Terra Mentis Environmental Consulting

Scientific Environmental Services

• Risk Assessment
  • Assessment Protocols
  • Models and Objectives
  • Statistical Evaluations
  • Assessment and Parameters
  • Risk Characterization
• Risk Management

Scientific Environmental Services

• Risk Communications
  • Fundamentals

Industries

• Air Quality
• Explosives and Munitions
• Hazardous Waste
• Mining and Metals
• Petroleum
• Radionuclides
• Trash to Energy/Incineration
• Water Quality

Air Quality

Vapor Intrusion

Terra Mentis has managed indoor air sampling, conducted risk assessments and managed indoor air data at one of the country's first and largest vapor intrusion sites. Much of our current understanding of vapor intrusion comes from this site, including validation of the Johnson-Ettinger vapor intrusion model currently used by the EPA. This experience has made us one of the most knowledgeable firms of vapor intrusion risk assessment in the country.

Hazen Research, Golden, CO: Assisted a research company to determine the nature and extent of a parchloroethylene release and its potential impact to an adjoining residential neighborhood where vapor intrusion might occur.

• Planned indoor air investigations in the residential neighborhood
  
• Conducted indoor air and tap water sampling
  
• Interacted with neighbors during indoor air sampling
  
• Assisted in the planning and prepared a series of public meetings for residents
  
• Prepared risk assessment for the CDPHE and the residents

Villa Italia Mall, Denver, CO: Prepared a vapor intrusion risk assessment for a large mall in Denver, CO.

• Recommended sampling protocols and locations
  
• Indoor air data management
  
• Prepared a human health risk assessment for potential exposure to indoor air chemicals
  
• Worked with the client to get the risk assessment approved by CDPHE

Colorado Department of Transportation, Denver, CO: Responsible for risk assessment and toxicology activities for a fourteen year period for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Residents in the area were exposed to volatile chemical compounds migrating into homes and apartments from a potential underground source.

• Developed sampling and analysis plans for the collection of indoor air data
  
• Prepared risk assessment work plan negotiated with CDPHE
  
• Prepared human health baseline risk assessment and clean up goals
  
• Acted as a point of contact for public whose homes were sampled
  
• Responsible for explaining indoor air sampling results to public and attending public meetings
  
• Provided support to CDOT and public when they had concerns or questions about clean up health effects

Livingston Rail Yard, Livingston, MT: A state-led active railroad site that contained hazardous wastes, such as chlorinated solvents and diesel, in soil and groundwater. The particular problem with this site was that high levels of TCE and PCE in groundwater were migrating into outdoor and indoor air on- and off-site.

• Provided risk assessment and toxicology support and guidance to consulting engineers
  
• Attended numerous public and agency meetings and was involved in agency negotiations
  
• The project required working with the responsible party to determine the potential risk and liability associated with human exposures

Manufacturing Plants

Manufacturing plants handle and use a wide range of chemicals. These chemicals can be released to the air soil or water.

3M, Minneapolis, MN: Each facility, across the country, released significant emissions of volatile organic chemicals, semi-volatile organic chemicals, and metals. The risk assessment process was used to evaluate chemical releases to air and rank the facilities.

• Used risk assessments to rank multiple facilities across the country
  
• Used a similar process to rank the chemical risks from each individual facility
  
• Developed risk management strategies for each facility and each chemical

Alliant TechSystems®, Littleton, CO: Project was a clean up at a former weapons manufacturing facility where there was a suspected indoor air contamination problem and orders by the CDPHE and USEPA to investigate the problem.

• Developed project management, sampling, and risk assessment approach for client
  
• Approach designed around risk-based sampling for groundwater, soil vapor, and indoor air
  
• Extensive use of the Johnson-Ettinger Model for the estimation of indoor air risk. The model was validated with data from the CDOT project above and included extensive discussions with USEPA on this model
  
• Attended public meetings and agency negotiations