Aerial Documenting an In-Situ Remediation Project
PhotoFlight Aerial Media was hired by LaBella Associates for construction drone services to document and produce video and still assets showing an in-situ environmental remediation process in West Islip, New York, as a part of our drone video services in New York.
The work took place as part of the continuing cleanup efforts associated with the former Dzus Fastener Company site. Years of manufacturing at the property resulted in cadmium and chromium contamination affecting soil, groundwater and nearby Willetts Creek.
For this project LaBella Associates was selected as the environmental construction contractor responsible for building a permeable reactive barrier below ground. This barrier was designed to treat contaminated groundwater before it reaches the creek and reduce the continued accumulation of cadmium and chromium in the creek’s surface water and sediment.
Our Role in the Project
PhotoFlight AM’s role was to capture the work as it happened and edit the footage into a clear project assessment video with useable still photos. The finished production provided a visual record of a technically complex process that can otherwise be difficult to explain using simple reports, plans and ground-level photographs alone.
The video below shows how the work progressed at each stage of the project:
Project Details
Project: In-situ environmental remediation video production
Client: LaBella Associates
Location: West Islip, Suffolk County, New York
Site: Remediation area associated with the former Dzus Fastener Company site
Objective: Document the construction process and produce video showing how the in-situ remediation work was performed
Deliverables: Professional video and still footage and a fully edited project video
Equipment: DJI Mavic 3 Pro aerial camera drone and professional ground-level camera equipment
Aerial Footage Showing How the Underground Remediation Process Works
The current phase of the cleanup involved building a permeable reactive barrier (commonly called a PRB) in the path of contaminated groundwater moving toward Willetts Creek.
Although the construction involved working with native soil, the primary target of this phase was the groundwater beneath the site. Reactive materials were mixed into the soil to form a subterranean treatment wall. This enabled groundwater to continue flowing through the wall but contaminants (including cadmium and chromium) were converted into solid particles and trapped within the barrier.
This allowed the groundwater to be treated in place instead of continually being pumped out and transported elsewhere for treatment.
Once construction was complete, groundwater samples were taken from around the barrier to evaluate how effective it was at containing the contaminants.
The approximately $1.5 million cleanup action was performed by LaBella Associates under the oversight of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and EA Engineering.
We Created a Clear Visual Record of the Specialized Field Work
Environmental remediation projects involve equipment, procedures and underground conditions that are difficult to understand from only ground photos. PhotoFlight AM planned the video shoot and documented both the scale of the worksite and each individual stage of the remediation process.
Our aerial footage established the location and showed how the active work area relates to the surrounding properties and Willetts Creek. This closer footage brought the viewer into the worksite and showed the machinery, material handling and installation process in much greater detail.
When filming was complete, we edited the footage into a concise project video report that followed the work in a logical order. This gave LaBella Associates a professional record of the process that can be used to explain the project to stakeholders and demonstrate its environmental contracting capabilities.
Drone and Video Production for Environmental Construction Projects
Environmental work often takes place across large sites where the location, surrounding waterways and forests, and the movement of equipment all matter to the construction team. PhotoFlight AM’s industrial and construction drone services can provide the wider perspective needed to document these relationships clearly.
If your construction company needs professional drone photography or video production in New York or anywhere along the Eastern Seaboard contact PhotoFlight Aerial Media today to discuss the work you need documented and to get started!