Environmental Due Diligence and Site Redevelopment, Former Concord Naval Weapons Station
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Project Objective

Geosyntec Consultants was retained by the Master Developer to conduct environmental due diligence and assist our client in transferring property from the Department of Defense (DOD) and redeveloping of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. Geosyntec supported the client in forming a complete understanding both of the nature and extent of impacts at the site and of the scope of DOD’s CERCLA closure activities in preparation for redeveloping the 400-acre site as a mixed-use project, including a university campus.

Geosyntec’s Scope of Services

Geosyntec began by conducting environmental due diligence and working with the client to negotiate the terms of the land transfer with respect to environmental issues. Work was performed under the framework of the DOD Base Realignment and Closure Act (BRAC) and included conducting environmental due diligence and critically reviewing Environmental Baseline Surveys, CERCLA closure documents, petroleum hydrocarbon closure documents, radiological closure documents, and Finding of Suitability to Transfer reports. Work also included reviewing the Navy environmental closure strategies, preparing environmental remediation cost estimates for various development scenarios, and preparing a financial assessment of environmental conditions remaining at the site. In consideration of the future impacts of the DOD’s ongoing work, Geosyntec worked with the client to begin preparing a site management plan as a framework to integrate remediation with development.

Notable Accomplishments

Geosyntec reviewed DOD documents to develop a thorough understanding of base-wide environmental conditions and provided critical comments and input to the DOD to ensure that site conditions are appropriate for CERCLA closure and subsequent redevelopment. Geosyntec helped hold the DOD accountable to the terms of the transfer and to CERCLA closure documents and worked with the client, regulatory agencies, and the DOD to ensure consistency between the environmental closure and the development plans. As a part of this project, Geosyntec developed an environmental constraints database and constructed an online, georeferenced mapping and search tool for all environmental constraints on the site. The client’s planning and engineering team used the tool throughout the planning and entitlement process to verify that all facilities in the new development (utilities, buildings, parks, roads, etc.) integrated appropriately with the environmental constraints.