Gannett Fleming helps transform California community plagued by environmental contamination

LYNWOOD, CALIF. — In an effort to mitigate significant environmental contamination in a Lynwood, Calif., residential neighborhood, Gannett Fleming has placed into operation two remediation systems to clean up free-phase gasoline dispersed within a shallow groundwater aquifer. The installation of the remediation systems is a significant milestone and represents the first step in a comprehensive remediation program designed to prepare the site for redevelopment into a commercial and residential mixed-use project.

The contamination emanating from a gas station, dry cleaner, and self-storage facility on the site poses a potential health risk to the surrounding community. The remediation systems are expected to extract more than 3,600 gallons of gasoline from groundwater at the site during the next six months. At the official clean-up commencement event, Lynwood city manager, Roger Haley, said, “They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Today is a huge step for us.” Lynwood director of community development, Sarah Magana Withers, noted, “Upon completion of the remediation here, Gannett Fleming, as our environmental engineers, will be able to give us the groundwork to have a viable piece of land that we can actually redevelop and produce certain needed services within our city as well as jobs.”

With a $1.5 million allocation, the Lynwood site was the recipient of the largest allocation of money awarded under the state of California’s Emergency Abandoned and Recalcitrant (EAR) Sites Fund. Securing this funding mechanism on behalf of Lynwood is an example of how Gannett Fleming provides innovative funding strategies to kick-start Brownfield projects, which ultimately helps transform communities plagued by environmental contamination and blight.