On behalf of a Midwest insurance company, Roux Associates was asked to review environmental claims submitted by the owners of six dry cleaner stores in Alabama. Roux Associates conducted site visits to each, reviewed environmental data and remediation plans, and discussed each site with the local consultant hired by the owners. For five of the six sites, Roux Associates agreed that the proposed plans were reasonable and appropriate and that the costs were within expected ranges. However, for the sixth dry cleaner site, it appeared that great pains and expenses were being planned to implement a complex remediation to address significant contamination beneath a stand-alone store. The Roux Associates review indicated that this store was old and somewhat outdated. Further, there was empty commercial space nearby that could be used temporarily. 

Roux suggested that demolition of the dry cleaner store and temporary relocation of the business was significantly more cost effective in addressing the contamination than struggling, perhaps unsuccessfully, to clean-up under a building that was outdated. The owners and operators of the business evaluated our proposed plan and agreed it was more cost effective, saving in excess of $500,000, even after rebuilding the store.