Guadalupe Restoration Project

The Guadalupe Restoration Project is a large-scale, multiyear effort focused on environmental and geoenvironmental services within the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Complex, a 2,700-acre area along California’s Central Coast in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. True Environmental has played a central role in this restoration since 2010, addressing petroleum hydrocarbon remediation under a Cleanup or Abatement Order issued by the RWQCB in 1998. The project requires coordination among multiple agencies and interdisciplinary teams to restore approximately 2,800 acres of former oil-field property.

True Environmental’s work encompasses extensive geoenvironmental services, including the excavation and transport of more than 175,000 tons of hydrocarbon-impacted soil to the Santa Maria Sanitary Landfill. The team conducts site-wide groundwater gauging and sampling throughout the year, with semi-annual reporting to regulatory agencies, and performs air monitoring during excavation activities to ensure compliance and protect sensitive habitats. Biological monitoring and restoration activities occur year-round and include botanical and wildlife monitoring, native plant propagation, and weed eradication, with results reported quarterly to agencies such as the California Coastal Commission and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Cultural resource monitoring is also a critical component, involving coordination of archaeological and Native American monitors during remediation and restoration, with findings compiled in monthly reports for compliance.

In addition to these core services, True Environmental prepared and implemented a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) for the Guadalupe Restoration Project under the California Construction General Permit (Order No. 2009-0009-DWQ). Using a Risk-Based Permitting Approach, the SWPPP identified potential pollutant sources, outlined best management practices, and included contingency sampling plans. From 2010 through 2018, True Environmental managed SWPPP implementation, which included training project personnel in erosion and sediment control, BMPs, and emergency procedures, conducting weekly stormwater inspections, overseeing BMP installation and maintenance, and preparing annual compliance reports for submission to the RWQCB via SMARTS.