Franklin Electric Company, Inc.
Purchase of EBW, Inc., Muskegon, Michigan

Clients

Franklin Electric Company, Inc., Bluffton, Indiana
and Franklin Fueling Systems, Madison, Wisconsin

Situation

Franklin Electric Company, Inc. (FE) is the world's largest manufacturer of submersible electric motors and a leading producer of engineered specialty electric motor products and electronic controls used by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) around the world for a wide variety of residential, industrial, and municipal applications. Franklin Fueling Systems (FFS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of FE.

In August 2000, FE purchased EBW, Inc. (EBW), a supplier of accessories for petroleum fueling systems. The EBW operations were all located in the metropolitan Muskegon, Michigan area. A portion of EBW's facilities had been occupied by a brass/magnesium foundry in operation since the 1930s. The former foundry operation releases resulted in soil contamination.

Solution/Services

R&W's services commenced with a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), asbestos survey and sampling, and a limited regulatory compliance audit. These tasks developed into a Phase II ESA consisting of multiple rounds of soil and groundwater sampling and analyses. These services were all performed prior to FE's purchase of EBW.

After FE purchased EBW, R&W performed an informal feasibility study, completed remedial design, and provided construction management for the entire remediation. Selected remedial approaches included the following:

• A soil vapor extraction-air sparging system (SVE-AS) was installed to reduce concentrations of tetrachloroethene adjacent to and beneath a small building. After SVE-AS, R&W performed verification sampling to document that cleanup goals had been achieved.
• Investigations were conducted to determine the extent and concentrations of PCB-affected soil. After receiving approval from U.S. EPA Region V, the soil with the highest concentrations of PCBs was excavated and place in a landfill in accordance with TSCA and Parts 115 and 201 of Michigan's Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA). Some of this soil was located beneath the manufacturing plant. R&W coordinated production demands for space, building structural modifications to allow nearby excavation, and observation of the remedial contractors.
• R&W also designed modifications of storm water drainage and cap placement over soil affected by lead, lower concentrations of chlorinated solvents, and PCBs. Portions of the cap were designed to meet Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requirements. The cap was specifically designed to eliminate the need for further removal of contaminated soil and, thereby, minimized the cost of the work.

Project Schedule/Cost

The remedial design and site work were completed within a period of approximately 18 months. The cost of the entire project was approximately $1.1 million with R&W fees comprising approximately 12% of the project costs.