Joseph Berlin, BLDI President and chief forensic investigator, was a presenter at the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission's National Tanks Conference and Expo in Phoenix, AR on September 15, 2015. Joe provided a discussion on forensic engineering and environmental forensics (FE/EF) focused on their use and trends affecting underground storage tank (UST) sites. The purpose of his session was to present a different understanding of the Conceptual Site Model (CSM) and how the Component Failure Analysis (CFA) integrates into the overall site CSM. A recent case was presented involving the use of FE/EF methods to demonstrate Environmental Baselining. This case utilized CFA, amended CSM, specific analytical methods (Ratio, PIANO, Isotopic) and data analysis techniques to address environmental risk, insurance and transactional due diligence issues. Current Baselining practices and one Baselining practice in development (Arizona) were discussed.

1. Grand Rapids, MI Cincinnati, OHDetroit, MI
Engineering and Environmental Forensics:
Tank-Specific Methods (Partial Presentation)

2. About BLDI, Inc.
BLDI was established in 1991 to focus on providing environmental services within the legal and
financial community. We believe that data should be collected with a pre-determined goal with
the pro’s and con’s of collecting identified prior to developing a work plan. That protocol has
been continually emphasized during over 20 years of environmental due diligence and forensic
work for cases, including work from Michigan to Ohio, Kentucky, New York, California, the
Dakota’s and Texas.
“Our work is only valuable to the extent our client can benefit.” Joe Berlin, PE, CP (Ohio) BLDI President
Our understanding of the principles of environmental risk management, investigation,
remediation and the necessary supporting data is often used in risk mitigation/transfer,
insurance underwriting, claims, quantification, source and origin and closure verification.
Mr. Berlin started his career in The Boeing Company Test Lab conducting various types of testing
on aerospace products under the tightest of testing protocols and security clearances. Mr. Berlin
was retained for a multi-year project to deconstruct multiple gas stations to document failure
mechanisms for a large court case. is a professional engineers in several states, Ohio VAP CP and
member of serval professional organizations, including National Academy of Forensic Engineers.
Mr. Berlin is supported by a team of environmental professionals, including professional
engineers, geologists and chemists.
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3. Forensic Engineering v. Environmental Forensics
3
Forensic Engineering “...is defined as; —the application of the
art and science of engineering in matters which are in, or may
possibly relate to, the jurisprudence system, inclusive of
alternative dispute resolution.”*
- National Academy of Forensic Engineers
Environmental Forensics is…“a combination of analytical and
environmental chemistry, which is useful in the court room
context. It therefore involves field analytical studies and both
data interpretation and modelling connected with the
attribution of pollution events to their causes.”
- Royal Society of Chemistry

4. Use of Forensics
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• Baselining
• Underwriting
• Quantification/Allocation/Subrogation
• Source and Origin
• Remediation Validation
• Failure Analysis
• Escrows/Reserves
• Closure
• E&O
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining

5. Data Sources
6
• Historical Sources
• Prior Reports
• Focused Investigations
• Current/historical industry or
manufacturer guidance,
specifications and standards
• Laboratory-old/new
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining

6. Toolbox
7
• Archaeological excavation
• Physical data/testing
• Component failure analysis
(CFA)
• Tank system dissection
• Chemical use/availability
• Selective Lab Methods
• Degradation models
• Statistical models
• Isotopic Analysis
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining

7. Basic Site Data
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• Developed in 1950s as gas station
• Tanks:
• Set #1: 1950s to 1986
• Set #2: 2000 to current
• Release reported 2000
• Depth to GW: 32 feet
• GW Flow: NNW
• What question(s) are we trying to answer?
• Is there a new release?
• Can we “baseline” the “old” impact going
forward?
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining

8. Lets Now Look at PIANO
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• What does the BIG picture tell us?
• Are there important compounds/ratios?
• It depends. What are we looking for?
• New release?
• Do we understand the “real” output from
the lab? What issues might there be?
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining

9. Baselining Guidance
23
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining
Michigan
• Has Baseline Environmental Assessment (BEA) place
since 1995
• Historically, focus on segregation/engineering controls
Arizona (in development)
• Focus on process, multiple lines of evidence
• Use of timeline chemical additives
• Ratio inference
• PIANO as applicable
Other Guidance
• MA: developing some guidance
• ASTM: not specific to Tanks

10. For Full Presentation or Follow Up
24
National Tanks
Conference 2015
1. Topic Intro
2. Forensics
Basics
3. Case-Intro
4. Case-Basics
5. Case-Details
6. Baselining
If you would like a FULL copy of this presentation please
contact us at our main office (see below).
For any further questions please feel to contact:
Joseph (Joe) Berlin, PE, CP, EP or Richard (Rich) Spehar, PE, EP
Main Office: BLDI, Inc.
150 Fountain NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Phone: 616-459-3737
email: bldi@bldi.com
Additional Resources:
www.michiganenvironmentalblog.com
www.ohioenvironmentalblog.com