Excellent Quality and Outstanding Service

ChemSolutions has analyzed thousands of samples in locations ranging from shopping centers and abandoned factories to military bases, university research stations and remote mountaintops. These sites include Superfund, brownfield, RCRA Voluntary Cleanup Program, oil and gas, commercial and industrial sites. We have participated in cleanups of jet fuel at a major airport, solvent spills in rail yards and gasoline spills on major mountain highways. We also perform ongoing quarterly monitoring analyses through the Wyoming Department Environmental Quality and private clients. The quarterly monitoring analyses are performed in our base laboratory.

Triad Approach Projects

ChemSolutions was hired to characterize the environmental conditions of a North Dakota property over a 2 week period working with a geologist and a drill crew. The property included a power plant, landfill, water-treatment plant, numerous underground storage tanks and many buildings. Monitoring wells were installed down gradient of the landfill and the water-treatment plant. Soil borings were collected in the landfill area, around the power plant and water-treatment plant and at the underground storage tank sites. Samples were analyzed for volatile organics by EPA Method 8260, total petroleum hydrocarbons by Texas TNRCC1005, metals by EPA 6200 (XRF) and PCBs by immunoassay. Several buildings were also tested for lead in paint by XRF. Sample turnaround times were typically one hour. Because of the rapid turnaround time, the analytical results were used to guide drilling and sampling. Ten percent of all samples were split and sent to a fixed-base lab for verification. There was excellent agreement between the mobile and the fixed-base lab results.

ChemSolutions worked on a Superfund site in Nebraska for two months. This work consisted of analyzing soil samples for 1,4-dioxane during excavation of three chemical disposal trenches. Sample turnaround time was less than one hour, which provided the excavators real-time feedback on where to dig next and when to stop. During excavation of one of the trenches, pesticides were discovered. The excavation became a Level B project, and the analysis switched to immunoassay tests for several pesticides. When the immunoassay tests showed pesticide concentrations to be less than the action level, confirmatory samples were collected and sent to an independent laboratory. These results also showed pesticide concentrations to be under the action level. Excavation resumed with 1,4-dioxane as the target compound. Also during this two-month period, we helped map a large groundwater plume of 1,4-dioxane contamination. We worked with a direct push unit, sampling the groundwater at 15 feet. Sample results were available in less than an hour, which enabled the project geologist to locate new sampling locations based on the previous sample result.

Vapor-Intrusion Projects

We have analyzed hundreds of soil-gas samples for volatile organic compounds in our base laboratory and on-site in our mobile laboratory. These vapor intrusion projects include site investigations for brownfield, dry-cleaner and fuel-station sites. Target analytes have ranged from BTEX to TCE/PCE to the full EPA Method 8260 target compound list. We use Method 8260B modified for injections of large volumes of air. This method provides results that are identical to Method TO-15 results, although at a higher reporting limit. Method 8260 has a larger linear range and is better suited to the often high concentrations encountered during vapor-intrusion studies. We are able to analyze vapor samples on site with a one-hour turnaround time at a price competitive with standard turnaround TO-15 analysis. Our quality system applies to this method, and we analyze and pass TO-15 Performance Test (PT) samples semiannually.

Military Sites

ChemSolutions has worked on Air Force bases in Colorado and Wyoming, mapping groundwater plumes of solvent contamination. These projects typically consist of a direct push rig collecting the water samples, which are then analyzed in our mobile laboratory by EPA 8260B. Sample turnaround time is normally less than an hour with 10 to 20 samples collected and analyzed per day. The analytical results are used to guide the drilling, which greatly enhances the efficiency of mapping contaminant plumes in the groundwater.

We have also worked on an Air Force base in North Dakota analyzing soil samples for lead by EPA Method 6200 (XRF). During this site assessment, our analyst was able to keep up with three samplers taking shallow soil samples.

Oil and Gas Sites

We have done numerous projects in the oil and gas fields of Colorado and Wyoming. Analyses consist of BTEX by EPA 8260B and often include TPH by either EPA 8015 or Texas TNRCC1005. Matrices have included soil, groundwater and soil gas. On-site analysis has supported mapping groundwater plumes, defining soil contamination and searching for the source of contamination. These projects often take place at remote locations where the mobile laboratory and personnel have to be self-supporting for periods of more than a week.

ChemSolutions has worked on numerous projects supporting the excavation of old tanks and piping at former and existing gas stations. These projects have been performed both in our mobile lab and in our fixed-base lab. Soil and water samples are typically collected at the end of the day and delivered to the laboratory. We provide results early the next morning.

Lisa Graves is the Owner/President of ChemSolutions LLC. She has worked in the environmental field for more than 20 years. Eleven of those years, she has owned and operated an environmental testing laboratory. Lisa's inspiration to do this came after her inability to find a service-oriented laboratory while she was working in the field. Her knowledge of field operations makes her uniquely qualified to provide laboratory services to environmental, engineering and energy companies. Key to Lisa's management of ChemSolutions is reliability. She makes sure you get results you can trust for making critical project decisions. An she makes sure you get your results when you need them.

John Graves, Laboratory Director, has a Master of Science degree in analytical chemistry and more than 20 years experience in the environmental, analytical chemistry field. He worked as an analyst at the EPA NEIC laboratory, as an analyst and CLP contract manager for the EPA Contract Lab Program (CLP) for a private laboratory, and also as a sampler and CLP data reviewer for an EPA contractor. John went on to found Environmental Chemistry Services (ECS), one of the first mobile environmental laboratory firms in the country. ECS evolved into a full-service, accredited environmental laboratory. He sold ECS in 1996. The development of the EPA Triad Approach, rugged field capable GC and GC/MS systems and new innovative analytical tools have created an opportunity for him to bring together all of his skills and experience. John will utilize his extensive experience in developing an analytical program designed specifically to meet your project's data quality objectives.