TBLS Environmental Liability Advisory Services

Representative Case Studies

TBLS Advisory’s expertise includes  “360” knowledge of Local, State, National and International equivalent regulatory issues having working on cleanups, remediations, closure and post closure care and reporting for environmental liability regulated by CERCLA, Clean Water Act, RCRA/Superfund, NRD, EPA and others.  TBLS Advisors honed their skills in industry earning awards and recognition for innovation, cost management and effectively managing remediation risk.

TBLS Representative Case Studies of Environmental Liability Consulting & Cleanup

Adak Island BRAC (Defense Base Realignment and Closure Act) Transfer

$200MM Environmental Valuation bridges “Bid & Ask” to Source Deal Close between Navy and Aleut Corporation.

The project involved characterization and valuation of environmental liabilities of ADAK Island Navy base, a base that had been in existence since before WWII.  The Navy’s pre-transfer estimate was $30 MM.  Case involved successful negotiations and deal close between U.S. Navy and the Aleut Corporation under U.S. Congress oversight.  Working on behalf to the insurance carrier commissioned to insure the transfer, TBLS experts led the due diligence, environmental valuation and negotiation process involving 1000 environmentally impaired sites (65 Superfund, 39 landfills, 7 sediment cleanup, 450 petroleum and hazardous waste sites, as well as, 500 Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) sites. As third party consultants our experts visited the sites, helped develop negotiating strategy with the legal team and Tribal Council and participated as the technical experts during negotiations between the Navy and Tribal Corporation.  The basis of negotiation was the 27 megabyte cost estimate and granular report that our experts prepared.  The report demonstrated how a $1.5 BB project could be settled for $200 MM while meeting all applicable regulatory standards  while showing how all parties could be protected from overrides and future unknown liabilities.  With this documentation the deal closed for approximately $200 MM instead of the original $1.5 BB pre-close estimate.  Entire task was completed in less than two months at a cost of about $250,000.

Todd Pacific Shipyards

$22MM Sediment Remediation Design and Oversight Won EPA Award as “Best Remediation Project” of its time (2004)

TBLS Lead, as senior environmental consultant for AIG Claims managed the cleanup of the Todd Shipyards Operable Unit, a 430 acre shipyard in operation since the 1920’s, designated as part of four Superfund Sites.  Sediment represented more than 75 years of shipbuilding contaminants.  Contaminants included arsenic, lead, zinc, copper, lead, and hydrocarbons. The Shipyard project represented a challenge for the Insurer who had insured a cleanup for but a fraction of what was revalued later as a $40MM cleanup.   The TBLS experts were able to cut the costs by nearly 50% and completed an EPA award winning cleanup for only $22MM and within the original escrow amount. They conducted valuation, conceived solution, oversaw contractor bidding, negotiations, consultant selection and monitoring of claims through cleanup enrolling regulators, attorneys, insurer and shipyard owner to a satisfactory close.
Brownfield Developments for National and International REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)

Mastermind of two USEPA Brownfield Showcase Projects

TBLS Experts have provided regulatory, purchase and sale, negotiation, and litigation support for 100s of Brownfield sites represented by REITS: Vulcan, Prologis, Cushman Wakefield, Vornado and Grubb & Ellis.   They have also conducted evaluations, quantification of environmental risks, design of long-term remedies and Phase I&II ESAs.  One such project came from a large Brownfield portfolio and included a 10 sq. city block site that had morphed from an industrial area to a warehousing district.  Our experts conducted audits, assessed business risks and supported many Brownfield redevelopments two of which became USEPA Showcase projects.

BP/Conoco Phillips Acquisition

800 facilities transfer to Conoco Phillips following accelerated NFA (No Further Action) Designation receipt

TBLS expert, as BP in-house EHS (Environmental Health & Safety) officer worked for the seller to develop the post M&A strategy on 1400 down-stream facilities following acquisition by Conoco Phillips.  The deal placed liability for

Cleanup on the seller until NFA’s or long-term monitoring could be achieved.  The solution to get as many of the sites of the seller’s book was to develop an innovative strategy to achieve NFAs using a new risk-based approach judged by the environmental agencies of three different States (WA, OR, & CA) renowned as the strictest in the US.  In two years, with a team of 3, over 800 facilities were transferred to Conoco Phillips oversight by receiving No Further Actions at less than half the original M&A valuation.  

Georgia Pacific/Port of Bellingham

$30MM Environmental Liability transfer for 3 Superfund Sites

Served as technical manager for due diligence and valuations using ASTM procedures as a third party between the Port of Bellingham (buyer) and Georgia Pacific (seller) in a liability buyout of the pulp and paper mill (Georgia Pacific’s Corporate Headquarters prior to acquisition by Koch industries) and 15 other properties including a Chevron terminal, a wood treating facility and various marine repair facilities. Result was the successful transfer and environmental cleanup cost cap and future unknown liability of $30MM liability including 8 landfill sites, 7 Federal Superfund sites including two sediment Superfund sites, and over 25 other State Superfund sites.

FMN Railroad Fueling Terminal, Guadalajara, Mexico

Turn-around of failed 200-acre remediation stops sewer line blow-ups

Our experts were hired by the Federal Mexican Railroad (FMN) to forensically analyze the failure of a 200-acre remediation system that was causing impact to a nearby subway station.  The spill had previously caused sewer lines to blow-up resulting in several citizen’ deaths.  Satisfaction with this remediation led to new business including completing the remediation of 20 additional railroad terminals.

Chinese Petroleum Company (CPC), Taiwan, China

Environmental Experts Certified by World Bank teach Chinese Government the “American Way”

TBLS lead was hired through the World Bank as a certified expert in environmental cleanup to assist the CPC and the Chinese Government and to teach the Chinese Research Institute (ITRI) and CPC’s EHS staff how to do environmental cleanup the “American” way.  As part of the assignment, TBLS staff helped the EHS staff design their first bioremediation for 6 WWII era marine and refinery terminals.

Goodyear Tire and Rubber

40-project contract in US and Canada

Managed environmental cleanup for Superfund site in Phoenix, Arizona.  Success of this project earned a multi-office contract to include 40 additional projects throughout Canada and U.S.

Washington State – Governor’s Task Force on Lead/Arsenic Contamination

Established Institutionalized controls for lead and arsenic use for State of WA

TBLS expert appointed by Governor Gary Locke (now US Ambassador to China), to represent the insurance industry. Task Forces developed risk-based standards for the impact on soil of area-wide lead and arsenic contamination from airborne dispersal by the 100-year operations and arsenic use. This included two lead smelters’ as well as impacts from use of arsenic pesticides in fruit / orchard production.  Standards developed are in effect today.

6 Oil Company Liability Buyout/Client Confidential

Pre-Acquisition Environmental Risk Assessment and Valuation of $120MM Liability

TBLS Group, under a Master Service Agreement, created a reasonable “worst case” environmental liability valuation on behalf of client to be used in negotiations between USEPA and oil refineries considering liability buyout. Valuation was for liability for a town impacted by past releases from 6 oil refineries. , The entire town had been inundated by past spills from refineries and pipelines since the 1970’s.  The $120 MM liability valuation involved review of over 70 reports, and countless files of long term operation, maintenance and monitoring.  The valuation was substantially completed in less than one month.