- Success Stories, Uncategorized
- Environmental Resource Assessment & Management
Assessing Contamination in Abandoned Mines

CSS supports the Environmental Protection Agency with assessing contamination within abandoned mines. There are thousands of abandoned mines throughout the western United States. Many of these mines are leaching heavy metals into nearby streams or have contaminated soils causing vegetation die off.
CSS employee owners conduct field work to assess the extent of this contamination. During field excursions, staff collect soil and water samples and characterize the extent of contamination. The team analyzes sample on site and in the laboratory for heavy metals. This information informs remediation plans for contaminated sites.
Feature image credit: Peter Robbins, Unsplash
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Continued Analysis of Contaminants from East Palestine Train Derailment
In February 2023, a freight train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio spilling chemicals that contaminated surrounding soil, water, and the air. Several Portable High-throughput Integrated Laboratory Identification Systems (PHILIS) – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) suite of mobile laboratories designed to provide on-site analysis of chemical agents – and staff were mobilized to the site following the accident to conduct analysis of various contaminated media. The CSS…
Employee Owners Nominated for NOAA Gold Medal Award
Congratulations to CSS employee owners supporting NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science for their nomination for the NOAA Gold Medal Award! CSS employee owners have been critical members of the team charged with the rapid development of spatial models that aid in offshore wind planning in the Gulf of Mexico. The team has collected…
Organizing National Mussel Watch Program Sample Collection Missions
Established in 1986, NOAA’s National Mussel Watch Program has been systematically monitoring nearly 600 chemical contaminants (including legacy organic contaminants, trace metals, and contaminants of emerging concern) and biological indicators for the establishment of baseline contamination levels in coastal waters around the U.S., including the Great Lakes, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. CSS employee…
