinois LUST program may cover your cleanup if you own a commercial property that currently has, or previously had, a leaking underground storage tank (LUST). Something about your situation is changing. Maybe you’re selling it, maybe your refinancing or maybe you just got a “nastygram” from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) telling you

New Release

You recently had a “New Release” for your Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) opened a record on your incident in the IEPA LUST database. This happens when the Office of the State Fire Marshal calls in what’s known as a “release” of petroleum. Finding Your Leaking Underground Storage

UST with Free Product Discovered

You received a letter from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) recently and from A3 Environmental Consultants regarding an open Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) issue associated with your property. IEPA is stepping up enforcement for issues like these. We’d like show you your database record and how to read it, then pitch possible solutions

IEPA LUST Database

It may come as a surprise, but you are listed on the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s (IEPA) Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) database as the responsible party for a tank that leaked. You received a letter from the IEPA or maybe from A3 Environmental Consultants and now you’d like to know what’s going on and

Recorder Documents

You may have received a letter from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) or from A3 Environmental Consultants saying “NFR Not Recorded”. It means you never recorded the “No Further Remediation” (NFR) letter for a leaking underground storage tank that was on your property in the past. Most people’s reaction is shock mixed with a

SRP Program Nightmares: When CRE Projects Go Bad

Commercial Real Estate developers are notoriously impatient. The following story is about a Site Remediation Program (SRP) nightmare we are currently working through. Buying a Contaminated Property in Chicago, Illinois We were contacted by a commercial real estate developer who had purchased a former plating facility in a great location to build their next development.

CCDD LPC-667 Download

IEPA CCDD LPC 667 Form Download (PDF) Click Here! This is a blank Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Clean Construction Demolition Debris (CCDD) form LPC-667 in editable PDF format. The LPC 667 form is the one for painted CCDD. If what you’d like to dump at a CCDD facility is “Painted CCDD”  which is uncontaminated

CCDD LPC-663 Download

IEPA CCDD LPC 663 Form Download (PDF) Click Here! This is a blank Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Clean Construction Demolition Debris (CCDD) form LPC-663 in editable PDF format. A3 Environmental Consultants wants you to have this LPC 663 form in the event you have soil you need to dispose of. The CCDD facility is

CCDD LPC-662 Download

IEPA CCDD LPC 662 Form Download (PDF) Click Here! This is a blank Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) Clean Construction Demolition Debris (CCDD) form LPC-662 in editable PDF format. A3 Environmental Consultants wants you to have this LPC 662 form in the event you have soil you need to dispose of. The CCDD facility is