Remediating a former industrial site in Los Angeles

Analytical Consulting Group (ACG), specialists in environmental compliance and community health and safety for soil remediation projects, was recently engaged to support a brownfield redevelopment in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles.

At a total project cost of $140 million, the Avenue 34 development aimed to transform a five-acre former industrial site into affordable housing. Due to the historical industrial usage, soil at the site was contaminated with fuels, chlorinated hydrocarbons, lead, and heavy metals. Remediation of the site included the removal of contaminated soil during excavation of the basement garage. Located north of Dodger Stadium, the site is in a densely populated area with residences and an elementary school nearby, generating significant public interest in the project and requiring a strict monitoring protocol.

Community pressure was intense in the lead-up to excavation, with a local action group lobbying state representatives to halt development due to several environmental concerns, including dust, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPH), and metals in contaminated soil. To help ensure the continued health and safety of the surrounding community, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) assumed oversight of the Avenue 34 development via a Brownfields Voluntary Cleanup Agreement. DTSC oversight was in addition to applicable South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) regulations, including Rules 1466, 1166, and 403. While perimeter monitoring was initially planned for six weeks (to coincide with the removal of contaminated soil), DTSC decided to keep it in place for the full six-month remediation period to help ease community concerns. Adhering to these overlapping requirements, combined with frequent complaints and repeated site audits, demanded an air monitoring solution capable of delivering credible, real-time data and accurate public-facing reports.

ACG’s solution included four Aeroqual Dust Sentry monitors (pre-approved by SCAQMD) to measure PM₁₀ dust at upwind and downwind locations and fitted with PID-based VOC modules for measuring perimeter VOC levels. This approach satisfied the requirements of Rule 1466 and supplemented Rule 1166 VOC monitoring for soil emissions. Aeroqual Cloud software was used to centralize data management and provide automated alerts when thresholds are exceeded. ACG also ran sampling pumps for metals (lead, arsenic, hexavalent chromium) and evacuated canisters for daily lab analysis of low-level VOCs (community concerns included vinyl chloride due to the presence of a former dry cleaner on-site).

ACG provided regulators with comprehensive daily reports of Aeroqual data and laboratory results and made air quality data available to the public via weekly reports posted on a community website. Measurements of perimeter dust and VOCs never exceeded stringent safety limits at any point. Despite 14 site audits, no violations were found. Remedial excavation of the Avenue 34 development was completed mid-2025, with regulators declaring “nearby residents, businesses, and schools are safe from contaminants found at the site.”

The combination of Aeroqual Dust Sentry and Aeroqual Cloud equipped ACG with access to remote, real-time alerts, facilitating prompt mitigation actions, accurate reporting, and transparent data sharing. “The reliability of the Aeroqual system as a whole is a huge win for us”, shared ACG President, Michael Tiffany.

Even after delivering a successful project, ACG sees potential for even greater efficiency on future projects with the emergence of Aeroqual OneView. “The automated calculations and report generation can save us an hour a day in the future. The plug-and-play design, plus the Rule 1466-specific dashboard, makes my job so much easier.”