AME provides a broad range of environmental services from site characterization and operations and management of remedial systems to highly sophisticated groundwater fate and transport modeling and litigation support. In particular, we focus on integrating field work tasks with technical analyses and computer applications in developing high-quality services. These services are more fully described below:

AME professionals have extensive experience in regulatory and third-party negotiations and have provided expert witness litigation support to various clients in state and federal court. Technical issues have included impacts to soil and ground water resulting from the presence of hydrocarbon and chlorinated organic constituents. Our staff has supported clients at hearings and negotiations before regulatory agencies throughout the United States, including: the U.S. EPA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the environmental regulatory agencies of California, Texas, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Montana, Pennsylvania, Washington, Oregon, and Wyoming. Furthermore, we have been involved in various third-party negotiations and multi-party settlements.

AME utilizes ArcGIS and state-of-the-art Visualization Software to create GIS and visual imagery projects. These projects integrate both 2- and 3-D soil and ground water analytical data, subsurface characterization, and site features to produce spatially and temporally accurate maps, figures, and 3-D interactive images. These maps and images are used to more effectively plan, conduct, and evaluate site investigations and remedial actions, and to facilitate technical understanding and communication. We maintain software licenses in ArcGIS, AutoCAD, gINT, GlobalMapper, MVS Premier, and Surfer, as well as standard Microsoft systems. These packages allow our professional staff to provide high-quality data presentation and interpretation at reasonable costs.

(Publications)

(GIS and Visual Imagery Analysis Brochure)

AME has provided visualization services to coal recovery projects at numerous coal slurry impoundment sites across the nation. The visualization services from AME have significantly enhanced the interpretation of slurry volume and product distribution, innovated the management and planning process, and facilitated recovery operations. (Mining Visualization Services Brochure)

At AME, we complete life-cycle costing for our clients to determine the most-value added remedial efforts that can be applied to their sites. We have extensive experience in developing detailed cost estimates to support mediation, arbitration, and litigation of remedial solutions for impacted sites. We develop data to apportion costs reliably among multiple parties with varied operations and release histories. We evaluate life-cycle costs for varied potential remedial alternatives to allow fact-based decision making with regard to remedial system selection. (Publications)

We perform statistical analyses based on the nature, distribution, and regulatory needs of environmental data. We select and apply the most appropriate evaluation strategies and statistical procedures, including parametric or nonparametric analyses, comparison of multiple populations, trend analysis for time series data. Using a variety of geostatistical analytical methodologies, including semivariogram modeling and kriging. We analyze the spatial structure or correlation of environmental data to provide guidance for spatial mapping, uncertainty assessment, and sample design.

Our monitoring optimization program (MOP) quantitatively evaluates the technical value of wells at a site, optimizing monitoring well networks for practical effectiveness. Led by Dr. Meng Ling, an expert in monitoring program optimization, the optimization consists of three phases: (1) a site and historical evaluation; (2) a statistical monitoring assessment; and (3) a summary evaluation. Significant and substantial benefits are achieved by monitoring well optimization, including cost savings, increased safety, and reduced site disruption. MOP optimizes both the number of monitoring wells and the frequency of sampling, so results are both immediate and long term.

(Statistical and Geostatistical Services Brochure)

AME provides project management for numerous clients, serving as the prime contractor for diverse studies including assessing and characterizing the lateral and vertical extent of contaminant impacts, and designing, implementing, and operating effective, cost-efficient remediation systems. We have provided project management services for a variety of clients from major petroleum companies to manufacturing companies.

At AME, with staff experienced in soil sciences, geology, hydrology, and engineering, we are well qualified to conduct hydrogeological investigations. our investigations include infiltration and run off analyses, groundwater flux, and well field investigations. (Publications)

We provide expertise in the characterization and remediation of NAPL, assessment of NAPL mobility, movement and retention of NAPL within the vadose and saturated zone, mass transfer to the aqueous and vapor phases from an NAPL source, and effective solubility and mass flux calculations of dissolved impacts from NAPL. (Publications)

Remedial Action Planning

AME staff has considerable experience in preparing Remediation Action Plans (RAPs). These work plans have been developed for a variety of sites in many different states. Utilizing knowledge of the latest remedial and monitoring technology, our plans are comprehensive and provide accurate economic analysis of potential clean-up options. Our staff has experience in developing RAPs for solid waste and hazardous materials landfills, chlorinated solvent releases, petroleum hydrocarbon plumes, and metal and NAPL contamination.

Our engineers have extensive knowledge of remedial system design and optimization. We have successfully applied our experience at numerous sites in addition to other facility locations. Our staff specializes in the design of air sparging and soil vapor extraction systems, ozone injection systems, air stripping systems for both remedial and drinking water applications, activated carbon for both ground water and vapor treatment in remediation and drinking water treatment applications, resin treatment systems, reinjection systems, and in-situ chemical oxidation. Our office and field staff have extensive experience preparing detailed equipment specifications and installing, operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting remediation equipment. (Publications)

At AME, our scientists, engineers, and geologists have over 100 years of combined experience in the design, operation, and management of remediation systems, including groundwater pump and treat, vacuum extraction, dual phase extraction, LNAPL recovery, and air sparging. One of our specialties is system evaluation and optimization based on site-specific technical and economic analyses, as well as analysis of existing remediation systems. (Publications)

The importance of inhalation exposures at working or living environments has been recognized in recent years. State and federal agencies have developed or are in the process of developing guidance for evaluating possible exposure pathways.

Our geologists and environmental scientists have completed numerous soil vapor surveys at a variety of industrial sites across the United States. In addition, we provide a series of technical services in soil vapor assessment including work plan development, sampling, data interpretation, model simulation, and reporting. (Publications)

Our technical staff has the expertise to design, direct, and conduct surface geophysical surveys to characterize landfills, burn disposal areas, and manufacturing facilities. Surface geophysical survey techniques include use of magnetic field surveys (total field and vertical gradient), terrain conductivity surveys (Geonics EM-31 and EM-34), and ground penetrating radar surveys performed by a subcontractor at selected locations. Our hydrogeologists apply borehole geophysical methods in both uncased and cased bore holes and also utilize cone penetrometer testing for site characterization.

At AME, our hydrogeologists have completed water-quality monitoring and corrective action plans for solid waste landfills and have completed closure designs for hazardous waste landfills. Activities have included numerical modeling of leachate and ground water flow for the technical evaluation of leachate extraction alternatives and leachate management planning. We have designed the subsurface components of leachate collection and removal systems. (Publications)

AME professionals have significant experience in providing geotechnical consulting services to clients throughout California and the west. Among the capabilities are: site characterization and geologic mapping, earth materials testing, all phases of mass grading supervision, forensic investigations of ground failure, hard rock slope engineering, rock bolting, tunnel excavation monitoring and mapping, ground water resources evaluations, water recharge studies, ground water quality monitoring, construction site and landslide dewatering, ground water distribution studies, fault activity investigations, and seismic studies. (Publication)

AME offers a full suite of data management services including field and lab data validation, database development, automated table and report generation, and data analysis and presentation. We have developed processes for quality assurance and control (QA/QC) of field and laboratory data. These processes establish defined responsibilities and incorporate multiple checks by different entities prior to final data entry. Specifically designed relational databases are dedicated to store the data, and built-in queries and electronic reports are utilized to facilitate data retrieval, exchange, and reporting. Self-developed and advanced software tools are utilized to perform statistical and geostatistical analysis of data. ArcGIS and various graphical packages such as gINT, Surfer, and MVS are utilized to produce specialized maps and figures, generate boring logs and hydrostratigraphic cross-sections, develop 3-D site conceptual models, and visualize contaminant distribution.