Peach and Apple Orchard

About

GTA performed a Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessment of a 285-acre active peach and apple orchard proposed for single-family residential development. GTA personnel collected soil samples on the subject property in general accordance with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Historic Pesticide Contamination Task Force recommendations. Arsenic, and the priority pollutant pesticides dieldrin and DDT, were detected in shallow soil samples above applicable soil cleanup criteria. Prior to development, regulatory compliance will be attained by blending shallow contaminated soils with deeper uncontaminated soils. Other methods that may be used to remediate pesticide-impacted soils include consolidation and capping beneath planned berms and roadways, “hot spot” removal (i.e., excavation and off-site disposal), and, in certain instances, compliance averaging.

GTA has developed a multimedia seminar, “Harvesting Profits – How to Successfully Develop Tainted Farmland,” which has been presented to developers and home builders. The seminar illustrates how environmental problems came to exist on farmland properties; presents insiders’ information on how environmental firms identify and evaluate pesticide concerns on farmland sites; highlights the most cost-effective ways to cleanup contaminated agricultural properties; and provides tips to help you decide which solutions are right for your projects, how long they take to implement, and at what cost.