The Governor of North Carolina, in 1982, promised the citizens of Warren County that the infamous PCB  landfill which was placed there against their wishes would be detoxified when technology to do so was available. Subsequently, in 1995, after $1 million was awarded, the Joint Warren County State PCB Landfill Working Group retained Barnes, Ferland and Associates, Inc. BFA evaluated the detoxification feasibility and overall integrity of the facility. In the history of the site, the project became a nationally publicized environmentally justice project and the facility was recognized as having the largest civil disobedience protest since the Civil Rights era. BFA proceeded with extreme caution in exercising technical objectives.

From 1995 to 1999, BFA, and in particular, Patrick Barnes, P.G. has served as Science Advisor to the Joint State PCB Landfill Working Group. In that capacity he was responsible for the development and implementation of detailed environmental impact assessment for that PCB landfill as well as performing community outreach services. In 1999, BFA was selected to provide environmental remedial design and construction inspection services. Over 80,000 Tons of soil was excavated and detoxified using thermal desorption and base catalized decomposition. The facility which had been in existence for more than 15 years had never had a comprehensive evaluation performed. That evaluation assessed the hydrogeological setting and determined the best locations for environmental samples to accurately characterize the current integrity of the facility. During the assessment, more than 70 environmental samples were collected, including over 20 groundwater, 10 sediments, 6 surface soils, 10 soils. Analysis was also performed to determine air impacts. BFA also worked with the state and the Joint Working Group to detoxify the facility.