Environmental Consulting in San Jose, CA

Path Forward Partners provides environmental consulting in San Jose and across the South Bay for developers, property owners, attorneys, and public agencies. We specialize in vapor intrusion, due diligence, and contaminated site closure for redevelopment projects.

Environmental issues on San Jose and Silicon Valley sites

San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley have a long industrial and agricultural history. Former electronics, manufacturing, and dry cleaning operations left chlorinated solvent impacts, including TCE, across parts of Silicon Valley, and former orchard and farm land can carry residual pesticides and metals. Vapor intrusion is a frequent concern for new housing and office development on these sites.

Services for San Jose projects

Our San Jose and South Bay services include:

• Vapor Intrusion Assessments: Multi-line-of-evidence evaluation, including soil gas, sub-slab, and indoor air sampling.
• Vapor Intrusion Mitigation System Design and Implementation: Passive and active mitigation design for new buildings.
• Phase I Environmental Site Assessments: ASTM E1527-21 assessments for acquisitions and financing.
• Phase II Environmental Site Assessments: Subsurface sampling to confirm recognized environmental conditions.
• Multi-Pathway Quantitative Risk Assessments: Human health and ecological risk modeling.
• Clean Fill Evaluations and Soil Import Acceptance Criteria: Soil import acceptance criteria and fill evaluations.
• Construction Oversight: Oversight and air monitoring during construction.
• Regulatory Negotiation and Strategy: Strategy and negotiation with oversight agencies.

Agencies and programs we work with in San Jose

South Bay projects are commonly overseen by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), and the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, with local permitting through the City of San Jose. We also developed the Water Board-approved soil acceptance criteria and QAPP for the Stevens Creek Quarry reclamation project in Cupertino, a soil reuse option for Bay Area developers.

Why San Jose clients choose Path Forward

Path Forward Partners was founded in 2018 and is led by licensed Professional Geologists and Professional Engineers who stay directly involved in projects. We are a Certified Small Business Enterprise and hold California contractor license #1060404. Our headquarters are at 1970 Broadway in downtown Oakland, and we work with developers, property owners, attorneys, lenders, and public agencies on San Jose projects.

San Jose environmental consulting FAQ

Is vapor intrusion a concern for new San Jose development?

It can be, particularly where historical solvent use or shallow groundwater contamination is present nearby. Early soil gas sampling lets the team decide whether a vapor mitigation system is needed before the foundation is designed.

Can excess soil from my project be reused?

Possibly. Whether soil qualifies for a given reuse site depends on testing and the receiving site’s acceptance criteria. We evaluate fill and develop acceptance criteria so soil sources can be screened before you mobilize.

Do you work in other South Bay cities?

Yes. We have worked in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, Cupertino, Milpitas, Campbell, Los Gatos, Saratoga, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy.