Montebello Oil Field – Acquisition Due Diligence, Site Assessment, Remediation, and Oil Field Redevelopment

a dirt hill with a pump jacka dirt hill with a pump jack
Clients: Plains Exploration and Production Company
Freeport McMoRan Oil & Gas
Sentinel Peak Resource
Time Period: 2012-2015
Staff: Dan Tormey, Justin Campbell, Megan Schwartz, David (Chip) Blankenhorn
Service lines: Land
Over the past 25 years, Catalyst staff have conducted full-service environmental studies of a 450-acre oil field located just west of downtown Los Angeles, in Montebello, California.
Located just west of Downtown Los Angeles the area is currently slated for redevelopment. Portions of the site will be redeveloped into a mixed-use residential and commercial area, while the remaining portion of the site will continue to support oil and gas operations. In addition, approximately fifty percent of the area will be an open space preserve designed to enhance habitat for the endangered California gnatcatcher. Catalyst staff in preparation for field abandonment and redevelopment conducted an extensive environmental site assessment to characterize the nature and extent of impacts associated oil field operations and designed and permitted a 1-acre bioremediation cell for processing impacted soil associated with the historic sites. Catalyst staff also supported the development of the EIR analyzing redevelopment and prepared a risk assessment and remedial action plan which established cleanup levels for soil and groundwater to be protective of human health and the environment.

The document preparation included a fate and transport analysis of contaminants using a VLEACH model, developing a conceptual site model, and evaluating exposure pathways for soil ingestion, inhalation, and groundwater. In addition, an ecological risk assessment was completed, and special considerations were made to minimize habitat loss for the endangered California gnatcatcher. The document was approved by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and will guide soil remediation during ongoing and future remediation and development activities.

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Liability management, site assessment, risk assessment, and remediation

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