The new Hollywood Casino Columbus opened in 2012 on the 121-acre site of a former industrial brownfield. The 475,000-square-foot casino now stands where a General Motors/Delphi automotive facility once operated.
B&N provided Voluntary Action Program (VAP) Certified Professional oversight of the brownfield assessment, cleanup and remedial activities. As an independent consultant, B&N reviewed documentation from all former consultants. B&N was on-site for critical phases of Phase I and II Environmental Property Assessments, negotiated with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), secured environmental approvals, and addressed compliance with VAP rules.
In partnership with Hollywood Casino civil site design engineers, the B&N team helped address development concerns related to impacted soil and groundwater. One remedial strategy B&N specified for the project was a vapor mitigation system using Liquid Boot®. Liquid Boot is a sprayed-on barrier that prevents chemical vapors from entering the occupied building. The use of Liquid Boot saved approximately $1 million in project costs compared to using a geosynthetic liner.
B&N worked with another consultant on the vapor mitigation systems, reviewed all remedial action work plans, and provided oversight during remediation to ensure the work plan was followed.
B&N also led a design/build project for the casino in partnership with Reynolds Construction Company. In a unique arrangement, the client asked B&N to oversee design and construction of an on-site water treatment plant (WTP) for non-potable water. The water will be used for irrigation.
Design of the WTP included coordinating with the Ohio EPA to secure approval to pump groundwater from the limestone bedrock aquifer. Approval was required because the overlying sand aquifer was impacted from historical operations on the site. The groundwater well was the first in the state of Ohio to be built on a brownfield site.
The Ohio EPA issued a Covenant Not to Sue (CNS) to Central Ohio Gaming Ventures, LLC under Ohio’s VAP. This was the final step required for the site to operate as a casino with no need for future assessment, remediation or cleanup.