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PG&E’s Topock Compressor Station, located near Needles, California, sits at a critical juncture for both energy infrastructure and state transportation routes. When buried asbestos-containing materials were discovered in a large soil pit adjacent to a major highway, PG&E and Jacobs Engineering turned to Alliance Environmental Services to manage the complex remediation.
The project carried high stakes: contaminated soil removal next to active highway corridors, strict environmental compliance requirements, and the need to protect both workers and the traveling public.
The Topock project presented multiple challenges:
- Location Risks: The buried asbestos-containing material sat directly adjacent to a major California highway, requiring advanced safety controls and traffic coordination.
- Volume of Material: Thousands of tons of contaminated soil had to be safely excavated, contained, and transported.
- Environmental Compliance: Strict state and federal regulations demanded careful handling, air monitoring, and disposal.
- Coordination: The project required seamless collaboration between Alliance Environmental Services, Jacobs Engineering, and PG&E.
Solution
Alliance Environmental Services implemented a step-by-step remediation plan:
- Site Preparation: Established exclusion zones, safety barriers, and negative air monitoring systems to ensure worker and public protection.
- Excavation: Used heavy equipment and skilled operators to carefully remove asbestos-contaminated soil from the buried pit.
- Containment & Transportation: All contaminated materials were securely wrapped, loaded into lined trucks, and hauled off-site to approved disposal facilities.
- Highway Safety Coordination: Work was scheduled and coordinated to minimize disruption along the adjacent highway, keeping traffic flowing and crews protected.
- Environmental Oversight: Continuous monitoring and reporting ensured compliance with state and federal asbestos regulations.
The project concluded successfully, with over 250 truckloads of asbestos-contaminated soil safely removed and disposed of.
