Location:

1100 Jadwin Ave.
Suite 250
Richland, WA 99352

Creative solutions and high quality services for every client

learn more

Freestone News

Freestone announces new directors for two service programs

September 6, 2022

RICHLAND, WA - Freestone Environmental Services is pleased to announce the promotion of two of its employees to mid-management positions. Kim Schuyler, a Senior Geologist with more than 14 years of experience at Freestone, will be the Director of the Site Characterization and Remediation Program. Kira Murray, a Senior Environmental Scientist/Geologist with more than eight years of experience will be the Director of Regulatory Planning and Compliance Program. As directors of their respective programs, Kim and Kira will assist Freestone’s corporate management with overall project execution, business development, staff recruitment and retention, and strategic growth. Steve Airhart, President of Freestone, is looking forward to working with Kim and Kira in their new roles and is excited for the energy and new ideas that each will bring to the future growth of the company.


Kim Schuyler headshot

Kim Schuyler
Director of the Site Characterization and Remediation Program

Kira Murray headshot

Kira Murray
Director of Regulatory Planning and Compliance Program




Deep Isolation Acquires Freestone Environmental Services, Established Leader in Nuclear Waste Site Clean-Up Contracts

November 30, 2021

Berkeley, CA – Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) storage and disposal solutions, announced today it has acquired Freestone Environmental Services, a multi-discipline environmental and water resources consulting firm based in Richland, Wash.

Freestone Environmental, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Deep Isolation, brings to Deep Isolation a team of 25 scientists and engineers experienced in providing services to public and private sector clients, with the most notable being the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford project, one of the largest nuclear weapons production clean-up efforts in the world.

“We are pleased to welcome Freestone as a Deep Isolation company,” said Deep Isolation CEO Liz Muller. “Freestone has a track record of delivering high-quality regulatory planning and environmental clean-up projects for government customers. These are essential elements of solving the nuclear waste disposal problem, and we are excited about our future.”

The acquisition broadens the depth of Deep Isolation’s science and technology teams, adding a cadre of scientists and engineers with expertise in environmental investigations and with providing scientific and regulatory support services to their clients.

The Freestone team, led by President Steve Airhart, a geologist, boasts decades of professional consulting experience with the environmental industry.

“We’ve been watching Deep Isolation’s progress toward solving the seemingly unsolvable problem of nuclear waste disposal, and we’re excited to join such an important mission,” Airhart said. “Having been involved in work at Hanford and the commercial nuclear industry, we know firsthand how critical it is to find a safe, permanent home for nuclear waste. Combining Freestone’s Hanford site consulting experience with Deep Isolation’s scientific and technological waste disposal capabilities will benefit both companies.”

Deep Isolation has recently seen renewed global interest in deep borehole technology as a safe and flexible solution for nuclear waste disposal that could be simpler to deploy than a mined repository for many countries. Deep Isolation is investigating deep borehole disposal at potential locations around the globe and continues to be open to conversations with communities.

“This acquisition is a significant milestone in the history of both of our companies. It gives Deep Isolation access to experts with a wealth of real-world nuclear waste clean-up experience and opens up Freestone to new opportunities through our global network,” said Deep Isolation Chief Operating Officer Rod Baltzer.

Baltzer will oversee the interface of Freestone’s operations with Deep Isolation. Airhart will remain President of Freestone and maintain responsibility for its daily operations.

###

About Deep Isolation 

Berkeley-based Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal. Founded through a passion for environmental stewardship, scientific ingenuity, and entrepreneurship, Deep Isolation has developed a patented solution using directional drilling and inclusive community engagement to safely isolate nuclear waste deep underground.

About Freestone Environmental Services

Washington-based Freestone Environmental Services, like its namesake — a swift-flowing stream that turns and wears smooth the streambed’s stones — brings experience, fresh perspective and energy to solve the complex environmental challenges of today via science-based, cost-effective solutions that are responsive and focused. Freestone provides services in environmental site characterization, planning and remediation, and in management of water resources for commercial and public sector clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.




Dan Tyler is Retiring from Freestone

February 3, 2020

RICHLAND, WA - Dan Tyler, the founder of Freestone Environmental Services, Inc., is retiring as President of the Richland, Washington-headquartered company, effective January 2020. Dan will remain an owner of Freestone and chairman of the corporation. Additionally, he will continue to support business development.

Mr. Tyler founded Freestone in 1998, building the company to a staff of 50 scientists and engineers engaged locally in Hanford cleanup and nationally in programs to protect environmental and marine resources.

For the past 16 years, Mr. Tyler has managed the business in partnership with Steve Airhart. Mr. Airhart will succeed Mr. Tyler as President of Freestone, providing continuity of leadership for the company’s growth and success. Under Mr. Airhart’s direction, Freestone will sustain delivery of premier environmental services to its long-time clients, which include the US Department of Energy (DOE), Hanford DOE contractors, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE,) other federal agencies, utilities, municipalities, and business.

Freestone also will continue research and development of innovative technologies for environmental remediation and protection. The company’s patented hexavalent chromium groundwater sensor is currently in field demonstrations at Hanford, providing highly efficient groundwater monitoring. For more information, visit our website at www.gofreestone.com




Freestone Environmental Services awarded two prime contracts with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration

February 13, 2019

RICHLAND, WA - The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS) has awarded two major prime contracts to Freestone Environmental Services, Inc., a Richland company.

1. A contract for scientific, technical and programmatic consulting support to the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) has a value of $9.8 million dollars and will span a period of 2.5 years. The OR&R contract was awarded on July 18, 2018.

2. A Professional and Technical (ProTech) services Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract provides a range of professional and technical services for the National Ocean Service (NOS). NOS mission priorities are navigation services, coastal research and observations, emergency response, and place-based conservation programs. The ProTech Oceans contract was awarded on February 1, 2019. The contract period of performance is up to five years. NOAA will be awarding IDIQ contracts across five domains including Oceans, Satellites, Fisheries, Weather, and Enterprise Operations with a ceiling value of $3,000,000,000.

Freestone has been a NOAA contractor for almost 6 years and has been the prime contractor on the previous OR&R contract since 2013. The contract scope includes technical and administrative services to OR&R divisions for Emergency Response, Assessment and Restoration, Marine Debris, and Business Services. The work addresses threats to our nation’s coastal environments and the Great Lakes.

Freestone also has been a prime contractor to NOAA National Marine Fisheries Services, providing Professional Scientific and Technical Support Services in the Greater Pacific Region. The contract scope covers fishery management, resource protection, habitat conservation, and scientific research, and has included projects in American Samoa and ongoing work in Guam.

Founded in Richland, Washington in 1998, Freestone is a multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm specializing in environmental, ocean and natural resources management. The company delivers science-based solutions to government and commercial clients. At the Hanford Site, Freestone has a 20-year history of support for DOE cleanup projects. For other federal agencies, utilities, and industrial clients, Freestone provides environmental services that support soil and groundwater remediation, cleanup of nuclear facilities, monitoring, pollution prevention, regulatory permitting and compliance, water resources management, and stewardship of natural resources. For more information, visit our website at www.gofreestone.com




Minds Behind OR&R - Meet Marine Debris Scientist Charles Grisafi

December 14, 2018

This feature article is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s featured scientist is Freestone’s Marine Debris Program Regional Coordinator for Florida and the Caribbean, Charles Grisafi. Charles talks about the inspiration for his work conserving and safeguarding marine resources, current projects including his work on the Hurricane Michael ESF-10 response team, and his plan to work with commercial and recreational fishermen in the future to prevent marine debris. (Click here for article)




Freestone Employees Awarded National Ocean Service Team Members of the Year

December 3, 2018

Congratulations to Christy Kehoe, Jeri Greenwell, and Kristin Fonte for their recent recognition by NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) for their outstanding efforts supporting the Office of Response and Restoration (ORR). On December 3, Christy, Jeri, and Kristin were presented with Team Member of the Year awards for their dedication and contributions to ORR.

Christy was recognized for her amazing efforts coordinating the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference. For two-years, Christy worked tirelessly to coordinate every aspect of the conference from abstract submissions and special guests, to the zero-waste initiative that has been praised by many. Christy’s exceptional project management skills shone throughout the process with the culmination of an exceptionally well-run and attended conference in March 2018. Attendees from around the world praised Christy and the event for its positive impact.

Jeri’s efforts creating a comprehensive records management manual were also recognized this year. The records manual has been used as a model throughout NOS. Jeri’s attention to detail and ability to convey the information and processes in an understandable format enhanced ORR’s internal procedures. Jeri coordinated numerous training sessions, developed comprehensive checklists for various policies, scheduled cleanup days, and implemented a FOIA dashboard.

Kristin was also recognized for her exceptional administrative skills and efforts. Her keen attention to detail and leadership helped lead the transition of a new travel system utilized by the office. Kristin put together detailed resources and trained staff on the new system. Kristin’s efforts also helped the office overcome a timesheet issue. She developed information for the intranet and put together training resources that identify the problems and determined effective solutions.




Minds Behind OR&R - Say Aloha to Mark Manuel

June 19, 2018

This feature article is part of a monthly series profiling scientists and technicians who provide exemplary contributions to the mission of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). This month’s featured scientist is Freestone’s Regional Coordinator for the Marine Debris Program’s Pacific Island Region, Mark Manuel. Mark discusses his inspiration for pursuing a degree in marine science, his background and involvement in the Marine Debris Program, and his hope for the future. (Click here for article)




Freestone and Teaming Partners Awarded 5-Year Contract with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

August 25, 2017

Freestone Environmental Services and its teaming partners, Sealaska Technical (Prime Contractor) and SWCA Environmental Consultants, were awarded a 5-year contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Walla Walla District. Work performed under this Contract is intended to augment Corps District/Division expertise with technical and logistical support required for hydropower, navigation, flood risk management, water supply, ecosystem restoration, and recreation projects and for other environmental services. Work will include field and laboratory sampling, data collection, and analysis protocols, logistical support for field studies, development of relevant analysis and documentation required by Federal and state regulations, most notably the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), literature searches and coordination with Federal, state, and local agencies.




2017 Tri-City Herald Progress Edition Highlights Freestone

March 16, 2017

This past year Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. continued its support for the safe, effective cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. At the same time, we made substantial progress in our efforts to diversify our business base with non-Hanford contracts. Today, our footprint extends across the United States and into the oceans where we are helping clients address environmental issues that affect a global community.

Nationally, there is great need for environmental services that support human health and that preserve, protect and sustain habitat for wildlife and marine life. With our expertise and 20-year performance history, we are capitalizing on opportunities to address these needs. Our major clients include DOE and its Hanford contractors, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), other federal agencies and utilities. (Click here for article)




2016 Tri-City Herald Progress Edition Highlights Freestone

March 23, 2016

The Tri-City Herald's 2016 Progress Edition features local businesses, institutions, and agencies that are active participants in sustaining the vibrancy of our local and regional economy. Now, in our 19th year of operations, Freestone is embarking on international projects, helping clients address environmental challenges in other parts of the world. Freestone is pleased to play a role in our community's growth and progress. (Click here for article)




NOAA Awards Freestone Contract for National Marine Fisheries Service Greater Pacific Region

April 2, 2015

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded Freestone a Professional Scientific and Technical Support Services contract for the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) Greater Pacific Region. NMFS is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of living marine resources within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. NMFS also plays a supportive and advisory role in the management of living marine resources in coastal areas understate jurisdiction. NMFS provides scientific and policy leadership in the international arena and implements international conservation and management measures. This work is administered through the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center and Pacific Islands Regional Office located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The scope of work is broad and includes fishery management, resource protection, habitat conservation, and scientific research projects. The work will occur in United States Territories, United StatesProtectorates, U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones, U.S. Pacific remote island areas (PRIAs), foreign countries and/or other various island groups,atolls, field stations/outposts, and the open seas. More typical work sites include American Samoa, Pago Pago, Guam, Saipan, The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and the six Coral Triangle countries (CT6) of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.




Washington River Protection Solutions Awards Contract to Develop Closure Plans for Radioactive Waste Storage Tanks

March 15, 2015

Washington River Protection Solutions has awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. a contract to prepare RCRA closure plans for multiple radioactive waste storage tanks at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. The contract scope involves research and evaluation of options for closure activities including emerging technologies, technical and facilitation support to regulator and stakeholder interactions. The single-shell tanks system is comprised of 149 tanks, most with 500,000- to 1-million-gallon capacities that contain mixed radioactive and dangerous chemical waste, a legacy of plutonium production for the Manhattan Project and Cold War U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal.




NOAA National Ocean Service Recognizes Outstanding Contributions of Freestone Employees

October 30, 2014

Freestone employees continue to be recognized for their outstanding performance in support to NOAA. Recently two members were honored for their exceptional work and received National Ocean Service Team Member of the Year Awards. Brianne Connelly was awarded the NOS recognition for her leadership role with the CAMEO software suite, which is a hazardous materials response and planning tool. Ashley Braun received the honor for her outstanding efforts improving and developing the Office of Response and Restoration’s social media presence. A third Freestone employee, Meg Imholt was also recognized for her efforts assisting the Hurricane Sandy Workgroup, as part of the NOS Special Recognition to a Group award. The awards were presented at the NOS Annual Employee Recognition and Awards Ceremony held in Silver Spring, Maryland. The National Ocean Service (NOS) is the nation’s most comprehensive ocean and coastal agency. Its mission is to provide science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental and social pressures on our oceans and coasts. The agency observes, measures, assesses, and manages the nation’s coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes areas; provides critical navigation products and services; and conducts response and restoration activities to protect vital coastal resources.




Providing science-based solutions to meet our clients needs

learn more

CH2M HILL Awards Contract to Freestone to Prepare CERCLA Regulatory Documents

April 17, 2014

CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company has awarded a contract to Freestone Environmental Services, Inc., to prepare Action Memorandum and Removal Action Work Plan documents supporting the 200-DV-1 Operable Unit Perched Water Pumping and Pore Water Removal action. Completion of the action will remove perched water containing uranium, technetium-99, nitrate, total chromium, hexavalent chromium, and tritium contaminants from the deep vadose zone at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site. The contract also includes preparation of a document establishing a path forward for transitioning the soil vapor extraction (SVE) systems in the 200-PW-1 Operable Unit (OU) from the current cycle of active operations to closure. The SVE systems have been in operation as an interim cleanup remedy since 1992.




Geologic/Hydrogeologic Support Services Contract Awarded

April 12, 2014

Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. has been awarded a contract by CH2M Hill Plateau Remediation Company to provide geologic and hydrogeologic services. The contract scope involves planning, organizing, and performing document production in support of drilling activities, technical analyses, and regulatory planning. Field geology technical support will be provided for drilling and borings, construction of wells for characterization, monitoring, injection and extraction pump and treat systems, technology demonstration borings and wells, and well site decommissioning activities across the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. The scope also includes oversight of soil, vapor, and groundwater sampling activities, and preparation of RCRA and CERCLA regulatory documents and reports related to the management and clean up of hazardous and radioactive waste sites and facilities at the Hanford Site. The contract has a 3 year period of performance.




Washington River Protection Solutions Awards Freestone Subcontract to Support Tank Farm Soil Investigations

October 3, 2013

Richland, WA - Washington River Protection Solutions, LLC (WRPS), has awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. a subcontract to develop regulatory documents and interpret characterization data in support of Hanford Tank Farm soil investigations. WRPS is the Department of Energy Office of River Protection prime contractor at the Hanford Site and is responsible for safely managing radioactive tank waste and reducing the risk to the environment until it is prepared for disposal. The waste is stored in 149 older single-shell tanks and 28 newer and safer double-shell tanks that are grouped into 18 farms near the center of the 586-square-mile Hanford Site in south-central Washington. There are 56 million gallons of highly radioactive and chemical tank waste material left over from years of World War II and post-war production of nuclear weapons. Historic losses of waste from the tank systems have led to soil contamination in and around the Tank Farms.

As part of interim and final remediation actions for the tank farms, soil contamination associated with the tank farms must be evaluated. Freestone will evaluate historical data and develop detailed plans for obtaining new soil characterization data. The new data will be analyzed and interpreted to develop visualizations and site conceptual models. The conceptual model information will address contaminant sources, environmental setting including historical release information and hydrogeologic data, spatial variability, flow pathways relative to shallow and deep vadose zone contaminant distributions, and associated groundwater contamination. In addition to developing technical and regulatory documents, Freestone will provide WRPS technical support at meetings with DOE, regulators and stakeholders through all phases of the work. With option years the contract may extend through Fiscal Year 2017.




Small Business Innovation Research Grant Awarded for Hexavalent Chromium Sensor Development

June 21, 2013

Richland, WA The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant to develop a sensor capable of measuring hexavalent chromium while submerged in a groundwater monitoring well. Hexavalent chromium is a carcinogen and industrial contaminant found in groundwater. The $1Million research grant follows the successful demonstration of a Phase I SBIR proof-of-principle feasibility study that Freestone conducted in 2012. The Phase II grant will be applied over a two-year period and is intended to advance the development of new, promising technologies in areas deemed critical to the Department of Energy's mission. The ability to provide real-time, direct measurement of hexavalent chromium in groundwater, and send that data out via radio signals from a remote monitoring location has world-wide application.

Hexavalent chromium is used for the production of stainless steel, textile dyes, wood preservation, leather tanning, and as anti-corrosion and conversion coatings. The popular movie, "Erin Brockovich" led to the wide spread notoriety of the extensive hexavalent chromium contamination found in groundwater beneath Hinckley, California and health effects attributed to exposure to industrial workers and residents.

At the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site, enormous quantities of sodium dichromate (which dissolves in water to hexavalent chromium) were shipped in by rail tanker cars for use as an anticorrosion agent in reactor cooling water systems. Spills and leaks of dichromate solutions and direct discharge of cooling water to the ground adjacent to the Columbia River resulted in over 5 square miles contaminated at levels above 10 parts per billion. Sodium dichromate was also used in the plutonium separation process performed in the central plateau of the Hanford Site and is found in groundwater contaminant plumes there as well.

Hexavalent chromium readily moves with groundwater. Its concentration in groundwater contaminant plumes is affected by proximity to the spill source, interactions with surface water, or when drawn toward a pumped well. The ability to measure hexavalent chromium plumes is important in determining whether drinking water supplies or sensitive species such as young salmon may be exposed to harmful amounts of the contaminant. Measuring plume movement and distribution is also important for determining the approach taken to remediating a contaminated site, and in evaluating the effectiveness of a cleanup.

Inspiration for this sensor springs from Freestone's experience investigating chromium contaminated soil, groundwater, and river bed sediments at the Department of Energy's Hanford Site over a number of years. Conventional methods for measuring hexavalent chromium concentration require collecting a sample and then performing multiple steps to prepare the sample for analysis either in the field or for shipping to an off-site laboratory. That conventional process is time consuming, cumbersome, and subject to human error. The costliness of conventional methods limits the quantity of measurements that can be practically obtained.

Freestone's Senior Geochemist, Steve Hall is the inventor of this novel technology which uses near-ultraviolet absorbance spectrophotometry and compensates for turbidity interference. The sensor does not require addition of chemical reagents or sample filtering like conventional methods. It is also sensitive across a broad range from a few parts per billion to very high concentrations, while conventional methods must first be carefully diluted before measuring high concentrations.The sensor will be equipped so data can be transmitted from remote locations to a data management platform for visualization, analysis, and real-time input to treatment system operations.

A team of Freestone scientists and locally based engineers and fabricators are working together to develop and test sensor prototypes. Freestone plans to begin field testing sensor prototypes this summer. After engineering refinements are made, the firm hopes to demonstrate the sensor at various chromium cleanup sites. In addition to its configuration as a submersible sensor, a portable field test kit has been developed, and a flow-through cell for direct in-line measurement will be built for use in water treatment and industrial wastewater treatment systems.




Innovative approaches to site assessment and remediation planning

learn more

NOAA Selects Freestone for Scientific, Technical and Programmatic Consulting Support Services Contract

April 23, 2013

Richland WA- The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. a five-year contract to provide Scientific, Technical and Programmatic Consulting Support Services to the National Ocean Service's Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R). OR&R is a center of expertise in preparing for, evaluating, and responding to threats to coastal environments, including oil and chemical spills, releases from hazardous waste sites, and marine debris. Freestone will serve as a prime contractor to OR&R with I.M. Systems Group, Inc. as their team subcontractor. Under this contract Freestone will support the OR&R divisions for Emergency Response, Assessment and Restoration, and Marine Debris; and perform related research and development, and business systems support.

OR&R's Emergency Response Division supports emergency response and restoration activities in coastal areas for oil and hazardous chemical spills, provides preparedness aids for response communities, and offers training on the scientific aspects of oil and chemical spill response. They provide scientific support and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week response to spill events.

The Assessment and Restoration Division is responsible for evaluating and restoring coastal habitats damaged by hazardous waste releases, oil spills, and vessel groundings. The division manages this with other federal partners in the Damage Assessment, Remediation and Restoration Program.

The Marine Debris Division undertakes national and international efforts focused on researching, reducing, and preventing debris in the marine environment. It serves to centralize and coordinate supporting activities within NOAA and other federal agencies, as well as using partnerships to support projects carried out by state and local agencies, tribes, non-governmental organizations, academia, and industry.

OR&R has geographically and technically diverse responsibilities such as preparing for potential oil spills in the arctic, and responding to events like Hurricane Sandy, the Deepwater Horizon/BP, and the arrival of Japanese Tsunami debris on the West Coast. The Freestone/IMSG team will employ over 28 scientists, engineers, economists, communication specialists and business administrators primarily in Silver Spring MD and Seattle WA. Staff will also be based at other NOAA locations including Charleston SC, St. Petersburg FL, Baton Rouge LA, Ann Arbor MI, Oak Harbor OH, Honolulu HI, and Anchorage AK.




Phase I Small Business Innovation Research Grant Award for Hexavalent Chromium Sensor

April 12, 2013

Richland, WA. - The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. a Phase I - Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grant to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a sensor capable of making direct measurement of hexavalent chromium in groundwater and streams. Hexavalent chromium is a human carcinogen and harmful to young salmon at very low concentrations. Phase I explores the feasibility of innovative concepts with awards up to $150,000 over 9 months.

A number of Department of Energy sites have groundwater with large plumes of hexavalent chromium contamination. At the Hanford Site north of Richland, WA over 5 square miles of the aquifer adjacent to the Columbia River are contaminated at levels above 10 μg/L which is a cleanup criterion for protecting salmon. Of the Hanford Site plumes, nearly one square mile is contaminated at concentrations above the drinking water standard of 100 μg/L. Currently available hexavalent chromium analysis methods are time consuming, labor-intensive, and not conducive to obtaining more frequent measurements when rapidly changing environmental conditions must be evaluated.

Freestone has supported their geochemist and Principal Investigator, Steve Hall in creation of a bench top proof-of-principle device for testing and patenting. The infusion of Phase I funding will be used to advance the preliminary proof-of-principle results, and show that the technology can be configured for submersion in monitoring wells. It is envisioned that this new sensor technology will allow automated, real-time measurements to be made from remote locations, and is expected to reduce the considerable costs for monitoring and remediation of hexavalent chromium contaminated sites.

Under the SBIR program, the Department of Energy supports scientific excellence and technological innovation through the investment of Federal research funds in critical American priorities to build a strong national economy. The Department of Energy's SBIR program identifies specific technology development needs and invites proposals from small businesses to address those needs. The competition for a Phase I SBIR Grant is rigorous with a proposal to award ratio of 10-to-1. Small businesses that win awards in these programs keep the rights to any technology developed and are encouraged to commercialize the technology.




Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. wins US Army Corps of Engineers contract

December 14, 2011

RICHLAND, WA. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USACE District, Walla Walla, has awarded Freestone Environmental Services, Inc., of Richland, Washington, a 5-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide Environmental Services. Under the contract, Freestone will offer a range of services in support of Corps projects involving environmental actions. The agency announced the master contract award on October 5. "We are honored to be selected by the Corps to receive this competitively awarded contract," said Dan Tyler, President of Freestone Environmental Services. "The contract provides us an opportunity to perform environmental services for the Corps' Walla Walla District, which includes the McNary lock and dam on the Columbia River, and the Snake River watershed in southeast Washington, eastern Oregon, Idaho, and portions of Wyoming, Utah, and Nevada. The Corps has extensive environmental stewardship responsibilities for that region and we are excited to be a part of this important work."

Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. is a multi-disciplinary environmental and water resources consulting firm founded in Richland in 1997. Its major service areas are 1) Environmental Compliance and Regulatory Support, 2) Environmental Investigation, 3) Ecological and Environmental Studies, 4) Risk Assessment, 5) Remediation, and 6) Water Resources. The company has a staff of 35 professionals and a project history of demonstrated success in serving federal contractors, subcontractors, municipalities, school districts, industrial clients, and commercial enterprises throughout the Pacific Northwest.

For more information call Chris Luke at 509-943-5222 or visit our website at www.gofreestone.com.




Web-Based Platform for Automated Real Time Environmental Monitoring Demonstrated

June 24, 2011

Dan Tyler and Steve Airhart of Freestone Environmental Services, Inc., collaborated with Groundswell Technologies, Inc. in authoring an article published in the Summer 2011 issue of Remediation Journal. The article describes an innovative, web-based, data management platform named Waiora, and its applicability to environmental remediation projects. Freestone has worked with Groundswell (http://www.groundswelltech.com), the developer of the Waiora platform to add new features and demonstrate its performance in acquiring and processing real-time and historical data at a large groundwater remediation project.

Environmental monitoring, data processing, and reporting methods are expensive, labor and resource-intensive, time-consuming, and often inaccurate. The Waiora platform integrates environmental monitoring sensors, telemetry, complex databases, geographical information systems, models, and geostatistical algorithms to provide easy point and click access to real-time data and apply powerful data analysis and visualization tools. Waiora automatically generates contour maps and time-stamped renderings of sensor attributes and multivariate analyses. Algorithms converting sensor-derived head and solute concentration values allow for automated monitoring of mass flux and discharge to evaluate groundwater remediation system performance and contaminant discharges from aquifers to surface-water receptors. The platform provides an opportunity to reduce remediation project life-cycle costs and carbon footprints by minimizing the energy and labor expenditures associated with transportation, data collection, laboratory efforts, report generation, and information dissemination.

New Publication: Kram, M., S. Airhart, D. Tyler, A. Dindal, A. Barton, J. McKernan, and G. Gustafson, 2011. Web-Based Automated Remediation Performance Monitoring and Visualization of Contaminant Mass Flux and Discharge, in Remediation Journal, Volume 21, Number 3, Summer 2011.




Freestone Advances Client Practices in Geologic Data Management

June 24, 2011

Freestone Environmental Services arranged and hosted a one-day data management workshop consisting of presentations given by experts from Schlumberger Water Services, the developers of Hydro GeoAnalyst (also called HGA) and our own staff. Hydro GeoAnalyst is an all-in-one groundwater and environmental data management software that integrates a complete range of easy-to-use analysis and reporting tools, with a powerful yet flexible SQL Server database technology. Freestone has used Hydro GeoAnalyst to manage data for over 2000 wells including their spatial coordinates, construction details, lithology, geophysics and chemistry. These databases are easily queried, used for input to groundwater flow and contaminant transport models, create conceptual site models, and for graphical output such as cross-sections, fence diagrams, and 3-D solid earth models. Two prime contractors to the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site have subsequently made the decision to standardize their technical working groups on Hydro GeoAnalyst.




Freestone nominated for 2009 Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Award

February 2, 2010

Freestone Environmental Services, Inc. was honored to be nominated for the 2009 Mid-Columbia Small Business of the Year Award by one of our major clients, Ch4M Hill Plateau Remediation Company. The red-carpet event was hosted by the Three Rivers Alliance of Chambers.