About Us
SOIL SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, INC., founded in 1978, is a private environmental consulting firm that specializes in wetland delineations, soil mapping and ecological assessments for property development. Wetland functional qualities, biological inventories and impact analysis are included in the ecological assessments. We provide soil testing services including sieve tests, deep test pit descriptions and permeability analyses. Our firm also prepares Phase I Environmental Site Assessments for property transfers that include soil and groundwater sampling for environmental contamination. The firm has completed over 16,000 projects in 166 local municipalities within Connecticut along with numerous other projects in New York and throughout New England for federal, state, municipal, gas and electric utility companies and private clients. Our firm is well known and respected by local, State and US Army Corps of Engineers officials.
Our professional Soil Scientists on staff have over 75 years of combined experience and are registered with the Society of Soil Scientists of Southern New England. In Connecticut, inland wetlands are defined by soil type, and our Soil Scientists have extensive experience with inland wetland boundary line identification as regulated by State of Connecticut Statutes. Site specific soil classification and mapping, including upland and wetland soils, is conducted according to the criteria established by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. Our firm also has considerable experience with delineating Federal Wetlands as regulated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The firm is also specially qualified to delineate federal wetland boundary lines and prepare data sheets which require the skills of the Soil Scientist and the knowledge of plant identification by a Biologist or certified Wetland Scientist. Since 1988, our firm has completed over 1,000 federal wetland delineation projects. In addition, our firm is experienced in delineating Connecticut Tidal Wetlands along with preparing Coastal Area Management (CAM) reports which are regulated through the D.E.P. Office of Long Island Sound.
The staff Biologist prepares biological inventories and conducts evaluations of inland and coastal wetlands along with assessing upland habitats. Our company prepares environmental assessments that review environmental impacts, recommend feasible and prudent alternatives and offer mitigation strategies. The assessment of wetland functional values is aided by the use of a variety of published models which include DEP Bulletin 9, The Highway Methodology, WEThings, and Golet. Our company evaluates proposed site development plans and provides environmental consultation on projects. Additional services that our firm provides include planting plans for wetland mitigation, inspections for vernal pools and amphibian breeding habitat, and invasive species identification and monitoring. The firm has participated, or is currently involved, in the planning, design and monitoring of vegetation in over 100 wetland mitigation projects (creation, restoration and enhancement).
Since the late 1980’s our firm has been conducting environmental site contamination assessments for identifying possible environmental liabilities for property transfers as commonly required by lending institutions and the “CT Transfer Act Law.” The State’s “Transfer Act Law” involves the transfer of “Establishments” or properties which have generated regulated amounts of hazardous wastes. Environmental Site Assessments are conducted in a phased approach beginning with researching the past land uses and histories of a property through record searches (Phase I) to determining the nature, degree and extent of possible soil/groundwater contamination (Phase II) by collecting samples for laboratory analyses. Our firm is equipped to obtain soil samples and monitor groundwater wells for various types of contaminates. Laboratory analyses are then compared to the State’s Remediation Standard Regulations (RSR’s) in order to determine the environmental quality of a site.
In the firm’s soils laboratory, technical personnel conduct soil permeability analyses along with wet and dry sieve tests (particle size distribution) for septic fill, road sub-base and other soil materials. Our Soil Scientists work with Professional Engineers, Health Districts and the CT Department of Environmental Protection interpreting soil profiles and collecting permeability samples within deep test pits to determine the suitability for on-site septic systems. Our company also provides monitoring services and evaluations of installed and proposed sedimentation and erosion control measures on construction sites.
Finally, our staff regularly attends local inland wetland commission meetings and public hearings to represent our clients with their applications. Our firm also provides expert witness testimony for court cases, legal proceedings, and assists in planning meetings, with local, state and federal agencies. Recently, our firm has also been working closely with several municipal conservation departments verifying wetland boundary lines delineated by other consulting soil scientists along with reviewing development plans and applications within their towns.