Qepi was retained by Schmidt and Associates to: 1) complete a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment; 2) complete an infrastructure analysis for the Water Treatment Facility, the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), and the Power House; and 3) conduct an asbestos inspection of all buildings at the Muscatatuck State Developmental Center (MSDC). The Center contains 69 buildings on an 837 acre site and provided developmental services to approximately 110 residents. Qepi's assessment revealed many recognized environmental conditions for this site. The issues included a former landfill, a former uncontrolled dumping area near Camp Holland, and a former quarry operation. Other concerns included the former Hingeley Hospital which had a chemical laboratory where chemicals were abandoned in the basement of the Hospital. There were several waste issues at the two maintenance utility buildings, including the carpenter and paint shops and the maintenance rooms. There were also environmental concerns associated with many transformers containing Polychlorinated bi-phenols.

Qepi was responsible for site wide evaluation of all recognized environmental conditions in connection with the historical and current use of the property. Qepi also completed risk management processes for the redevelopment of the site, completed engineering feasibility infrastructure analysis for the existing water treatment facility, the wastewater treatment plant and the Power House to determine whether upgrades of the existing systems or bringing new utilities and power to the site would be the most economical way to proceed with redevelopment. Qepi also mapped wetlands on the west side of the campus in the area of the former WWTP and along the Muscatatuck River. Finally, Qepi completed a thorough asbestos inspection of all 69 facilities. This project was to be conducted on an expedited time frame and a very low budget. Qepi completed the project under budget and ahead of time.

As part of the Corrective Measures Study (CMS) investigation and report, Tetra Tech (Tt) conducted a detailed deep residuum and groundwater contamination study to determine the nature and extent of explosive contamination in the subsurface at the Volunteer Army Ammunition Plant (VOAAP). The CMS field investigation included installation of 280 borings and continuous soil sampling using dual-tube direct-push technology from 20 feet below ground surface to the top of bedrock, which ranges to a maximum depth of 105 feet.

Twenty-three hundred (2,300) soil and 63 groundwater samples were analyzed on site by a mobile laboratory providing results in the field so that additional sampling locations could be planned until the impacted area was delineated. Following the installation of on-site monitoring wells, Qepi was brought in to the project as a subcontractor for groundwater sampling and associated field monitoring. Since the completion of the first round of sampling, Qepi has continued to provide assistance to Tt with the site’s quarterly monitoring requirements. In the course of work with Tt, Qepi provided assistance in groundwater sampling and delineation of the plume of impacts. Chemicals of concerns include nitro-aromatic explosives (TNT & DNT), nitrates, heavy metals, and VOCs. Qepi also assisted Tt personnel and subcontractors in developing low flow sampling techniques to efficiently conduct future groundwater sampling events.

The former Ertel Manufacturing facility is an approximately 250,000 square foot former automotive parts and machine manufacturing and foundry facility, encompassing approximately 6-acres, located in the urban core of Indianapolis, Indiana. The facility abandoned operations in the late 1990s after operating since the 1910s. State regulatory agencies, after the initial discovery of the facility, contacted the US EPA for assistance in removal of the immediate threat to health hazards. Qepi, as an 8(a) subcontractor for Tetra Tech, EMI, provided technical assistance to the USEPA in the form of Health and Safety oversight, ambient air sampling, subsurface soil and groundwater sampling, hazardous materials categorization, coordination of impacted media disposal and report preparation as part of the Superfund Technical Active Response Team (START) during the immediate threat to health hazard cleanup of the facility from May 2006 through July 2006.

After the USEPA cleanup activities, Qepi was retained by the City of Indianapolis (City) Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) to conduct Phase II subsurface investigation work throughout the facility to facilitate potential redevelopment of this Brownfields site. Qepi's first phase of subsurface work included soil borings and delineation of impact plumes on the southern portion of the facility slated for redevelopment. Upon completion of this phase of the subsurface investigation, Qepi provided the City with demolition bid specifications for the impending demolition and has continued to provide the City with technical assistance in procuring a demolition contractor. After procurement of a demolition contractor, Qepi completed assessment activities in the northern portion of the site. Based on redevelopment plans for the site, Qepi completed an expedited investigation of the facility, delineating onsite subsurface impacts and designing soil excavation parameters for large scale soil remediation of the site. After completion of assessment activities, Qepi was retained to by the City to provide environmental oversight during all phases of the impending demolition.

In concert with the expedited demolition, Qepi was also retained by the City to conduct extensive soil remediation activities. As part of soil remedial activities, Qepi provided oversight for the removal of approximately 55,000 tons of impacted soils. Qepi provided demolition and remediation oversight for the City for the expedited process, ensuring the demolition and remedial activities were completed within three months of the onset of the project. Qepi personnel provided oversight for disposal and recycling/reuse of construction debris, completed extensive waste auditing, and collected samples of excavation parameters to ensure soil remedial activities were conducted per IDEM guidelines. Qepi's project scope also included networking between the City, the Indiana Finance Authority's Indiana Brownfields Program, IDEM, the US EPA to promote a collaborative effort for this large scale brownfields redevelopment initiative. Qepi aided the City by obtaining grants and provided data to aid the City in obtaining City assistance to complete this project. Demolition and remediation activities were completed from August to October 2007. Qepi anticipates completing soil closure documentations for IDEM in early 2008 and will work with the City and IDEM to install a groundwater monitoring well network and continue monitoring impacts related to the site and the surrounding industrial facilities.

Qepi was contracted by Tetra Tech and Innovative Executions, LLC to collaborate on data collection efforts for the Real Property Inventory Requirements mandated by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). The Department of Defense (DoD) manages nearly 517,000 buildings and structures with a plant replacement value exceeding $650 billion, and over 46,000 square miles of real estate. Existing DoD real property information systems did not meet DoD's current and projected analytic and reporting requirements. The systems were found to be: incompatible across the Defense components, inaccessible to key users, as well as incomplete and inaccurate, requiring application of complex and inefficient business rules to use the data.

OSD, in concert with the military services and other Defense components, "set out to build a corporate-wide inventory of defense assets to improve accountability, reduce redundancy, and provide accessibility to Service inventories. The database would enable cross-functional and cross-service/agency communication and analysis." The DoD real property inventory process underwent a business process reengineering effort by the Business Transformation Directorate (BT). This resulted in the Real Property Inventory Requirements (RPIR) document which identified 187 proposed standardized data elements and requirements for systems integration throughout the DoD. The RPIR implementation is required over a three-year period, beginning in 2006.

Apart from and prior to establishment of the RPIR requirements, the DoD established policy over real property inventory reporting and forecasting. DoD prescribes procedures for collecting, submitting, and forecasting the inventory. Each service has responsibility for reporting their specific inventory to the Department of the Under Secretary of Defense (I & E) by September 30th of each year. The Department of Defense Instruction (DoDI) 4165.14 provides for 87 core data elements that must be included in the fiscal year (FY) 2006 submission. Of the 187 core data elements contained in the RPIR, 87 are also required reporting elements under the DoDI 4165.14. The Air Force currently reports real property inventory in the Automated Civil Engineering System Real Property (ACES RP) database.

This database has been reengineered and upgraded to integrate four other databases involved in collecting real property data. The Air Force must make these changes to comply with OSD's mandate for standardization across the Defense components. Due to constraints on time and available resources, the RPIR data collection tool was developed to serve as a temporary placeholder for data collection until the ACES RP database reengineering and integration is complete. Once complete, the data can be validated and moved into the real property inventory. Qepi staff has teamed up with Tetra Tech staff, and Innovative Executions, LLC to collect this data, populate the database, and verify the accuracy of existing data elements in the ACES RP database. On-site observations, measurements, and data collection efforts were completed by this cross-functional team. Qepi anticipates continued collaboration with Innovative Executions and Tetra Tech as the United States Air Force continues on its three-year implementation journey of data collection, validation, input and database integration.

Qepi performed an audit of five state Department of Transportation's Right-of-Way Reports and developed best management practice recommendations. "The Journey of Five States" can be viewed and downloaded from the Federal Highway Administration web site.

Qepi performed a review of the Washington State Department of Transportation and their local planning agencies to determine best management practices between the State of Washington DOT and its local planning agencies. This resulted in a second publication. "Right of Way Local Public Agency Program" can be viewed and downloaded from the Federal Highway Administration web site.

Qepi is currently conducting a Tier II Environmental Impact Statement for the further route for interstate I-69. Our scope of services includes the water quality, biological, hazardous waste, and forested land assessments and we are also involved in community relations.

Qepi was contracted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to oversee the removal of asbestos materials and 500,000 tires buried at a former tire processing facility. Issues concerned were fire threats, health issues associated with encephalitis carrying mosquitoes found at the site and friable asbestos fiber release during the removal and recycling process.

Qepi is currently conducting a Tier II Environmental Impact Statement for the further route for interstate I-69. Our scope of services includes the water quality, biological, hazardous waste, and forested land assessments and we are also involved in community relations.

The former Ertel Manufacturing facility is an approximately 250,000 square foot former automotive parts and machine manufacturing and foundry facility, encompassing approximately 6-acres, located in the urban core of Indianapolis, Indiana. The facility abandoned operations in the late 1990s after operating since the 1910s. State regulatory agencies, after the initial discovery of the facility, contacted the US EPA for assistance in removal of the immediate threat to health hazards. Qepi, as an 8(a) subcontractor for Tetra Tech, EMI, provided technical assistance to the USEPA in the form of Health and Safety oversight, ambient air sampling, subsurface soil and groundwater sampling, hazardous materials categorization, coordination of impacted media disposal and report preparation as part of the Superfund Technical Active Response Team (START) during the immediate threat to health hazard cleanup of the facility from May 2006 through July 2006.

After the USEPA cleanup activities, Qepi was retained by the City of Indianapolis (City) Department of Metropolitan Development (DMD) to conduct Phase II subsurface investigation work throughout the facility to facilitate potential redevelopment of this Brownfields site. Qepi's first phase of subsurface work included soil borings and delineation of impact plumes on the southern portion of the facility slated for redevelopment. Upon completion of this phase of the subsurface investigation, Qepi provided the City with demolition bid specifications for the impending demolition and has continued to provide the City with technical assistance in procuring a demolition contractor. After procurement of a demolition contractor, Qepi completed assessment activities in the northern portion of the site. Based on redevelopment plans for the site, Qepi completed an expedited investigation of the facility, delineating onsite subsurface impacts and designing soil excavation parameters for large scale soil remediation of the site. After completion of assessment activities, Qepi was retained to by the City to provide environmental oversight during all phases of the impending demolition.

In concert with the expedited demolition, Qepi was also retained by the City to conduct extensive soil remediation activities. As part of soil remedial activities, Qepi provided oversight for the removal of approximately 55,000 tons of impacted soils. Qepi provided demolition and remediation oversight for the City for the expedited process, ensuring the demolition and remedial activities were completed within three months of the onset of the project. Qepi personnel provided oversight for disposal and recycling/reuse of construction debris, completed extensive waste auditing, and collected samples of excavation parameters to ensure soil remedial activities were conducted per IDEM guidelines. Qepi's project scope also included networking between the City, the Indiana Finance Authority's Indiana Brownfields Program, IDEM, the US EPA to promote a collaborative effort for this large scale brownfields redevelopment initiative. Qepi aided the City by obtaining grants and provided data to aid the City in obtaining City assistance to complete this project. Demolition and remediation activities were completed from August to October 2007. Qepi anticipates completing soil closure documentations for IDEM in early 2008 and will work with the City and IDEM to install a groundwater monitoring well network and continue monitoring impacts related to the site and the surrounding industrial facilities.

Qepi was contracted by the City of Evansville to conduct Phase I and Phase II investigations activities on several sites to assess the risks posed by any on-site impacts and to determine if remedial measures are needed for property redevelopment. The work was completed under a USEPA Brownfields Assessment Grant.

The sites included a scrap yard, a former scrap yard which had been redeveloped as low income housing, a former lumber yard, a sheet metal company, and a former plastics company.

Qepi completed Phase I and Phase II investigation completed an asbestos inspection, provided oversight of the asbestos removal and removal of underground and aboveground tanks and product and provided health and safety oversight for the partial building demolition of this Brownfield site.

Letter of Recommendation from Mayor Ernie Wiggins

Qepi was contacted by the offices of US Senators Lugar and Bayh to assist a community that was experiencing adverse health effects purportedly due to low frequency vibrations. Qepi was retained to complete an initial study of an area located in the City of Kokomo to develop a thorough non-biased scientific work plan to conduct the Human Health Risk Assessment and to understand the health effects associated with infrasound exposure and electric and magnetic fields (EMF).

Qepi completed the initial study of seven residences where the residents were experiencing adverse health effects. We completed detailed evaluations including collecting and analyzing residential indoor air quality, drinking water, and obtaining low frequency sound readings from the residential homes and from assumed sources. Qepi interviewed these seven individual residents and their families and completed a questionnaire including existing health conditions, whether they smoked, consumed alcoholic beverages, drugs, and type of food that they consumed.

Qepi used this information to rule out confounding factors that may be perceived as contributing to residential symptomatology. Qepi also interviewed a control group of citizens in the same area that were experiencing no symptoms. Qepi then prepared a work plan proposed to study a population area located in Kokomo, Indiana in which approximately 400 local citizens resided, many of which had reported adverse health effects purportedly associated with low frequency exposures, including infrasound and low frequency noise.

Lane A. Ralph, Deputy State Director for Senator Lugar Quotes in his Letter of Recommendation, "The array of expertise and experiences that members of your team have along with the keen understanding of the public interest, perception and anticipated consequences was invaluable to Senator Lugar and his staff on an issue where were frankly were quite perplexed."

Qepi was contracted by the City of Mishawaka to complete an asbestos inspection of over 5 million square feet containing many buildings for this Brownfield site. Qepi was then contracted to provide asbestos management plans and industrial hygiene monitoring and oversight for the abatement of the asbestos revealed. The building was then demolished and is currently a waterway park.