The document provides guidance for a field technician's role in upstream remedial excavation and soil sampling. It outlines responsibilities such as documenting the excavation process, directing soil movement based on screening, and collecting and logging soil samples according to different categories of excavation size and depth. Requirements are also described for tracking and sampling soils stockpiled onsite, with frequencies varying depending on pile size and soil impact levels. Proper documentation and following regulatory sampling procedures are emphasized.

1. Upstream Remedial Excavation
Sampling
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2. Golder Field Technician Role
Detailed notes, pictures, logs and drawings are essential to the success of
an excavation
Document personnel onsite, equipment onsite, soil movement and sampling
Be sure to note any monitoring wells that are decommissioned and take lots of
pictures!
Provide guidance to the civil contractor regarding excavation boundaries
and sampling
Predicted excavation boundaries will be provided
However physical observations and field screening are essential tools when directing
an excavation
Collecting and logging interim and confirmatory soil samples
Every soil sample collected should be logged
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3. Golder Field Technician Role
Completing Daily Monitoring Reports (DMR) and Soil Tonnage
Tracking Sheets (STTS)
• The DMR is a record of the work completed onsite, signed by the
site supervisor and Golder field technician
• It must be completed and provided to the IOL Project Manager
on a daily basis
• The STTS is an independent estimate of soil shipped offsite,
completing this form based on scale tickets is strictly forbidden
• It must be completed and provided to the IOL Project Manager
every day that soil is shipped offsite
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4. Onsite Soil Management
The location and movement of all soil onsite must be
tracked and documented by Golder field staff on a daily
basis (i.e., every time soil is moved)
Potential different soil types that may be encountered
during an excavation;
• Topsoil
• Non-impacted soil
• Potentially impacted soil
• Definitely impacted soil
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5. Onsite Soil Management
Topsoil should be stripped from subsoil before other work onsite
begins
• Topsoil should be segregated from other activities onsite and
not disturbed during the course of the project
Non-impacted soil – field screening and visual observations
indicate that the soil has not been impacted by hydrocarbons.
• This soil may be used to backfill the excavation after
laboratory analysis confirms that the soil meets criteria
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6. Onsite Soil Management
Potentially impacted – field screening and visual observations
indicate that the soil has been impacted by low levels of
hydrocarbons which may exceed criteria.
• This soil may be used to backfill the excavation after
laboratory analysis confirms that the soil meets criteria
Definitely impacted – field screening and visual observations
indicate that the soil has been impacted by levels hydrocarbons
which certainly exceed criteria.
• This soil cannot be used to backfill the excavation unless
treatment indicates that regulatory criteria have been met
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7. Sampling Requirements
Excavations on upstream sites are
divided into four categories based on
the size of the excavation and the
sampling requirements for each
category are different
Small and shallow
Small and deep
Large and shallow
Large and deep
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8. Sampling requirements:
Small and Shallow
Area: < 50 m2
Depth: < 1.5 m
Excavation Wall Width: 5 m (max)
• Field Screen: 1/metre vertically
• Submit: 1 sample/vertical metre
Base samples
• Minimum of 3 samples submitted from different
areas of the floor
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9. Sampling requirements :
Small and Deep
Area: < 50 m2
Depth: > 1.5 m
Excavation Wall Width: 5 m (max)
Field Screen: 1/metre vertically
Submit: 1 sample/3 vertical metres
Base samples
Minimum of 2 samples submitted from different
areas of the floor
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10. Sampling requirements :
Large and Shallow
Area: > 50 m2
Depth: < 1.5 m
Excavation Wall Width: 5 m (max)
• Field Screen: 1/metre vertically
• Submit: 1 sample/vertical metre
Excavation Base
• Field Screen 1 sample/ 5x5m grid
• Submit 1 sample /10x10m grid for an excavation
with 50 – 625 m2 floor area, or
• Submit 1 sample /15x15m grid for an excavation
with 625 - 1600 m2 floor area
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11. Sampling requirements :
Large and Deep
Area: > 50 m2
Depth: > 1.5 m
Excavation Wall Width: 5 m (max)
• Field Screen: 1/metre vertically
• Submit: 1 sample/3 vertical metres
Excavation Base
• Field Screen 1 sample/ 5x5m grid
• Submit 1 sample /10x10m grid for an excavation
with 50 – 625 m2 floor area, or
• Submit 1 sample /15x15m grid for an excavation
with 625 - 1600 m2 floor area
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12. Soil Pile Sampling
Soils are stockpiled based on physical field
screening methods
Stockpile sampling requirements differ
based on the type of soil in the pile
Non-impacted
Potentially impacted
Definitely impacted
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13. Soil Pile Sampling
When obtaining samples from soil stockpiles, an excavator or backhoe
should be used to move the soil
• Discrete samples for lab submission should be taken randomly from within
the soil pile at a number of different depths
• For soil piles <100m3, a hand auger or shovel may be used to obtain
samples
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14. Soil Pile Sampling – AB/SASK
For soil piles in AB and SASK <3000m3, the following should
be field screened and submitted;
Stockpile Volume Number of Samples
<375 m3 4
376 – 750 m3 5
751 – 1,500 m3 6
1501 – 3,000 m3 7
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15. Soil Pile Sampling – AB/SASK
For 3,000 m3 to 4,500 m3, collect one sample for every 500 m3
of soil over 3,000m
For soil piles >4,500 m3, a site specific soil sampling frequency
should be developed
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16. Soil Pile Sampling - BC
Stockpile (<500 m3) of non-impacted and
potentially impacted soil
Field screen
• One sample for every 10 m3 of soil
Laboratory submission
• The worst case sample(s) should be submitted
• Submit one sample for every 25 m3 of soil (one of
three field screening samples)
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17. Soil Pile Sampling - BC
Stockpile (>500 m3) of non-impacted and potentially impacted soil
• Split the stockpile into smaller stockpiles (200 -500 m3) and sample as individual
piles
Stockpiles of definitely impacted soil of any volume
• One sample for every 200-500 m3 of soil submitted to the laboratory (worst
case)
This sample frequency is designed to meet regulatory requirements in BC
• Refer to IOL POP #104, pg 47–50 for further details
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18. Soil Pile Sampling
IOL POP #104 outlines the statistical
analysis to be completed to determine if a
soil pile meets that analytical requirements
See page 53 of the POP for details
Specific requirements are outlined for use
in BC based on regulatory requirements
See page 50 of the POP for details
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