Paving Paradise

"They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot."

- Big Yellow Taxi

The early 1970’s, when this song premiered, were a time of environmental awakening for our
nation. Green was good; asphalt was bad. Indiscriminate building activities were frowned
upon by environmentalists who worried that the country was becoming over-developed.
Protesters chained themselves to trees, marched against industries, and boycotted
environmentally dangerous products. Today, however, some have come to realize that
"paving paradise" is an option to be considered. Not all development is harmful to the
environment. Planned developments are beneficial and can actually enhance environmental
conditions at a site.

Present geo-environmental thinking considers various approaches in utilizing land and building
developments to cap contaminated sites. This is illustrated in the following scenarios where
different levels of environmentally friendly design can be utilized to help soil, air, and water
resources.

Site A is a clean site. Subsurface investigations have shown no contamination by previous

landowners or operators. With input from the landscape architect and architect, development
plans maximize the green space on the site. Roof runoff is piped directly to inlets and
stormwater conveyance systems. Runoff from parking lots and driveways is diverted through
grassy lawn areas and earth swales, filtering petroleum residue and sediment contaminates
prior to entering retention ponds where collected stormwater can percolate into the natural
ground water regime. Environmentalists appreciate Site A’s common-sense design and
consideration for green spaces.

Site B is a partially contaminated site. Years ago, industrial waste and by-products were
improperly dumped onto a corner of the tract, leaving approximately one quarter of the site
unusable for green space. A Phase I Environmental Assessment and subsequent laboratory
testing has shown a heavy concentration of Total Recoverable Petroleum Hydrocarbons
(TRPH) and coal tar in the soil which cannot be completely removed. Since rainwater should
be prevented from percolating through the contaminated soil and entering into the ground
water regime, the architect, in consultation with a geo-environmental engineer, may
recommend locating the building over the contaminated area. Engineers would then include
vapor barriers and vapor recovery systems in the design to prevent moisture penetration and
petroleum or other chemical fumes from filtering into the building. Runoff is routed away
from the contaminated area. In addition, parking lots may be purposely located in this area to
further cap the contaminated land. Landscape design utilizing pavers, plastic liners,
underdrains, mulch covers over clay, and special plant material (tolerant to TRPH
contamination) are another capping option. This capping approach to controlling surface
infiltration allows a contaminated and formerly unusable site to be fully developed and/or
transformed into a landscaped, protected green space.

© JDB Engineering, Inc. | York, PA & Hunt Valley, MD | Engineering the Built Environment to Sustain the Natural Environment
 Site C is every environmentalist’s nightmare. Contamination is everywhere and includes
chlorinated solvents, coal tar, and leachable metals. Total clean-up is not practical. However,
this abandoned property as it presently exists is more dangerous to the environment than if it
were to be developed. Why? On an extremely contaminated site, rainfall filters through the
contaminates, which are then carried through the soil to the ground water regime where
these substances infiltrate and contaminate domestic water systems. Capping 100% of the site
would be recommended for the presumed levels of contamination described for Site C. While
this can result in massive building, parking lot, and sidewalk site coverages with limited or no
green space, surface runoff from the site can be intercepted and piped safely to a lined
stormwater detention basin, minimizing surface water percolation. Hence, contaminates do
not enter the ground water regime. In this case, paving paradise is definitely an option to
consider!

When property is under consideration for purchase, geotechnical and environmental

engineers should be the first consulted. Whether contracted by developers, contractors,
corporate real estate departments, or other engineers and architects, their input is critical to
proper design and assessment of development feasibility. Buying, selling, and transferring
property has become increasingly complicated. Most banking institutions and insurance
companies require an environmental assessment and sometimes a geotechnical evaluation of
a proposed purchase prior to settlement on the property.

Within JDBE, geotechnical and environmental engineers have combined forces to benefit the
natural environment and our clients’construction budgets. Not only does this joining of forces
avoid the duplication of efforts in land assessments, design, and planning, but geo-
environmental specialists are able to envision the complete development potential as
opposed to focusing on only a narrow scope. For example, geotechnical and environmental
assessments can assist a structural engineer in developing adaptive foundation designs, assist
the architect in building placements and layouts, and provide guidance to a contractor for
efficient earthwork operations, while still addressing remediation issues and incorporating
environmentally-friendly land development designs.

A team effort within the design community is necessary. Often, one of the major hurdles in a
land development plan is the approval process. To be approved, every land use plan must
conform to an array of federal, state, county, and local regulations. A wide range of issues
must be addressed and resolved, especially if contaminates are involved. A geo-environmental
consultant with a thorough knowledge of governmental procedures and regulations can work
with the architect and land development engineer to expedite projects through the potentially
multi-layered approval and permitting process. Not only can this team effort save money and
time, it also helps to optimize and fully develop the land. The team is able to develop an
environmentally sensitive design which improves the landscape and helps cleanse our
waterways and ground water drinking supplies.

Today we face increasing concerns about our fragile environment. The public demands a clean
environment in harmony with nature. Government regulatory agencies are increasing
enforcement and imposing severe penalties for non-compliance. Business owners, lenders,

© JDB Engineering, Inc. | York, PA & Hunt Valley, MD | Engineering the Built Environment to Sustain the Natural Environment
 and buyers are now aware that environmental management makes good business sense. To
the environmentalist, paving paradise may not be the most attractive path, but when
considering a contaminated site, it is sometimes the only path to take.

JDB Engineering, Inc.

www.jdbengineering.com

3687 Concord Road

York, PA 17402

120 Cockeysville Road #101

Hunt Valley, MD 21030

PA: 717.757.5602
MD: 410.771.3433

© JDB Engineering, Inc. | York, PA & Hunt Valley, MD | Engineering the Built Environment to Sustain the Natural Environment