By Barbara Brewer La Mere
As an environmental remediation company,
Aztech Technologies’ involvement with a particular
project may begin under a variety of
circumstances.
Sometimes they are part of the evaluation of a
site that is being considered for purchase to satisfy
the requirements of the purchaser’s bank with
regard to any concerns there may be for soil or
groundwater contamination, based on prior use.
Mary Passaretti, company president, said she
would love for Aztech to become involved more
often at this stage of a property’s development.
Given her company’s smaller size, what often
occurs is that a larger contracting company is initially
called in, who then subcontracts the evaluation
to Aztech, which is based in Ballston Spa.
On other occasions a developer may call Aztech in after purchasing a parcel of land to find out about any environmental contamination issues that may need to be addressed before development goes forward.
Aztech Technologies has the capacity to address ground water and soil contamination issues as well as soil vapor intrusion on a scale ranging from the local homeowner who notes an odor in her well water all the way up to an environmental Superfund clean-up project site on Long Island where Aztech Technologies has had boots on the ground for three years, said Passaretti.
Remediation and monitoring systems installed by Aztech Technologies are under the control of a centralized “logic system,” that prompts subsystems to operate only as needed to promote cost efficient remediation, she said.
In addition to systems installed on client’s site, Aztech owns and employs many pieces of heavy equipment to aid in site remediation, among them a sonic drill with a 600 foot drilling capacity. The company also owns three large rigs, each with its own specialized capabilities, possessing hollow stem augurs for water and soil sampling.
Confined space entry equipment, pumps and generators for monitoring wells, mixing tanks, and trucks equipped with gates for efficient handling of oil drums, are among Aztech’s other tools to aid in remediation tasks.
Aztech Technologies has contracted with New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to address remediation issues on sites to be developed where there are needs for environmental remediation but there is no known responsible party to be held responsible for the contamination.
Much of what Aztech Technologies does is helping companies to monitor any potential sources of water and soil contamination to prevent the need for remediation. Passaretti helps companies to interact with local, state, and federal agencies to address the numerous multi-acronymmed regulations that impact on the prevention of, monitoring for, and remediation of environmental clean-up issues.
When needs for remediation are discovered, Aztech has the technology, the equipment and the staff to address those issues in a manner that is marked, said Passaretti, by high quality, honesty, and good judgment.
Passaretti strives to ensure that remediation projects are priced so that their cost is no more money than the client needs to spend, ” to protect the client while protecting the environment.”
Aztech Technologies, based at 5 McCrea Hill Road, is one of a small number of woman-owned environmental remediation firms. Passaretti first incorporated an environmental firm called Passaretti Geological & Environmental Consultants Inc., back in 1991.
Spin-off companies have evolved over the years and, with business partner and company Vice President Fil Fina, Passaretti now heads a team of 35 geologists, engineers, technicians, and drillers. Passaretti holds the title senior hydrogeologist. She spent the first 10 of the 33 years that she has held that title working for oil companies.
Fina is a professional engineer, also with a background in petrochemicals. He has also managed a regional office of a medical waste transportation company along with doing some private contracting. He heads Aztech Technologies’ Research and Development program that has invented or refined several products and technologies involved in addressing measurement and removal of environmentally impacted materials.
Aztech Technologies can be reached at 885-5383. Its website address is www.aztechtech.com.