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CDM Smith has served Bosch for the last seven years as the prime contractor to conduct environmental site investigations, develop remedial plans at seven Bosch properties in Japan, and provide expert client support while utilising our global network of experts.

After CDM Smith had already been entrusted with extensive site inves­ti­ga­tions for several cont­a­m­i­nants of concern at the former Robert Bosch Japan Higashimat­suyama 2 site from 2012-2017, Robert Bosch GmbH commis­sioned CDM Smith in 2018 to carry out soil and groundwater remediation of site areas impacted with chlorinated hydro­car­bons and hexavalent chromium.  

For the hexavalent chromium cont­a­m­i­nated areas, CDM Smith excavated much of the cont­a­m­i­nated soil via over­drilling with 2-meter diameter augers.  In some site perimeter areas, in-situ chemical immo­bil­i­za­tion was performed on the impacted soil by reducing the hexavalent chromium to trivalent, non-toxic chromium which does not pose a threat to human health or groundwater quality.  This process, fairly common at CDM Smith remediation sites in the USA, is unusual in Japan and presented the best approach to the technical challenges associated with overhead powerlines, nearby housing, and an adjacent public street.  A planned second in-situ treatment was not necessary, as CDM Smith supported Bosch in the Purchase and Sale Agreement nego­ti­a­tions for the property and thus reached an agreement with the buyer on the assumption of the residual risk of the immobilized areas.  For three chlorinated hydrocarbon source areas, CDM Smith conducted limited soil excavation in near surface areas and in-situ anaerobic degradation for the remaining source areas.

The sale of the property following remediation and free of registered cont­a­m­i­nated areas also enabled Bosch to release envi­ron­men­tal accruals for the site as the firm no longer retains envi­ron­men­tal liability for the property.

The Japanese regulatory authorities currently require Bosch to monitor the former chlorinated hydrocarbon source areas until March 2022. After successful quarterly monitoring of the three remediated areas for a two-year period, the local Japanese prefecture will confirm the success of the clean-up by releasing the affected areas from the cont­a­m­i­nated sites register.

The former Bosch site was sold in April 2018 and is currently under development as a commercial shopping center. The groundwater is monitored in coor­di­na­tion with the new owner.