Spill Response and Water and Soil Testing in Olsson's Grand Junction Office

By Lorne Prescott, Grand Junction Office Leader

Our country relies on natural gas to supply us with many of our energy needs. But, when a problem arises with natural gas wells, the Olsson office in Grand Junction is ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide spill response services. Olsson has a four-member spill response team that can do the following:

• Contain the problem.
• Assess the impact.
• Develop and oversee the clean up process.
• Notify the appropriate regulatory agencies.
• Handle the necessary disposal.
• Perform the follow-up sampling necessary to ensure that the problem is resolved for the company and the community.

Olsson's spill response services are applicable beyond natural gas issues and can address local emergency response needs throughout the west slope.

The Olsson office in Grand Junction also has a top-notch sampling program. Our water sampling team, led by Ken Kreie, has more than 35 years of combined experience ensuring the water quality of our west slope community. Before drilling a natural gas well, Olsson gets baseline samples of all the domestic water sources, generally within a one-half mile radius of the natural gas well site. Sixty days after a well is drilled, samples are taken again to make sure no impacts or changes to water quality exist. This testing provides assurance to the natural gas company and the neighboring landowners.

Tim Dobransky, our certified hazardous materials manager, heads up Olsson's soil sampling program. Olsson does extensive work with pit closures on natural gas well pad sites. This can involve one of two processes. One process is to remove the hydrocarbon-affected soil to a landfill and then perform soil sampling at the well site to ensure that the remaining soil is free of hydrocarbons.

A second process involves moving the affected soil to a land farm. Olsson oversees the bioremediation of the affected soil and provides the soil testing necessary to determine when the soil is ready for appropriate re-use. Land farms can be a great cost-saving measure for natural gas providers while also providing a sound recycling service for the community.

Olsson also provides asbestos and gas sampling services. Olsson is able to provide the testing services to identify or diagnose a problem and to coordinate the abatement process.

While many of our hazardous materials services were developed for the needs of the natural gas industry and the local community, the applications of these services are many. If you have any questions about how our services might help your business or community, please call our office at 970.263.7800.

You can reach Lorne Prescott with Olsson's Grand Junction office at lprescott@oaconsulting.com.

 

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