Highmark Environmental Services Ltd. Project Case Studies
WINTER ACCESS CONSTRUCTION/STAGE 2 PSI/REMEDIATION/WINTER RECLAMATION
During the winter of 2023-2024, Highmark Environmental Services Ltd was contracted to open a 48km winter access approximately 150km northeast of Fort Nelson, BC. The winter access was located in an area dispersed by a mix of low-lying muskeg and upland mature conifer/deciduous stands that were recently burned by the devastating forest fires during the summer of 2023. Approximately 50% of the winter access was covered in deadfall up to 3m in height, adding another level of difficulty. The project included performing Stage 2 Preliminary Site Investigations on four well sites and a remote sump and associated independent remediation following abandonment and cut/cap operations. Once the sites were remediated, winter reclamation of all disturbances was performed.
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Highmark not only provided the environmental consulting services for this project but also provided key alternative services such as; line locating, environmental drilling, electro-magnetic surveys, wildlife surveys/sweeps, and heavy equipment (excavators, crawlers, snowmobiles, etc). This multimillion-dollar project was on time and on budget, saved the client managing multiple service providers and saved tens of thousands of dollars on 3rd party mob/de-mob costs. Estimated savings $15000.00.
WELL BLOWOUT
Highmark Environmental Services was contacted to manage a well blowout on a site 70km north of Fort St. John. The wellhead caught on fire and ignited a second adjacent wellhead for a period of 30 days. During the incident, water from a C Ring was utilized to douse the fire initially but was unsuccessful. Once the fire was extinguished, the task of environmental clean up and monitoring was estimated to cost $1.3 million. Soil, groundwater and an adjacent stream were impacted by the event including hydrocarbon, metals, ionic compounds and NORMS.
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A Stage 2 Preliminary and Detailed Site Investigation that spanned a week collected enough data to commence Independent Remediation (IR) of the impacted soils both on and offsite. IR was performed over a period of 20 days, followed by creek restoration, groundwater well installation and monitoring. The groundwater wells were monitored for a period of two years, and findings showed that all remediation efforts were successful and met the applicable BC Contaminated Site Regulations land use criteria for both on and offsite.
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Highmark once again provided not only the environmental consulting services for this project but also key alternative services such as; line locating, environmental drilling, and electro-magnetic surveys. This project was also on budget and once again saved the client managing multiple service providers and saved thousands of dollars on 3rd party mob/de-mob costs. Estimated savings $7000.00.
125 WELL DORMANT SITE PROGRAM
Clients of Highmark Environmental Services Ltd. were successful in obtaining funding for the 2020 federal/provincial government-subsidized Dormant Site Reclamation Program (DSRP). In total, 125 well sites from various clients were required to be abandoned/decommissioned and commence the Stage 2 Preliminary Site Investigations and Detailed Site Investigations phase for Type A sites in British Columbia. Since 2020 we have been successful in investigating all 125 sites for Certificate of Restoration Part 1 requirement. Approximately 25% of the sites required independent remediation and groundwater monitoring prior to obtaining CoR Part 1 status. Approximately 23% of the sites met the CoR Part requirements, and the British Columbia Energy Regulator issued Cor Part 1 Approvals which have now been reclaimed. The remaining sites are either being monitored or are awaiting additional client funding since the DSRP is no longer operating.
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Highmark once again provided not only the environmental consulting services for this project but also key alternative services such as; wildlife/bird sweeps, line locating, environmental drilling, performing stream and wetland assessments and submitting applications to BCER for winter access permitting, electromagnetic surveys, heavy equipment for opening winter access and remediation/reclamation, and once again saved the client managing multiple services providers and saved tens of thousands of dollars on 3rd party mob/de-mob costs. Estimated savings $300,000.00.
BCER CERTIFICATE OF RESTORATION PART 1 & 2 AUDITS
Highmark Environmental Services Ltd. has been assisting the BC Energy Regulator on the Certificate of Restoration Part 1 & 2 Audits since 2012. These sites can be very remote, and only accessed by helicopter. They include supplying a couple of technicians to assist in sample collection and performing electromagnetic surveys (EM), line locating and, in for the non-remote locations, supplying our Power Probe Drill Rig to aid in the collection of soil samples. Areas of Potential Environmental Concern (APEC) are selected prior to accessing the site. However, the EM assists in selecting additional APEC while on location. Following the completion of the EM survey, a map is generated showing any other APEC that may require investigation. Once the CoR Part 1 audit is completed, the CoR Part 2 Audit is performed, and all data is submitted to the BCER.
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Highmark once again provided not only the environmental consulting services for this project but also provided key alternative services such as; line locating, environmental drilling and electro magnetic surveys. These projects are always on budget and once again saved the client managing multiple service providers and saved tens of thousands of dollars on 3rd party mob/de-mob costs. Estimated savings $20,000.00/year.
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