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“Grow the Force” Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility

In June 2008, US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Seattle District awarded Bristol a $12.8 million, firm-fixed price Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (TEMF) contract located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. This Standard Medium TEMF, the first task order (seed project) awarded under the Northwest Regional MATOC, included the design-build of a 35,290-square-foot (SF) facility with 20,639-square yards (SY) of hardstand area for 230 military vehicles.

Bristol constructed this TEMF using a pre-engineered metal building with granite stone insulated panels and CMU) wainscot. This building constructed for the maintenance, repair, and storage of heavy military tactical vehicles and equipment, has a 96-foot clear span, a 10-ton overhead bridge crane, and features 10 bays, each with motorized overhead coiling doors. A maintenance pit provides provisions for five different types of fluid distribution. Additional features for each repair area include an outlet to a vehicle exhaust evacuation system and access to NIPERNet and SIPRNet data connection points. This facility contains a COMSEC vault, a weapons vault, and a non-sensitive secure storage area. It has separate rooms for general office space, tool storage, conference, training, small item repair, men/women latrines, as well as other dedicated spaces. Training rooms are designed to accommodate open space with reconfigurable walls and partitions. 

Situated on the hardstand are one oil storage building and one hazardous waste storage building, each 120 SF as well as a 6,081 SF organizational storage building. Our team designed all of the storage structures as simple rectangular forms with shed roofs to reduce the number of gutters and thus reduce maintenance for USACE.

864th Engineering Battalion Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility

As a task order (TO) under the Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (TEMF) Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC), USACE Seattle District contracted Bristol to design and construct an $8.7M 18,000-square-foot (SF) Small TEMF at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The TEMF houses operations for the purpose of maintaining and repairing vehicles. The facility includes a large open area with a 10-ton crane for working on vehicles inside the building; additional rooms for the administrative personnel; mechanical; electrical; and communication areas; and latrines. The facility utilizes a pre-engineered metal that was selected to provide maximum cost savings to the government, as well as minimize lead time and maximize efficiency in construction. The building sits on a reinforced concrete slab with overhead roll-up doors and a seamed metal roof. 

In addition to the TEMF, the project included the construction of three outbuildings (2,800 SF organizational storage building, 131 SF petroleum oil and lubricants [POL] and a 131 SF hazardous waste storage building). The contracted duration for both the design and construction of the facility was 365 days. Bristol was able to meet this short duration by splitting the schedule into two packages – civil/structural and vertical package. This allowed the team to begin work on the site before the vertical package was complete, giving the team the ability to successfully complete the project in the 365-day duration.

Chester Creek Alignment and Channel Improvements

Bristol realigned a portion of Chester Creek to remove barriers to fish passage, reconnect stream segments, reduce flooding, and improve water quality. The project included demolition, bank stabilization, new stream and pond construction, toe and slope protection, box culvert installation, erosion control, in-water work, storm drainpipe slip lining, riprap placement, straw wattles, landscaping, pavement, and concrete. 

To reroute the creek, Bristol first installed a temporary 650-foot creek diversion trench to collect flow waters from crossing culverts. Excavation activities occurred within temporary construction easements provided by the Municipality of Anchorage. Super Sacks® were placed at the beginning of the existing creek channel, preventing flow waters from re-entering the existing creek channel during the installation of the proposed storm drain system. The Super Sacks® were filled with excavated material from the temporary creek diversion and were placed to prevent breaching of flow waters. Upon completion of the new storm drain system installation, the temporary diversion trench was backfilled and compacted using the previously excavated material. The new stream channel now has an average slope of 1.5%, mimicking the natural stream channel 

This project included the challenging task of closing one of Anchorage, Alaska’s busiest intersections for 84 hours to complete box culvert and storm drain modifications. This required the Bristol team to have all materials, equipment, personnel, and back-ups ready to work 24 hours a day during a holiday weekend closure. Work was completed ahead of the scheduled closure time with no safety near misses or accidents.

Haines Fuel Terminal, Haines, Sears Creek Station, Tok Fuel Terminal, Tok and Gerstle River Test Site

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Alaska District contracted Bristol to conduct environmental investigations at four U.S. Army Garrison sites across Alaska – Haines Fuel Terminal (HFT), Sears Creek Station (SCS), Tok Fuel Terminal (TFT), and Gerstle River Test Site (GRTS) – three sites along the Haines Fuel Pipeline (HFP) and one active maneuver area, extending from Haines in Southeast Alaska to Delta Junction in Alaska’s interior, over 500 miles apart. Portions of the Haines Fuel Pipeline (HFP) are co-located with the Canadian Oil (CANOL) Pipeline between Tok and Fairbanks.

The investigation included three remedial investigations (RIs), two site investigations (SIs), and Class V underground injection control (UIC) and pipelines risk assessments (RAs) concurrently at three sites. The RI objectives were to characterize features identified in the data gap analyses as needing further investigation, delineate the nature and extent of contaminants in soil and groundwater (including potential impacts from former Class V UIC well systems, petroleum storage tanks, and petroleum pipelines), and collect adequate data to be incorporated into baseline human health and ecological risk assessments (HH/ERAs), to be used to establish site remediation goals. RI objectives were achieved through extensive field screening using an ultra-violet optical screening tool (UVOST), photoionization detector (PID), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and passive soil gas modules; installation of numerous soil borings and monitoring wells, and the collection of soil and groundwater analytical data. 

Removed and closed 20 dry wells and two septic systems at four sites. Specific scope for each site included:

  • Haines Fuel Terminal Pipeline Removal removed 15,169 linear feet (lf) of piping, 80 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, 330 gallons of contaminated liquid, and associated scrap metal. 
  • Tok Fuel Terminal Pipeline Removal removed 8,030 lf of piping, 240 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, 1,375 gallons of contaminated liquid, and associated scrap metal. 
  • Sears Creek Station underground storage tank (UST), aboveground storage tank (AST), and Pipeline Removal removed two USTs, two ASTs, a fuel dewatering tower, a concrete waste pit, 3,000 lf of piping, 130 tons of petroleum-contaminated soil, 1,315 gallons of contaminated liquid, and associated scrap metal. 
  • Gerstle River Test Site Sump and Piping Decommissioning removed a concrete waste sump, 150 lf of associated drainage and discharge piping, six 55-gallon drums of sump and piping sludge, and 1,250 gallons of contaminated liquid. 

Bristol prepared three Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) RI reports, two Human Health (HH)/Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) reports, two SI reports, three tank and pipeline removal reports, one sump decommissioning report, three monitoring wells repair reports, and two brush-clearing/fence maintenance reports. The RI reports achieved project data quality objectives (DQOs), defined nature and extent of contamination, estimated risk, calculated site-specific Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) Method 3 alternate cleanup levels (ACLs) and estimated volume of contaminated soil remaining at each site.

Inupiat Road Sign Translation Project

The Native Village of Kotzebue (NVOK) in Alaska, is committed to promoting and maintaining their heritage. One of the ways to accomplish this is to present road signs around Kotzebue in their traditional language, Inupiat. NVOK worked with the Elder’s Council to develop a translation list for all the road signs within the community. This list was transmitted to Bristol to provide shop drawings and specifications for the signs. The NVOK self-performed the sign procurement and installation process.

Municipal and Residential Well Treatment System Corrective Action

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Omaha District awarded this delivery order to one of Bristol’s joint ventures to perform an immediate response (IR) action to provide clean drinking water to private residences, mobile home parks, and commercial properties at locations adjacent to Peterson Air Force Base (AFB), Colorado, where current water supplies were identified as being contaminated with perfluorochemicals (PFCs). Specifically, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were found at concentrations exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Lifetime Health Advisory (LHAs) of 70 ppt individually or combined. PFCs are chemicals found in consumer products including non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, as well as in aqueous firefighting foam used in both civilian and military markets. Evolving science has identified a potential risk to humans from these emerging contaminants. 

Within days following award, our team successfully contracted with multiple local vendors to begin provisions for clean drinking water to the nearby farm, six commercial properties, 24 private properties, and two mobile home parks consisting of more than 60 taps and 170 people. 

Following the successful execution of the required IR actions, our team received a contract modification to provide time-sensitive corrective actions for municipal, commercial, and private drinking water wells where current water sources were contaminated with PFOA and PFOS at concentrations exceeding the EPA LHAs. The modification included installation of granular activated carbon (GAC) and Ion-Exchange Resin point of entry treatment (POET) systems capable of treating flows from 50 gallons per minute (gpm) at the mobile home parks and up to 500 gpm for the three municipal drinking water supply wells; and point of use (POU) treatment systems for residential properties. Additional efforts included the collection of water samples from private and commercial wells not previously sampled by the El Paso County Department of Health (DOH) for PFOA/PFOS analysis to determine the need for mitigation. Prior to the execution of project requirements, our team generated a Uniform Federal Policy for Quality Assurance Project Plan (UFP-QAPP) covering all aspects of the proposed project execution. This document was submitted to Peterson AFB, USACE Omaha District, Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), El Paso County DOH, and the EPA for review and approval. Our team provided additional support to the USACE and Peterson AFB with the generation of an Action Memorandum for the project. 

In all, our team installed 27 reverse osmosis units for POU treatment at residential properties, installed an ion-exchange resin system capable of treating 350 gpm on one municipal well, and two GAC treatment systems on two additional municipal wells (capable of treating up to 500 gpm). The two GAC treatment systems were plumbed in series with sample ports located pre-treatment, between filters, and post-treatment which allows for regular monitoring for PFOA/PFOS in the influent (raw) and effluent (treated) water to develop breakthrough curve specific to each location and to assist in determining future operations and maintenance.

Repair Tank 156 and 105

Bristol was awarded this fuels project to inspect, repair, cut, and cover Tanks 105 and 156 at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay to bring them into compliance with the applicable API 653 and to extend the life of the tanks. Repairs included repairing non-compliant welds, sealing roof welds, installing stilling wells, replacing threaded piping with welded fittings, recoating the interior of the tank, and placing a liner over the roof of the tank. 

Bristol conducted an onsite repair validation to include verification and validation of the repairs listed in the scope of work. A report was submitted to the client listing all current repairs and included repairs no longer needed as well as repairs that must be added to this scope of work for both Tank 156 and Tank 105. Additional repairs identified included replacement of a non-compliant ladder, testing of 11 existing patch plate welds to determine if they were in compliance, installation of product recovery tanks, removal of salt contamination from interior tank steel, as well as installation of a liner over the tank roof and under the soil to prevent water from entering the tank.

Tank 156 is a Cut and Cover JP-5 underground storage tank (UST). The tank’s dimensions are 20 feet (ft) high by 100 ft deep, with a barrel size of 27,900 barrels. Bristol performed an American Petroleum Institute (API) 653 Modified inspection as well as other repairs to extend the life of the tank, including the removal of 25,000 square feet (SF) of existing coating system and provided a new coating system on the roof, floor and shell. The initial coating removal was completed by abrasive blasting steel surfaces to near-white metal IAW SSPC SP-10/NACE No. 2. Once the existing coating was removed, the underlying steel was found to contain gross contamination from salt. Once removal of the salt contamination was complete, the tank was coated by applying a three-coat system IAW UFGS 09 97 13.17, Three Coat Epoxy Interior Coating of Welded Steel Petroleum Fuel Tanks. 

Bristol provided seal welds for any incomplete welds including the entire 315 linear feet (LF) inner circumferential joint at the tank shell and rim angle as this joint may be a potential leak path in the future. Back welded all plate joints (1,750 LF) to prevent future leak paths. 

For UST 105 Bristol provided 1,990 SF of internal coating repair on the tank bottom (mainly under the manway opening), along the tank sump and secondary sump bottoms, and 100 SF of internal coating on the steel roof deck. All surfaces were abrasive blasted and received three coats of interior coating to the same specifications used on Tank 156. 

Due to the remote nature of this site, Bristol constructed a fully self-contained man camp to provide housing and facilities for construction staff performing the cleaning, inspection, and repair of these tanks. Bristol shipped all material and equipment from the mainland to the site on a government-contracted barge.

Stewart Air National Guard Base Community Relations Support

Bristol was contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide community relations support including the establishment of a Restoration Advisory Committee (RAC), the National Guard Bureau version of a Restoration Advisory Board, for Stewart Air National Guard Base located in Newburgh, New York.  The community relations support was provided while an interim treatment system for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) was installed and operated in a stormwater pond for the base.  

Bristol facilitated discussions between the community and government partners (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Guard Bureau, and Stewart Air National Guard Base) to develop and implement the RAC establishment process.  Bristol continued to support RAC operations including preparing and revising the Operating Procedures through adoption; coordinating, promoting, and moderating quarterly meetings; translating meeting notices, RAC applications, and meeting transcripts to Spanish; and sharing documents and notices between government partners and the RAC.  After the first year of RAC operations, facilitation the distribution and promotion of open RAC position and meeting voting to fill positions as well as to elect a new community co-chair.

Due to COVID-19 meeting and travel restrictions, Bristol assisted government partners in identifying and testing online platforms for hosting RAC meetings.  Quarterly RAC meetings continued on-schedule with public participation in a virtual setting.  

UNLV Study Area MRS 02 RI/FS

US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Los Angeles District, awarded Bristol this project to complete a Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP) remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) at the former Nellis Small Arms Range, formerly used defense site (FUDS) (including Burial Areas, Moving Target Area, and Ordnance Jettison Area) on a 2,014-acre munitions response site (MRS) located in Las Vegas, Nevada. Project activities included preparing project plans, performing RI/FS field activities, writing RI/FS reports, and preparing and gaining acceptance of a Proposed Plan and Decision Document. 

The 2,014-acre University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), study area MRS02 was created to address land that is scheduled to be transferred to UNLV. Bristol conducted a remedial investigation to determine the nature and extent of potential Munitions and Explosives of Concern (MEC)/Munitions Constituents (MC), assess the potential risks/hazards to human health and the environment, and evaluate remedial investigation findings to determine if no further action is needed or remedial action alternatives are needed through a FS.

The Bristol team conducted field investigations from November 2017 to March 2018, using light detection and ranging survey (LiDAR) mapping, biological and cultural resource surveys and monitoring; geophysical surveys, MEC field work and MC sampling; and intrusive investigations. In all, the Bristol team completed 90 miles of geophysical surveys resulting in 12,000 anomalies investigated with zero unexploded ordnance (UXO). The Bristol team identified munitions debris (MD) items to include 37mm fragments, 100-pound practice bomb, smoke grenade, heavy case fragments, and jet assisted take-off (JATO) Bottles. All MD was collected and taken to staging area for inspection, certification, and recycling, 

In addition to MD, the Bristol team found that lead and antimony exceeded residential and industrial screening criteria in the Moving Target Berm Areas and downrange from the moving target berms. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) also exceeded residential soil screening criteria in the small area where clay target debris were identified. Based on the RI report, remedial action for military munitions was not required and no further action was needed. However, the RI report concluded the higher levels of lead, antimony, and PAHs in the soils on site posed an unacceptable risk and further evaluation was warranted through the FS. 

Through the FS process, USACE identified excavation, transportation, and disposal of contaminated soils as the alternative method of choice to ensure protection of human health, welfare, and the environment from actual or threatened releases of hazardous substances.

Community participation is a key element in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) process, and as such USACE and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP) provided information regarding the preferred alternatives for the MRS to the public through a public meeting, administrative record file for the site, and announcements published in local newspapers. Once the proposed plan was finalized, Bristol completed the final decision document in March 2020.