Remedial Action Plan (RAP)

Have you received results from an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) confirming that your soil or groundwater is contaminated? Or maybe you’re considering redeveloping a brownfield site?

Contending with a contaminated property can be a daunting process and raises some important questions.

• What is the extent of the contamination?
• What are the available remediation options?
• Is Risk Assessment an option?
• Is further delineation necessary?
• How much does environmental remediation cost?
• How long does remediation typically take?
• Can a property redevelopment or sale still move forward?

A Remedial Action Plan (RAP) provides the strategic roadmap needed to move forward with confidence. Rather than making decisions based on a single remediation approach, a RAP evaluates all viable options and identifies the path that best aligns with your property’s condition, business objectives, budget, and schedule.

What is an environmental Remedial Action Plan (RAP)?

A RAP is a detailed evaluation of the remedial and risk management strategies available for a contaminated property.

Traditional RAP frameworks focus on treating as much contamination as possible, ideally approaching 100%.

AEL takes a different approach. When designing a RAP, our focus is to determine the most effective way to mitigate risk, manage liability, and support the property’s long-term value while aligning with the client’s budget, timeline, and redevelopment objectives. Because of this, AEL evaluates both traditional remediation technologies and alternative approaches that may achieve the desired outcome more efficiently.

AEL’s process starts with a formalized investigation of site conditions and then ranks all potentially viable treatment and management options to develop a site-specific RAP. The final report includes a review of the available remediation techniques and technologies which might be employed to achieve the client’s end goals for the property, as well as a final recommended course of action, time, and cost estimate.

What Options Are Evaluated?

Depending on site conditions, contaminants present, and project objectives, a RAP may evaluate options such as:

• In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) and reduction
• Thermal treatment
• Bioremediation
• Phase change remediation
• Containment / Immobilization
• Excavation and disposal
• Natural attenuation
• Risk Assessment strategies
• Hybrid remediation and risk management solutions

Each option is assessed against the property’s specific characteristics and the client’s goals.

Evaluation criteria typically include:

• Contaminant types, concentrations, plume size and location
• Soil and groundwater conditions
• Property redevelopment plans
• Budget constraints
• Project timelines
• Regulatory considerations
• Potential liabilities

A Structured, Data-Driven Decision Process

Depending on the project, AEL will typically consider dozens of potential remedial approaches before screening and ranking them against site conditions, client objectives, and overall effectiveness and feasibility of each option.

The result is a shortlist of the highest-ranking options, typically accompanied by:

• Expected outcomes
• Advantages and limitations
• Relative costs
• Estimated implementation timelines
• Long-term considerations
• A final recommended course of action

In many cases, the most effective strategy is not necessarily the most aggressive or expensive one. Our goal is to help clients understand which option provides the best overall outcome for their property and business objectives.

Why Choose AEL?

AEL has extensive experience helping clients navigate contaminated site challenges, from environmental assessment and delineation through remediation implementation and regulatory closure.

Our approach is centered on understanding your end goal first and then identifying the ideal pathway to get there.

Whether the objective is redevelopment, risk reduction, regulatory compliance, property transaction support, or long-term liability management, our RAPs are designed to provide clarity, confidence, and an actionable strategy to move forward.

Think a RAP would help you make informed decisions for your site?