ALTUS provides environmental compliance (EHSS, EMS, etc.), geologic and professional engineering services to a wide variety of clients including independent petroleum marketers; the oil & gas, electronics manufacturing, mining, and other private industries; counties and municipalities; banks; real estate developers; and the legal community. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques for all of its assessment and remediation work, ALTUS provides a complete range of professional services:

• Environmental Site Assessments (Phase I)
• Site Characterization (Phase II)
• Oil & Gas Industry Services
  • Front-end Environmental and Upstream
  • Midstream
  • Downstream
• Petroleum Remediation; UST/AST Consulting (Under/Aboveground Storage Tank)
  • Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasure (SPCC)
  • Colorado Oil & Public Safety (OPS) Reimbursement
• Chlorinated Solvent Remediation
• Air Quality Services 
• Mining Services
• Brownfield Redevelopment/Voluntary Cleanup
• Regulatory Compliance/Environmental Management Systems
• Conservation Easement Services
• Waste management / Pollution Prevention

Detailed information on each of these areas is found further on in this document. Project histories and full text resumes are available upon request and are typically provided in response to a specific project need (Contact Us). In keeping with our low-cost, high-value business model, we have developed alliances throughout the region with firms capable of performing a variety of services. These services are selected to complement those ALTUS provides and bring our clients an entire solution with one-stop convenience at a lower cost.  Some of these alliances include the following services:

• Geophysical surveys
• Analytical testing, both fixed and mobile labs
• General construction
• Geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing
• Environmental Impact Assessments and NEPA services

The following provides an expanded look at each of the ALTUS service areas. Every project undertaken by ALTUS is tailored to meet the specific needs of each client, regardless of project size or complexity.

Environmental Site Assessments (Phase I)
ALTUS provides Phase I transactional audits to help assess potential environmental liability associated with property divestiture and acquisition. This can involve conventional Phase I property audits according to ASTM E1527 standards, quantifying environmental risks, estimating direct cleanup costs, or helping to estimate environmental insurance and other indirect costs.  ALTUS staff has conducted hundreds of Phase I audits in a variety of industrial and commercial conditions.

In the event that potential environmental concerns are identified, ALTUS can then provide a second level (Phase II) assessment to evaluate potential impacts and, if required, design and implement the necessary remedial approach (the majority of our remediation work involves "turn-key" system design, installation and O&M). Our pragmatic approach to environmental work has resulted in tangible client savings in the event that issues are discovered and need further action.

Site Characterization (Phase II)
Either as part of a transactional study or in response to a known concern, site assessments are conducted when it’s necessary to characterize the extent and magnitude of an environmental impact. The results of a site assessment can be used to begin development of remedial alternatives for the site, to provide baseline data whether developing a site or acquiring an impacted site, or to determine the optimal course of action for your own real estate assets. ALTUS also conducts site assessments for:

• CERCLA Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies (RI/FS)
• RCRA Remedial Feasibility Assessment/Remedial Feasibility Investigation (RFA/RFI) assessments
• UST/AST assessments

The site assessment process typically includes the following steps:

• Development of a work plan
• Sampling of various media (soil, air, water)
• Drilling and installation of groundwater monitoring wells
• Geochemical analyses of collected samples
• Characterization of source areas
• Modeling to determine fate and transport of contaminants
• Compilation of data, recommendations and final report
• Client representation with government agencies

Oil & Gas Industry Services
ALTUS is probably best known for its ability to cost-effectively attain site closure at down-stream O&G facilities. However, our staff also has exceptional experience providing remediation and other environmental services to up- and mid-stream operators.  For example, our staff and, where annotated by a “TF”, our team firms have direct experience with the following activities:

Front-end Environmental and Upstream Services

• CBM produced water permitting
• Air quality regulatory and permitting evaluations, source and emissions inventories, control technology evaluations, and air impact analyses
• Salinity and dissolved solids compliance issues associated with produced water
• Environmental Impact Statements and Assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ^TF
• Environmental Impact Assessment under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and similar state statutes^TF
• Environmental Impact Assessment under World Bank and other Development Banks Policies^TF
• Endangered Species (Endangered Species Act), Wetlands, Watersheds, and other Natural Resource Management Plans, Studies and Consultation^TF
• Special Status Species (other than those protected under the ESA) Evaluation and Consultation^TF

Midstream Experience

• Compressor stations investigation, cleanup and closure
• Refinery investigation and cleanup
• Natural gas processing facility (dehydration, sweetening, etc.) investigation and cleanup
• Pit and pond closures
• Natural gas liquids processing plants investigation and cleanup
• Facility demolition and decommissioning support
• Condensate investigation and cleanup
• Chromium investigation and cleanup (e.g., hexavalent chromium associated with cooling towers)
• PCB remediation
• NPDES permitting

Downstream

• Bulk storage facility investigation and cleanup
• Retail station investigation and cleanup
• Retail station demolition support

UST/AST Consulting

• Tank closure oversight
• Tank lining and upgrades to meet regulatory requirements
• SPCC plans for above ground storage tank facilities
• System integrity testing
• Release investigations/assessment
• Remediation system design and implementation
• Colorado Division of Oil and Public Safety (OPS) Petroleum Storage Tank Fund reimbursement applications

All tank-consulting services are provided in conformance with the regulatory agency’s Reasonable Cost Guidelines. ALTUS staff prepares the reimbursement application forms, compiles and submits the packages to OPS on clients’ behalf, and attends committee hearings with clients. All remedial programs and reports are developed and performed in accordance with OPS regulations and guidance documents. Our experience in this area consistently minimizes financial impacts for our clients.

Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasure (SPCC)

Spill Prevention Containment and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans and/or updates are required for compliance with EPA regulations. ALTUS Environmental can prepare your SPCC plan effectively and efficiently with a sensible approach designed to minimize your ongoing implementation costs.

Chlorinated Solvent Remediation

ALTUS scientists and engineers have the tools and technical know-how to investigate and cleanup chlorinated solvent releases from dry cleaners and industrial operations.  Using state-of-the art field investigation techniques, our staff can help identify potential sources of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) and target hydrostratigraphic zones for remediation.  Our engineers have direct experience with best-available treatment technologies, including enhanced reductive dechlorination, chemical oxidation, multi-phase extraction, and air sparge/SVE.  

Air Quality Services

With the myriad of air quality issues facing facilities and operations, it becomes necessary to plan and operate with a keen awareness of the effect of air emissions and regulations on operations and the environment. The air quality issues that can be encountered range from being quite simple with quick analyses and solutions or can be complex with lengthy analyses and solutions. ALTUS has air quality capabilities to help address both simple and complex key issues facing facilities and operations. We have senior expertise bringing over 25 years of experience addressing air quality permitting, regulatory, and technical issues for existing and proposed new facilities. ALTUS brings depth of experience along with the personal touch and affordable nature of a small business.  We are capable of using our staff’s excellent experience and the low overhead of a small business to provide in-depth analyses and solutions in a cost-effective manner. The air quality services ALTUS provides include, but are not necessarily limited to the following:

• Regulatory and permitting evaluations
• Source and emissions inventories
• Control technology evaluations
• Air impact analyses

ALTUS can help you prepare your facility for regulatory compliance inspections. Staff identifies Best Management Practices that may help to prevent future regulatory compliance problems while improving efficiency and productivity in your operations. ALTUS also identifies areas of potential regulatory liability, as well as root causes of these issues, and then recommends corrective measures to achieve compliance. In addition, ALTUS can guide you through the complex maze of regulatory permitting requirements associated with air emissions, hazardous waste, solid waste, ground and surface water discharge, UST, and other permitting challenges. Read more about the Air Quality Services that ALTUS can provide.

Mining Services

ALTUS staff have experience providing mining clients with a broad variety of services.  Using advanced hydrogeologic and geochemical techniques, we can help develop fate and transport models to determine potential risk and exposure concerns.  Our staff have helped clients assess tailings leaching potential in support of surface-water management, performed geochemical and health-based risk assessments in support of residential and commercial property development atop mill tailings, and helped develop groundwater extraction and treatment system designs to help prevent off-site migration of aqueous-phase impacts.  In addition, ALTUS enjoys consulting alliances with some of the finest experts in the field of mining geochemistry and hydrogeology, allowing clients to access the best talent in the region under a single low-cost contract with low administrative burden.