Vol. XXXII, Numbers 11/12, 2019 Environmental Business International Inc.EBJ 2019 Awards & 2020 Executive Review

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

LARGE FIRMS ($>1 billion)

GOLD: Tetra Tech (Pasadena, CA) for achieving all-time highs in key financial metrics, including revenue, net revenue, backlog, and earnings per share. Gross revenue exceeded $3 billion for the first time, and net revenue increased from fis-cal 2018 by 9% to $2.4 billion. Growth was driven by strong broad-based demand from its clients, led by U.S. state and lo-cal government business, which increased over 25% compared to fiscal 2018. This is the fourth consecutive year of double-digit organic growth for the state and local business. In 2019, Tetra Tech continued to be recognized as the leader in Water and Environment, receiving the top ranking in the water sector by Engineering News Record (ENR) for 16 years in a row and a top ranking company in the environment category for 10 years in row. Tetra Tech continues to see strong momentum across its business as demonstrated by the record orders booked in fiscal 2019 that drove its backlog up 16% from the prior year to an-other all-time high of $3.1 billion.

SILVER: AECOM (Los Angeles, CA) for increasing gross environmental revenue in its 2018 fiscal year to an all-time high of $4.4 billion globally and thus main-taining its status as ENR’s number one environment firm status for the last four years. In addition, the company’s scientists

EBJ BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS RECOGNIZE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, M&A, PROJECTS AND TECHNOLOGY

Environmental Business Journal presents its annual EBJ Business Achievement Awards for outstanding business performance in 2019. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all the companies that submitted nominations. All are welcome to attend the official awards ceremony and dinner party as part of Environmental Industry Summit XVIII in downtown San Diego on Thursday, March 19th from 7-9pm. Environmental Industry Summit XVIII runs Wednesday through Friday, March 18-20, 2020.

and engineers advanced multiple techni-cal innovations in the past year, including the introduction and advancement of the following technologies: Ash Mart, a data analytics tool for coal combustion residu-als (CCR) closure projects; successful field-scale testing of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) destruction technology De-FLuoro; and wide-scale implementa-tion of algae treatment technology, which includes reuse/byproduct components in biofoam and jet fuel. Areas of growth in-

Inside EBJ: Awards & Executive Q&As

EBJ Business Achievement Awards for 2019 performance, accomplishments and milestones recognize business growth, new markets, new geographies, new practice areas, M&A and merit in technology & projects ................................................ 1-17

In & Out: EBJ’s Take on Trends out for 2019 and in for 2020 .............................. 18

Early integration is the way forward for AECOM’s contaminated sediment/ecological restoration initiative .............................................................................................. 20

Terracon a leader in leveraging brownfields programs for clients ........................... 22

Dudek builds new planning & urban design practice to augment its focus on built and natural infrastructure ...................................................................................... 23

Capaccio builds digital tools to morph EHS compliance into core business practices .. 25

Partner Engineering and Science expands on its CRE client platform with growing practices in seismic risk and renewable energy ....................................................... 27

EN Rx uses vertebrae technology as a backbone of its growth in complex subsurface remediation ........................................................................................................... 29

Trihydro’s LeakTracker Pro targets fugitive emissions from aging infrastructure .... 32

Rincon Consultants maintains formula for success while doubling in size ............ 33

Penn E&R’s founding principles of responsiveness and cost-effectiveness stand it in good stead ............................................................................................................. 35

ICF expands innovative data and analytics practice for a new decade .................... 37

Ecology and Environment innovates on radiologically contaminated sites ........... 40

Weston reflects on technology advances in wastewater and remediation ................ 41

SAGE Environmental enjoys rapid growth based on a mix of ‘ground down’ and ‘ground up’ EH&S business .................................................................................. 44

ddms serves as trusted third party data provider in PRP cases ................................ 46

Remediation Market Overview (Japan) ................................................................. 48

1970-2020 50-Year Review: Decades Define Industry Cycles ................................ 54

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2 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

clude providing multi-disciplinary services for disaster recovery; offshore services for the wind, telecommunications, and oil and gas industries; expanded global delivery of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) management services; integrated eco-res-toration services; and expanded remedial design/engineering/construction services.

BRONZE: Arcadis (Amsterdam, Netherlands) for achieving organic net rev-enue growth in the Americas of 9%.This growth was the result of a combination of 7% organic growth in North America and 20% organic growth in Latin America, due in large part to double-digit growth in the environment business unit. As an overall company, Arcadis’s earnings before inter-est, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) mar-gin also improved by 17%. The company says that it is on track to maintain or even further improve these results in the four quarter. To support this growth, in North America, Arcadis we made 1,044 hires in 2019, over half of which were in its envi-ronment business unit. This growth repre-sents 19% of the company’s total starting workforce, which it accomplished while maintaining a voluntary turnover rate be-low 10%.”

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

LARGE FIRMS(More than $200 million)

GOLD: SCS Engineers (Long Beach, CA) for growing revenue by a projected 27% to $242 million for its most recent fiscal year, making it the best year in its his-tory (50th anniversary in April 2020). The employee-owned company is also on track to increase gross profit over the previous year. SCS attributes its organic growth to returning clients and new clients generated by new initiatives like the Geographic & Practice Area Expansion (GPAX), which is experiencing year-to-date growth of 320%, and the Sustainable Materials Manage-ment (SMM) program, which is yielding year-to-date growth of 270%. The GPAX initiative provides expanded SCS profes-sional engineering and consulting ser-vices for liquids management, wastewater treatment, and emerging contaminants in

(up 19 spots), and once again taking the top honor on Zweig Group’s Hot Firm list for the third year in a row.”

BRONZE: Geosyntec (Boca Raton, FL) for growing revenue to more than $330 million in 2019. Under the leader-ship of CEO Peter Zeeb and CFO Jon Dickinson the company has maintained fi-nancial performance among the leaders of the environmental consulting & engineer-ing industry with a focus on quality and high-end services, while also improving employee engagement, lowering turnover rate and striving to provide best in class opportunity for staff to grow and flourish professionally. Geosyntec’s management team has also resisted the temptation to di-versify for the sake of diversification, and it has not been drawn into executing M&A transactions that do not fit the company’s culture. Management believes that these factors combine to create a culture that un-derstands the company’s values and perpet-uates internal ownership transition, which is the key to controlling its own destiny.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

MID-SIZE FIRMS ($100-200 mil)GOLD: SWCA Environmental Con-

sultants (Phoenix, AZ), a 100% employ-ee-owned firm, for opening new offices on both the east and west coasts, contribut-ing to continued growth in company size (staff grew 18%) and revenue. The com-

the South, Central, and Midwest regions of the United States. SMM offers solid waste management, waste reduction, and recycling services throughout the U.S. as individual states declare carbon reduction goals. SCS Engineers also provided design and design/build services for 14 renewable natural gas (RNG) facilities in 2019. The facilities convert landfill gas, dairy digester gas, and wastewater treatment plant di-gester gas to RNG.

SILVER: NV5 (Hollywood, FL) for growing revenue more than 24% to $376.3 million through the nine months ended September 27, 2019, as com-pared with growth to $302.7 million for the same period in 2018. Net revenues through the third quarter were $294.1 million, an increase of 20%. Increases in gross and net revenues were the result of organic growth from NV5’s existing plat-form, as well as contributions from acqui-sitions in 2018 and 2019. NV5 expects full-year 2019 gross revenues, including the impact of acquisitions closed, to range from $511 million to $527 million, which represents an increase of 22% to 26% from 2018 gross revenues of $418 million. Ad-ditional achievements included climbing to number 34 on ENR’s Top 500 Design Firms List (up 11 spots from 2018), #18 on ENR’s Top 100 Pure Designers list (up seven spots from 2018), number 20 on Fortune magazine’s 100 Fastest Grow-ing Companies list (up three spots from 2018), number 17 on Consulting-Specify-ing Engineer magazine’s MEP Giants list

Environmental Business Journal ® (ISSN 0145-8611) is published by Environmental Business International, Inc., 4452 Park Blvd., #306, San Diego, CA 92116. © 2020 Environmental Business International, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication, or any part, may not be duplicated, reprinted, or republished without the written permission of the publisher.

To order a subscription, call 619-295-7685 ext. 15 or visit us online at ebionline.org/ebj. A corporate electronic subscription with internal reproduction license and access to data files starts at $1,250 and allows up to five registered users with rates increasing in five user increments. Individual editions or discounted corporate subscriptions are available for firms with under 100 employees.

Editor in Chief, Grant Ferrier Federal Analyst, Andrew PatersonSenior Editor, George Stubbs Research Analyst, Jim HightResearch Analyst, Laura Carranza Managing Editor, Lyn Thwaites EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Andrew Paterson, Chairman; James Strock, Founder, Serve to Lead Inc.; P.S. Reilly, President, NextGen Today; Dr. Edgar Berkey; Albert Spiers; R. Steven Maxwell, Paul Zofnass, President, Environmental Financial Consulting Group

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3Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

pany now operates out of 35 offices, with more than 1,100 employees nationwide. Expansion in the east included establish-ing new offices in North Carolina and Maine; SWCA also expanded capabilities in land services and renewable energy. A focus on market diversification and client relationships resulted in revenue growth of more than 68% from $80 million in 2014 to $136 million in 2019. In 2019, SWCA completed an effort to formally define its company values: OneSWCA, Always Learning, Never Settle, and SWCA Gives Back. This set of core values has helped create clarity and alignment around these four guiding principles. SWCA Gives Back remained popular among employees in 2019, doubling the number of SWCA Gives Back events and a 74% increase in volunteer hours and 21% increase in mon-etary donations.

SILVER: Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. (Torrance, CA) for growing staff 14% in 2019 to reach $178 million in revenues and its ranking by Environ-mental Data Resources’ EDR Scorekeeper as the number one due diligence firm for environmental services nationally in 2019, comprising over 10% of the market. Part-ner has strengthened its core practices through two major 2019 strategic acqui-sitions. It acquired ECO Advisors LLC, a Florida-based environmental services firm, to bolster industrial hygiene services and Partner’s presence in Florida. Likewise, the addition of Nevada Construction Services, a funds control and construc-tion risk management company, buoys Partner’s capabilities in the Southwest. In 2019 Inc. magazine listed Partner as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America for the fifth year running, and ENR ranked Partner at number 100 in its Top 200 Environmental Firms list. For the second straight year, Partner CEO Joseph P. Derhake was selected by the Los Angeles Business Journal for its LA500 list of the most influential people in the Los Angeles business landscape.

BRONZE: Ardurra Group (Tampa, FL) for growing substantially over a two-year period through a vigorous acquisition campaign. Ardurra was formed in May 2017 when private equity firm RTC Part-ners acquired King Engineering in Tampa. At the time, King was primarily a land development and water engineering firm, generating roughly $15 million in annual revenue. After nine acquisitions in a little over two years, Ardurra Group projects nearly $100 million in gross annual rev-enue, with top-decile profit margins in ev-ery year since 2017. The company consid-ers itself a leader in the water/wastewater, structural and civil engineering sector with a strong disaster management portfolio.

BRONZE: Barge Design Solutions (Nashville, TN), an architectural and en-gineering firm with environmental assess-ment and water/wastewater practices, for growing revenue by 38% over the past two years, adding more than 180 new employ-ees, opening two new offices and passing $100 million in annual revenues in 2019. Over the last several years, Barge Design Solutions has recapitalized its balance sheet as well as changed the long-term incentive plan to better position the company for growth. In November 2019, Barge Design acquired Gould Turner Group (GTG), a Nashville-based healthcare and education architectural design firm, which doubled the size of Barge’s architecture practice.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

MID-SIZE FIRMS($50-100 million)

GOLD: Murraysmith Inc. (Portland, OR) for experiencing significant company growth over the past three to four years while maintaining strong profitability and a focus on its people and culture. With ac-quisitions, Murraysmith went from 170 to 298 people in 2019 or personnel growth of 75%, and without organic growth added 35% more staff. The company has trans-formed from a local/regional water/waste-water firm in the Pacific Northwest gen-erating $15 million in annual revenue, to a leading player in water/wastewater and transportation engineering markets on the West Coast after the acquisition of Quincy Engineering, a California-based transpor-tation engineering firm. Headcount now exceeds 300 and annual revenue is now ap-proaching $70 million.

SILVER: Trihydro Corp. (Laramie, WY) for its selection as one of two com-panies to enter into an advanced supplier relationship (ASR) by a long-term client and Fortune 500 oil and gas enterprise. The purpose of the ASR is to streamline contractor management and maximize project efficiencies. As a result of the se-lection, Trihydro has already been awarded

ABOUT THE EBJ BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

In October-December 2019, EBJ solicited the environmental industry via e-mail, website, social media, traditional media, referrals from industry advisors and word-of-mouth for nominations for the EBJ Business Achievement Awards. Nominations were accepted in 200-word essays in either specific or unspecified categories. Categories or size designations may have been adjusted depending on the volume of nominations or the number of worthy recipients. Final awards were determined by a committee of EBJ staff and EBJ editorial advisory board members.

The 2019 EBJ awards will be presented at an official awards ceremony and EBJ & CCBJ Awards presentation banquet as part of Environmental Industry Summit XVIII in Coronado California, across the bay from downtown San Diego on Thursday, March 19th from 7-9pm. Environmental Industry Summit XVIII runs Wednesday through Friday, March 18-20, 2020. The Environmental Industry Summit is an annual event hosted by EBJ. Congratulations to the award recipients, and EBJ encourages all interested companies to participate next year. (Disclaimer: company audits were not conducted to verify information or claims submitted with nominations.)

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15 new projects varying in scope, size, and location. A focused effort to successfully transition the projects began early in the 2019 fiscal year and continued through-out the year. To support the additional project work, the firm hired 34 staff and established new operations in San Luis Obispo, Guadalupe, and Richmond, Cali-fornia; Amarillo, Texas; and Lawrenceville, Illinois. Combined with other notable expansions of work with existing clients, diversification of new opportunities, and building on strategic acquisitions from 2017 and 2018, the ASR led to a 17% increase in gross revenue, 11% increase in net service revenue (NSR), and an 11% increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) em-ployees in 2019.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

MID-SIZE FIRMS ($10-50 million)GOLD: Strategic Environmental Ser-

vices Inc. (SES; Sutton, MA), a provider of remediation services in the Northeast, for enjoying sustainable growth over the past several years by following the com-mercial real estate development boom and infrastructure improvements occurring across the region. The company experi-enced a very positive year in 2019, realiz-ing 55% growth in annual revenue during the year. Since 2014, SES has grown from approximately $5 million in total annual revenue to more than $27 million in 2019, with a team of approximately 50 employ-ees. In 2019, SES focused on providing a positive company culture, staff develop-ment and maintaining solid relationships with clients and vendors. SES’s goal was to develop a company platform of positivity and a team-oriented environment, while focusing on the health and safety of our personnel and projects. SES moved to a company performance incentive plan and was also able to offer profit sharing based on increased gross profit.

SILVER: Rincon Consultants, Inc. (Ventura, CA) for enjoying another year of paced revenue growth, expanded services, and gains in market share with core clients across 13 offices in California. Gross reve-nue grew 8% to $39.5 million, with nearly

100% growth over the past five years (from $20.2 million). Financial performance remained consistent, and based on peer benchmarking, Rincon is ranked in the upper quartile of peer competition and nearly 50% higher than the peer median five-year average. Notable achievements for 2019 included expanding in the energy market sector by being awarded $6.6 mil-lion in renewable energy projects, being the number one greenhouse gas verifica-tion body for the California Air Resources Board, and adding a strategic hire, Deanna Hansen, as the Los Angeles regional man-ager. The company believes that is growth and successful financial performance cor-relates directly with its dedication to our talented team, winning culture, relentless pursuit for improvement and entrepre-neurial spirit. Rincon was recognized in 2019 as one of Zweig Group’s Best Firms to Work For.

BRONZE: Mabbett & Associates, Inc. (USA) (Bedford, MA) for its sus-tainable growth, service diversification, and other achievements over the past 11 years. Not only has Mabbett achieved ex-ceptional year-on-year growth, but it has also achieved sustainable growth over an 11-year period since it diversified into the public sector and expanded its services of-fering. Based on this diversification and growth, the firm opened four new regional offices. From 2009 to 2019, Mabbett achieved 404% growth, with revenue in-creasing from $3.1 million to $15.4 mil-lion while the company quadrupled its staff. Mabbett is a Veteran Friendly Em-ployer, focusing on the hiring of U.S. mili-tary veterans who have played a key role in the overall success of the firm.

HONORABLE MENTIONSHSG, LLC (Las Vegas, NV), a state

and federal contractor doing business as Herndon Solutions Group, for significant business growth in calendar year 2019, despite starting the year facing the chal-lenge of the 35-day federal government shutdown, which impacted nearly all of HSG’s federal customers, including the National Aeronautics and Space Admin-istration (NASA), the Environmental Pro-tection Agency (EPA), the Department of the Interior (DOI), and the Bureau of

Land Management (BLM). HSG contin-ued to deliver critical services throughout the shutdown, sustained full employee readiness to return to work within 24 hours, and once the federal government reopened, immediately returned to full service. During 2019, HSG expanded its federal sector services for NASA, and in March, the company was awarded a major environmental support services (ESS) con-tract from the BLM office in Colorado and a DOI ESS blanket purchase agreement. Under the BLM contract, HSG received four task orders in 2019 involving the sup-port of environmental projects U.S. Air Force properties in Nevada.

Environmental Partners Group, Inc. (Quincy, MA) for sustaining ownership and employee empowerment in a growing firm. CEO Paul Gabriel founded Environ-mental Partners 22 years ago with the goal to create a company that was singularly fo-cused on one market (water/wastewater), and allowed for entrepreneurial engineers and consultants to join a company that would give them the freedom to work on some of the best projects, while also being meaningful owners in their company. Paul has preached the importance of empower-ing people to go do what they love, and he firmly believes in the power of ownership, so long as it is meaningful to people (i.e. a significant enough amount to get people’s attention). What has resulted is a $17 mil-lion revenue firm that competes with some of the largest water/wastewater firms in the country, and a staff that is excited about being owners in their company.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT

SMALL FIRMS(less than $5 million)

GOLD: EN Rx, Inc. (Decatur, TX) for growing gross sales by 32.5% in 2019 from $2.71 million to $3.59 million. EN Rx is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Com-pany providing remediation services from offices in Texas, Florida, Colorado, and California. Its flagship product is the Ver-tebrae Segmented Horizontal Well System, which the company claims is unique in the industry and offers greater flexibility for

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assessing and treating sites. The company claims that Vertebrae systems are smaller and more compact in design, offering ad-vantages in cost and deployment. An im-portant aspect of Vertebrae deployment is that one horizontal well system can be the equivalent of about a dozen vertical wells, depending on site conditions, and recently completed software can guide decision-making with a specific comparative ratio and Monte Carlo-driven cost comparisons. EN Rx also has an auxiliary product called the EN Rx Support Platform, which is a self-contained, solar-powered, remotely operating and communications-ready plat-form for use in sampling and remediation.

SILVER: Mabbett & Associates Ltd. (UK), a Scotland-based consulting and engineering firm specializing in environ-mental and safety services for private and public sector clients, for its best year ever, generating double-digit sales growth to £2.85 million ($3.7 million U.S.). The company generated this growth despite a severe slowdown in the growth of the U.K. market sector, exacerbated by Brexit wor-ries. The reports that its financial metrics are industry leading, with turnover-rev-enue and staff numbers up by 30% and operating profit almost doubling in 2019. Mabbett says that it continues to rein-vest its profits in the fight against climate change and the Scottish Government’s am-bitious net zero carbon target by 2045. The company is delivering on several initiatives in support of this target, in such areas as energy efficiency, food waste reduction, in-dustrial de-carbonization, and water man-agement. To support its future growth, Mabbett has focused on winning interna-tional contracts in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, the U.S., Norway, and Gibraltar, which has resulted in Mabbett being named the Ex-porting Scottish Business of the Year 2019.

SILVER: SAGE Environmental Inc. for growing into the largest Rhode Island headquartered environmental, health and safety (EH&S) consultancy. SAGE re-ports growth of more than 400% over the past six years. Revenues of $6+ million in 2019 were up over 10% compared to 2018 based on a business mix of ‘ground up’ and ‘ground down’ EH&S services. SAGE’s “client-first” approach has resulted in an

80+% repeat client rate. SAGE’s growth has been organic, as well as by starting two new complementary companies, SAGE EnviroTech Drilling Services and Sub-Surface Solutions, which partner with other environmental, geotechnical and en-gineering firms throughout the Northeast. 2019 highlights included turnkey reme-diation projects deploying multiple tech-nologies at a 20-acre former oil terminal in East Providence, RI, a former dry cleaner and gas station site in Belmont, MA and a manufacturing operation to facilitate the $100 million acquisition of a private man-ufacturing firm in CT. Renewable energy projects included an industrial scale an-aerobic digester, as well as hydro-electric, solar and on- and off-shore wind.

BRONZE: Beacon Environmental Services, Inc. (Forest Hill, MD), a special-ized environmental laboratory that focuses on air, gas and vapor testing for the envi-ronmental consulting and contaminated land markets, for globally commercializing its gas testing technology and services. Bea-con has developed, validated, and worked to achieve state, national, and international adoption of the new technology, which the company claims is significantly more accu-rate, more precise, and less susceptible to errors, cross-contamination, or equipment complications than the traditional gas sampling technique. The Next Generation Air and Soil Gas Sampling Technology is a validated passive sampling approach for all applications of air, gas, and vapor sampling above and below ground. Beacon founder and President Harry O’Neill has managed soil gas and vapor intrusion investigations for more than 25 years, working on federal, state, and commercial projects throughout the United States, as well as internationally across six continents.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Locus Technologies (Mountain View, CA) for experiencing continued growth in 2019 in its multi-tenant, Software as a Service (SaaS) configurable EHS and Sus-tainability platform. Key apps, including apps for waste, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sustainability, incidents, spills, compliance, and tasks, were expanded, and

its latest app, Facilities Management, was released for the enterprise sector. As of the end of 2019, 100% of Locus’s cloud apps reside in Amazon Web Services (AWS), thereby taking advantage of the superior security and scalability demanded by cus-tomers such as the Department of Energy and Fortune 100 companies. Locus also continued to expand its integration with EPA compliance systems, adding direct exports via web services to EPA’s Compli-ance Monitoring Data Portal (CMDP) to better serve drinking-water customers. Lo-cus technology also integrates with EPA’s eManifest and Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (eGGRT) to streamline customer reporting requirements. In 2019, Locus also reached 500 GHG verifications un-der the California AB32 program, more than any other company since the incep-tion of the program in 2010, Locus claims. Locus also became the first EHS software vendor to embrace the new Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) verification market with official accreditation and expects sig-nificant growth in the new market sector.

ICF (Fairfax, VA) for the development of a new tool under the ICF WayPoint technology platform to streamline the en-vironmental and historic preservation re-view process for disaster recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. The new tool compiles data from multiple agencies and automates the proximity analysis to sensitive resources. Current procedures for recovery efforts require the need to analyze and evaluate thousands of sites for possible impact on environmental and historic resources from a proposed or in-development scope of work. The results of these evaluations must be made available to local officials, subject-matter experts, federal officials, and the public. In the past, staff had to obtain in-formation from several platforms, which include platforms for coastal-zone delin-eation, wildlife habitats, historical zoning maps, and protected areas, among others. The data for each evaluation may be spread out over several platforms that require dif-ferent levels of accessibility and processing times, consuming time and effort. Using the new ICF WayPoint tool, users receive warnings after submitting a new site if there is a resource “hit” and then have the option to download a report summarizing

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results. The tool will assist in completing evaluations on schedule with limited staff-ing resources and serve as a data repository and visual rhetoric for communicating with third parties.

SCS Engineers for working with San Bernardino County in California to pilot the newest version of the SCS Remote Monitoring and Control (SCS RMC) software at the county’s San Timoteo land-fill. The county was looking for technol-ogy to lower landfill operating costs and maximize gas capture, and the new version of the SCS RMC software helps achieve this goal by integrating next-generation supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) opportunities such as 3D imag-ing from drones and virtual reality (VR). Beyond typical SCADA features, the SCS RMC system uses aerial data to compose topographic mapping, 2D images, and 3D renderings. The system is capable of incorporating geographic information sys-tems (GIS), thermal, near-infrared, and methane leak detection data. The team put the 3D model into a Microsoft HoloLens VR headset, which allows executives at the County to “walk the site” from their of-fices. Using the SCS RMC system, land-fill executives and operators can view their sites remotely from almost any internet-connected mobile device. The successful pilot project is expanding to 28 additional systems in San Bernardino County and other landfill clients.

Trihydro Corp. for the development of LeakTracker Pro, a web-based software platform that helps organizations manage leak detection and repair (LDAR) pro-grams, which often involve overlapping compliance and reporting requirements. In 2019, a large oil and gas company se-lected LeakTracker Pro to manage the data for voluntary and regulatory fugitive emissions reduction programs for all of its facilities. With numerous contractors surveying over 2,000 facilities, the com-pany not only needed to communicate, schedule, and deploy resources, but it also needed to quantify each individual facil-ity’s fugitive emissions. LeakTracker Pro allowed the company to collect all facility

data in one database and manage inspec-tion workflows, repair notifications, and results across its entire operation. Tech-nicians from various vendors used Leak-Tracker Pro’s mobile app to consistently collect survey and leak data, even in the absence of an internet connection. Facility managers used LeakTracker Pro’s data visu-alization tools to analyze results, and they used its EPA-specified emissions calcula-tion features to quantify fugitive emissions and create submittal-ready reports with a mouse click. In addition to complying with regulatory requirements, the firm continues to use LeakTracker Pro to track and manage its voluntary GHG emissions reduction program.

Quantum Spatial (St. Petersburg, FL), an NV5 company, for deployment of its Marine Minerals Information System (MMIS) to support the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) Marine Minerals Program (MMP). The MMIS serves as the system of record for non-en-ergy marine minerals in the nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The program’s mission is to manage the non-energy ma-rine minerals in the OCS through envi-ronmentally responsible stewardship of resources, assessments of exploration and leasing activities, stakeholder engagement, planning, and scientific research. For ex-ample, sandy beaches and ecosystems near them are increasingly at risk to dam-age from powerful storms and hurricanes. These resources can be protected by strate-gically adding sand and gravel to beaches. However, finding appropriate replacement material for a particular location without impacting the source is a challenge. The MMP leases sediment from the OCS to coastal communities to provide the appro-priate match of nourishment material, and the MMIS gives BOEM administrators and scientists the resources to track lease information as well as map and inventory existing sediment resources. The data man-agement system also provides a robust set of tools specifically designed for viewing, analyzing, and modeling that data.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: NEW PRACTICE

AECOM (Los Angeles, CA) for intro-ducing a new practice providing integrated remediation/restoration services. Urban waterfronts are often plagued by historic contamination, locking up what could be valuable real estate, stifling the local econ-omy, restricting redevelopment, and limit-ing public access. Public and private sector clients desire approaches that revitalize wa-terfronts, enrich transportation corridors, provide ecologically enriched gathering places, and incorporate coastal resiliency initiatives. AECOM’s new Contaminated Sediment/Ecological Restoration initiative will serve to drive on-the-ground actions that incorporate restoration market incen-tives, stakeholder outreach, and creative governance models. The company says the new practice bridges a traditional gap between hard engineering and natural re-sources practitioners and will thereby fill a much-needed gap in the market: remedia-tion and restoration can recover value in impaired property, generate community goodwill, and ultimately drive re-invest-ment and growth. AECOM reports that it is actively working with owners and con-tractors to implement restoration plans in most major North American cities.

Capaccio Environmental Engineer-ing, Inc. (Marlborough, MA) for launch-ing in 2019 its Program Optimization Strategy practice. Through this new verti-cal service, the Capaccio team works with clients to facilitate alignment of environ-mental, health and safety (EHS) objectives with strategic business objectives so that EHS objectives contribute in an impactful way to the business. Using an algorithm based on comprehensive data, Capaccio models the impact of proposed approaches and programs to help facilitate the selec-tion of priority actions using a quantita-tive method to identify and evaluate areas for the organization to focus its attention and resources in ways that maximize value to the organization. Program data is sup-ported by Capaccio’s SaaS application, the EHS-Dashboard, which collects compre-hensive, real-time information to evaluate progress towards objectives and identify

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trends and areas where more immediate ac-tions are needed. Capaccio says that clients using this approach have become top-level performers in business and EHS manage-ment, appearing on lists such as the Forbes 500, the Newsweek Green 500, and the World Economic Forum (WEC) Top 100 World’s Most Sustainable Corporations.

Dudek (Encinitas, CA) for the estab-lishment of its Planning and Urban De-sign group, which assists cities, counties, and developers with a variety of planning activities that balance community interests and character, environmental resources, regulatory and permitting requirements, economic development goals, and infra-structure needs. Communities face many opportunities and challenges in establish-ing their land use plans and goals, and one challenge is the encroachment of human habitation into natural habitats. Dudek’s urban design philosophy aims to cluster and prioritize new homes and jobs within urban cores, thus reducing the expansion-ary, sprawling tendency of development. Dudek’s planners work throughout Cali-fornia to retrofit communities in prepara-tion for the anticipated effects of climate change including air pollution, extreme heat, fires, and fl oods while identifying policies to reduce greenhouse gasses and create more livable communities. Dudek is currently authoring a pioneering Climate Adaption Plan that centers sound science and environmental justice at its heart.

ICF (Fairfax, VA) for forming a new data analytics and technology practice area to support the development and project growth of its ICF WayPoint technology platform. ICF WayPoint is built on state-of-the-art web libraries and is utilized to service multiple client needs including the streamlined view of field operations, au-tomated reporting, compliance tracking, stakeholder commenting, and the delivery of multi-scenario and temporal analytic results through customized web maps and dashboards. ICF WayPoint has resulted in rapid employee growth from three to more than 10 active developers, includ-ing both new hires and expanded roles of existing analytical staff. ICF reports that client services have seen more than 100% growth since the first quarter of 2019 in

broad support of project work in biologi-cal modeling, energy infrastructure plan-ning and modeling, disaster recovery, cul-tural resources, species habitat modeling, and transportation planning. Continued growth of more than 50% is expected into 2020 for ICF WayPoint to support the growing technology needs of the compa-ny’s clients.

Jacobs for implementing a new prac-tice area using environmental DNA (eDNA) and metagenomics sequencing technology for ecosystem and biological monitoring. According to Jacobs, the tech-nology allows for safe, efficient, and un-biased biodiversity surveys in aquatic and terrestrial systems that are quicker, cheaper and more reliable than traditional survey approaches. The technology simplifies the identification of individual species or mul-tiple species by detecting DNA released by organisms as they move through their environment. Jacobs has key industry per-sonnel in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada who lead the program to in-crease implementation and knowledge dis-semination through calibration projects, international conference participation, and workshops. The company’s DNA & Molecular Monitoring team has developed strong links with the eDNA and metage-nomics research community, regulators, and practitioners, allowing for efficient project approvals, reduced logistics, and an un-intrusive approach to field surveys. Projects have included protected species identification, invasive species detection, community analysis and monitoring and ecological remediation and restoration. Clients using the new service include Heathrow Airport Expansion (UK), Highways England, Environment Agency (UK), Melbourne Water (Australia), and the Australian Commonwealth Depart-ment of Agriculture and Water Resources.”

Weston Solutions, Inc. (West Chester, PA) for the establishment of a new Na-tional Surface Water Practice to address the potential impacts of climate change, including extreme weather and and sea level rise, on surface water resources. From 15 years’ distinction as a surface water cen-ter of excellence in Carlsbad, California, Weston launched this practice in 2019.

The 25-plus member practice combines in-house water quality, engineering, and modeling expertise, joining several focus areas across New Mexico, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania offices, thus positioning the team to deliver solutions nationally. A key offering of the practice is the Microbial Source Tracking (MST) Lab, which is one of only two MST Labs with a commercial EPA license in the na-tion. The practice leverages both scientific and engineering capabilities to new geog-raphies, solving new problems for clients, with experts in sediment/water quality monitoring; infrastructure resiliency; en-gineering design, hydrology/hydraulics; water-quality modeling, best management practice design/implementation; and hu-man health/ecosystem risk assessment. This year, this group saw a 70% increase in MST procurements and more than dou-bled the geographic reach and scope of the company’s surface water work.

Marine Taxonomic Services, Ltd. (MTS; San Marcos, CA), for introducing a new service in 2019 that expanded the firm’s ability to meaningfully contribute to marine sediment remediation studies. MTS was able to expand its capabilities with the acquisition of a new vessel, the RV Innovation, in 2018. The RV Innova-tion was purpose-built for environmental sampling, with a primary focus on sedi-ment core sampling. MTS equipped the vessel as a tool for sediment characteriza-tion, chemistry, and site remediation, and in 2019, the company introduced coring and sediment sampling capabilities uti-lizing this vessel. This new practice area expanded our business by 9% in 2019. MTS has performed work with the Army Corps of Engineers Portland District and have supported numerous sediment char-acterization studies for other consulting firms as well as shipyards on the West Coast. MTS has conducted the sediment characterization of shipyard sediments to evaluate whether remediation was success-ful. The practice team collected hundreds of cores in the Port of Portland Superfund Site as well as on the Columbia River to determine whether the material is safe for disposal at sea. Lastly, MTS has monitored other sites to support future potential re-mediation.

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PROJECT MERIT: DAM REHABILITATION

Cascade Environmental Services LLC (Portland, OR) for a project involving the drilling and installation of an 8-inch PVC pilot casing at Boone Dam in northeastern Tennessee to direct the creation of a 55-inch flooded reverse secant pile seepage cut-off wall. After a sinkhole and muddy discharge were discovered near the base of the embankment, dam safety experts and engineers determined that the structure was at risk of internal erosion and subse-quent dam failure. Cascade was brought in to conduct pilot borings for a vertical and plumb guide for the advancement and construction of a secant pile wall, which had never been previously done. Sonic technology was selected for its tight ver-ticality tolerance, and to protect the em-bankment during epi-karst and bedrock drilling activities. The experienced sonic drilling crew achieved nearly perfect verti-cality in the first hole over 56 feet of verti-cal drilling. Once the first casing was com-pleted successfully, Cascade proceeded to drill 57 other locations on the project site.

PROJECT MERIT: COMPOSTING

The Environmental Services Division of the City of San Diego, in collaboration with SCS Engineers, for the upgrade of a composting operation at the Miramar Landfill in San Diego (“Miramar Green-ery”). The original composting operation was launched in the 1990s. Community outreach and a food-waste pilot program were conducted in the early-2000s, and by 2007 the city had persuaded most major venues to actively participate in compost-ing, including Petco Park, the San Diego Zoo, Sea World, the San Diego Conven-tion Center, and San Diego International Airport. To meet growing demand, the Greenery was expanded to 75 acres in 2009. Recently, the City used a CalRecyle Organics Infrastructure Grant to further improve the Greenery. In collaboration with the City, SCS designed an innovative,

covered Aerated Static Pile (ASP) compost-ing system using Sustainable Generation’s SG Mobile System with GORE Covers. This custom system will divert 100,000 tons per year of organic waste from the Mi-ramar Landfill, compost 40,000 tons per year into useful by-products (with capacity for an additional 20,000 tons), provide an enhanced stormwater control system, and eventually run on renewable energy gen-erated from the landfill. According to the StopWaste.com calculator, this upgrade reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of removing 19,015 cars from the road. Construction was completed in May 2019 and the new system became op-erational in August 2019.

PROJECT MERIT: PFAS REMEDIATION

ECT2 (Portland, MA) for deploying innovative technology to treat water con-taminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub-stance (PFAS). The historical use of fire-fighting foam at the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Williamtown led to groundwater and stormwater contamina-tion at the facility. Australia’s Department of Defence (Defence) needed to identify the right technology to address this chal-lenge, which was compounded by tighten-ing PFAS regulations, including restric-tions on water usage for recreational and drinking purposes, an aggressive schedule, and uncertainty surrounding the disposal of waste generated during water treatment. Defence contracted ECT2 to tackle this difficult project because of its regenerable ion exchange resin technology and experi-ence delivering turnkey, modular solutions to address similar PFAS challenges. ECT2 designed, fabricated, installed, and per-formed startup/commissioning and opera-tion of a surface water treatment system, along with two groundwater treatment systems and a resin regeneration system for RAAF. By 2019’s end, approximately 923 million liters of contaminated water were treated. ECT2 estimates 13.5kg of PFAS were removed from the aquifer, equivalent to 77,143 Olympic-sized pools with PFAS concentrations above Australian health-based guidance values (HBGVs).

PROJECT MERIT: ECOLOGICAL DESIGN

Great Ecology (La Jolla, CA) for its ecological design contributions to a storm-water management project. Great Ecol-ogy, serving as the ecological consultant to Merrick & Company, completed the ecological design and restoration of the Montclair Creek at Globeville Landing Park in Denver, Colorado, as part of the $300 million city-wide “Platte to Park Hill” stormwater retrofitting project. The $70 million redevelopment of Globeville Landing Park is one of four critical proj-ects contributing to the success of Platte to Park Hill, with the restoration of Mont-clair Creek at the center of flooding and water-quality improvements. Great Ecol-ogy’s design and restoration of Montclair Creek at the confluence with the South Platte River improves storm runoff water quality and drainage that results from the 10 square mile watershed on Denver’s east side. Built on top of a landfill and adjacent to a Superfund site, Globeville Landing Park required a complex design incorpo-rating an impermeable barrier and drop structures to prevent surface water from mixing with contaminated groundwater and soils while also protecting existing, historic infrastructure. The re-vegetation approach within the channel included an innovative strategy that modified soil chemistry to minimize the establishment of invasive weeds and encourage native species growth. Great Ecology designed a natural filtration channel that serves as the center piece of Globeville Landing Park, providing significant environmen-tal, greenspace, and ecological benefit for a historically marginalized neighborhood. The park opened to the public on October 21st, 2019.

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PROJECT MERIT: RIVER ENGINEERING

Inter-Fluve, Inc. (Hood River, OR) for its work on the Howland Bypass Channel project which presented challenges in en-gineering natural rivers while supporting key environmental issues that are relevant locally, across the country, and around the world. Completion of the $5 million Howland Bypass Channel project was the last element of the 20-year, $60 million Penobscot River Restoration Project that reconnected the Penobscot River to the Gulf of Maine for the first time in nearly two centuries. Inter-Fluve’s bypass chan-nel, 200 feet wide by 1000 feet long, is one of the largest and most complex fish bypass channels in North America. The nature-like bypass allows endangered adult and juvenile Atlantic salmon, American shad, river herring, and American eel to freely swim around the historic Howland Dam into the Piscataquis River, where it joins the main stem of the Penobscot River. The channel reconnects over 1,000 miles of upstream watershed for aquatic spe-cies that in turn form the forage base for various wildlife species like the river otter, loon, American eagle, osprey and marine seals. Because of the channel’s wide variety of working flows (spanning from 250 to nearly 12,000 cubic feet per second in the bypass channel alone), its size, and its fish-focused design approach, the project serves as a benchmark for those engaged in fish passage engineering and design drawing delegations from the United States as well as Canada, South Korea, China, Japan, and New Zealand, to name a few. Inter-Fluve completed three years of physical monitoring in 2019 and found that the channel performs as intended.

PROJECT MERIT: HYDROPOWER ENGINEERING

Kleinschmidt Associates (Pittsfield, ME) for its work associated with the up-grade of a hydroelectric dam in Oregon. In November 2019, the Deschutes Valley Water District (DVWD) completed con-struction on a $12 million fish ladder and hydropower expansion at the Opal Springs Hydroelectric Project. The ladder connects habitat and improves resiliency for anad-romous salmon and steelhead in the De-schutes Basin while increasing the amount of renewable hydropower output at the project by 1,010 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually. The 13-year long effort was a collaboration between DVWD, resource agencies, and non-governmental organiza-tions to address aquatic habitat access in a watershed where historic runs of salmon and steelhead were extirpated. Volitional fish passage was sought; carbon-free en-ergy is able to help pay for it because the engineering of the of ladder required an increase in the reservoir elevation, which creates more “head” for generating power. DVWD worked with the Energy Trust of Oregon to assess feasibility and make this project economical. As a result, the project is now certified by the Low Impact Hydro-power Institute (LIHI) to be in compli-ance with its criteria. The LIHI certifica-tion enables DVWD to market its power as certified Renewable Energy Credits.”

PROJECT MERIT: GENERATING STATION

UPGRADE

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and TRC Compa-nies Inc. (Lowell, MA) for modernizing the Scattergood Generating Station, which was is a key part of the Los Angeles De-partment of Water and Power’s (LADWP) transition to a clean energy future. LAD-WP collaborated with TRC to decom-mission generating Unit 3 while ensuring two adjacent natural gas-powered units remained in service. To prepare the loca-tion for future clean energy equipment, the team assessed the electrical, structural,

and environmental condition of the site, managed the environmental remediation of site structures, and supported commu-nity outreach and public information pro-cesses. Working within a tight footprint at the LADWP Unit 3 complex, TRC led a hazardous materials survey, completed the remediation of asbestos, lead-based paint, PCBs, and other regulated components to safely dismantle the Unit’s 330-foot-tall stack and 480-megawatt generator, con-trol room, and boiler structure. Follow-ing demolition activities, TRC provided construction management solutions and coordinated health, safety, and environ-mental controls during site reconstruction, which included the design and installation of a wall to enclose the side of the Unit 1–2 generator deck, the construction of a parking lot, and facilitating installation of mural on an above ground storage tank. Over the course of the 443-day project, there were no recordable injuries or im-pacts to the local community. The project was completed ahead of schedule.

PROJECT MERIT: SMART WATERSHED

NV5 and Alta Environmental (an NV5 company) for their development and deployment in San Diego of a smart wa-tershed network system. The technology, called Alta MS4-FS, is designed to help cities meet MS4 NPDES permit compli-ance requirements. Coupling Alta/NV5’s combined monitoring expertise, sensors, and customized web portal, the system can connect municipal clients to real-time data to identify and eliminate dry-weather flow in the storm-drain system. The portal is a hub of real-time information to determine when significant flows are occurring. De-ployment of the technology enabled the city of San Diego to monitor flows that the city was previously unable to monitor, and the city says it can now target staff to loca-tions and times when these discharges are happening. According to city engineers, this increased efficiency has only been made possible by improved sensor technol-ogy and an innovative use of the MS4-FS technology, which enables more efficiency and effectiveness in preventing non-storm-water discharge. Bridging the gap between

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field investigations and decision-makers through on-line collaboration brings out the true potential of the data, according to NV5. Alta/NV5 has expanded this tool to integrate water quantity and quality mea-surements in a platform for Orange Coun-ty Public Works.

PROJECT MERIT: STORMWATER MANAGEMENT

Penn Environmental & Remediation, Inc. (Penn E&R; Hatfield, PA) for its design of innovative stormwater manage-ment controls as part of a massive campus redevelopment project for a global plastics manufacturer outside Philadelphia. The project site, an active industrial zone, ex-hibited a wide range of infiltration values, which complicated the feasibility of effec-tive stormwater management. Penn E&R worked directly with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to develop an innovative solu-tion and, in 2019, completed installation of these controls. Penn E&R designed and installed Managed Release Concept (MRC) Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the form of two modified slow-release infiltra-tion basins. The designs paired old with new technology and included a retrofit of an existing detention basin. Particularly in areas with challenging subsurface condi-tions, MRC BMP systems greatly reduce the stormwater flow rate using restrictive underdrain systems that limit flow of out of the basin. Slow-release BMPs also qual-ify for volume reduction credits since they eliminate stormwater from surface runoff through evapotranspiration and infiltra-tion through a stone bed. Penn E&R was one of the first consulting firms in Pennsyl-vania to successfully design and install this MRC BMP. PADEP has since added the slow-release infiltration basin to its storm-water management BMP manual.

PROJECT MERIT: REMEDIATION

ERM (London, U.K.) for its recogni-tion by Resolution Copper as the mining company’s 2019 Supplier of the Year for ERM’s work on the West Plant Smelter Complex and East Plant Cooling Towers demolition projects in Superior, Arizona. The project included the abatement and demolition of 11 facility structures and the implosion of a 300-foot chimney stack on the historic Magma Copper mine site. In addition to this work, the ERM team completed the project with over 10,300 hours of fieldwork without any injuries or incidents. “ERM was committed to con-ducting the project with the highest regard for the health and safety of our client, our field personnel, and the community of Superior,” said Tony Parenteau, an ERM partner. “By building an exceptional team of abatement and demolition experts, safe-ty professionals, and specialty contractors, we were able to help our client achieve the safe demolition and reclamation of the smelter complex. ERM also would like to give special recognition to its primary sub-contractors, American Integrated Services and Controlled Demolition Inc., which performed the stack demolition.

PROJECT MERIT: GROUNDWATER CLEANUP

Groundwater & Environmental Ser-vices, Inc. (GES) for applying a transect-based mass flux framework to concep-tualize contaminant behavior and better understand risks for a mature legacy reme-diation site in the North Carolina Pied-mont region. Mass flux analysis enabled a better understanding of potential dis-solved contaminant migration pathways and demonstrates that a robust monitored natural attenuation (MNA) remedy is in effect. This work resulted in implemen-tation of a simplified site management strategy. The site underwent extensive historical remediation to remove light non-aqueous phase liquids (LNAPL) and reduce the footprint of daughter dissolved-phase groundwater impacts, yet several compounds are present above applicable standards in different water-bearing zones

on site and off site. Site geology consists of a thick saturated cover of saprolite under-lain by fractured igneous rock. Contami-nant concentrations are greatest at depth and beneath an off-site property down-gradient of historical petroleum storage operations. GES augmented the existing well network to create five multi-layered transects transverse to groundwater flow and performed slug testing and exten-sive sampling and monitoring to develop head, concentration, and flux relationships across the site in three dimensions. Find-ings included quantitation of compound movement across the site, recognition of discrete contaminant migration pathways, and realization of the magnitude of MNA activity in preventing contaminant migra-tion to potential receptors.

PROJECT MERIT: MITIGATION

RES LLC (Bellaire, TX) for its work in mitigating the impacts of a new water reservoir. The North Texas Municipal Wa-ter District (NTMWD) is constructing a 16,000-acre surface water reservoir in Fan-nin County, Texas, to supply the needs of about 80 communities. Ecological impacts from Bois d’Arc Lake are being mitigated by restoring, enhancing, and preserving over 14,500 acres of wetland and upland habitats and 70 miles of streams within the same watershed. RES was awarded a full-delivery contract for this mitigation, one of the largest of its kind in the country, in 2018. Design work started immediately, and construction will be completed by 2023. Over 6,400 acres of habitat and 29 miles of stream have been enhanced and restored, which included planting over 2.8 million trees. The project has required un-paralleled design collaboration and opera-tional controls, which RES is capturing in a docuseries called Restoring at Scale. The scale of this project, along with RES’s ap-proach to integrated design and a 20-year stewardship period, are enabling the team to meet regulatory permit requirements while restoring the land to its pre-agricul-tural condition. Restoration and perpetual protection of these habitats will decrease erosion, sedimentation, and nutrient loads in Bois d’Arc Creek and the Red River.

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PROJECT MERIT: PHYTOREMEDIATION

Terracon Consultants, Inc. (Olathe, KS) for its success in a phytoremediation project for a municipal client. Phytoreme-diation has been increasingly researched by scholars in the past years because of its sus-tainable nature and cost efficiency. How-ever, the real application of this technology has had mixed reviews due to inconsistent outcome and long-term commitment, which can be challenging. Working with a municipal client, Terracon developed a proprietary innovative phytoremediation approach using succession crops adaptive to northern Illinois weather and soil con-ditions, to address polynuclear aromatics in shallow soil at a contaminated foundry site. ASTM E2893 Standard Guide for Greener Cleanups was also utilized during the remediation design and implemen-tation. Terracon’s remedial design team considered plant characteristics, weather conditions, geographic soil type, end use, community participation, and environ-mental footprint reduction. It also accom-modated the client’s funding limitation and area master planning. The phytore-mediation started in 2015 and achieved site-specific cleanup objectives in 2019, within a very short timeframe. In addition, phytoremediation improved the aesthetics of the blighted site, making it a green and appealing junction near the Illinois/Wis-consin border. Terracon’s phytoremedia-tion transformed the historical industrial site into an integral part of the regional green spaces, bike trails and parks near a creek and river; mitigating environmental and public health risks; and improving the underserved community’s livelihood.

PROJECT MERIT: PHYTOREMEDIATION

Burns & McDonnell (Kansas City, MO) for its work with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to clean up the Tulsa Fuel Manu-facturing (TFM) Superfund site by per-forming remedial investigation, feasibility

study, remedial design, and remedial ac-tion oversight. The remedial design includ-ed removing waste materials and shallow contaminated soils to an on-site consoli-dation cell, thereby cutting off the unac-ceptable exposures. With our oversight, DEQ’s contractor excavated approximate-ly 186,000 cubic yards of contaminated materials from the 60-acre site and placed within the consolidation cell. When reme-diation was complete, the site was stripped of most of its topsoil. Using a BOMAG soil stabilizer, Burns & McDonnell mixed ground poultry-house chicken litter into the surface clay to create a favorable grow-ing environment. Using a seeding mixture of smooth brome grass, red clover, and fescue, the site was completely revegetated within months. Clover was particularly successful, covering more than 40 acres of the site. The family trust that owns the site worked with two local honey companies to populate the site with colonies of honey-bees, which provided essential support for a threatened pollinator of food crops.

PROJECT MERIT: REMEDIATION

Weston Solutions, Inc. (West Chester, PA) for its remediation of a former tho-rium plant in Illinois. The West Chicago Environmental Response Trust (WCERT) is a U.S. Grantor Trust administered by Weston since 2011. WCERT’s stakehold-ers include the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the United States Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Illinois, and numerous local com-munities. In its role as both full-service environmental provider and fiduciary of WCERT, Weston’s focus is to remediate contaminated sites for sustainable reuse. In 2019, Weston completed the development of a site-specific in-situ leaching (ISL) technology typically used in the uranium industry, to treat soil at the Rare Earths Fa-cility, a former thorium mill tailings site, in West Chicago, Illinois. The ISL technol-ogy, a major component of the proposed remedy, has the potential to save approxi-mately $148 million in direct and indirect remediation costs.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: SaaS PROJECT

MANAGEMENT PLATFORM

Data management, analytics and visu-alization firm ddms, Inc. (St. Paul, MN) for its launch in 2019 a major upgrade to its Project Portal SaaS project management platform. Initially launched in 2006, Proj-ect Portal is a secure, cloud-based project collaboration application that allows teams to share project-critical knowledge, analyze project data, and centralize project files. Project Portal is currently utilized by sever-al Fortune 500 companies to manage their project portfolios. Modules include docu-ment, environmental data management, mapping, and workflow modules, among others. New enhancements include a new front end, which has improved support for use on multiple devices; new financial budget and management tools, which in-clude dynamic cash flow capabilities and real-time project dashboard capabilities that provide key performance indicator (KPI) metrics to users with minimal clicks. Like all of ddms’ client applications, Proj-ect Portal is built and hosted completely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infra-structure. In 2019, ddms also announced it has achieved Amazon Partner Network (APN) Select Technology Partner status.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: THERMAL PFAS TECHNOLOGY

EA Engineering, Science, and Tech-nology, Inc., PBC (Hunt Valley, MD) for its work in advancing the use of an established technology (indirect thermal desorption/thermal oxidation technology) to address treatment of an emerging con-taminant, per- and polyfluoroalkyl sub-stances (PFAS), associated with solid me-dia, including investigative-derived waste (IDW). In 2019, under a Strategic En-vironmental Research and Development (SERDP) research contract, the company successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of this thermal technology to efficiently re-move and destroy PFAS from solid media

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such as soil cuttings and granular activated carbon (GAC). EA performed pilot-scale treatability testing on soil spiked with PFAS and aqueous film forming foams (AFFF) over a select range of thermal de-sorption temperatures, using a thermal separation unit (desorber) coupled with a thermal oxidizer. Research results con-firmed the complete destruction of PFAS using several lines of evidence. Findings illustrated that this technology is capable of treating PFAS-impacted soil to low mi-crogram per kilogram levels in compliance with anticipated future soil cleanup levels. In the future, deployment of this thermal technology may prove to be a tremendous benefit to the Department of Defense as well as others, as the number of PFAS-contaminated sites is rapidly growing, and there are a limited number of technologies demonstrated to be capable of removing and destroying PFAS.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: AUTOMATED

RADIOLOGICAL SOIL SORTER

Ecology and Environment Inc. (Lan-caster, NY) for its design and execution of a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of an automated radiological soil sorter at the 37-acre Middlesex Municipal Landfill site in New Jersey, which contains soils con-taminated with uranium ore as a result of the nation’s early atomic energy programs. The pilot study showed that the volume of radiologically contaminated material could be isolated from non-impacted materials to reduce the amount of material requir-ing special handling and disposal, result-ing in significant cost savings. The study represents a unique application of technol-ogy and equipment to improve and reduce the cost of remediating radiologically con-taminated sites. Without this technology, the sorting process of contaminated soils would not be economical, and all soils re-moved during excavation would be treated as radiologically contaminated. Utilizing highly efficient soil-sorting technology, the pilot study demonstrated that only 22% of the entire volume of soil processed was radiologically contaminated, so only 22%

of the total contaminated soils will need special handling and disposal while the rest could remain on site.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: SIMULTANEOUS

SIMULATION SYSTEM

Jacobs for its development of the Replica digital twin software platform to quickly produce simulations of hydraulics, instrumentation and control, water quali-ty, and treatment processes simultaneously. In today’s technology-driven world, digital representations of physical assets, processes and systems—“digital twins”—are rapidly becoming a preferred practice across mar-kets. Using hi-fidelity dynamic simulation models, Replica Hydraulics and Replica Controls accurately portray intricate pro-cess dynamics and allow “what-if ” sce-narios to be carried out in the digital do-main. Replica also allows teams to validate the optimized solutions coupled with the process control system (SCADA) hard-ware to bridge the divide between the digi-tal simulation and the physical hardware. In 2019, this software helped Melbourne Water achieve $2.5 million in capital cost savings during the installation of an ul-traviolet (UV) disinfection system at the Winneke Water Treatment Plant (WTP). Winneke’s existing filter control strategy resulted in filtrate flow fluctuations up to 100 mega-liters per day. Jacobs used Rep-lica to create a comprehensive dynamic simulation model of the existing WTP systems to identify means to stabilize flows and minimize UV system capacity require-ments, which reduced capital and operat-ing costs. The dynamic model was used to revamp the control strategy, revise tuning parameters and update the control narra-tive – with zero down time for the opera-tional WTP.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: HYPERSPECTRAL

IMAGERY

Quantum Spatial (an NV5 company), for its execution of the world’s largest commercial high-resolution hyperspectral project for a public utility. Hyperspectral

imagers capture spectral data in hundreds of narrow color channels, some invisible to the human eye. Analyzing these channels enables differentiation of man-made ob-jects from nature, mineral identification, vegetative health assessment, and plant species modeling. This technology allows us to provide targeted information to utili-ties regarding threats posed to their assets by vegetation. In 2019 Quantum Spatial took on a hyperspectral analysis proj-ect that required flights for 3,000 square miles of hyperspectral imagery. Tradition-ally, projects of this size are surveyed with orthophoto cameras, which provide high spatial/low spectral resolution, or satellite imagery with low spatial and high spectral resolution. Consulting with the utility at the project onset allowed the company to understand trees that posed the largest threat. Locations of problem trees were used to inform the spectral analysis, and local and cloud-based processing capabili-ties were used to analyze the hyperspectral imagery to accurately identify high-risk trees. Using this information, the utility can begin to optimize its trimming prac-tices to include not only trees that pose a physical proximity threat, but those trees that historically have a high risk of failure based on their species or vegetative health status.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: REAL-TIME AIR

MONITORING WITH AUTOMATED SAMPLING

SGS Group (Geneva, Switzerland) for the development of SGS SmartSense, which provides an innovative sensor-based solution that combines continuous real-time air monitoring with automated sampling capabilities to capture validation samples for laboratory analysis. Sampling can be initiated automatically, based on data-driven air quality events (e.g. above-threshold concentrations), or it can be triggered remotely by an engineer. SGS SmartSense can be configured to monitor up to six air quality parameters in addition to temperature, humidity and pressure, and with the ability to interchange sensors,

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in offices across the U.S. and with a pres-ence in Latin America—the addition of E&E brings WSP’s U.S.-based water and environment business line staff to more than 1,100. E&E’s established reputation for delivering diverse environmental and water-related professional services, includ-ing environmental engineering and assess-ment, ecological restoration, watershed management, and renewable energy solu-tions, further strengthens WSP’s capabili-ties and reach nationally and broadens the practice area globally. LTE, which is deeply entrenched in the Rocky Mountain West, furthers WSP’s reach into the region and its leading industries, including oil and gas, waste management, manufacturing,, and real estate development. Both acqui-sitions align with WSP’s overall strategic plan and provide strong alliances of profes-sional consultancies with similar strategic ambitions, cultures and values.

NV5 (Hollywood, FL) for completing nine strategic acquisitions in 2019 that added 1,100 employees, enhanced service offerings in the environmental, technol-ogy, infrastructure and energy markets, and broadened the company’s geographic coverage. In January, NV5 acquired Celtic Energy (Glastonbury, CT), a national firm that specializes in energy project manage-ment and oversight, enables NV5 to secure additional energy-efficiency program capa-bilities and fuel the growth of current en-ergy-efficiency revenues. In March, NV5 acquired The Sextant Group (Pittsburgh, PA), a national provider of audiovisual, information and communications tech-nology, acoustics consulting, and design services. In April, JV Surveying (Phoenix, AZ), a land survey and mapping firm, was added to complement NV5’s exist-ing ALTA survey services. In June, Page One Consultants (Orlando, FL), a pro-gram management and construction qual-ity assurance firm, came on board with Alta Environmental (Long Beach, CA), a consulting firm specializing in air quality, environmental building sciences, water resources, site assessment and remedia-tion, and environmental health and safety compliance services. In July, NV5 picked up GeoDesign, Inc. (Wilsonville, OR), a geotechnical, environmental, geological, mining, and pavement services firm, and

it allows units to be tailored for specific project needs from a list of 12 available air quality parameters. SGS SmartSense is compatible with a range of communi-cation protocols for sending data to the cloud, and can then integrate data in re-al-time into online dashboards and other 3rd party applications. Globally, SGS SmartSense is being deployed in a variety of applications, including investigating known or suspected air quality issues, in both indoor and ambient environments; supplementing traditional and regulatory defined monitoring methods with contin-uous monitoring data of site conditions; and remotely and automatically capturing physical samples for laboratory analysis based on continuous data trends, when combined with the SGS SmartSampler.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: FISH CATCH

TRACEABILITY

Tetra Tech, Inc. (Pasadena, CA) for its development of the electronic Catch Doc-umentation and Traceability (eCDT) sys-tem to track the fishing process from “bait to plate.” Tetra Tech is working with the U.S. Agency for International Develop-ment (USAID) on its Oceans and Fisher-ies Partnership (Oceans) project to reduce illegal fishing and improve sustainability in Southeast Asia. As the world’s epicenter of marine biodiversity, Southeast Asia is a major exporter of seafood to the rest of the world. The growing concern over illegal fishing and sustainability has caused strain for the livelihood of fishing communities in this region. The eCDT system uses a combination of GPS, QR codes, and mo-bile phone technology to electronically document seafood as it moves through the supply chain to ensure the fish was le-gally caught. The eCDT system has traced more than 2,000 metric tons of fish and improved the management of more than 100 million hectares of these ecosystems. In addition, USAID Oceans is training women to implement the traceability sys-tems, helping to bridge the gender gap in a traditionally male-dominated industry and improve livelihoods for women.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: LOW-PHOSPHOROUS

WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM

Weston Solutions, Inc. for its design of a full-scale, permanent wastewater treat-ment system, currently in construction, featuring a new sustainable technology that meets record low water quality-based effluent limits (WQBELs) for phosphorus. The CLEARAS Water Recovery Advanced Biological Nutrient Recovery (ABNR) technology facilitates algae harvesting to remove nutrients from wastewater efflu-ent, reducing the potential for unwanted algae blooms in the receiving water body. The technology has proven to sustain-ably meet the state of Wisconsin’s water quality-based effluent guidelines for a total phosphorus limit of 0.04 milligrams per liter (mg/L), one of the lowest discharge limits for phosphorus in the United States. Demonstration testing at the Village of Roberts facility has shown that the ABNR system is able to achieve total phosphorus effluent concentrations as low as 0.003 mg/L. Furthermore, the algae harvesting itself opens up a revenue stream for the village; algae can be sold and used for bio-degradable products, such as bioplastics. According to Weston, never before in the wastewater industry has there been a green solution for wastewater treatment facilities to stay ahead of the WQBEL regulations, which continue to steadily tighten across the country.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT MERGERS &

ACQUISITIONS

WSP Global Inc. (Montreal, Quebec) for its acquisition of Ecology and Envi-ronment (E&E; Lancaster, NY), for $65 million, and of LT Environmental (LTE; Arvada, CO), for an undisclosed amount. Together, these acquisitions significantly enhance WSP’s national water and envi-ronment business line, adding capabilities and resources and growing its staff to more than 1,200 employees. With approxi-mately 775 employees—predominantly

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14 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

WHPacific (Portland, OR), a firm that enhances NV5’s design engineering and surveying services. November brought the addition of GHD’s forensics engineering business, which enriched NV5’s current forensic staff. Finally, in December, NV5 acquired Quantum Spatial, Inc. (Sheboy-gan Falls, WI), the largest full-service pro-vider of geospatial data services in North America.

CHA Consulting, Inc. (Albany, NY) for advancing its position as a full-service engineering and construction manage-ment firm in major U.S. metropolitan areas through three strategic acquisitions in 2019. In March, CHA acquired Daeda-lus Projects, Inc. (Boston, MA), a project and construction management firm with 30 employees who bring on board expe-rienced cost-estimating and project-man-agement resources that are accelerating growth in its project management business line and propelling growth in the metro-Boston market. Next, the acquisition of JBS Project Management (New York, NY) in July 2019 added approximately 30 employees with experienced and tal-ented project-management resources that support CHA’s strategic objectives for ex-pansion of its service lines and presence in metro-New York City. Then in June, CHA acquired Wolverton and Associates, Inc. (Atlanta, GA), a full-service transportation and civil engineering firm with 100 em-ployees. Wolverton added depth to CHS’s transportation and energy teams, bring-ing immediate value to clients and fueling growth across the Southeast.

ERM (London, U.K.) for completing several key acquisitions in 2019 to bolster global capabilities to deliver successful out-comes from ‘boots to boardroom’—im-pacting from the ground level to the most senior levels of our clients’ organizations. The acquisition of The Fifth Business (Aberdeen, Scotland) brought on board a change management and communications firm known for embedding major change within large organizations to achieve op-timal outcomes of projects and organiza-tional transformations. ERM also acquired SustainAbility, a sustainability think tank and advisory firm with offices in London, New York City, and San Francisco. Next,

the acquisition of CSA Global (Perth, Aus-tralia), a worldwide mining consultancy, provided additional capabilities across the entire life of the mine value chain, from business strategy to highly technical re-source assessment and exploration exper-tise. Finally, the acquisition of Contek Solutions LLC (Plano, TX), a safety and environmental engineering company that increases ERM’s capacity to serve energy and chemical sector clients in the U.S. Gulf Coast region.

Tetra Tech, Inc. (Pasadena, CA) for ac-quisitions in fiscal 2019 that added more than 2,000 high-end technical profession-als and further advanced the company’s “Leading with Science” strategy. Through the acquisitions of eGlobalTech (Vienna, VA) and WYG plc (Headingly Leeds, U.K.), Tetra Tech added innovative solu-tions enabled by digital technology and further expanded the company’s foot-print in the United Kingdom and Europe. eGlobalTech is a high-end information technology solutions, cloud migration, cybersecurity, and management consult-ing firm. The addition of eGlobalTech and its laboratory incubator provides a platform for Tetra Tech to pilot and apply new techniques that incorporate artificial intelligence, data analytics, and advanced cybersecurity solutions for its government and commercial customers. WYG is a pro-fessional services firm that delivers consult-ing and engineering solutions for complex projects across key service areas, including water, environment, transport, infrastruc-ture, the built environment, asset manage-ment, program management, and interna-tional development. WYG’s expertise and geographic presence enable Tetra Tech to deliver innovative solutions to support the United Kingdom’s infrastructure needs. In addition, WYG enhances Tetra Tech’s international development business both for the European Union and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

Terracon (Olathe, KS), for complet-ing two strategic acquisitions in 2019. In May, the company acquired Environmen-tal Services, Inc. (ESI; Jacksonville, FL), a full-service, 32-year old environmental consulting firm employing more than 50

people at offices in Savannah, Georgia, and Raleigh, North Caroline. The addition of ESI support Terracon’s overall strategy of growing the environmental planning line of its business. Also in May, Terracon ac-quired Geotechnical & Environmental Consultants, Inc. (GEC; Macon, GA), a 20-year old, environmental (approx. 50%), geotechnical, and materials consult-ing firm employing more than 65 people at offices in Columbus and LaGrange, Georgia. The addition of GEC support-ed Terracon’s overall strategy of growing its environmental services practice while strengthening its geotechnical and mate-rials service lines in a new geography to support existing Atlanta and surrounding operations. According to Terracon, both of the acquired companies have a strong, long-term, and respected presence in the Southeast.

Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (Irvine, CA) for completing at least five acquisitions in 2019, including Emerging Compounds Treatment Technologies, Inc. (ECT2), an emerging contaminant leader, from its parent company Haley & Aldrich. With successful applications on 1,4-diox-ane and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substanc-es (PFAS) in water using a proprietary ap-proach that leverages the properties of ion exchange resins to enable analyte removal and on-site regeneration, ECT2 became the PFAS treatment leader in 2017 in Aus-tralia, a country leading the way in PFAS remediation. The acquisition is consistent with Montrose’s strategy to bring new, in-novative technologies to the market and take on PFAS remediation which the com-pany calls a multi-billion-dollar address-able market. Other Montrose acquisitions in 2019 included; Golden Specialty; Tar-get Emission Services; Air, Water and Soil Laboratories; and Lehder Environmental Services, one of the largest air quality man-agement companies in Canada.

RSK Group Ltd. (Helsby, U.K.) for completing the acquisition of multiple companies in 2018 and 2019. Company revenue grew by 42% to £209 million dur-ing the year ending in March 2019, operat-ing profit grew three-fold to £1.7 million, and adjusted operating profit (EBITDA) grew 73% to £20.1 million. RSK Group’s

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15Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

acquisitions included the following com-panies: design, property and construction consultancy Pellings, a U.K. company em-ploying about 125 people with an annual turnover of £12.5 million and four offices in London and the South East of Eng-land, providing surveying, architecture, planning and project management and facilities management services for hous-ing, education and healthcare projects; environmental and geotechnical engineer-ing firm Dr. Tillmanns & Partner GmbH (Bergheim, Germany), a specialist in soil and groundwater contamination, rehabili-tation planning and monitoring, landfill technology and planning, subsoil investi-gations, geothermics, hydrogeology, and soil mechanics; oil spill and remediation specialist Raw Technology, which operates from 16 offices in the U.K. and Ireland and provides pollution response and remedia-tion support to both residential and com-mercial sectors; Ecologia Environmental Solutions Ltd., a multidisciplinary site re-mediation specialist employing 45 people at offices in the U.K. and Italy; Silcock Leedham (Leeds, UK), a mechanical and electrical engineering specialist with offices in the U.K. and Dubai and consisting of three complementary businesses providing services in the areas of building physics, air quality monitoring, sustainability, special-ist testing, commissioning, and validation and verification services; Biocensus (Bath, U.K.), which has a network of more than 700 U.K.-based ecologists and is focused on large infrastructure developments; and Consents Solutions (King’s Lynn, U.K.), which specializes in managing the consent process for utility and renewable installa-tion processes. In five years’ time, RSK’s se-nior management hopes to employ 10,000 people with annual sales of £1 billion and operating profit (EBITDA) of £100 mil-lion. To accomplish this RSK plans to make 12 to 15 acquisitions per year us-ing a £350 million debt package provided by its private equity backers Ares Capital Management.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS

Parsons Corp. (Centreville, VA) for successfully executing in May 2019 an ini-tial public offering (IPO) of 18.5 million shares of common stock in a transaction valued at $500 million. By mid-morning on May 9, 10.9 million shares had trans-acted, raising the stock price to $30.28, well above the opening bell price of $27. Parsons stock has been owned since 1984 by its estimated 15,000 employees through an employee stock ownership plan. The IPO represented an offering of about 20% of total shares. The stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the sym-bol PSN; Parsons will use the cash to fuel growth and pay down an estimated $300- million in debt. Parsons management said that the capital raised will propel the com-pany’s growth through mergers and acqui-sitions, particularly in the federal sectors of cybersecurity, intelligence, and mission critical work. In January, Parsons acquired OGSystems (Chantilly, VA), a consulting firm specializing in geospatial intelligence, big-data analytics, and threat mitigation, primarily for government agencies. It was the firm’s third purchase in that sector

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: CCR Management

AECOM for its work in the manage-ment of coal combustion residuals (CCR). The self-implementing federal 2015 CCR rule sets requirements for safe CCR dis-posal for 100-plus organizations operating more than 300 regulated sites with more than 700 CCR units with two-billion cu-bic yards of CCR material. Each owner/operator (O/O) houses its CCR-unit regu-latory status/required reports/certifications on its individual website, making analy-sis of extensive, disparate pages difficult. AECOM, working with more than 25% of U.S. CCR units, recognized the need to collect and analyze data to anticipate market needs and technology solutions, and with California-based Firmographs created the Ash Mart CCR-industry data-analytics tool. The tool allows users to nav-igate through data quickly and effortlessly

EBI continues its Environmental Industry

Summit series with...

Environmental Industry Summit XVIII

March 18-20 2020Coronado Island Marriott

Resort, Coronado CA

Texas Environmental Industry Summit II

May 2020, Houston TX

Pacific Northwest Environmental Industry

Summit VJuly 30, 2020, Washington Athletic Club, Seattle WA

New England Environmental Industry

Summit VDecember 4, 2020

One Financial Center, Boston

Dates TBD

Washington DC Environmental Industry

Summit 2020, October or November 2020, Hunton

Andrews Kurth Conference Center, Washington DC

Environmental Industry Summit Japan: September 30-October 1, 2020, Hotel Kajima no Mori, Nagano

Environmental Industry Summit China

September 24-25

Environmental Industry Summit Antarctica

February 2021 in cooperation with Oceanites

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

16 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

using dozens of visualization formats and sophisticated statistical analyses that allow comparisons, assessment of current market conditions, prediction of behaviors, the re-view and application of best practices, and the benchmarking of responses, thereby expediting analysis from hours or days to minutes or even seconds.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Brownfields

Terracon Consultants, Inc. (Olathe, KS) for its leadership in forming commu-nity partnerships to advance the redevel-opment of brownfields. Terracon has been partnering with communities to achieve their revitalization goals by integrating the environment, community, and redevel-opment through EPA Brownfield Grant applications and project implementation since 1995. Recently, Terracon worked with Centro Civico Mexicano in Salt Lake City, Utah, to redevelop the organization’s community center, a Hispanic cultural icon in the area, to ensure that the facil-ity will be available for future generations. Terracon identified the contaminants on the property and helped obtain federal and state brownfield cleanup funding. Mixed-use redevelopment plans included low-in-come senior housing, offices, classrooms, a multipurpose gymnasium, a rooftop soccer facility, and a black box theater. In 2019, a significant project milestone occurred when the construction of senior housing began at the center. Terracon says that it has participated on more Phoenix Award winning teams than any other consul-tant—16 in total, representing more than $3.6 billion in reinvestment—and suc-cessfully implemented projects supported by more than 250 EPA cooperative agree-ments exceeding $63 million in federal brownfields grants.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Digital Transformation

Arcadis (Arnhem, The Netherlands) for launching the Expedition DNA digi-tal transformation program in partnership with The Lovinklaan Foundation to engage its employees in the digital transformation of the company’s business. The program aims to build awareness and a common language centered on the four digital re-alities—customer experience, platforms, data, and ecosystems—through the two components: Base Camp and Expeditions. Base Camp is an on-line gamified program available to all 27,000 Arcadis employees to build awareness of the Arcadis digital strategy, its implementation across three time horizons, and tangibly connect the concepts to the company’s business. The program takes between six and eight hours to complete. Expeditions involves one-week, intensive face-to-face sessions, se-lected to maximize diversity across regions, business lines, and experience. Expeditions provide an opportunity to dive deep into the four realities in special “skills labs,” with inspirational guest speakers and ac-tivities throughout the week. The program helps participants solidify global networks around a common digital language.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Inclusion & Diversity

Jacobs (Dallas, TX) for aggressively implementing, over the past two years, a company-wide program focused on em-phasizing inclusion and diversity as vital business pillars. When CEO Steve Deme-triou joined Jacobs, he brought with him a firm belief that, to grow a business, you need to differentiate, to differentiate you need to innovate, to innovate you need diversity of thought, to activate diversity you need to enable an inclusive environ-ment, and to engage all of this you need inclusive, inspiring leaders. The new strategy, which was briefed to the inves-tor community in early 2019, made in-clusion and diversity the central elements of the company’s culture, empowering its employees to bring their “whole selves” to work every day. In 2019, Jacobs continued

to push the envelope in culture building through several initiatives, including the launch of “Conscious Inclusion” training for all employees; the broadening of ethnic and gender diversity in its executive team; the addition of an eighth global employee network, called “ACE” (Assist, Connect, Educate), to celebrate and raise awareness of those with physical, cognitive and mo-bility impairments, and to support caregiv-ers, their families and friends, and clients and members of the community; and the broadening of lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans-gender/queer or questioning/intersex (LG-BTQI+) recognition, including taking top honors on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index, as “Best Place to Work for LGBTQI+ Equality.”

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:

Underserved Communities

Arcadis for establishing a pro bono program designed to bring the company’s services to under-served communities, with the goal of giving back where the company’s people live and work. Every year, a call for proposals is sent out within Arcadis, seeking projects that can demon-strate the impact and potential realized by improving the quality of life for others. From the many proposals that are received, two are selected for funding. The company selected two projects for 2019. First, the “Russell: A Place of Promise” project fo-cused on transforming the historic Rus-sell neighborhood, one of the poorest in Louisville, Kentucky, in a way that avoids displacing existing residents. Arcadis brought laser-scanning, 3D rendering, and engineering support to part of the project, which involves transforming a former cigar manufacturing facility into a vibrant com-munity hub. Second, the William A. Barry Park project focused on a 15-acre city park located in an economically disadvantaged part of Syracuse. Arcadis brought drones, laser scanning, and BIM modeling to sup-port the renovation of a single-story field house that serves as a gathering place for youth and community programming. Ar-cadis will also engage local students in job-shadowing and mentoring opportunities.

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17Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:

Philanthropy

ERM for the work of its ERM Foun-dation. Unlike traditional company-spon-sored foundations, the ERM Foundation is led by ERM employees who nominate organizations for funding, provide hands-on professional support for partner orga-nizations, review funding applications, and lead regional engagement committees. Through this structure, ERM has created a unique and valuable partnership with its employees, under which every em-ployee across 160 worldwide offices can be personally involved in a Foundation program. This past year ERM employees raised $141,000 and delivered 1,910 hours of pro bono support for 69 organizations across 30 countries. These projects con-tributed to the United Nations sustain-able development goals by protecting the natural environment through planting 7,000 trees, providing 35,000 people with clean energy solutions, improving liveli-hoods for 900 women, providing clean water and sanitation for 12,500 people, and educating 6,000 people on sustainable development. In addition, ERM employ-ees volunteer thousands of hours with local initiatives restoring habitats, building sus-tainable food systems, teaching environ-mental programs, and removing trash and plastics from waterways.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:

Philanthropy

EA Engineering, Science, and Tech-nology, Inc., PBC (Hunt Valley, MD) for the efforts of a company-sponsored “ultra-cycling team,” which in June 2019 suc-cessfully finished the Race Across America (RAAM), raising $90,000 for Water For People to address today’s global water and sanitation challenges. The EA-sponsored team completed the Race in seven days, 20 hours, and 44 minutes, 10 hours ahead of the team’s 2017 pace. The four rid-ers—Jeff Boltz, Lou Barinka, and Walter Migdal of EA and Eleanor Allen, Water For People’s CEO—were supported by a

crew that included 10 current and retired EA employees, for their 3,000 mile jour-ney across America. As a result of this great support and their competitive time, the EA-sponsored team earned the Jim Pitre Corporate Cup, which is awarded to the fastest team with 75% of the team being associated with a single company. Accord-ing to Eleanor Allen, “The Race’s positive impact on Water For People is immeasur-able. In addition to the money, which will be directed to providing potable water and sanitary services in nine developing coun-tries, through its sponsorship, EA has vast-ly increased Water For People’s visibility and our ability to raise funds to help more communities in the future.”

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:

Underserved Communities

Jacobs for its support for an anti-pov-erty program in the nation of Sierra Leone. Home Leone, a non-profit organization, is advancing a sustainable movement that seeks the end of slum living in Sierra Le-one. Its first pilot, Destiny Village, develops a new community, relocating over 2,000 people from across Freetown’s 62 slums, to new secure low-cost homes. Home Leone adopts a holistic approach, providing jobs, education, social infrastructure, community utilities and health facilities. Its community design and layout, environmental consid-erations, social justice initiatives, and skills training help ensure this innovative, com-munity-led relocation model provides a life changing opportunity for residents. A team of eight Jacobs employees traveled to Des-tiny Village on a voluntary trip to develop a surface-water drainage strategy that pro-vides protection and mitigation to alleviate flood water (rainy season) impacts on the buildings, roads, and footpaths in the site. The solution involved collecting rainfall run-off from roofs and ditches and chan-neling the water away from structures into natural channels to a safe outlet point. The team also performed knowledge transfer of the sustainable drainage solution to the village inhabitants so they could continue with the project. The team also raised over £7000 prior to the trip to aid in the funding of further construction at the village.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION:

Philanthropy

Kleinschmidt Associates for the work of its Philanthropy Committee, which is a group of employees who interface with local nonprofits, develop partnership op-portunities, and decide how to distribute an average of 6% of profits to dozens of organizations. Another avenue of giving is through the company’s “Day of Service” holiday, during which employees can take time for community service. Kleinschmidt supports organizations that align with the company’s vision and values; or that tackle problems at the nexus of energy, water, and environment; or any organization that is strongly supported by employees through personal donations or volunteer-ing. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and out-reach is a particular passion. By sponsoring the Kleinschmidt Windstorm Challenge, a competition in which middle and high school students design and build their own wind turbine blades and floating offshore wind platforms, students get to travel to the University of Maine to test their cre-ations in a wind and wave tank. For many rural students, this is their first opportu-nity to visit a university campus. Klein-schmidt’s scientists and engineers present at schools and mentor student groups of all ages, from the local robotics league, to student chapters of engineering societies, to graduate students.

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

18 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

EBJ’s Take Political, Economic, Energy & Environmental Trends for 2020OUT & DOWN from 2019 IN & UP for 2020

Political - Domestic

House Impeachment Senate Acquittal

House Investigations Senate Tribunals

Never Trumpers Hail to the Chief

House: Schiff & Nadler Senate: Graham & Cruz

Govt. Shutdowns in January Budget Haranging past November

More Federal Deficit EVEN More Federal Deficit!

Schiff's Dungeon Hearings Durham Investigation by DOJ

Whistle-blower Prosecutions for FISA Abuse

The "Perfect" Phone Call More Perfect Phone Calls

State-of-Disunion Ripping up SOTU Speeches

A Dozen Democratic Candidates Four Democratic Candidates

Liberalism & Inclusion Socialism & Revolution

Millennials on the Move Boomers Rebound

A New Hope after Election 2018 The Empire Strikes Back

Campaigning for Equality Campaigning for Opportunity

Tax the Rich Record Stock Market

Economic Growth Record Employment

Gains for Democrats Losses for Democrats

Suburban Women Vote Black Vote

Push for Infrastructure: Repair roads & bridges Urban Renewal: Restoration Economy

Blue Wall Red Rebound

Sanctuary Cities Revoked Federal Benefits

Deficit Hawks Deficit Spending

Tea Party Patriot Party

Assault Weapons Red State Guns

Medicare for All Medicare for Patriots

Popular Vote Battleground States

Septugenarians Whippersnapper-in-Chief

10-Year Economic Cycles Recession Resistance

Energy & Environmental

NEPA As We Know It NEPA Modernization: One Federal Decision

WOTUS Shelved Promises of PFAS Regulations

Clean Power Plan Affordable Clean Energy rule

Energy Imports Energy Exports

Oil prices above $60 Oil prices below $50

Hurricane Response Hurricane Recovery & Resilience

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

19Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

U.S. Wind Passes 100 GW in Capacity "100% Renewable" Campaigns in Blue Cities

Mitigation & Compliance Adaptation & Resilience

Polar Wildlife Habitats Antarctic Warming to 65 Degrees

HEVs: More Hybrid Engines EVs: TESLA Surging Sales & Stock

Electric Car Geek Factor Electric Buses Deployed

Biofuels Genetic Synthesis of Biofuels

Climate Denial ESG

Fossil Fuels Electricity

Paper & Plastic Exports Domestic Recycling Standards & Fees

Plastic Straws Hemp Plastic

North American Bird Population Bald Eagle Hunting Licenses

Carbon Capture Batteries

Meat Impossible and Beyond

Political - Foreign

Trade Disputes with China Phase One China Deal

NAFTA USMCA

Ukraine UK

Brexit Uncertainty BoJo Trump Alliance

Sanctions & Appeasement Assasinating Terrorist Generals

Coal use in Europe (down 20%) EU ETS (€5 in 2017 to €25 per tonne in 2019)

European Parliament Elections Europe Brings Back Nuclear Energy

COP25 Displaced from Chile to Madrid COP26 in Glasgow -- the Fifth Year "Checkup"

Social

Women's World Cup in France Olympics in Japan

Tom Brady-Philip Rivers-Big Ben-Eli Lamar Jackson-Patrick Mahomes

Zuckerberg Bloomberg

Opiods THC Use

Football head injuries THC Use

Stealing Signs & Dugout Cameras Asterisks & Lame Apologies

Manchester City & VAR Liverpool & VAR’nt

Messi-Ronaldo-Zlatan-Buffon Mbappe-Dybala-Haland-Pulisic

MeToo Chivalry

Snowflake Millennials Boomer Bravado

Cable-Landline-Internet Packages Streaming-Video/Sports on Demand

Tech Unicorns AI Unicorns

Goat Yoga Face Masks

Prohibition The Roaring 20s

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

20 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

EBJ: Congratulations on AECOM’s Contaminated Sediment/Ecological Restoration initiative. You say the new practice bridges the gap between hard engineering and natural resource resto-ration, particularly in the urban water-fronts market. Have the vast majority of urban waterfront remediation projects historically been done as prescriptive, regulatory-driven projects with devel-opment considerations secondary? 

JB: In our experience, there have been challenges effectively integrating remedial and restoration/redevelopment work, de-spite the obvious synergies and stakeholder advantages associated with a fully integrat-ed program. Limitations have included institutional barriers (e.g., different regula-tory and statutory settings and constructs), as well as challenges associated with build-ing highly functioning multi-disciplinary teams of scientist, engineers, planners, architects, and constructors. Further, the economic resources and drivers dedicated

liability reduction to fostering positive community relations and ultimately con-struction of expedited remedies and resto-ration end products. These benefits can be achieved by both public and private sector owners and advocates.

Clients have recently challenged us to develop large-scale coastal resiliency projects

while integrating urban parklands, created wetlands,

and environmental remediation into the proposed solution.

The vast majority of such projects re-quire a high degree of stakeholder en-gagement to facilitate bridging the gap between public and private interests and help overcome institutional barriers. In-tegrated approaches require public/private sector buy-in relative to: (1) understand-ing stakeholder vision, objectives and goals, (2) developing integrated timelines and schedules, and (3) understanding roles and responsibilities (both near- and long-term).

EBJ: You mention coastal resiliency as an important component of project outcomes. How many significant proj-ects are driven by coastal resilience as a primary goal rather than being just one of several desired outcomes?

JB: Although historically environmen-tal sustainability and coastal resiliency were often considered as elements of a success-ful project with many desired outcomes, AECOM believes that we are in the midst of a market transition. Communities are facing extraordinary challenges associated with climate change, growing population needs and funding. They are therefore in-creasingly realizing that ignoring aging in-frastructure in the face of low probability/high impact storm events is not an effec-tive means to plan for the future. Integrat-ing coastal resiliency into urban infrastruc-ture and parkland is a key component to addressing these complex problems, and

FROM RESILIENCY TO RESTORATION, EARLY INTEGRATION IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR AECOM’S CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT & ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION INITIATIVE

AECOM (NYSE:ACM) is a leading infrastructure firm delivering professional services across the project lifecycle – from planning, design and engineering to consulting and construction management. AECOM partners with clients in the

public and private sectors on projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, govern-ments, energy and the environment. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm with revenue of ap-proximately $20.2 billion during fiscal year 2019.

John Bleiler is AECOM’s Remediation Practice Leader for the Americas. In this capacity, he is responsible for establishing standards of performance and driving innovation and technical excellence across AECOM’s environmental business line, as well as providing strategic direction for the practice to help meet evolving market opportunities. Mr. Bleiler monitors market drivers, identifies emerging needs and positions AECOM accordingly, establishes strategic partnerships, and coordinates/promotes use of creative tools and innovative technologies. Mr. Bleiler is a rec-ognized leader in contaminated sediment management programs. He has worked on projects at more than 100 sites, in numerous states, across multiple US Environmental Protection Agency regions. He has over 30 years of experience providing services in the areas of sediment manage-ment, risk-based closure and natural resource damage support. His broad range of expertise and experience allow him to understand and address various media and chemicals at environmental sites, including a wide variety of organic and inorganic constituents.

AECOM received EBJ Business Achievement awards for Large Firms (page 1), for New Practice (page 6) and for Industry Leadership (page 15).

to environmental remediation are often different than the subsequent funding (public or private sector) for urban water-front redevelopment needs.

As a result, despite the new and cre-ative opportunities that a linked approach would provide, remedial response actions have often proceeded under prescriptive regulatory authority, and creative restora-tion planning has not been typically inte-grated into the project life cycle.

EBJ: Why should private and pub-lic sector clients embrace this more integrated approach of remediation to restoration in a single project? How, and how often, do you have to bridge the gap between public and private interests when developing an integrated project solution?

JB: Early integration of remediation and restoration can result in several prac-tical benefits, ranging from cost-effective

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we have even seen the converse: Clients have recently challenged us to develop large-scale coastal resiliency projects while integrating urban parklands, created wet-lands, and environmental remediation into the proposed solution.

EBJ: Financial players might observe that a company of AECOM’s stature and financial wherewithal are inclined to be a partner or investor in certain real estate assets, but are we correct in assuming that that risk profile is not in your strategy?

JB: AECOM’s position relative to risk management has evolved with our indus-try. While we routinely practice in our traditional role on remediation/restora-tion projects (e.g., functioning as designer, project engineer, or other such role) we are increasingly finding opportunity through creative project delivery and contractual mechanisms, which may even involve risk-sharing partnership models. We believe that turnkey delivery of certain projects best leverages our institutional knowledge, providing life cycle continuity to owners and other stakeholders. Further, creative partnering with project owners has allowed us to: provide best alignment of objectives; streamline cost-effective, high-quality de-livery; and promote a higher level of trust, respect, and creative problem solving.

EBJ: How have brownfield programs evolved in terms of funding or incentives at the federal, state and local levels?

JB: Not all of AECOM’s urban wa-terfront development projects are brown-fields. Regardless, we have seen some significant changes to the brownfields de-velopment projects we have been associat-ed with. State by state, regulatory oversight has been relaxing restrictive requirements for brownfields. Some offer liability relief from existing issues, allowing developers to move forward with less risk considerations. In some states, there are monetary grants to help spring early stages of brownfield as-sessment and remediation. We model cost savings based on risk reduction, grant op-portunities, tax incentives, and increased property value. As part of our technical approach, we look to integrate the de-velopment into the remediation, making greener, less expensive solutions.

TERRACON A LEADER IN LEVERAGING BROWNFIELDS PROGRAMS FOR CLIENTS

Terracon is an employee-owned consulting engineering firm specializing in envi-ronmental, facilities, geotechnical, and materials services. Since 1965, Terracon has achieved significant expansion through internal growth and acquisitions and

has more than 5,000 employees in more than 150 offices, serving all 50 states nationwide.

Belinda Richard is Terracon’s national brownfields program manager. She has 22 years of environmental experience, with the last 15 years dedicated to working in the Brownfields Pro-gram. Terracon’s grant application success rate in brownfields of 64% is nearly twice the indus-try rate of 33%.

Terracon received EBJ awards for Project Merit: Phytoremediation (page 11), Business Achievement: M&A (page 14), and Industry Leadership: Brownfields (page 16).

EBJ: Congratulations on Terracon’s leadership in the brownfields arena. I understand the company has been involved in 16 teams that have won Phoenix awards. Tell us how the Phoenix award program came about and what value it provides.

BR: Touted as the Brownfields version of the Oscars, Phoenix Awards recognize exemplary brownfield redevelopment and revitalization projects throughout the na-tion. In 1997, the Phoenix Award Insti-tute, Inc. was created as a non-profit with the sole purpose to recognize individuals, government agencies, organizations, com-panies, and civic groups for their “out-standing achievement and innovation re-lating to environmental and community issues.”

The Phoenix Awards are well known within the Brownfields community amongst EPA administrators, industry peers, and EPA Brownfields fund recipi-ents with the competition and awards routinely occurring during the EPA Na-tional Brownfields Conference. Award re-cipients exemplify Project Teams who have worked together to solve critical environ-mental problems by transforming idle or contaminated properties into productive use. Communities and teams who have won this prestigious award, were chosen because their projects represented leader-ship and innovation that other communi-

ties and organizations across the country with the same challenges could utilize as successful examples.

EBJ: How would you describe the trajectory of the EPA Brownfield Grant program since its launch in the 1990s and its likely scenario for evolution in this new decade?

BR: The EPA Brownfields Program has served as a catalyst to both change the perception of contaminated or idle prop-erties and spearhead an era of financial support. Communities and developers who once thought brownfield properties symbolize an impediment to redevelop-ment now view them as an opportunity. Integral in changing this perception, EPA and industry professionals have provided information through educational events in communities across the country informing residents, developers and policy makers of the importance of brownfield redevelop-ment and the assistance EPA can provide.

Since the inception of this program, other federal and state funding and incen-tives such as tax credits have also become available to leverage funds which has made redevelopment opportunities become a re-ality. Knowledge coupled with successful redevelopment projects in communities both large and small, have proven the suc-cess of the program. The EPA Brownfields Program has provided a mechanism for

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communities to achieve their goals; the same communities that would not have had the ability without this assistance. The Brownfield Program addresses environ-mental challenges and promotes economic growth which garners support of this fed-eral program. Terracon looks forward to continuing to work with communities throughout the country for many years to come. The table provides a summary of the EPA Brownfields Program accomplish-ments.

EBJ: A recent example is the Mexi-can civic center in Salt Lake City that involved both federal and state Brown-field funds. Roughly what percentage of total project funds were provided by each of these sources, how were the private resources mobilized, and what was the approximate overall investment in this multi-faceted project?

BR: Centro Civico Mexicano is being re-developed in two phases. The first phase is a 61-unit senior housing project, and the civic center will be redeveloped during the second phase.

Total project cost for the first phase to build the senior housing facility is ap-proximately $13.7 million, which includes a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant. Total project cost for the second phase to redevelop the civic center build-ing is approximately $15 million, which includes an additional $200,000 EPA Sub-Grant through Salt Lake County’s Re-

volving Loan Fund. Terracon is currently designing a vapor mitigation system for the existing civic center building. Once designed, sub-grant funds will be used to install the system. The system will protect the health of the building occupants while the building remains in use for the next few years until the second phase of rede-velopment is complete.

The EPA Brownfields Program has provided a mechanism for communities to achieve their goals; the same communities that would not have had the ability without this assistance.

The approximate overall investment for this project is $28.7 million, with $400,000 of the brownfield funding mak-ing up 1.4% of the total project cost. Proj-ect funding for the senior housing was pri-marily provided by local government and private foundation contributions, supple-mented by traditional loan funds and in-centives including low income tax credits.

The EPA Brownfield funding provided the reassurance needed for private lenders that the environmental issues would be ad-dressed, which made the project funding possible.

EBJ: Is this fairly representative of an average or typical Brownfield project these days?

BR: Brownfield projects come in all sizes, ranging from community gardens to parks, or affordable housing to downtown redevelopment such as our Phoenix Award Winning project, the Iowa River Landing. The Centro Civico project is representative of a typical brownfield project made up of a strong working relationship between a community who has a property in need of revitalization, a developer having a strong redevelopment plan that supports the bet-terment of the community and its resi-dents, and local government and financial support to leverage total project funding requirements. Terracon has worked with many communities throughout the coun-try that have similar success stories.

Summary of Brownfields Program Accomplishments as of February 1, 2020

Performance Measure FY2020 Targets FY2020 Accomplishments

Cumulative Program Accomplishments

Properties Assessed 1,300 715 31,516

Properties Cleaned Up 130 76 2,006

Jobs Leveraged 7,000 4,382 160,306

Dollars Leveraged $1.3 BN $1.827 BN $31.161 BN

Properties Made Ready for Reuse 684 271 8,025

Acres Made Ready for Anticipated Reuse NA 4306 92,047

Source: USEPA

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DUDEK BUILDS NEW PLANNING & URBAN DESIGN PRACTICE TO AUGMENT ITS FOCUS ON BUILT AND NATURAL INFRASTRUCTUREDudek describes the evolution of its new practice and reflects on the Paradise tragedy, ‘disruptive’ influences in planning, and the emergence of Climate Justice.

Dudek is a firm of 600+ environmental planners, scientists and engineers who help clients plan, design and build projects that improve communities’ built and natural infrastructure. We are creative, pragmatic problem-solvers working at the

intersection of science, engineering, regulations, and multiple stakeholders’ interest to help clients achieve project goals. Founded in 1980 and based in Encinitas, California with staff in 8 states and projects in more than 40, Dudek is employee-owned firm.

Responses provided by the Dudek Planning and Urban Design Team and Ruta Thomas, the practice leader for the group.

Dudek received an EBJ Business Achievement Award for New Practice (see page 7).

greenhouse gas emissions, wildfire hazards, and sea-level rise, we knew we already had the skill set needed to focus on climate ad-aptation planning. By thinking outside the box to not only respond to the demands of our municipal clients but also the grow-ing needs of this emerging market, Dudek has been able to build a robust resume of work that is helping California plan for the comprehensive planning challenges that lie ahead.

EBJ: How has Dudek resourced the growth of the group-through new hires or repurposing and sharing people across disciplines inside the company? Have you invested in technology to make the group more competitive in planning, design and communications?

Dudek: The growth of the Planning & Urban Design practice started within the firm organically. A few Dudek staff were passionate about comprehensive planning as a focus market, which led to formaliz-ing a group to strategically pursue that area of work. Once an internal announcement was made, interest from other staff with a planning background quickly surfaced. As such, the practice started growing with internal staff that were initially shared with other disciplines at Dudek, but ulti-mately some of that staff was completely integrated into the Planning & Urban

Design practice. This approach has proven particularly successful in breaking into the climate adaptation market, as Dudek was able to rely on in-house technical ex-perts in greenhouse gas emissions, wildfire hazards, and sea-level rise to provide the skill set required to successfully perform climate adaptation work. Concurrently, the need for urban design plans started to grow in our comprehensive planning proj-ects, which led to the creation of an urban design studio. Our growth in all of these disciplines eventually led to making new hires to support the practice.

To support a new practice like Planning & Urban Design, Dudek has invested in new technology. We have added several new software programs to our suite that focus on the layout and design of docu-ments, GIS mapping, graphic design, and data compilation. These programs allow us to help our municipal clients better plan and design sustainable cities.

We have coupled this with a more ro-bust community engagement program that consists of a more innovative way to reach communities through interactive websites, social media, pop-up events, and town hall meetings. We can engage more people at a faster rate, which provides in-valuable results to the overall comprehen-sive planning process.

EBJ: How have you integrated all the threats related to climate change for your clients, and can you share examples of signature projects addressing scenarios for possible threats like air pollution, extreme heat, fires and floods.

Dudek: Each client has specific needs when it relates to climate change. Gener-ally we focus on hazards which the city or county is currently dealing with and feels the most pressing. Our most comprehen-sive example is the City of Rialto Climate Adaptation Plan for which we evaluated air pollution, extreme heat, flooding, and wildfires. We also evaluated secondary ef-fects, including planned power shutoffs. This planning effort focused on integrating regional guidance and identifying priority projects eligible for grant funding.

EBJ: Congratulations on the devel-opment of your planning and urban design group. What instigated forming the group? Was it an elevation of the cli-mate action plans required by the state of California or a more general response to planning and demand from munici-pal clients?

Dudek: The Planning & Urban De-sign practice grew out of the “Create Your Adventure” spirit at Dudek! As a firm, we pride ourselves on supporting staff with interests in new and emerging markets. Historically, Dudek has always been a strong player in the urban planning arena as it relates to environmental issues, and our staff have been regular panelists at industry conferences and workshops that highlight planning issues. A few of the staff at Dudek were already preparing compre-hensive planning and policy documents in support of our robust environmental prac-tice. Our passion for planning lead to for-malizing the creation of a new practice that focused on comprehensive planning with community engagement, and we quickly added an urban design studio to support that work. We started seeing an elevated need for climate resiliency and adaptation planning and were already implementing this type of work in our comprehensive planning documents. With expertise in preparing technical analyses focused on

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EBJ: How significant was the Camp Fire and Paradise aftermath in changing how cities in California approach plan-ning regarding wildfire?

Dudek: Although the Camp Fire and its devastating impact on Paradise was a tragedy, it was no surprise that this type of wildfire could occur and when it did would threaten communities comprised of fire-vulnerable structures built within the very fuels facilitating fire spread. Oth-er communities in California share these same characteristics. New communities, particularly in parts of Southern Califor-nia, are built to withstand the types of wildfires that may threaten them. There have been some relatively minor changes to community fire planning, but the big-gest change relates to evacuation planning. Planning departments are working closely with fire and law enforcement agencies to pre-plan better how a new community may affect existing communities and how a mass-evacuation would be implemented. Focusing on providing flexibility to emer-gency managers through additional egress routes and fire-hardened communities that offer a contingency option of temporarily sheltering people in designated structures has gained considerable traction. More cit-ies outside Southern California are begin-ning to incorporate advanced fire planning analysis into the environmental review process, resulting in safer communities and communities that can be considered fire ready.

EBJ: Can we conceive of using satellite and drone scans to determine brush particularly susceptible to fire? How else is 2020 technology being deployed?

Dudek: Satellite and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used to help determine the fuel conditions of existing wildland vegetation. Use of these technologies and the ability to glean more and more useful information from the various sensors and tools that can be fitted to UAVs promise to provide more accurate predictive analyses. Other 2020 technology being employed in the fire protection planning world includes the use of increasingly more complex fire behavior modeling tools to help determine the measures needed to protect a commu-nity. Also, evacuation simulation models

to help understand potential evacuation impacts from a new project, bottlenecks requiring mitigation, and timeframes to move people to safety have become a new planning tool.

All communities are impacted differently by disruptive trends. It’s our role as planners... to figure out how to encourage,

enable, shape and deliver disruptive advancements in ways that result in long-term systematic improvements and

sustainable environments.

EBJ: We are familiar with the inter-pretation and application of Environ-mental Justice. How do you view the emergence of Climate Justice, and how does that manifest itself in projects?

Dudek: Many of the Cities we work for have environmental justice communities within them which need to be addressed per California Senate Bill 1000 and are often communities on the frontline of the effects of climate change. Our team has a strong understanding of state regulations around Environmental Justice and works to bring applicable policies in the reduction of air pollution as a climate hazard, as well as promoting access to climate-related public services, such as cooling centers and parks, in Environmental Justice communities.

Our team also focuses on identifying grant funding set aside for Environmental Justice communities and weaves competi-tive projects into our implementation plan. We know that the state indicators of envi-ronmental justice communities are course, and we work to downscale data, and under-stand the specific vulnerabilities to a com-munity and how it relates to a given topic in our plan, creating locally relevant policy.

Lastly, we work to empower local En-vironmental Justice communities through outreach by partnering with outreach sub-consultants and community leaders

designing activities that educate local com-munity members of common planning tools and encouraging them to custom-ize them to reflect the values and needs of their community.

EBJ: Disruption was a strong business theme throughout the last decade. How do you see disruption playing out in planning work, especially related to transportation, electricity and power, and water and water reuse infrastruc-ture?

Dudek: Disruptions are playing out in many ways and impacting our plan-ning work. Communities are facing a tipping point in many areas-whether it’s air pollution, congestion, sea-level rise or affordability-placing more and more pressure on cities to figure out how to en-courage, enable, shape and deliver disrup-tive advancements in ways that result in long-term systematic improvements and sustainable environments. This tipping point is also impacting human behavior and leading individuals to change their lifestyles in ways that increase the pace at which disruptive innovations are being ac-cepted and played out. All communities are different and impacted differently by disruptive trends. It’s our role as planners to understand local goals, challenges and opportunities; work closely with the com-munity to develop solutions; create plans that can adapt over time to changing con-ditions; clear regulatory hurdles; and lever-age partnerships and funding sources to hasten the development of more sustain-able and resilient communities.

For example, water and water reuse, as well as energy and power, are inextri-cably connected. Looking at these sectors through the lens of interdependence al-lows us to introduce efficiencies and syner-gies savings in one sector, with savings in its complementary sector. Green energy sources in the marketplace have already outpaced more conventional sources; and marrying the movement of water and wa-ter resources reuse with cleaner, more sus-tainable and more efficacious options cre-ates opportunities for streamlining permits and environmental documentation while offering cost savings for agencies and rate-payers.

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CAPACCIO BUILDS DIGITAL TOOLS TO MORPH EHS COMPLIANCE INTO CORE BUSINESS PRACTICESLisa F. Wilk, PE, CEO of Capaccio, talks to EBJ about helping clients meet critical challenges via a more comprehensive and strategic approach to EHS.

Since its founding in 1992, Capaccio Environmental Engineering, Inc. has fulfilled its mission of helping industry and the environment prosper by aligning Environ-mental, Health, and Safety (EHS) with overall business objectives to strategically

position clients for success. Collaborating with clients and using experienced-based SaaS tools, Capaccio helps identify the best use of resources to achieve impactful results, engi-neer and implement solutions to challenges, and meaningfully measure performance to provide insightful analysis for ongoing progress. The company’s unique approach facili-tates innovative integrated solutions resulting in award-winning EHS programs and over-all business performance for clients. Capaccio lives its mission of “Helping Industry and the Environment Prosper,” aligning EH&S with the client’s overall business objectives to strategically position for success. Capaccio’s approach combines extensive EH&S experi-ence with cutting edge technologies like its trademarked EHS Dashboard. The company is a certified Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) WBE.

Chief Executive Officer Lisa F. Wilk, PE, has extensive experience and expertise strategically integrating environmental, health & safety (EHS) with overall business and organizational objectives.Through her leadership experience, Lisa has helped numerous clients develop and implement EHS management systems that go beyond regulatory requirements to pro-actively and strategically address EHS demands from all client stakeholders. She facilitates alignment of EHS plans and programs with client’s business objectives to consistently add value, addressing and prioritizing risks and opportunities for clients. With 30+ years of experience, Lisa brings depth to all facets of environmental and systems management, including manufacturing processes, industrial treatment systems design and operation, risk assessments, audits, technology solutions, strategic business and sustainability planning and implementation. Together with the strong Capaccio team, Lisa’s efforts have helped clients receive numerous awards, reduce EHS risk, and feature among top-ranked EHS and business performers.

Capaccio received EBJ’s Business Achievement Award for New Practice (see page 6).

EBJ: Congratulations on launching your program optimization strategy practice. Aligning environment health and safety objectives with clients’ overall strategic business objectives has historically been a big challenge for the environmental services industry. What have you found is the biggest resistance point to such a comprehensive ap-proach?

LW: Our mission is to help industry and the environment prosper, and we have seen that aligning EHS with strategic busi-ness objectives is the best way to achieve this mission. As you observed, tradition-

ally, it has been challenging for both the EHS functional area and the top-level business executives to align. Historically, the environmental field initially focused on awareness of pollution and regulating waste and emissions (seen as a necessity of doing business but not part of the core business objectives) and later re-focused on minimizing waste at the source, such as pollution prevention and resource con-servation (seen as potentially reducing op-erating costs but not necessarily integrated with core business). More recently EHS has been expanding into a more wholis-tic approach to address more widespread

stakeholders (climate change impacts, sustainability, the cross-functional UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), CDP, triple bottom line, People-Profit-Planet, customers and other important stakeholders) and more directly relates to the business objectives.

With global awareness and increasing concerns having a more direct impact on businesses, we see the relationship of EHS to the overall business changing. Changing demands means the role of business lead-ers and EHS leaders requires new ways of addressing organizational needs. Business leaders need both technical EHS input and strategic-level information in order to best position their organizations moving forward. EHS and corporate sustainability leaders are being asked to provide different kinds of information to align better with overall organizational objectives, integrate with other key organizational functions, and ensure the organization’s overall suc-cess. Access to appropriate leading indica-tors, benchmarks, and optimal approaches is needed.

While a more comprehensive approach is generally embraced, we do find the EHS functional area is often challenged with driving meaningful contributions to their organizations, communicating effectively to the C-Suite, and understanding the key business objectives with which to align. Our goal is to assist clients with these criti-cal challenges through a more comprehen-sive and strategic approach to EHS.

EBJ: How do you promote the value of investment in the EHS system, and how do you measure over time?

LW: Painting a vivid picture of impact-ful results on clients’ business and provid-ing data-driven examples helps us com-municate the value of investing in this approach. Imagine:

• B2B organizations being awarded con-tracts because they were ahead of their competition in identifying and prepar-ing for their customers’ (and customers’ customers) environmental needs (e.g.,

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product stewardship).

• B2B and B2C organizations being able to transition systems and culture more rapidly as a part of a successful M&A to move ahead of competition.

• Manufacturing and assembly opera-tions being able to eliminate the costs for facility expansion or relocation by reducing resource needs for expanding production capabilities (for example, doubling production without increas-ing water consumption).

• Systems connecting to source data with real-time status to be able immediately react to trends, quickly identify causes, and pivot in an agile fashion to more quickly reach overall business objec-tives.

• Using your talent to address problems instead of just collecting and reporting data.

Process and target metrics relative to the specific objectives, developed in align-ment with organizational goals and driv-ers, are quantitatively tracked against the benchmarked backdrop, as well as the or-ganization’s broader overall business per-formance. Consistent with our mission of helping industry and the environment prosper, we see results with our custom-ers appearing in both top business per-formance indices such as Forbes as well as in lists of top EHS and Sustainability performers.

EBJ: When you call the practice a new vertical, we assume you're looking at a matrix grid of clients on the horizontal. How would you rank the importance of clients on the horizontal axis for both your company as a whole and for this new practice area?

LW: Vertical market demand is strong, particularly with the rapid rise of the sig-nificance of sustainability and the environ-ment to businesses and their customers. Although the practice is a new vertical, we also see the horizontal axis moving along this vertical as organizational performance

and growth shifts over time. For our busi-ness, this creates a continuing flow of op-portunity to provide more value-added services to our customers.

EBJ: With a software-as-a-service model and data-driven algorithms, it sounds as though you are doing scenario planning around broad investment options related to clients’ main lines of business rather than just environmental impact or liability scenario planning.

Process and target metrics... developed in alignment with

organizational goals and drivers are quantitatively

tracked against the benchmarked backdrop, as well as the organization’s broader overall business

performance.

LW: Yes, this is correct. For example, sustainability goes beyond Environmental, Health and Safety and extends into busi-ness economic performance, corporate governance, human resources and talent, among other areas. A wholistic approach is beneficial to prioritizing resources, main-taining efficiencies, and seeing results. We have worked directly with EHS leaders as well as other functional area leaders to: facilitate alignment with key business ob-jectives; identify and prioritize functional area objectives; identify appropriate pro-cess and target metrics; implement pro-grams; and conduct ongoing measurement and tracking of results, providing intelli-gent analysis to facilitate agile responses to changing circumstances and helping pro-actively prepare for potential future risks and opportunities. Our unique system and algorithms clearly identify current and future states, indicate challenges and prog-ress, and help paint a clear picture relative to stakeholder expectations.

With a more wholistic approach, bet-ter results can be achieved. It also requires alignment of multiple sources of informa-tion, analysis, and ability to readily re-spond and pivot. As a firm that has worked for over 25 years to help industry and the environment prosper, Capaccio recognized early on the significant challenges faced with data collection and analysis in order to make meaningful progress towards eco-nomic, social and environmental sustain-ability.

Today companies and organizations need to be able to respond quickly to changing circumstances, adapt, pivot, and accelerate the pace of achieving results. Companies need to think strategically, align functional areas across the organiza-tion, effectively use resources to quickly drive towards meaningful and impactful results.

EBJ: Do you find having an informa-tion or data driven platform to enhance your relationship with the client is a gateway to more project work?

LW: Yes, it is a gateway to doing more project work, and more importantly it is a gateway to providing greater value to our customers. Having this insight helps us and our customers to better prioritize and deliver services to achieve impactful results. It also helps identify appropriate internal and external resources to address these priorities.

Strategic process optimization looks at a number of factors important to stake-holders, compares performance to peers and top-level organizations, and helps identify and prioritize functional area ob-jectives and demonstrate results. We can assist with addressing the prioritized objec-tives directly or facilitate identifying other external and internal resources. Ongoing performance information, and data on internal and external trends, allows us to provide timely insight and be available at the right time to help the customer achieve results.

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PARTNER EXPANDS ON ITS CRE CLIENT PLATFORM WITH GROWING PRACTICES IN SEISMIC RISK AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. offers full-service engineering, environmental and energy consulting and design services throughout the Americas, Europe, and around the globe. Drawing on over 90 years of collective business experience,

Partner’s multidisciplinary approach allows the company to serve clients at all stages from initial due diligence and design to development and construction, as well as the ongoing maintenance and optimization of a real estate asset. With dual headquarters in Los Angeles, CA and Eatontown, NJ, Partner has over 900 employees in 40+ offices throughout North America and Europe. Partner was named to the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, its fifth time receiving this accolade. The company was also listed as one of the top 200 environmental engineering firms in the world for the seventh straight year.

All seismic questions were answered by Jay Kumar, PE. Mr. Kumar serves as Technical Director of the Structural Engineering Group at Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. Based in Los Angeles, Mr. Kumar has over 10 years of experience in structural engineering, seismic design and construction management with a focus on structural forensic investigations, structural and seismic analysis, and of course seismic risk consulting for property owners, investors, brokers and lenders around the country. Mr. Kumar has a BS in civil engineering from San Jose State University.

All renewables questions were answered by C. Gage Kellogg who serves as the Director of Renewable Resources Services at Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. Mr. Kellogg brings over 15 years of experience in overseeing all aspects of renewable resources projects all over the United States and in India, South Africa, Chile, and Panama, among other international locations. Additionally, Mr. Kellogg brings over 20 years of business development and operations experi-ence in the construction industry. Mr. Kellogg has a BS in Construction Management and Fundamentals of Construction from Drexel University.

Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. received an EBJ Business Achievement Award in the Mid-Size Firms category (see page 3).

Accordingly, the biggest driver of our practice is seismic due diligence, where we provide seismic risk assessments to estimate potential financial losses from earthquake damage to commercial buildings. These reports don’t control risks; they help stake-holders understand what the risk is. Part-ner’s experienced seismic team currently supports all of the loss models available in the marketplace (several methodologies are approved under the ASTM standards) to meet the needs of various client types. Overall, we are agnostic to the model we use, as different clients have built up fa-miliarities and allegiances to specific loss models. All of these models have pros and cons, and better or worse applicability to

specific building variants. For example, a model originally created in the 1980s may not accurately consider seismic design en-hancements in more modern buildings or be aware of now well-known design flaws that came to light in subsequent earth-quakes. Conversely, a more modern model based on rigorous lab testing and analysis may not accurately consider actual empiri-cal data on large sets of archaic building types that have historically exceeded per-formance expectations.

We have also become increasingly di-versified in the services we provide for clients. In addition to seismic risk assess-ments, we provide structural engineering services and seismic retrofit design by our growing in-house engineering department. We are rarely involved with new ground up design and stay focused on the existing buildings market. We have performed seis-mic retrofit designs for several large non-ductile concrete buildings, in addition to a wide variety of other structures in accor-dance with recent California ordinances. We have recently added senior staff to ac-commodate our growing practice.

EBJ: We assume seismic risk analysis is regional. What about climate resilience? Is it comparable or a different animal?

Partner: Seismic risk analysis corre-lates to the level of geographic risk, which is delineated by seismic hazard zones, an area with a particular level of hazard due to earthquakes. Typically, a high seismic hazard zone is near a seismic region where there are more earthquakes, such as the San Andreas fault in California, and a lower seismic hazard zone is farther away from a seismic zone, such as the Midwest. In higher risk regions, there is a growing trend towards mandating retrofits for cer-tain seismically risky building types. For engineering and commercial real estate considerations, the best tool to evaluate regional risk is called Peak Ground Ac-celeration (PGA), equal to the maximum ground shaking intensity during an earth-quake at a given location – in other words, how hard does the earth shake at a given point? Seismic hazard maps are used in CRE to determine the appropriate earth-

EBJ: Congratulations on continuing to expand your business and its rapidly growing practices. Tell us about the growth of Partner’s seismic risk analysis practice. Are these generally third-party assessments of existing structures, and are insurance companies involved? Are you also finding growth for seismic analysis due to other forms of market demand?

Partner: The CRE or commercial real estate community and local municipalities are becoming more educated about seismic risk and accordingly have adopted various policies and mandates to both manage CRE seismic risk and improve the safety of the nation’s building stock.

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quake loading for buildings in each zone. These considerations are integrated into several due diligence reporting require-ments, for example Fannie Mae’s Property Needs Assessment requirements.

Climate resilience is not a consideration for these evaluations, but seismic resilience is.

Another driver of seismic risk evalua-tions are safety performance requirements for government agencies and buildings that house government employees. For ex-ample, the University of California system, the State of California, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the United States General Services Admin-istration all enforce stringent seismic re-quirements for leased or owned buildings.

EBJ: You mention recently being the first to perform a seismic evaluation using the transaction rating system de-veloped by the U.S. Resiliency Council. Is the USRC devoted to seismic risk and resilience or does it have a broader mandate? Is it driven by insurance and property owners and the commercial real estate industry that is your core market area?

Partner: One of the fundamental chal-lenges of providing our clients uniform seismic risk assessments that conform to an industry standard is that the current process of evaluating risk is nebulous – you can technically arrive at a variety of answers based on methodology. The aim of the USRC is a standardized resilience ratings system for buildings (not unlike LEED certification) that provides a simple star rating for considerations such as dam-age, safety, and recovery time. Their broad-er long-term aim is for the transaction rating to act as an eventual third-party cer-tification process for PMLs. If you produce a PML report that follows good practices and is peer reviewable and reproduceable, the USRC will provide a secondary rating endorsement.

Two client groups that would find this valuable are CRE developers or owners with concentrated asset risk (for example, a small portfolio in a high-risk area) and those investing in expensive assets and ei-

ther need to rely on net operating income or ROI when they sell them back on the market. It makes sense for these stakehold-ers to evaluate assets under these newer methods and standards because they pro-vide a better picture of seismic risk. Par-ties driven by seismic resilience – building owners with a long-term ownership vision, for example, and “early adopters” may also benefit from the USRC ratings.

EBJ: Tell us how Partner originally got into the renewable energy business. And how doee RE as a rapidly growing service category tie into to your core practices in the commercial real estate market.

Partner: The company has provided core services to clients in the renewable en-ergy and energy efficiency markets since its inception. Today, Partner’s dedicated team of industry veterans provides clients with expanded, specialized expertise needed to develop renewables projects while seam-lessly integrating our core offerings. 

What has recently changed the market is a rapid growth in the implementation of renewable energy technology (particu-larly solar), buoyed largely by federal tax incentives, as well as public and private sector mandates. Over 40 states now have either enforceable renewable energy port-folio standards or goals requiring utility companies to get a certain percentage of electricity generation from renewable en-ergy. Large Corporations like Google and Apple are also requiring it for themselves and their vendors. Consequently, we’ve seen a rising number of lenders, developers and investors going into that space. Today solar modules are much less expensive and better understood by the industry, making project implement easier than ever before. Taken together, this has created a boom-ing market. Ten years ago, the solar market was heavily concentrated in New Jersey and California, but now there are more than 30 viable markets for solar and renew-ables across the United States, and in some surprising areas too. We’ve experienced a noticeable growth in demand for solar ser-vices in the Southeast Sun Belt – Louisiana, Alabama and Florida to name a few.

Integrating renewable energy expertise

alongside our core practices results in a single-source solution for clients enabling us to provide comprehensive project de-velopment services. Previously, some of our clients might have asked for environ-mental assessments or remediation services on a new development, but now we are continuing to serve them with additional services including site development, engi-neering, procurement, construction man-agement and commissioning. Our solar experts know where all the pieces fit in the life cycle of a solar project, real estate asset and related due diligence requirements, so instead of calling eight different firms for zoning, surveys, environmental consult-ing, land development, etc., we can do it all internally relieving the coordination burden from our clients.

EBJ: When it comes to solar energy, tax credits and other incentives might change, but we note programs like California requiring solar on certain developments. What drivers besides lowered costs will provide incentive for solar installations across the country in the coming decade, and how do those economic incentives and installations vary by residential, institutional, com-mercial, and industrial or government facilities?

Partner: The energy industry is in a state of enormous transition, the biggest chang-es and drivers of which will also include transportation and mobility. Batteries in vehicles will be integrated into the grid to provide resiliency and other grid services when they are not used for transportation.

Solar can help solve a lot of the chal-lenges we are facing-from sustainability, to energy independence to strengthening infrastructure and building resilience. Har-nessing artificial intelligence to increase the amount of intermittent renewable energy generation by controlling grid function and distribution will be a key driver in integrat-ing the energy sector with the “Internet of Things” technology. The cost of battery storage is rapidly decreasing at the same time as solar installations are rising.  This is vital as batteries are needed to keep the grid stable as we continue the transition to solar.

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Distributed generation, which includes localized microgrids, will play a role in en-ergy usage in the future as opposed to cen-tralized distribution alone. In a small town or remote region, for example, critical in-frastructure like a firehouse, a hospital and key institutional facilities could rely on distributed generation for resiliency. This will be equally important for those areas vulnerable to natural disasters or excessive grid outages. These systems will need a mix of generation to provide firm power while being sustainable.

Finally, utility-scale solar projects will be an important means to reach renewable goals – you can make a lot of headway with residential and commercial rooftops, but achieving scale and lower costs will neces-sitate integrating large-scale projects (such as solar farms) as well.

Different sector usage will depend upon mandates and other considerations. For example, Power Purchase Agreements, where a third-party handles installation and equipment and then sells electricity at a fixed rate (typically lower than local utili-ties) are an attractive option for both pub-lic and private sector customers. However, some private entities that can efficiently take advantage of tax incentives may get a better return on investment by buying the system themselves. Understanding these nuances to make an informed investment requires guidance from knowledgeable, experienced consultants who truly un-derstand renewable resources, the energy markets and the commercial real estate industry.

EN Rx USES VERTEBRAE TECHNOLOGY AS A BACKBONE OF ITS GROWTH IN COMPLEX SUBSURFACE REMEDIATION

EN Rx (Decatur, Texas) was founded in 2001 and offers innovative environmental remediation solutions. EN Rx is a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Company (SDVOC) with offices in Texas, Florida, Colorado and California. The flagship

product is the Vertebrae™ Nested, Segmented Horizontal Well System with several unique operational features. The nested, segmented feature offers great flexibility in assessment and treatment of sites and features the ability to overcome access issues. A major advantage of the Vertebrae System is that one horizontal well can be the equivalent of up to 11 vertical wells, depending on variable site conditions. EN Rx also has a support platform for Vertebrae called EN Rx SP™ for remotely operating and communications-ready injection device that can either assess the aquifer or inject reagents into it. Gross sales increased by 32.5% in 2019 from $2.71 million to $3.59 million. EN Rx sells to end users either directly but more commonly through engineering and consulting firms.

Erik R. Piatt is the Founder and CEO of EN Rx and also served as the Chief Technical Officer for the first 15 years. Under the direction of Mr. Piatt, EN Rx developed multiple products for the environmental industry. The current flagship product is the Vertebrae Segmented Horizontal Well Systems, capable of providing a unique approach to site assessment and remediation with multiple environmental management applications. In addition, Erik co-developed the EN Rx Support Package (SP) for site assessment and reagent injections. Mr. Piatt is a Service-Disabled Veteran having served in Desert Storm as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and has completed most of the requirements for a B.S. in Chemical Engineering.

Dr. Stephen Koenigsberg is the President of EN Rx and has over three decades of experi-ence in the environmental industry. Steve is recognized for the development and application of innovative remediation protocols, authoring or co-authoring over 175 technical articles, four books and four international patents. In 1994 he co-founded Regenesis as VP R&D before moving into senior consulting positions in 2006. Professional recognitions include a Lifetime Achievement Award from AEHS and a WSJ Technology Development Award. Dr. Koenigsberg, has been an Adjunct Professor for 32 years, including 15 at the California State University at Fullerton. He has a B.A. from CCNY and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Cornell University.

EN Rx, Inc. received EBJ’s Business Achievement Award, Gold, for Small Firms (see p. 4).

tems repeatably deliver consistent data. Consultants move cautiously because of the responsibility to spend their clients’ money wisely. We’re expecting compound-ing growth as Vertebrae becomes more ac-cepted over time.

Steve: Let me start by putting the process in historical perspective. There is nothing particularly new about horizon-tal directional drilling (HDD) and well installation per se, but the application to environmental assessment and remedia-tion is more current. Actually, the use of horizontal drains has been around for over 2,000 years with the earliest cases being in

EBJ: Congratulations on your business achievement award and the success of EN Rx. How challenging was it to get the remediation community to embrace an innovation like the Vertebrae Segmented Horizontal Well System? Or were customers and partners more receptive to the concept than expected?

Erik: A little of both. Our systems fill a glaring need in the environmental com-munity, so everyone embraces the Verte-brae concept. Implementation, however has been difficult for a number of reasons. The regulatory community is moving very deliberately to ensure the well sys-

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the Middle East and North Africa. Spe-cifically, HDD is a steerable and trench-less method initially used in the oil field, tunnel development, water supply and to install utilities. The advent of use in the oil field can be traced to the 1940s and for en-vironmental work to the 1980s.

The innovation brought forth by EN Rx with Vertebrae can be centered on the fact our well systems are nested and seg-mented which is a useful advance and has been accepted as such. The nested, seg-mented feature, whereby each well seg-ment is individually plumbed to the sur-face, offers great flexibility in assessment and treatment of sites. One of the most embraced features is the ability to over-come access issues, whether in the built en-vironment, both subsurface and overhead, or as a function of business criteria such as with secure locations or as a function of property encroachment. EN Rx can de-ploy its systems wherever an independent driller can create the proper borehole.

To be clear, we did build on a founda-tion of single-run well installations, but our evolved design has gained significant recognition for a very small company, as highlighted by our growth. Recently, we were co-recipients of an ESTCP grant to apply our systems to flux discharge metrics in concert with Arcadis and the G³⁶⁰ Insti-tute for Groundwater Research, among the most prestigious organizations of its type (https://g360group.org/). Frankly, as to our expectations, we knew we could grow as a function of creating market awareness as is true for almost anything. The qual-ity of our message, as facilitated by website redevelopment, our presence at various key conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed journals, has been at the core of a positive reception.

EBJ: Did the whole syndrome of fracking and horizontal drilling help familiarize your partners with the potential of your system?

Erik: Absolutely. People understand the Vertebrae concept intuitively because every-one is familiar with nested wells. Generally the same is true with Horizontal Direction-al Drilling (HDD) as it applies to drilling oil wells and installation of utilities.

Steve: The recent uptick in fracking technology, with emphasis on horizontal wells, has not really impacted our busi-ness. It does elevate awareness of horizon-tal drilling in the public in general, but we deal largely with engineering firms that are already knowledgeable. Also, fracking ap-plications are in another orbit. They work in miles instead of feet. They also drill down from the vertical and then go hori-zontal. We are by comparison very surfi-cial, so we just come in at an angle and evolve into a horizontal plane.

EBJ: You mention recently completed software that helps guide onsite deci-sion making. How significantly has onsite communication and monitoring technology come onto the scene at com-plicated remediation sites? What impact has it had on effective deployment of technology and cost control?

Steve: There are two parts to this ques-tion. First I will address the software mat-ter and then sensors:

Software: To clarify, what our software does is drive a certain design model. In es-sence, horizontal wells compete with verti-cal wells and one metric that is significant is what we have termed the “horizontal to vertical well ratio”. And it makes an eco-nomic assessment using Monte Carlo de-rived methodology. Here is an example.

This is a general case we prepared for our first publication. Since then we went deeper into the process and derived a mod-el to provide better input to clients. I offer this synopsis, if you will allow, from our website.

“The Horizontal to Vertical Ratio Model (H2VR) is an innovation designed to generate an economic comparison be-tween the installation of horizontal wells and an equivalent array of vertical wells. This is an economic comparison, but it is just one parameter, albeit the most im-portant one, in a series of decision making steps. Other variables outside the scope of the economics model are more qualitative matters such a) whether or not informa-tion as useful as examining the horizontal plane can be achieved and b) the standard issues revolving around access as in – can vertical wells even be installed.”

Dr. Richard Laton of our Scientific Ad-visory Board has contributed greatly to this project, as has Timothy Havranek of Op-tima Analytics, an independent consultant in Pittsburgh. In essence, the model delves into the specifics of making the economic comparison. The model will be ready to be used by EN Rx staff to run specific cases for our clients as a service and was functional in November 2019 while being demonstrated at industry events.

These are the steps the model follows:First it is important to define the cli-

ent’s preferences for the nature of the verti-cal well. A checklist will be provided and the definition established. Parameters such as well width, presence of pumps, length of the screened interval, and so forth, will be specified. Then a zip code based database will make cost estimates, and this will in-clude cost of drilling as well as the physical well costs.

Once the vertical well specs and costs are determined, inputs will be made with regard to a ratio of horizontal to vertical coverage using a series of equations de-rived by others and published in the peer reviewed literature. This, of course, will involve inputs on the site such as depth to groundwater, the treatment interval, trans-missivity and so forth. The output then is a ratio such as “One 100 foot section of horizontal well will replace 7.3 vertical wells,” a number that of course has to be rounded up or down.

The final step is the generation of a Monte Carlo cost distribution for horizon-tal installation versus the ratio to vertical wells as determined by the model. Ex-amples of the Monte Carlo analysis can be found in several places including the fol-lowing: Products/Vertebrae/Economics or under Publications/Comparative Econom-ics by Tim Havranak. A publication enti-tled Koenigsberg SS, Piatt ER, Robinson LI. New perspectives in the use of horizon-tal wells for assessment and remediation. Remediation. 2018;28:45–50.

https://doi.org/10.1002/rem.21575, is a full rendition of the process and is also under Publications.

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Sensors: We are not deep into this in the classical sense, although personally (SK) I have significant experience in the field and we can discuss that some time. It is a huge subject, so maybe down the road we can develop that. At present we have our sight set on two applications with off- the-shelf technology. The need that frames this overture is that tank farms are notorious for leakage. This affects the storage of brine from fracking and the petroleum products themselves. In essence a segmented system is unique in that the well segments can be placed under individual tanks and pick up leaks. The sensor part of this is not exotic, which for us is a good thing. If it a brine leak there are simple conductivity sensors that can be deployed in our wells. If it is petroleum, there are sensors for that too, but even easier is to use fiber optic tem-perature sensors. When petroleum leaks it supports microbes and you can pick up an elevated temperature signal.

EBJ: Your solar powered support plat-form also sounds intriguing. What did we learn from the history of sustainable remediation, or green remediation, and has that changed standard operating procedure for longer-term site manage-ment or even quick-fix projects?

Erik: I jokingly say that the “sustain-able” and “green” movements help the technology because of the buzz words, but we developed it because we’re lazy! The truth is, at some point in every injection the formation fills up and simply will not take any more. In a tight formation, the Support Platform (SP) implements the designed injection without that concern because it works on 24/7 to implement the plan regardless of how long it takes. In a more permeable formation, SP still imple-ments the plan at roughly half the speed but at a significantly lower overall cost.

Steve: On the solar power aspect it is a minor issue. For us it is a simple “battery”. That said, we do have something to say about sustainable remediation. In essence, since we are able to do a surgical assess-ment and treatment of a site, we save cli-ents on labor, equipment and chemical use which is a hallmark if reduced footprint calculations in this space.

EBJ: Does the Vertebrae system have a particular benefit for emerging con-taminants or perhaps for PFAS or poly fluoroalkyl substances?

Steve: I am an advocate for PFAS sci-ence, technology and policy dialog more in a public service mode. EN Rx does not consult in this area, although I have accu-mulated and do send curious people like you at EBJ and others who would like it my curated collection of “best of class” pa-pers and slide decks to be helpful. The only way we touch this market is in the fact we can offer a certified PFAS-Free well system. That doesn’t take much except I went to the best lab and set up an agreement. We will ship our systems after proper samples pass muster. To my knowledge we are the only people doing this so far, and that in-cludes purveyors of regular vertical well components.

Of course emerging contaminants is a bigger subject than PFAS. We tend to forget about 1,4-D and some other more minor ECs. As opposed to PFAS, in-situ treatment can make sense with the oth-ers and, to that end, it is back to the basic stuff. On something like 1,4-D we can as-sess and treat with appropriate biological and chemical agents like with anything else.

EBJ: We like the vertebrae branding. Do you remember the 'lasagna' technol-ogy. Any other anecdotes of notable remediation technology branding?

Steve: We remember the ‘lasagna’ tech-nology of course, but it brings up a thought as a sidebar. Our industry is a good 50 years old, give or take. I can start the clock with the first bioremediation project in 1972 in Ambler, PA on a petroleum spill. Anyhow, point is that it would be interesting to do a feature on “Where are They Now.” Which technologies survived and why. It would distill a lot of lessons learned.

Erik named Vertebrae and that was great branding. It reflects the fact that we put our systems “up the spine of the plume”. Also the articulated features of a segmented well system gives it flexibility as does our spine given the individual verte-brae. I have since coined the rubric HRCD as referenced in this sound bite from our slide presentation as follows “High Reso-lution Site Characterization (HRSC) pro-duces vertical profiles with varying degrees of “granularity.” Vertebrae Well Systems add a dimension to the process. With hori-zontal assessment we are able, in essence, to create the field of what we are calling or High Resolution Contaminant Distribu-tion (HRCD).

EBJ Surveys: Soil Remediation Methods 1900-2020

Source: 1991-2019 EBJ Remediation Markets Surveys. Respondents were asked to estimate the percentage of their active projects using the listed soil treatment methods. © 2020 EBI Inc. All Rights Reserved.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018

Excavate/Dispose Off-Site Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE)

Cap & Containment Solidification/StabilizationBioremediation

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TRIHYDRO’S LEAKTRACKER PRO TARGETS FUGITIVE EMISSIONS FROM AGING INFRASTRUCTURE

Trihydro Corporation is an engineering and environmental consulting firm based in Laramie, Wyoming with nearly 500 employees in 20 offices and staff resources throughout the United States. Service categories provided by Trihydro include: air

quality and process management, infrastructure engineering and surveying, environmental compliance and remediation, information technology, and water/wastewater consulting. Answering EBJ’s questions are Jack Bedessem and Chad Flynn.

Jack Bedessem is President and CEO of Trihydro Corporation and a Senior Engineer with over 35 years of experience in the engineering and environmental industry. Jack joined Trihydro in 1988, 31 years ago, as employee No. 12. He served in a variety of roles including project engineer, project manager, Chairman of the Board, Vice President of Engineering, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, leading up to his appointment as President/CEO in 2004. Jack remains an active civil/environmental engineer and program director, with par-ticular emphasis on project/portfolio strategy, business ethics, and workplace safety.

Chad Flynn, GISP, is a Lead IT Project Manager for Trihydro’s Technology Services and Solutions (TSS) Business Unit. He has nearly 15 years in developing, testing, and deploying software solutions aimed at streamlining environmental data collection, management, and reporting. Chad started his career with Trihydro in 2010 as a GIS Analyst. In addition to modeling, cartographic design and data management responsibilities, Chad interfaced with Trihydro’s internal software development team to collaborate on custom GIS solutions. He also assisted in the development of mobile GIS applications to support field teams with data collection, navigation, and inspection requirements. As Trihydro’s Software Product Management Team Leader, Chad works with Trihydro’s team of database specialists, application developers, and GIS specialists in planning and growing Trihydro’s custom suite of IT solutions.

Trihydro received EBJ Business Achievement Awards for Mid-Size Firms: Silver (page 3) and for Information Technology (page 6).

EBJ: Trihydro is using LeakTracker Pro for an oil and gas project to manage data for a fugitive emissions reduction program. What other uses does it have?

Trihydro: Our philosophy is that technology applications must provide a beneficial and betterment solution to a specific business challenge or situation. LeakTracker Pro was built and is main-tained specifically to manage fugitive emis-sions data and programs. Trihydro has developed other software tools to address other programs, such as the Refinery Sector Rule – Benzene at the Fenceline (Fenceline ProTM), Method 21 LDAR Programs Cali-bration Reports (Calibration KeeperTM), and a generalized field data collection and reporting program (FieldVisionTM). Addi-

tionally, Trihydro built, utilizes, and offers a proprietary project information manage-ment application (Project DirectTM) with multi-site data analysis and management features.

EBJ: How does LeakTracker Pro compare to other technologies on the market?

Trihydro: Because LeakTracker Pro is specifically developed to address fugitive emissions, it has built-in federal and state regulatory timelines with the ability to cus-tomize repair and re-monitor timeframes for voluntary programs. Another differen-tiator is the ability to perform emissions calculations for greenhouse gases (GHG) or voluntary reporting. With its Applica-tion Programming Interface (API), Leak-Tracker Pro can share data with other maintenance tracking software such as Maximo or SAP.

EBJ: Aging infrastructure is a huge challenge. What benefits could this type of software have for the environmental industry in the context of infrastructure work?

Trihydro: LeakTracker Pro can capture and quantify emissions data from thou-sands of surveys and hundreds of thou-sands of components. Collecting and ef-fectively using big data is one way facility owners and managers can have a meaning-ful impact on the asset management needs that come with aging infrastructure. With information captured by LeakTracker Pro, owners and managers can track how fre-quently certain component types leak and require repair. Using this type of software, customers have the potential to see which components fail most often. Additionally, they can forecast which facilities may see leaks in the coming months and years.

EBJ: What other impacts could this type of technology have in the environ-mental industry?

Trihydro: In the short-term, LeakTrack-er Pro can help companies collect data more efficiently. It can also help reduce fugitive emissions because it drastically re-duces the lag time between data collection and when maintenance teams are alerted. Long-term, this technology can be paired

EBJ: How does Trihydro’s LeakTracker Pro™ work?

Trihydro: LeakTracker Pro is a cloud-based software solution that uses a mobile app for field data collection and a website for analysis, scheduling, and reporting. Field and maintenance personnel are able to use the app on phone or tablet devices, online or offline, in order to input data at remote locations. They can then upload the data to the secure website on a WiFi or cel-lular data connection. The website analyzes the data and provides workflow functions based on regulatory or business parameters. The technology is proprietary software de-veloped by Trihydro’s technical team.

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with remote sensing equipment, which can reduce reliance on human fieldwork. This will create a safer work environment be-cause workers will no longer have to travel to remote, potentially dangerous locations. It will also enable companies to immedi-ately know when fugitive emissions hap-pen, rather than waiting for a technician to visit the site. This expedited notification timeframe will reduce fugitive emissions dramatically as repairs can occur sooner.

EBJ: Trihydro performs work related to microplastics, an emerging con-taminant of concern. How is the United States dealing with microplastics? Can you talk to us about regulations on a national and regional scale?

Trihydro: Overall, there are still rela-tively few regulations in the U.S. that specifically address microplastics. The main microplastics rule in effect, the 2015 Microbead-Free Waters Act, targets mi-crobeads in health and beauty products, whose regulation typically falls under the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The microbeads amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohib-its the manufacturing and distribution of rinse-off cosmetics containing plastic microbeads, such as cosmetics and tooth-paste. At the state level, California signed two 2018 bills related to microplastics: SB 1422 requiring annual water testing and public disclosure of the amount of plastics found in drinking water, and SB 1263 establishing a strategy for learning more about microplastic risks in marine environments and developing solutions. Furthermore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Office of Wa-ter has recognized the potential of plastic trash to become micronized through phys-ical, chemical, and biological degradation and has established the Trash-Free Waters program, which houses several initiatives, control practices, and regulatory tools that could help the microplastics problem.

We are continuing to track and monitor this emerging issue in terms of regulatory considerations, potential affects to human and environmental health, and mitigation control measures.

EBJ: Doubling business from $20 mil-lion to $40 million over five years is a pretty significant step. Has company culture changed now Rincon is bigger?

JD: Managing rapid growth in a pro-fessional services industry is always chal-lenging. Our biggest challenges have come from scaling up internal infrastructure and systems to ensure our formula for suc-cess remains intact. Keeping client and employee focused during these changes requires discipline and investment to en-sure we maintain and enhance our values and achieve our professional and financial goals. Employment and client experiences remain the firm’s highest priorities. Our financial performance has followed these key efforts.

EBJ: Being in California certainly has its benefits given the multitude of mar-ket drivers environmental consultants are exposed to. What programs, market drivers or funding mechanisms have driven growth over the last five years?

JD: As you note, there are many driv-ers of the California market. One of the primary drivers has been response to legislation related to managing climate change. Development of requirements for industry and government to track carbon emissions and reductions along with emer-gency response and resiliency planning have loomed large in the industry. Other important drivers have been land devel-opment stimulated by transition to more sustainable land use including but not lim-ited to enhanced transportation system ef-ficiencies (transit investments, high speed rail, etc.), renewable energy development, economic revitalization surrounding tran-sit-oriented investments, and affordable housing production priorities. Lastly, large investments in expanding and improving the resiliency around aging infrastructure continues to be an important part of sus-taining California’s world class economy. Bond measures, tax incentives, and legisla-tion related to gasoline taxes and carbon emission reductions have been key funding sources driving these opportunities.

RINCON CONSULTANTS MAINTAINS FORMULA FOR SUCCESS WHILE DOUBLING IN SIZE

Rincon Consultants, Inc. is a California based, full service environmental consulting firm focused on providing excellent client-focused solutions to environmental and regulatory compliance programs since 1994. Over that 25-year span, the firm

has grown to about $40 million in gross revenues, employing about 250 professionals. Early in our firm’s development we committed to providing a “best places to work” style professional platform designed to align our team’s aptitudes and interests to the diverse opportunities available in the evolving environmental consulting marketplace. Much of our rapid growth has occurred in the past seven years after embarking on an internal ownership transition program that allowed us to unleash leadership talent from within the firm. Rincon maintains a healthy mix of public and private sector clients that has varied from year to year but remains at roughly 60% public and 40% private. We participate broadly in most of the major market sectors including: Transportation, Water, Utilities, Energy, Land Development, Government Services, and Education.

John Dreher, Jr., is the current President and CEO of the firm. Prior to assuming this role in 2019, John served as Senior Vice President and COO for the past seven years and was a member of the Advisory Board for seven years prior to being appointed Officer and Director of the firm. John holds degrees in Environmental Studies and Biology from the University of California, Santa Barbara and has managed many large-scale environmental permitting and compliance programs throughout his 20-year career. He is active in many professional organizations and is highly engaged in Rincon’s client management and professional development programs.

Rincon Consultants, Inc. received EBJ’s Business Achievement Award, Silver, for Mid-Size Firms (see page 4).

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Rincon has incrementally invested in many of its technical service areas in re-sponse to the above market drivers. We have implemented both internal and exter-nal training programs focused on excellent professional practice and exceptional client service. Working closely with our clients, we push ourselves to identify new ways to add value in providing our core services.

Our expansion has largely been geo-graphic in nature and focused on pro-viding expanded programmatic services to our existing client base. We have aug-mented our core services with expanded technical expertise and client management capacity. Our provision of new services has been somewhat limited, but we have ex-panded into marine sciences and bolstered our climate science capabilities. Where new certifications are offered such as those for greenhouse gas emissions inventorying and assessment, we encourage qualified staff to pursue such opportunities.

EBJ: How seriously have you consid-ered acquiring other firms smaller than yours or merging with peer firms?

JD: Rincon has evaluated several small-er peer acquisitions and remains open to pursuing such in the future. To date, we have not initiated any of these acquisitions but instead have focused on fortifying our internal systems and infrastructure.

EBJ: I assume you have had offers to consider selling the firm?

JD: We are grateful for the very high level of interest that our colleague and competitor firms have shown in acquir-ing Rincon. Thus far, we believe that we have unfinished business in building and governing the firm and that our current format provides an optimal format to meet industry challenges, solve clients’ prob-lems, provide excellent client service, and provide a strong professional platform for all of our employees to successfully achieve their career goals.

EBJ: How do you engage the new generation of staff and management, and how to you sustain your status as one of the more desirable places to work?

JD: It is our fundamental belief that all generations of staff connect on key core

desires such as achieving at a high level, collaborating with respected colleagues to solve difficult problems, playing on a win-ning team, and being part of an ethical, inclusive, and caring community. Sustain-ing a healthy workplace is a job never quite complete. It takes constant commitment and engagement at all levels to understand the employment experience of the various generational components of the team.

Our biggest challenges have come from scaling up internal infrastructure and systems to

ensure our formula for success remains intact.

Some of our key tools to accomplish this include: establishment of internal commit-tees and initiatives to manage functional elements of the firm and to drive change; development and management of profes-sional development plans for each employ-ee; execution of both internal and external training programs including conducting an all hands on Annual Meeting designed to celebrate success, align, and learn from each other.

EBJ: What spread of jurisdictions are on board or using CAPDash?

JD: We currently have several jurisdic-tions signed up to use CAPDash and are in the final stages of finishing those projects. Most of our initial or current clients are cities and they vary greatly in size. They are distributed statewide in urban, subur-ban and agricultural regions. While this tool was originally developed for cities, it is fully customizable for other jurisdictions and even businesses that want to track and communicate GHG emissions reduction work.

EBJ: Did the platform evolve out of a singular project or was it a company initiative based on a compilation of experience?

JD: It really was a combination of the two. After the first round of climate action planning in the early 2000s, we saw a lot of

cities struggling to keep track of hundreds of measures and actions that were adopted. We also started working on CAP updates and progress reports and realized that the methods outlined within the original work created an inherent lack of transparency. It just was unclear what emission factors, methodologies, and activity data were used. Our original concept came while working on specific project for a city in the greater Los Angeles region. We originally developed a tool like our current CAP-Dash but in a spreadsheet/database for-mat. It was well received by the City and afterwards we knew a more refined version of the tool could be a major help to our clients statewide. Internally at Rincon, we have an Ideas and Innovation Team and the idea was pitched and approved to se-cure the time and money to invest in fur-ther research and development of the tool.

EBJ: How did you debate the open source, shareware, shrinkwrap software, or SaaS approaches to the asset or are there other options for the company, the industry, your client base and the community to benefit?

JD: This project was a big investment for us and a bit of a risk as it was our first foray into the software world. Therefore, the shareware and open source models were not part of our discussion, and sim-ple solutions were sought to ensure that we could deliver on the concept. We did review an SaaS model and after conduct-ing client research and extensive discussion with our developer team, Waterbear Labs, we concluded that a reoccurring cost could be a big deterrent for many municipalities. A onetime cost is just much easier for them to budget and plan for. Our goal is to pro-vide the tools, data, and training required to allow clients to conduct more frequent inventories and be more active in moni-toring and reducing GHG emissions and therefore reduce the need for ongoing ser-vice. We will be available to provide tech-nical support for the tool or CAP imple-mentation on a contract basis as with our other services if the need arises.

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PENN E&R’s FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF RESPONSIVENESS AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS STAND IT IN GOOD STEADPenn invests in staying educated ahead of changes in markets, regs, and technology.

Penn Environmental & Remediation, Inc. (Penn E&R) is a full-service engineering, environmental and construction consulting firm. For more than 24 years, the company has provided expert consultation and responsive, turnkey service to deliver

reliable, cost-effective solutions to industries, markets and private clients. Penn E&R operates out of six regional offices across Pennsylvania and New Jersey to service the entire mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Penn E&R provides a wide array of services including civil and environmental engineering design and permitting, environmental assessment, remediation and compliance, and construction and contracting. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, regional electric utilities, oil and gas companies, manufacturers, developers, law firms, private businesses and individuals.

Damon T. Kline, PE, PMP, is Assistant Vice President of Penn E&R. Mr. Kline has more than 13 years of experience serving the engineering and environmental consulting industry. He has been with Penn E&R for six years and serves as Assistant Vice President and manager of the Engineering Department. Mr. Kline’s primary areas of expertise include civil and environmental engineering design and permitting, including stormwater management and erosion and sediment control, for the electric utility and land development markets.

Ashley A. Csaszar, Marketing Coordinator. Ms. Csaszar joined the Penn E&R team in 2018 and is responsible for executing all communications supporting marketing strategy, campaigns and brand awareness.

Penn Environmental & Remediation Inc. received EBJ’s Project Merit Award for Stormwater Management (see page 10).

est Erosion and Sediment Control General Permit, referred to as the ESCGP-3, for oil and gas exploration and production opera-tions. Just as well, our remediation engi-neers and geologists have been working ex-ceptionally hard to stay on top of new and developing services and technologies in the environmental assessment and reme-diation sector, particularly in-situ injection and bioaugmentation services. We are also educating ourselves on the quickly evolv-ing developments associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and how they will soon affect assessment and remediation regulations.

EBJ: Penn E&R has offices in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. What environmental industry trends have you encountered recently in those areas?

DK: Penn E&R was founded in 1996, immediately following the establishment of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program

(Voluntary Cleanup Program), commonly referred to as Act 2, which encourages the voluntary cleanup and reuse of con-taminated commercial and industrial sites across the state. At that time, Penn E&R’s primary goal was to provide environmen-tal assessment and remediation solutions in a more responsive and cost-effective way than others in the industry. Penn E&R has since grown and transformed to offer many more services outside of envi-ronmental assessment and remediation and beyond the bounds of Pennsylvania; however, we still stay true to our founding principles of unmatched responsiveness and cost-efficiency.

More than a decade after the enactment of Act 2 legislation in Pennsylvania, New Jersey adopted its Site Remediation Re-form Act (SRRA) which set forth sweep-ing changes to the way the state’s contami-nated sites are remediated. This program, which provides the same encouragement as Pennsylvania’s Act 2 but requires dras-tically different attainment standards, opened a whole new marketplace for Penn E&R. Since the enactment of SRRA, we have kept multiple Licensed Site Reme-diation Professionals, certified stewards for the SRRA program, on staff at all times.

In addition to their contrasting vol-untary cleanup programs, Penn E&R has seen both states take drastically different approaches to the currently most talked-about emerging contaminants, PFAS. New Jersey has established very conserva-tive Maximum Contaminant Levels for PFAS, while Pennsylvania has completed sampling but shied away from setting its own levels, instead referring to the Envi-ronmental Protection Agency’s Health Advisory Level. Penn E&R clients located in New Jersey have been generally more interested than those in Pennsylvania in learning about PFAS and how regulations will affect their projects and properties. We attribute this greater interest in New Jersey to the state government’s greater push to-ward awareness.

Meanwhile, a similar trend in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania is the consistently high pace of land development. New land development in these states yields demand for our civil and environmental engineer-

EBJ: How has business been for Penn E&R over the past couple of years?

DK: Penn E&R has grown revenue at varying rates over the past several years. We have added two regional offices in as many years to better serve the Greater Philadel-phia Region and New Jersey. Our main clients span electric utilities, environmen-tal assessment and remediation, industrial and manufacturing, land development and oil and gas market sectors.

Penn E&R has been working to stay abreast of changes affecting several of our primary markets. Our civil and en-vironmental engineers consistently keep themselves notified of changes to the engi-neering design and permitting services we provide, such as stormwater best manage-ment practices (BMPs) for electric utilities and land development. Our oil and gas engineers have become experts on the lat-

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36 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

ing services and ancillary electric utilities and oil and gas development services.

EBJ: How much work does Penn do in relation to stormwater management?

DK: Stormwater management design, installation, inspection and compliance makes up a fair amount of Penn E&R’s en-gineering work across several of our main market sectors including electric utilities, oil and gas, land development, industrial and manufacturing, and construction. When stormwater infiltrates the soil, it is filtered before it replenishes the aquifer or flows into nearby waterways; however, when there is heavy rain or lack of proper infiltration, excess water runs into storm sewers and ditches carrying debris, chemi-cals and bacteria. These pollutants are then carried into local waterways. Penn E&R engineers design stormwater BMPs to fil-ter out pollutants by controlling them at source and curtail stormwater from flood-ing project sites and finished developments. In addition to design services, we also in-stall and repair stormwater management controls and complete routine inspections to guarantee our controls are working as designed and clients remain in compliance with regulatory requirements. Our clients include electric utility companies, oil and gas companies, developers, manufacturers and construction companies.

One particular permit with which we assist our clients is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, bet-ter known as NPDES. The Clean Water Act requires entities that discharge into major waterways and their tributaries to monitor and report the water they discharge and that runs across their site. Penn E&R works with clients whose operations require NPDES permit samples, usually on a quarterly ba-sis, to monitor and report water discharges once a year so they remain compliant with NPDES program regulations.

EBJ: How have stormwater management regulations changed in your region?

DK: Local, county and state regulations regarding stormwater management have appeared to focus more on water quality than ever before. The final 2019 NPDES General Permit for Discharges of Storm-water Associated with Construction Ac-tivities (PAG-02) was issued in December

2019. In the past, non-discharge alterna-tives or the Antidegradation Best Available Combination of Technologies (ABACT) BMPs were typically only required for wa-ters classified as high quality or exceptional value. However, the 2019 PAG-02 in-creased treatment of stormwater discharges to impaired waters (i.e., siltation, suspended solids, turbidity, etc.), in addition to high quality and exceptional value waters.

EBJ: How do you ensure innovative solutions are used consistently throughout the company?

DK: Penn E&R works to stay educated of emerging markets, technologies and regulatory action in our industry so that we are always providing the most cutting-edge solutions for our clients. Penn E&R remediation engineers have been working to increase their knowledge and use of in-situ injection capabilities, a much more strategic, efficient and oftentimes cost-ef-fective remedial method over conventional ex-situ options. In addition to utilizing this technology and providing it as an option for our customers, Penn E&R has even been working with a renowned university to de-velop a new strain of bacteria in its research lab proven to more quickly and precisely target a specific contaminant at our client’s site. A second instance of our dedication to innovative solutions involves the ESCGP-3 permit for oil and gas exploration and pro-

duction. Early in 2019, our oil and gas en-gineers educated themselves on the require-ments of this new permit set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmen-tal Protection and succeeded in being the first environmental consultant across the state to submit the new permit successfully.

EBJ: What does Penn E&R take the most pride in?

DK: Penn E&R was founded on two main principles: responsiveness and cost-effectiveness. While Penn E&R strives to provide clients with the most cost-effective solutions, sometimes we are at the mercy of subcontractors’ pricing and market mark-ups. However, the principle that always remains within our absolute control is re-sponsiveness, and this is where we always deliver. Responsiveness is essential in our industry and in the nature of our work.

We listen closely to our clients, and they trust us to devise the best solutions for their projects, whether that’s helping to clean up a brownfield site for redevel-opment, procuring a vital permit or rep-resenting their best interests in front of a zoning board. At every step of the way we help ensure projects stay on schedule and on budget, providing regular progress updates so clients are aware of all devel-opments, expected and unexpected, and there are no surprises-just progress.

U.S. Environmental Industry by Decade 1970-2020 (Revenue $Bil)

ENVIRONMENTAL 70-80 80-90 90-00 00-10 10-20INDUSTRY SEGMENT Growth Growth Growth Growth Growth Analytical Services 300% 523% -14% 7% 14% Wastewater Treatment Works 78% 78% 56% 58% 49% Solid Waste Management 76% 79% 51% 35% 28% Hazardous Waste Management 339% 1082% 23% 14% 11% Remediation/Industrial Services 401% 534% 1% 25% 17% Consulting & Engineering 1492% 856% 39% 54% 30% Water Equipment and Chemicals 306% 93% 48% 36% 29% Instruments & Information Sys 265% 404% 88% 44% 62% Air Pollution Control Equipment 1122% 144% 72% -22% 15% Waste Management Equipment 134% 95% 22% 14% 29% Water Utilities 61% 66% 51% 45% 54% Resource Recovery 161% 114% 22% 79% -23% Clean Energy Systems & Power 467% -28% 49% 381% 179%Total 129% 119% 42% 44% 40%

Source: Environmental Business International, Inc., San Diego, CA, units in $bil. © 2020 EBI Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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EBJ: ICF recently formed a new data analytics and technology practice. We’d like to learn more about it.

Choate: More and more, our environ-mental and planning clients are looking beyond static reports, maps, and charts and want easily accessible and dynamic web-based tools that help them priori-tize decision-making. In fact, since the first quarter of 2019, we have seen huge demand for new technology tools that support biological modeling, energy infra-structure planning and modeling, disaster recovery, cultural resources, species habitat modeling, and transportation planning. We expect this growth trend to continue.

Given these trends, we are continually looking for ways to utilize technology that

helps us do our work faster and in tighter connection with partners and stakeholders. While ICF has always had a robust data analytics and technology practice that ser-vices our global client base, we expanded some of our tools last year to advance our solutions and bring additional value to our environmental and planning clients, spe-cifically. This includes the ongoing devel-opment of ICF WayPoint®, our technology platform that brings together robust data analytics, visualization, and reporting tools in a web-based interactive environment.

EBJ: Which tools have emerged from this practice, and what is the plan for the future?

Choate: Initially, our data analytics and technology tools for environmental and

planning clients were primarily web maps and dashboards designed to share informa-tion broadly with project partners without requiring them to have licenses to particu-lar off-the-shelf products. We quickly built on this framework and started adding val-ue through participatory comment tools, connecting with outside APIs (like Google Street View) and incorporating photos and drone imagery. Utilizing ICF WayPoint infrastructure, we developed new tools for the “real time” review and reporting of field data and compliance tracking soft-ware. This has been successfully utilized on solar development projects to track the sta-tus, timing, and requirements associated with mitigation measures, permits, plans, and construction schedules.

User-friendly web trackers also include intuitive tools for text search; querying for resource-specific measures, status or responsible parties; linkages to mitigation measure descriptions and completed plans; and the ability to download data. User permissions are controlled for appropriate access, read and write capabilities. Com-pliance tracking software has replaced the need to pass large documents and spread-sheets between agencies over email and ensures version control by having the lat-est information managed in the cloud and available to all project partners.

Our technology tools will continue to evolve in 2020 to accommodate clients’ expanding needs and new challenges. This will include more robust automated re-porting and developing tools that are not dependent on a strong web connection to better support dynamic field applications in remote environments and clients who have cloud hosting restrictions.

EBJ: Can you tell us about Comment-Works and DisasTRAX?

Choate: CommentWorks® is our web-based software solution that helps clients analyze, sort, track, summarize and re-spond to public comments. It streamlines the labor-intensive process of accepting and resolving public feedback and inte-grates these comments into projects and programs.

DisasTRAX® is our project manage-ment software solution that supports cli-

ICF EXPANDS INNOVATIVE DATA AND ANALYTICS PRACTICE FOR A NEW DECADEICF celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019 with dynamic new web-based tools to help work faster and in tighter connection with partners and stakeholders. Environmental applications include wildlife connectivity, environmental and historic preservation reviews for disaster recovery, and solar development.

Fifty years strong, ICF is a $1.5 billion publicly traded global consulting and digital services provider. ICF has 7,000-plus employees in 70 offices worldwide. ICF combines traditional consulting expertise with cutting-edge digital agency services

to support clients in a highly interdisciplinary way. ICF draws distinctive value from a full scale of advisory, program management, analytics and engagement services. ICF’s client list is as diverse as its skill set, stretching from federal agencies and state, local and international governments to some of the world’s leading consumer brands.

Anne Choate is a senior vice president who leads ICF’s Energy, Environment and Infrastructure group. Her team advises federal, state, local, and commercial clients on environmental planning and science, energy efficiency, energy markets, surface transportation, and climate-related changes. Her team actively advises utilities, cities, and federal agencies on resilience and decarbonization strategies. Anne brings 25 years of experience and expertise working at the intersection of clean energy, climate, energy and transportation. She has built and utilized state-of-the-art models to track life-cycle emissions, model carbon in soils, and conduct indicator-based risk assessments. She has supported climate and clean energy activities at the federal level and in nearly all 50 states; led resiliency efforts for multiple cities and investor-owned utilities; and advised dozens of national parks, national estuary programs, and state Departments of Transportation. Prior to joining ICF in 1995, Anne worked in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. Anne holds an MSc in Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in Environmental Science and Policy from Duke University.

ICF won EBJ Business Achievement Awards for Information Technology (see page 5) and New Practice (see page 7).

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ents preparing for or impacted by natural disasters. Used before, during, and after an event, DisasTRAX creates a centralized portal that provides real-time visibility, transparency and organization of all docu-mentation and financial data across the full disaster management lifecycle. Currently being used in Puerto Rico, Florida, Texas and Louisiana, key features include:

• Capturing data from multiple sources to maximize recovery funding and or-ganize projects efficiently;

• Offering controlled access through multiple permission security levels;

• Simple integration into accounting sys-tems;

• Customized, real-time dashboards and reports; and

• Cloud-based storage that allows users to document, track, and respond to field activity as it occurs.

EBJ: Tell us more about the ICF Way-Point technology platform.

Choate: ICF WayPoint meets multiple client needs including streamlining the review of field operations, automated re-porting, compliance tracking, stakeholder engagement, and the delivery of multi-scenario and temporal analytic results through customized web maps and dash-boards. We’ve developed a toolkit with broad applicability across disciplines that is quick to stand up and agile enough to evolve as project needs shift. Because the toolkit is completely customizable, clients are less constrained by the limitations of off-the-shelf software. For example, there is often a need to combine multiple fea-tures and functionality into a single tool, and typically there might be four separate software platforms needed to achieve this result. Through ICF WayPoint, these ele-ments come together into a single project resource that can be designed to have the look and feel of our clients’ brands.

And because the tools are web-based, they can be incorporated into existing public or secure online environments. Cli-ents’ technology infrastructure and inter-nal resources vary wildly, so ICF WayPoint provides both hosting and building flex-

ibility that can be incorporated into exist-ing infrastructures.

When you combine ICF’s decades-long environmental expertise with award-win-ning solutions in data collection, analysis, and application development, our clients can easily track progress toward goals, pro-vide analytics-backed results to prioritize spending, and reduce field time and costs.

EBJ: How are you using ICF WayPoint to support environmental projects?

Choate: A few of the latest applications of ICF WayPoint include projects around wildlife connectivity planning and stream-lining environmental and cultural reviews for disaster recovery.

The connectivity planning tool can be used to help agencies identify where fish and wildlife movement is impeded and wildlife-vehicle collisions and public safety are a concern. Habitat connectivity is es-sential to maintaining and conserving fish and wildlife species populations and eco-logical processes, and for many species connectivity is obstructed and fragmented by infrastructure which can result in popu-lation declines. ICF WayPoint allows deep exploration and visualization of collision and connectivity data over time, including multi-scale hot spot and clustering analyt-ics. This allows users to find priority wild-life connectivity opportunities.

The streamlining tool for disaster re-covery compiles data from multiple agen-cies and automates the proximity analysis to sensitive resources. Current procedures for recovery efforts require analyzing and evaluating thousands of sites for possible impact on environmental and historic resources from a proposed or in-develop-ment scope of work. Using the new plat-form, users receive warnings after submit-ting a new site if there is a resource “hit,” and then have the option to download a report summarizing results. The tool will help complete evaluations on schedule with limited staffing resources and serve as a data repository and visual rhetoric for communicating with third parties.

Considering the breadth of our con-sulting services, we have also leveraged ICF WayPoint to bring additional value

beyond environmental projects. Examples include electric vehicle infrastructure plan-ning, natural gas markets scenario model-ling, and worldwide aviation cargo import and export analyses.

EBJ: ICF also conducts digital transfor-mation services, IT management and marketing and engagement technology. Why did the company decide to diver-sify in this way?

Choate: Industries all over the world are being disrupted by changes in policy, tech-nology and social behaviors. Organizations are facing intense pressure to rethink their technology and engagement approach to get closer to the people they serve. Based on this, we’ve made two big moves to bet-ter support our clients.

First, we’ve recently added a stronger technology offering to our portfolio that drives digital transformation through the adoption and integration of open source, low code platforms and next generation technologies. These cloud-based, agile environments help organizations get far-ther faster and give them the flexibility to experiment, pilot and adjust at scale and with less risk.

Second, we recently launched ICF Next, our global digital and engagement agency. From consumers to colleagues to citizens to entire communities, expecta-tions are evolving alongside digital innova-tion, creating demand for more personal-ization and control in how people engage with organizations and each other. ICF Next pairs our deep subject matter experts from the consulting side of the house with innovative digital and technology experts to drive transformative change for our clients.

EBJ: ICF’s largest clients are the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of State and the Department of Defense. What do you provide these clients?

Choate: For years, we have built strong federal services around strategy, research and technical assistance, data analytics, cyber, digital engagement and more. We offer a wide variety of these services to our largest federal agency clients.

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EBJ: ICF has been recognized as a “Fast Moving” brand by government deci-sionmakers. How have you achieved this?

Choate: For background, the Govern-ment Business Council, the research di-vision of Government Executive Media Group, deemed us a “Fast Moving” brand based on double-digit year-over-year growth in brand favorability among gov-ernment decisionmakers. The report stated that we had one of the “biggest increases in favorability in the government sector” and “rates higher in brand favorability than the typical brand in this study.” Survey respon-dents further described ICF as “innova-tive,” “trustworthy” and “experienced.”

Simply put, we received this distinction due to our continued focus on innovation and ensuring services and capabilities are best aligned with the changing needs of our clients. This is particularly important as we see clients’ industries being disrupted by changes in policy, technology and citi-zen behavior.

EBJ: What major milestones has ICF reached as it approaches its 50th anniversary?

Choate: In 2019, we celebrated our 50th anniversary and we couldn’t be prouder of the company we have become in partnership with our employees, clients and partners. ICF has grown from being simply a D.C.-based firm focused on ad-visory services to federal agencies, to being a publicly traded, fully diversified, global consulting company with $1.5 billion in annual revenue, more than 7,000 employ-ees and 70 locations worldwide. We have doubled in size every five years for the past two decades. Because we’ve been around for 50 years, we are filled with entrepre-neurs and we are constantly reinventing ourselves. We are a consultancy. But we are also a technology company. A digital agency. A design firm. A research and de-velopment company. And more.

And we will keep going! As we think about what the next 50 years will bring, we will continue to innovate; explore new technologies and services; acquire and ex-pand; and grow at the rapid rate that we have been.

Environmental Industry Summit 2020 Agenda: March 18-20: Coronado Island Marriott

Wednesday mid-day golf outing; Welcome Reception 7-9 pm

Thursday, March 19, 10-12 noonOptional morning roundtables

PFAS: Environmental industry discussion and evolving positions on regulations, technology, analytical protocols, ‘protective uncertainty’ for regulators, technical impracticability waivers for site managers, and pathways for collaboration with all stakeholders.

Technology: Environmental industry applications of cutting edge technologies like remote sensing, scanning, satellite imagery, drone scanning & imagery and conversion into practical project applications.

Thursday, March 19, 1-9 pm

Environmental Industry Overview: Policy, Politics, Markets & Strategy:

Andy Paterson’s Political & Policy Overview: 2020 Budgets & Programs; Odds for a 2nd Term, Scenarios for the 2020 Election and impacts on environmental & energy programs in DC and states

Grant Ferrier’s EBJ State-of-the-Industry: Will 2019 be a High-Water Mark? Outlook for 2020-2022; Forecasts & Growth Scenarios

Executive Response & Panel Discussions: Topics include Balancing Strategic Planning & Tactical Responses; Management, Recruitment, Retention, Diversity & Inclusion; Disruptive Forces for the 2020s.

Political & Market Outlook Panelists include: Dennis Corbitt, Eurofins TestAmerica; Ian MacFarlane, EA ES&T; Mark Robbins, TRC; Art Mabbett; John Cowdery, Cascade

Executive Panel: Business Outlook for 2020: Frank Sweet, SVP & Environment Business Line Executive, AECOM; Mike McKibben, SVP & Director of Environment, WSP USA; Jan Walstrom, SVP & GM, Global Environmental Solutions, Jacobs

Friday, March 20, 8am-3.30 pm

8-9.00: EBJ & CCBJ Award Winner Panels: ECT, LevelTen, SCS, NV5, others

9-9.40: The Next Wave in Remediation & Water Quality: PFAS & ECs

10-10:30 Infrastructure Outlook for the 2020s: Funding, P&P, NEPA Status

10.30-11: Climate Resiliency and Adaptation Planning & Construction

11-12.15: M&A and Investment Banker Roundtable

1:30-3.30: Evolving Role of Technology, Information and Leveraging Data & Human Resources in the Environmental Industry

3-3.30: EBJ Lifetime Achievement Awards & Recognizing the Industry and its Pioneers on the 50th Anniversary of the Environmental Industry

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

40 Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT TESTS NEW APPROACH TO REMEDIATING RADIOLOGICALLY CONTAMINATED SITESE & E conducts pilot study for Iso Pacific S3 soil sorter and concludes clients could save more than 30% of cleanup costs at radiologically contaminated sites.

Founded in 1970, Ecology and Environment, Inc. (E & E) is a fully integrated environmental and engineering company dedicated to developing science-based solutions to respond to the leading environmental challenges of our time. E &

E provides a full suite of planning, compliance, impact assessment, engineering, and advisory services with a concentration in site development, restoration, resiliency, water, and energy projects. Over the past five decades, the company has completed more than 50,000 projects in 122 countries, meeting the environmental needs of state and local governments, multinational corporations and many other organizations big and small. In 2019, E & E was acquired by WSP USA, Inc., a global professional services firm providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environments. Together, their clients benefit from access to 10,000 professionals, including 1,500 environmental specialists, spread across more than 120 offices covering the United States.

Daniel T. Sewall, Managing Director – Site Assessment and Remediation. A seasoned program manager with over 39 years’ experience, Mr. Sewall is responsible for all work that falls under Ecology and Environment’s Site Assessment and Remediation business line. Mr. Sewall directs the technical and administrative aspects of complex, multidisciplinary programs for government agencies and the private sector. He implements program policy and delineates program permit requirements; conducts and prepares reviews of permit support documents; oversees the access, assignment, and scheduling of E & E and subcontractor personnel and equipment; provides technical QA; and is responsible for technical and logistical problem resolution to assure project completion on time and within budget.

Daniel M. Kennedy, P.G., Practice Area Lead. For over 19 years, Mr. Kennedy has worked as a geologist and project manager in the environmental consulting industry. He has managed projects for various local, state, and federal clients with environmental liabilities requiring investigation and remediation in response to uncontrolled hazardous waste releases. Over the past 14 years, a primary focus has been in support of the USACE FUSRAP on sites contaminated with low level radioactive materials resulting from the early atomic energy program. The Radiological Soil Sorting Pilot Study he designed and managed at the Middlesex Municipal Landfill FUSRAP site was selected as a 2019 ACEC New Engineering Excellence Diamond Award and National Recognition Award. He is the practice lead for E&E’s Federal Site Assessment and Remediation practice area.

Ecology and Environment Inc. received an EBJ Technology Merit Award for its Automated Radiological Soil Sorter (see page 12).

tors with software interpreting the results in real time to determine if the materials are contaminated above clean-up levels. From there, the S3 diverts those materi-als contaminated above the criteria into an isolated pile for disposal and/or treatment. Materials below the criteria can remain on site and don’t require disposal or treat-ment. Disposal and treatment are typically expensive, therefore separating “clean” ma-terials that inevitably get excavated along with contaminated materials can represent a large cost savings for the project. In ad-dition, the smaller contaminated volumes being managed reduces further impacts to the environment such as creating less greenhouse gasses during shipment of ma-terials off-site. The S3 sorter overcomes many of the problems suffered by previous radiological soil sorting technologies, par-ticularly the ability to handle sticky, clayey soils that gum up machines, and elaborate set ups that take weeks to set up and result in high mobilization costs.

EBJ: E&E conducted a pilot study to determine the effectiveness of the sorter and how it could reduce the cost of re-mediating radiologically contaminated sites. What were the findings?

E&E: The study found that the sorting technology worked and can result in sig-nificant cost savings on projects like these. There were also lessons learned that could be applied during a full-scale remediation that would help the process move along more efficiently. The study itself was pri-marily focused on determining how this technology could support remediation at this site, but the conclusions can easily be applied to other sites facing similar is-sues. The uranium ore disposed of in this landfill was mixed in with municipal waste as it was being created, and the ore was spread out as a result. The team evaluated various remedial alternatives in a feasibil-ity study, including using this soil sorting technology, to determine the best path-way to remediation. Should excavation and offsite disposal be selected as the best option to protect human health and the environment, this technology could sig-nificantly reduce the cost for the project. We estimated remedial costs under various scenarios; using this technology could save our client up to $5.7 million or more than

with which E&E/US Army Corps of En-gineers conducted field tests to determine the accuracy and efficiency of the machine to support remedial actions at sites con-taminated with radiological materials.

The S3 sorter provides radiological anal-ysis of 100% of the materials, in this case soils, by passing them beneath an array of highly sensitive gamma scintillation detec-

EBJ: Tell us about the automated soil sorter that E&E tested for soils contam-inated with radiological materials.

E&E: Ecology & Environment com-pleted this study with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in conjunction with ISO-Pacific Nuclear Assay Systems, Ca-brera Service Inc., and CTI & Associates Inc. Iso-Pacific provided their S3 sorter-

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30% of the cost of the effort. On sites with larger volumes of soils to be removed the savings could be much greater. In addition, by using this technology we can reduce the amount of landfill space used for materi-als requiring additional permits or licenses before being accepted.

EBJ: What other type of work does Ecology and Environment do around remediation of hazardous and radio-logically contaminated sites?

E&E: We recently began work on a large-scale project with the Navajo Nation Environmental Trust in New Mexico and Arizona, conducting removal site evalua-tions and water resource studies to evalu-ate potential public health and natural resource impacts at abandoned uranium mine sites. We have also performed site assessment and remediation planning and design at federal facilities and U.S. EPA National Priorities List sites nationwide over the past 40-plus years.

EBJ: What are trends do you see in reme-diating radiologically contaminated sites?

E&E: There is a greater willingness to take on larger projects. The industry has matured and there have been a lot of les-sons learned with respect to what works and what doesn’t. Those lessons can be applied to larger sites to help reduce the cost burden of remediation and deal with complexities on a large scale. In addition, there is a great-er emphasis on planning toward the reuse of these properties when the remediation is complete. Many sites can be restored to productive economic use when the hazard has been removed, often at a low cost.

EBJ: How we will be dealing with ra-diological waste 15 years from now?

E&E: In the coming years we will con-tinue to evaluate new technologies and innovative ways to address handling and management, as well as the remediation of sites involving radiological wastes. Ben-eficial reuse of contaminated materials is a focus of any site remediation evaluation, and the complex nature of radiological wastes will require continued development of new technologies to ensure a safe, prac-tical approach to dealing with radiological wastes.

WESTON REFLECTS ON TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES IN WASTEWATER AND REMEDIATIONExecutives from Weston Solutions discuss new algae-based treatment technology for removing phosphorus from wastewater; ISL technology promises to save $148 million in cleanup costs at former Rare Earths Facility.

Weston Solutions, Inc. is an employee-owned company with a 63-year-heritage of delivering innovative solutions to clients’ most complex challenges. Core environmental and infrastructure services are: environmental remediation;

munitions response; rapid and emergency preparedness/response; resiliency; compliance and permitting; air quality/emission testing; surface water/stormwater; wastewater; information management-visualization-analytics; along with fueling systems, security, GreenGrid® green roofs, and other facility improvement services. Weston serves Industrial/Commercial, Power, Federal Government, State Government, and Local Government client sectors. Weston’s strength lies in its 1,100-plus employees located nationally in 25 strategically located core offices and additional project offices to ensure responsive service. Weston’s work primarily focuses on the United States, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Guam. In 2019 Weston had over $370 million in revenue and over $420 million in sales.

Ed Coggin, Client Account Manager. Mr. Coggin has been with Weston for over five years and is spearheading Weston’s wastewater nutrient reduction initiative in Wisconsin and other states enforcing water quality effluent limits for phosphorus and nitrogen.

Deepak Bhojwani, Senior Program Manager. Mr. Bhojwani has over 29 years’ experience spanning management, finance, real estate, engineering, and construction. He has a proven track record of leading high-performance cross-functional teams that deliver high-quality results. Currently, Mr. Bhojwani is leading and directing all aspects of the West Chicago Environmental Response Trust (WCERT), which is responsible for managing and implementing $125 million-plus radiological decommissioning and demolition of the former Rare Earths Facility, vicinity properties, and the Kress Creek Superfund Site.

Ryan Leatherbury, Technical Director and National Market Leader for Weston Solutions, Inc. (Weston) Enterprise Visualization and Analytics (EVA) Practice is responsible for growing sales and revenue firm-wide from information-related services. Mr. Leatherbury is located out of Weston’s San Antonio, Texas office and has more than 25 years of experience in the environmental industry specializing in information management for all aspects of environmental management and compliance.

Weston Solutions received EBJ’s Business Achievement: New Practice Award (page 7); Project Merit: Remediation Award (page 11); and Technology Merit Award (page 13).

ary treatment systems used for wastewa-ter treatment. It consists of three main components; the Mix Tank, the Photo-Bioreactor (PBR), and the Membrane Separation Unit. Effluent from the exist-ing wastewater treatment plant enters the Mix Tank along with the return activated algae from the PBR, where nutrients from the wastewater are absorbed by the hungry algae. The algae/effluent mixture is then transferred to the PBR and dosed with car-

EBJ: Congratulations on the new wastewater treatment technology imple-mented at the Village of Roberts facility in Wisconsin, which meets record low water quality based effluent limits (WQBELs) for phosphorus. How does the technology work?

Coggin: The CEARAS ABNR system is a tertiary treatment technology that can be added to any of the current second-

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bon dioxide (CO2) as the carbon source for algae growth. Sunlight (daytime) and LED lights (nighttime) provide the en-ergy source for photosynthesis to occur in the PBR. This allows the algae to grow and multiply, fixing the CO2 and nutri-ents in new algae cells. The algae is then separated from the treated water with an ultrafiltration membrane. The treated wa-ter is discharged or reused for potable or non-potable purposes, and the algae is re-turned to the Mix Tank in a continuous loop. The total hydraulic detention time required to treat the wastewater is between two to three hours. Excess algae is harvest-ed for beneficial use and to generate a rev-enue stream for the Owner and Operator. One of the biggest differences between this technology and traditional bacteria based biological nutrient recovery systems is the ability of algae to remove all of the phos-phorus from the wastewater stream down to near non-detect levels. Traditional bac-teria based systems can only get as low as 0.5 mg/L on a consistent basis. The algae based system is also able to remove the sol-uble non-reactive phosphorus (SNRP) that is present in some waste streams. This is the type of phosphorus that chemical phospho-rus treatment systems cannot remove.

EBJ: How are you planning to sell this system to other wastewater treatment fa-cilities? Which clients will you target and how will you charge for the technology?

Coggin: Weston is an environmental engineering company. We don’t sell tech-nology solutions, instead we evaluate tech-nology options and recommend solutions. In this case, ABNR provides us with an additional, unique solution to meet cur-rent and future nutrient regulations in a more sustainable way. We are targeting both municipal and industrial wastewater clients that have phosphorus limits in their discharge permits, and those who want to reduce the pollutant loading on our sur-face water bodies. A number of states are following USEPA’s recommendations and implementing water quality based efflu-ents (WQBELs), and getting away from technology based effluent limits (TBELs). The current TBELs for phosphorus is in the 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L range across much of the country. However, a number of states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, Gulf of

Mexico watershed and the Great Lakes Ba-sin are beginning to implement WQBELs. These actions are intended to reduce the potential for harmful algae blooms (HABs) in these water bodies. We provide design and construction management services to clients in these regions to implement the CLEARAS ABNR system. With this tech-nology, clients will be able to perform algae harvesting, which can be sold for biode-gradable products and bioplastics.

EBJ: Can you explain in more detail how this technology works, who you will sell it to, the economic benefits and how much bioplastic it can generate?

Coggin: The algae biomass market is a diverse field with companies specializing in the bioplastics, biofuels, biochemical, soil amendments and feedstock markets. The algae produced in the ABNR systems have properties, such as high protein (40-50%), that make it more suitable for feedstocks and bioplastics than for biofuels. Owners and Operators can expect to generate an algae product with a gross value range of $0.50 to $1.00 per pound of dry algae. A community with a population of around 10,000 people and typical wastewater loading conditions will produce approxi-mately one ton of dried algae per day and recycle over two tons of CO2 per day.

EBJ: Can you provide an overview of WQBEL regulations throughout the country and how they are getting stricter?

Coggin: As identified in the Clean Wa-ter Act (CWA), WQBELs are intended to restrict nutrient loading into the receiv-ing surface water bodies to levels that do not impair water quality. These limits are unique to the overall nutrient loading pres-ent at each water body. If a water body has been identified as impaired by the state or federal agency with authority to regulate it, a total maximum daily loading (TMDL) for the water body will be generated that will restrict loading rates from discharg-ers. Since many of the surface water bod-ies haven’t been fully evaluated to develop specific TMDL rates, some state agencies have made generic WQBELs based on the physical characteristics of the water body. For example, in Wisconsin there are four general categories of water bodies with the

following WQBELs; Great Lakes (0.005-0.007 mg/L), drainage and seepage lakes (0.015-0.04 mg/L), streams (0.075 mg/L) and rivers (0.10 mg/L). These limits are much lower than the typical TBELs of 0.5 to 1.0 mg/L.

EBJ: Why are they getting stricter? Please depict the problem we are cur-rently facing in the U.S. around algae blooms and what is being done to solve it besides having stricter laws.

Coggin: Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming much more common as in-dustrial dischargers, municipal dischargers and non-point sources from agriculture and development are putting excess nutri-ents into our surface water bodies. Many people are familiar with the Gulf of Mex-ico Dead Zone associated with the Mis-sissippi River discharge. To get rid of this Dead Zone, the USEPA began the Hypox-ia Task Force (HTF) in 2008. The HTF requires all states within the watershed of the Mississippi River to develop plans to reduce nutrient loading. The program implemented by the State of Wisconsin is a result of the HTF program. Similar ac-tivities are occurring in the Great Lakes re-gion, along with the Chesapeake Bay area and many other parts of the country.

EBJ: Can you tell us about the new in-situ leaching (ISL) technology and how you are using it to treat soil at the Rare Earths Facility?

Bhojwani: In-situ leaching (ISL), also known as solution mining, is a mining process where lixiviants (or leaching so-lutions) are injected into the subsurface to selectively leach and extract minerals such as uranium from their ores. A leach-ing solution first dissolves the minerals in the ores. The resulting leachate is then pumped to the surface where the dis-solved minerals are recovered. In contrast, conventional uranium recovery involves mining ore from open pits or tunnels and treating the ore aboveground. Leaching of uranium can be accomplished with either acid-based or alkali-based leaching chemi-cals. Acid-based chemicals include sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Alkali-based leaching chemical agents include sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium carbonate, and potassium bicarbonate. Additionally,

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oxidizers can enhance uranium removal during the alkali-based leaching process, and common oxidizers include oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, ferric iron, nitrate, and hypochlorite.

ISL technology is economical compared to conventional uranium recovery meth-ods. ISL technology extracts minerals in place and thus reduces material handling and waste generation costs. However, criti-cal environmental conditions factor into the application of ISL technology. For ex-ample, for ISL to be successful, the subsur-face conditions must be adequately perme-able for the leaching solutions to infiltrate and penetrate the ores uniformly. However, risks of potential groundwater contamina-tion by dissolved minerals or leaching solu-tions close to the operation exist.

Geologic and hydrogeologic factors have a significant influence on the viability of ISL technology as a remediation meth-od. These characteristics play a significant role in the development of site-specific ap-plication of any in-situ technology. The ISL technology, widely used to extract uranium from its ores, is readily imple-mentable for mining purposes because ura-nium ores across geographies have similar characteristics (typically, permeable sand or sandstones). In contrast, the character-istics and quality of contaminated soil vary significantly across sites. Therefore, the ISL technology (or any in-situ technology) requires large-scale testing for site-specific applications. This could be the primary reason why the in-situ leaching of uranium is not a common remediation method.

A series of bench- and pilot-scale tests were conducted over three years to adapt the ISL technology to site-specific condi-tions of the former Rare Earths Facility (REF) in West Chicago, IL. Specifically, the ISL technology was tailored to treat previously treated soil for attaining ura-nium groundwater protection standards at the REF. Specific objectives of preceding tests were to identify and select leaching solutions and in-situ application systems, quantify the extent and rate of uranium released as a function of chemical compo-sition, chemical concentrations, chemical residence times, and obtaining critical data to estimate treatment costs.

After testing hundreds of chemical mixtures of various types and strengths, a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and sodi-um carbonate reagent was found to be the most effective leaching solution. Removal of 50% of the uranium mass from the soil matrix was adequate for achieving compli-ance with the site-specific GWPS. After six to seven pore volume flushes (PVFs), the uranium leaching effectiveness of all leach-ing solutions was similar. The amount of initial uranium removed with each subse-quent PVF was minimal, suggesting lim-ited solubility of the remaining mass of uranium. The effects of leaching duration were significant and persisted through at least the first five consecutive PVFs.

EBJ: So the technology has the poten-tial to save approximately $148 million in direct and indirect remediation costs. How will it be able to achieve that?

Bhojwani: Our detailed treatment costs, based on bench-scale and pilot-scale study show that the ISL technology has the potential to save approximately $148 million in direct and indirect remediation costs compared to the excavation, trans-portation, and disposal of soil at off-site landfills permitted to accept low-level ra-dioactive waste.

EBJ: What R&D and technology trends do you see in remediation? How does the industry compare to a decade ago, and how do you expect it to evolve?

Bhojwani: Stringent environmental regulations in most developed economies including the United States have been key to the successful cleanup of contaminated sites, although significant work remains to be completed. In any case, the double-dig-it growth rates of the environmental indus-try in the 1980s and the 1990s are behind us. A low single-digit growth rate seems to be the norm – a growth rate supported by the cleanup of emerging contaminants such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substanc-es (PFAS), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), etc. Given the current state and growth of the environmental industry, we don’t see very many brand-new technologies being developed. What we see is existing technologies being adapted or modified to address emerging contaminants. For example, ion-exchange resins, and granu-lar activated carbon are being modified to treat PFAS. Additionally, several studies are underway to understand the potential of existing treatment technologies, such as reverse osmosis, redox manipulation, and nanofiltration, to treat PFAS.

EBJ: Weston just added a new Enterprise Visualization and Analytics (EVA) na-tional practice. Can you tell us more?

Leatherbury: Weston’s EVA practice was established to provide a company-wide focal point for all our information-

U.S. Environmental Industry by Decade 1970-2020 (Revenue $Bil)

Industry Segment 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 Analytical Services 0.1 0.3 2.1 1.8 1.9 2.1 Wastewater Treatment Works 5.8 10.3 18.4 28.7 45.5 67.7 Solid Waste Management 8.3 14.6 26.1 39.4 53.4 68.3 Hazardous Waste Management 0.1 0.6 7.1 8.8 10.0 11.1 Remediation/Industrial Services 0.3 1.6 9.9 9.9 12.4 14.6 Consulting & Engineering 0.1 1.3 12.5 17.4 26.8 34.8 Water Equipment and Chemicals 1.7 6.9 13.4 19.8 26.9 34.7 Instruments & Information Sys 0.1 0.4 2.0 3.8 5.4 8.7 Air Pollution Control Equipment 0.4 4.5 11.1 19.0 14.9 17.1 Waste Management Equipment 2.0 4.7 9.1 11.1 12.7 16.3 Water Utilities 7.4 12.0 19.8 29.9 43.5 67.1 Resource Recovery 2.3 6.1 13.1 16.0 28.5 22.1 Clean Energy Systems & Power 0.7 4.1 3.0 4.4 21.4 59.5TOTALS: 29 67 148 210 303.3 424.0

SOURCE: Environmental Business International, Inc., San Diego, CA, units in $bil. © 2020 EBI Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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SAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ENJOYS RAPID GROWTH BASED ON A MIX OF ‘GROUND DOWN’ AND ‘GROUND UP’ EH&S BUSINESSFounder Rick Mandile talks to EBJ about EH&S trends, regulations, and staffing and the challenges and enthusiasm of doing business in the Northeast.

As SAGE Environmental, Inc. (SAGE) enters its 25th year in business, the company reports growth over the past six years of 400+%. SAGE’s business mix includes both “ground down” and “ground up” environmental, health and safety

services (EH&S). Ground down services include environmental assessment, remedial design, construction, implementation, optimization, and site closure. SAGE has worked as far west as California and south as Florida. While a modest sized firm (current staff of 30 FTEs), SAGE can perform and manage any environmental remedial effort without having to subcontract work. Ground up services include EH&S permitting and in-house compliance support for a wide range of clientele. Permitting is often multi-media and overlapping to include air, stormwater, hazardous waste, solid waste, noise, wetlands, wildlife and habitat combined with local requirements. A large percentage of clients are private, although governmental work has been steadily increasing. SAGE has also served renewable energy clients with permitting, design and compliance assistance services, including industrial scale anaerobic digesters, hydro-electric, solar and wind (both on-shore and off).

Rick Mandile founded SAGE Environmental in 1995, growing it into the largest environmental, health and safety (EH&S) consultancy headquartered in Rhode Island. Rick also founded SAGE Enviro-Tech Drilling Services, Inc. and SubSurface Solutions, Inc., a specialty in-situ remedial services firm. Rick has led the environmental assessment of over 2,000 properties throughout the East Coast and successfully completed some of the region’s most complex remedial projects. Rick represents developers, businesses and high net worth individuals with real estate and business due diligence needs, as well as permitting, siting, compliance and auditing services. His projects comprise commercial and industrial developments from residential subdivisions to industrial-scale energy projects. Environmental assessment and remedial projects include state and federal brownfields sites, hospitals, universities, solar farms, industrial scale anaerobic digestion facilities, and Fortune 500 firms. Rick is Chairman of the Rhode Island Chapter of the Environmental Business Council. He is a graduate of Vermont Law School’s Environmental Law Center.

SAGE Environmental, Inc. received an EBJ Silver Award for Business Achievement: Small Firms (see page 5).

EBJ: SAGE conducts a lots of EH&S work. Can you describe your services and how they differ from others?

Mandile: While many firms claim to “do everything” we ask ourselves the fol-lowing question first: Are we the best firm to help a client with a particular challenge? Our staff knows that if we can’t answer in the affir-mative, we’ll help that client find the firm(s) best suited to their needs. This “client-first” approach has resulted in having an 80+% repeat client rate along with a very strong word-of-mouth referral network.

As a relatively modest sized firm, we have strategically hired to add new and supplemental expertise to our talent pool. All staff have at least a Bachelor’s degree and many possess Master’s degrees. De-greed staff include those with engineering educations such as chemical, environmen-tal, industrial, geology, civil and hydro-geology. Other degrees include legal, IT, English, geography, and GIS. Being a firm of our size, we invest in meeting regularly to discuss projects and the particular chal-lenges our clients may be facing. We believe

related services. By establishing this prac-tice, Weston is creating and encouraging space for our technological innovators to experiment, learn, and share so that we bring cutting-edge information services to our clients – both internal and external. Weston knows that technology allows our teams and clients to collect data at an un-precedented pace. The next challenges are not only how to keep those data safe, but also how to find patterns in the data that contain the information that will make a difference to our clients’ businesses.

By combining our data scientists, soft-ware developers, GIS professionals, envi-ronmental chemists, and data managers into a single practice, we have created a seamless team that has immediate access to the best environmental and technological skills of the firm. Where once an innova-tion created to solve a single project’s needs might have been lost to the end of the project, now that innovation can be shared broadly with a team that can build upon it and connect it to another project or cli-ent. For instance, our EVA team recently developed R code to pull details from his-torical boring logs into a database so that we can rapidly create 3-D subsurface visu-alizations and a GIS from data generated by a previous consultant. We have built this team to automate data collection through remote sensing, UAS, wearables, and other sensors as well as to apply machine learning to drive business value and present a clear visualization of the data and model results.

The EVA team is a resource for helping any client, project or administrative func-tion internally or externally. While our top priority is serving clients’ environmental information needs, we also help optimize projects and are even chartered by manage-ment to work with our internal IT teams should they need our particular skills. We work with our Emerging Contaminants, Remediation, Engineering, Permitting and Compliance, and Water and Natural Re-sources Practices as active members of each to share information technology innova-tions to the corners of the company where they might be most valuable. Weston’s borderless organization enables this level of collaboration, and the EVA Practice is making the most of the opportunity to de-liver the business value that visualization and analytics can create.

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year these draft changes were released to the regulatory community for comment. Though largely positive, comments on these proposed changes appear to be ask-ing for more regulatory off-ramps. Vapor intrusion will continue to be a significant environmental concern and may expand as states such as Rhode Island and Connecti-cut lower standards, potentially reopening sites that had previously been administra-tively closed by a regulatory authority.

EBJ: SAGE operates in the Northeast. Are EHS regulations in this region different from the rest of the country?

Mandile: The “ground down” regula-tory programs here in the Northeast, while different at the state level from each other, are also similar in that they all follow the path of assessment, identification of ac-tionable contaminants of concern, remedi-ation and eventual site closure.The ASTM and AAI standards also reflect the essence of this assessment through site closure pro-cesses. Some states’ programs are more pre-scribed than others such as Massachusetts and Connecticut where they have privatized the regulatory process (i.e., LSPs and LEPs). Whereas in states with non-privatized pro-grams such as Rhode Island, New Hamp-shire, Maine and Vermont, we can speak directly with regulators about sites. As with anything, there are pros and cons associated with each approach. At SAGE, we try to use the best aspects from each program and ap-ply those on our clients’ behalf.

Also remember here in the Northeast we are in the oldest built environment in the county, presenting us with unique

challenges. It’s not uncommon to find multiple generations of infrastructure co-mingled with contaminants in both the below-ground environment as well as within buildings. These multi-faceted challenges are found nowhere else in the country simply because they don’t exist.

EBJ: How do you personally interact with the regulatory community?

Mandile: As noted previously, different states have different regulatory programs that necessitate more or less interaction with regulatory staff. My staff and I have sought to develop collaborative relation-ships with regulators over the years, build-ing trust and a goodwill bank account. These past few years have seen many regu-lators retire or leave their positions, result-ing in a significant loss of institutional knowledge. This brain drain has in some cases resulted in prolonged project reviews and a need to educate younger regulatory staff as to how a department has regulated a particular set of site conditions. Regula-tory agencies and their budgets have also been taking significant cuts. Ten years ago, the RIDEM had almost 600 employees; today they have less than 300. This same trend of attrition and not replacing regula-tory talent will likely continue, especially as boomers retire.

I am of the opinion that a robust, con-sistent authority with science-based regula-tions is not only good for the environment but also business. The Northeast states all promote the value of environmental re-sources in support of tourism, one of their most significant industries. Protecting and

PROSCRIBED

in the “more heads are better than one” ap-proach to problem solving from which our clients benefit regularly. Larger firms regard this approach as inefficient, but our clients would argue otherwise on our behalf.

EBJ: What trends do you see in EHS?

Mandile: The majority of SAGE’s work falls under regulatory programs primarily managed at the state level. As presented by EBJ at the December 2019 New Eng-land Environmental Industry Summit, I thought the table below was an accurate reflection of our geographic market.

SAGE works in all six New England states, as well as New York and New Jersey on a regular basis. Massachusetts is well known as a bellwether state for the envi-ronmental regulatory process. The Massa-chusetts Contingency Plan (MCP) is the privatized regulatory framework within which we work when evaluating releases of oil or hazardous materials to the envi-ronment. The MCP is a comprehensive and complex regulatory framework requir-ing an evaluation of risk posed to human health, safety and the environment by a release. In recent years, Massachusetts and other states have responded to scientific studies reviewed by the EPA indicating that even short-term exposures to very low concentrations of certain contaminants might affect health under certain condi-tions. Based on this information, state environmental agencies have (or are) re-evaluating and lowering environmental standards (i.e., trichloroethylene or TCE). TCE vapors from contaminated soil and groundwater sometimes enter the indoor air of nearby buildings, a process known as “vapor intrusion”. Where TCE in indoor air reaches a level that qualifies as an Im-minent Hazard, the regulatory agency is required to ensure that the hazard is elimi-nated. This understanding of vapor intru-sion risks is being reflected in other New England states adopting their own Vapor Intrusion Guidance Policies (VI).

This summer, Rhode Island is set to lower TCE standards, as well as other con-taminants of concern, and formally adopt its own VI Guidance. Connecticut is in the process of refining (Wave 2) its RSRs (Remediation Standard Regulations). Last

U.S. Environmental Industry: New England in 2018

State Env Ind Rev $bil

Env Ind Jobs

Env Ind Companies

Env C&E Rev $bil

Connecticut 4.87 23,749 1,493 0.48 Maine 2.85 12,737 947 0.18 Massachusetts 9.06 42,860 2,796 0.74 New Hampshire 1.79 8,517 674 0.17 Rhode Island 1.12 5,469 407 0.12 Vermont 0.92 4,386 267 0.08 Sum 20.60 97,718 6,584 1.77 Total U.S. 394.49 1,861,123 117,810 32.7 Share 5.2% 5.3% 5.6% 5.4%

Source: Environmental Business International Inc., San Diego, CA © 2020 EBI Inc. All rights reserved.

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improving the environment is therefore good for business!

EBJ: A few months ago you testified in front of Rhode Island’s Senate Finance Committee about the State’s Depart-ment of Environmental Management budget. How is the state allocating resources, and what challenges is the state facing?

Mandile: The Rhode Island Depart-ment of Environmental Management (RIDEM), its staff and regulatory pro-grams are generally very good to deal with. Over the past 10 years, unfortunately, RI-DEM has lost many employees due to at-trition and budget cutting. Having worked in the state for over 30 years and as the owner of the largest Rhode Island head-quartered EH&S consultancy, I believed I could help advocate for the other won-derful consulting firms in the Ocean State (and New England), in addition to provid-ing an experienced voice regarding the RI-DEM. So, a few years back, I became the RI Chairman of the Environmental Busi-ness Council (EBC) and joined the EBC’s Board of Directors.

The EBC is a great organization that provides environmental businesses with a platform to advocate for our businesses as well as influence regulations and policy primarily here in the Northeast. At the time EBC Executive Director Dan Moon and I were discussing EBC’s role, we agreed that a more robust relationship with the RIDEM and other Northeast stakehold-ers was necessary. In the few years I’ve had the pleasure of chairing the EBC, we’ve succeeded in growing a strategic partner-ship with the RIDEM, the Rhode Island Society of Environmental Professionals (RISEP) and the RI Chapter of the Ameri-can Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). RIDEM Director Janet Coit and Assistant Director Terry Gray have also made available to EBC and others meeting space within RIDEM’s offices.

Last year I testified on behalf of Gov-ernor Raimondo and her proposed bud-get for adding back staff to RIDEM. This funding was largely budget neutral and only for a handful of full-time employees. Frankly, I advocated for more staff based

on my belief that a robust, consistent and predictable environmental authority whose regulations are science-based is not only good for the environment but also good for business. During this legislative session, the Governor and the Department will be asking for similar additions to its ranks. In recent years, the Department has implemented a very modest brownfields grant program to help move along environ-mental assessment and clean-ups of proper-ties that would otherwise lie fallow. SAGE has assisted clients in obtaining funding in each of the brownfields application rounds totaling over $1 million in grants.

EBJ: What other services does SAGE provide, and who are your main clients?

Mandile: We started the EnviroTech Drilling company a few years back to ser-vice the environmental and remedial needs of SAGE and other environmental firms in the Northeast. We also invested in tooling to serve our geotechnical clients as well.

EBJ: Do you team with others?

Mandile: As a small business, SAGE is often asked to team with larger envi-ronmental and engineering firms to assist with drilling services, air and construction monitoring, and myriad support services. Our drilling company recently partnered with SubSurface Solutions, a firm that spe-cializes in in-situ remedial applications.

EBJ: How are new technologies changing the way you do business?

Mandile: New technologies are typi-cally developed in response to a problem needing to be solved. As we learn more about the human and environmental im-pacts from exposure to contaminants, we’re witnessing the lowering of exposure levels (i.e., TCE, PFAS, etc.). We’re now measuring exposures at the part per trillion level (PPT) whereas in the past it’s been at the parts per million (PPM) or parts per billion (PPB) levels. To enable rapid assess-ment of these potential exposures, we’ve invested in real-time testing equipment like field gas chromatographs or GCs that allow us to be more efficient and timely and minimize clients’ potential exposures. A few years ago we also chose to invest in drilling and remedial injection equipment.

These investments have benefited clients with faster assessments and remedial ef-forts that ultimately tamp down costs and long-term liability exposures. We also view investing in new technologies as a vehicle for competing with larger firms and to at-tract talent.

EBJ: What EHS employment trends have you noticed?

Mandile: It’s no surprise that the em-ployment market is tight. The investment we make in new employees who have never worked in the business is significant. Un-fortunately, colleges and universities are not doing a very good job at preparing young people to enter our business and hit the ground running. SAGE has been working with local schools to adjust their curricula, and speaking regularly with stu-dents interested in our field. We will oc-casionally take on interns.

EBJ: How have the skills required of employees changed?

Mandile: Technical knowledge is ex-pected coming out of school. It’s the other skills required for success in our business that need to be taught: Public speaking, professionalism, critical writing, and hav-ing the courage say “I don’t know… but let me get back to you” are skills we are always teaching and reinforcing with staff. At its most simplistic, we ask staff to put themselves in the client’s shoes whenever they deal with them.

EBJ: What’s the most exciting part of your job?

Mandile: Environmental professionals in the Northeast have some of the most ex-citing, varied and challenging experiential opportunities, bar none! I’ve assessed thou-sands of properties up and down the East Coast in 30-plus years and still encounter properties that challenge my understand-ing. As SAGE has grown, my role has evolved to be more of a coach to our staff and leadership team to help them become their best selves both for their own sakes and for our clients. I enjoy the audacious goal-setting and accomplishments we’ve achieved over the years. The pride I take in our staff as a member of the SAGE team, for me, is difficult to express in words.

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47Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

DDMS SERVES AS TRUSTED THIRD PARTY DATA PROVIDER IN PRP CASES

As an environmental data management, analytics and visualization firm, ddms Inc. provides environmental data, chemistry, GIS and custom web application devel-opment services to the environmental remediation and energy industries. ddms

also built, hosts and provides Project Portal services to many of those that retain us for time and materials work but also for use of Portal itself. ddms also specializes in the imple-mentation of enterprise environmental and GIS data management systems for clients and leverages business partnerships with EarthSoft, Esri and AWS towards that end. ddms’ expertise is called on to support corporate enterprise implementations, one of its fastest growing service areas, reflecting an increased value placed on data stewardship and transfer of knowledge across all industries. With corporate headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., ddms employs industry-leading project managers, scientists, database administrators, geospatial professionals, software engineers and cartographers. ddms clients are primarily in North America, but the company supports projects around the world.

Mark Packard is co-founder, President and CEO of ddms. Mark has a BS in hydrogeology, a MS in Resource Analysis (GIS) and is a registered geologist.

ddms received a EBJ Business Achievement Award for Technology Merit: SaaS Project Management Platform (page 11).

infrastructure and enacting best practices and data governance to empower the corpo-ration and provide sustainability of the data management system into the future.

EBJ: When was ddms founded, and how have your products and services changed since then?

MP: Since ddms was formed in 2006, we have witnessed fundamental changes in both technology and the value placed on data as a whole. ddms has been proactive in growing the breadth and depth of its ca-pabilities as the industry evolves.

With regard to technology, the ever-increasing bandwidths and speed through which data can be delivered has really al-lowed for the shift from desktop comput-ing to internet-browser based interactions and ultimately mobile. The evolution of browser-based programming languages (e.g., JavaScript, HTML5, etc.) and code libraries have also allowed us to produce an ever-increasing level of sophistication in the tools we provide to our clients.

In 2008, ddms began its environmental chemistry services, a group that has been growing since. Besides offering third party

data validation and consulting services, this capability has allowed us to provide great depth in understanding of the chemistry and radio-nuclide data which ddms man-ages on behalf of its clients.

Finally and as alluded to earlier, it has been striking to watch corporate America move from a place where “data” sounded like a good idea but there was a lack of true understanding of the value it could bring, to corporations embracing big data and spinning up full data science and ana-lytics departments to interrogate data for deep business-changing insights. At the same time, we have also watched corporate America’s attitude toward cloud hosting evolve from a “no-not-ever” attitude to a requirement for many.

EBJ: Last year, ddms launched a major upgrade to its Project Portal® SaaS proj-ect management platform. How is this software revolutionizing the way project management activities are performed?

MP: The initial vision for Project Por-tal in 2006 was to flip how data and re-ports are accessed in our industry-from a request-and-wait access model to one of empowerment where data users are provid-ed with a very streamlined and easy way to immediately access the information them-selves, whether a document, record in a da-tabase or dynamic map. In the mid-2000s this was truly revolutionizing for many project teams. Since then ddms has con-tinued the effort to change the status quo by applying lean principles to minimize the number of hops from when a piece of data is generated to where it meets the eyes of a stakeholder.

In the late 2000s, ddms focused on en-vironmental data management, delivery and visualization. At the same time ddms was witnessing poor data management practices on the financial end of project management where important financial information is stored in myriad discon-nected and non-standardized Excel spread-sheets which are emailed back and forth. With the addition of Financial Modules in 2012, Project Portal is changing the way project financials are managed. Financial data are entered once into one single source of truth that authorized stakeholders can

EBJ: How does ddms, inc. serve the environmental industry?

MP: ddms specializes in providing proj-ect stakeholders with timely, live, and intu-itive access to data. This serves to maximize the return on investment in those data as they are converted into project knowledge and intelligence. As ddms is an indepen-dent company that specializes in data, it is often used as an impartial third party on multi-party projects involving multiple potentially responsible parties (PRPs) and their respective consultants and legal rep-resentatives. Among others use cases, ddms commonly leverages Project Portal on PRP projects, which has the added benefit of reducing or eliminating duplication of ef-fort when parties agree to collaborate via a trusted third party.

Specializing in both environmental data and underlying information technol-ogy systems, ddms commonly works with large industrial companies at a deep level as they grow an appreciation for owning, centralizing and protecting their valuable environmental data. ddms is a leader in im-plementing large EQuIS™ and Esri ArcGIS Enterprise® systems within a corporation’s

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access from anywhere. These data are also managed in a standardized way from proj-ect to project, laying the groundwork for portfolio-level analysis-an activity which is painful at best when data are stored in various non-standardized formats.

With the update to Project Portal in 2019, ddms also rolled out an analyt-ics dashboard to bring key performance indicators (KPI) and objective and key results (OKR) information directly to us-ers, reducing the number of clicks needed to access data. Project Portal also received an upgraded user interface which incorpo-rates “responsive design” elements allowing the platform to adopt itself dynamically to the device from which it is being accessed (e.g., smart phone, tablet or laptop).

EBJ: Which functions are specific to companies and agencies that perform environmental work?

MP: In addition to functionality listed herein, Project Portal is a great option for companies wanting to quickly spin up a comprehensive cloud-based system to le-verage it on a project right away. This pre-cludes the need for the traditional base of a corporate IT project while yielding many of the same benefits. Most modules and func-tions within Project Portal are turn-key.

EBJ: Why is this Portal different from other project management products on the market?

MP: There is an increasing number of systems available. Project Portal has always been designed to be used by an entire proj-ect team, not just the data specialist who usually has advanced training. Having the benefit of time to mature and calibrate to what the industry needs it to be, Project Portal contains many different elements of technical project management precluding the need for jumping from one system to another to piece together all the tools one might need. Today Project Portal includes Document Management, Schedule (with Gantt chart), Workflow, Environmental Data Management, Project Tables, Dy-namic Maps, Financial, Team Resourcing and Compliance Modules.

EBJ: Project Portal is built and hosted completely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. Why have you decided to do it this way?

MP: Project Portal has been in the “cloud” for many years. The main benefits to this early on were to be able to provide secure, redundant systems, access scalable hardware with power back up and facili-ties certifications. The cloud has been of increasing value as it became more refined, including the ability to adjust resources on-the-fly and leverage value-added func-tionality (e.g., AWS’ Lambda, Cloud For-mation, ElasticBeanStalk). Amazon was an early leader in this space and clearly lead-ing the way, and ddms ultimately chose it for this reason. Today, many corporations short list and pre-require that all cloud offering be hosted on Microsoft Azure or AWS infrastructure, which reinforces ddms’ decision to migrate from its prior cloud provider to AWS several years back.

EBJ: In 2019, ddms achieved Amazon Partner Network (APN) Select Technol-ogy Partner status. What did it take to achieve this and how else are you col-laborating with Amazon?

As ddms learned the tools available within AWS for its client applications and Project Portal, we gained an understanding of the value it could leverage from these tools for its clients. Partnering with AWS

has allowed ddms staff to work with AWS staff at a deeper level and thereby accelerate its ability to innovate and create value for clients. ddms has certified staff and encour-ages continued education and innovation within the AWS stack.

EBJ: Do you collaborate with other technology companies?

MP: In addition to AWS, ddms col-laborates heavily with one of its business partners, EarthSoft™, creator of the world’s most widely used environmental manage-ment systems, EQuIS. ddms and EarthSoft have together been able to bring tremen-dous value to their joint clients. EarthSoft’s EQuIS system meets many of the needs of a corporation interested in centralizing and managing its own data. EQuIS also contains many of the needed workflows out of the box. The partnership has been successful because of EarthSoft and ddms’s common client-oriented goals and ability to collaborate at a high level.

ddms’ GIS professionals possess exper-tise in all levels of GIS from cartography to analysis, workflows and enterprise im-plementations. Our experts take pride in understanding a wide breath of industry tools and standards. To that end, ddms has a long-standing technology partner in Esri, maker of the world’s foremost GIS technology.

ddms Unveils Major Upgrade to Project Portalddms, inc. is a data management, analytics and visualization firm that leverages

information technology to the benefit of its industrial and government clients. In 2006, ddms launched its Project Portal® SaaS application to streamline and modernize the manner in which technical teams collaborate and access data on large environmental remediation projects. In 2019, ddms unveiled a major upgrade to its Project Portal® SaaS project management platform. Project Portal is a secure, cloud-based project collaboration application that allows teams to share project-critical knowledge, analyze project data and centralize project files. Project Portal is currently utilized by several Fortune 500 companies to manage project portfolios. Modules include document, environmental data management, mapping and workflow modules among others. New enhancements include a new front end, which has improved support for use on multiple devices; new Financial Budget and Management tools, including dynamic Cash Flow capabilities; and real-time project dashboard capabilities providing key performance indicator (KPI) metrics to users with minimal clicks. Like all of ddms’ client applications, Project Portal is built and hosted completely on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure. In 2019, ddms also announced it had achieved Amazon Partner Network (APN) Select Technology Partner status.

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49Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

REMEDIATION MARKET IN JAPAN FOLLOWS A DIFFERENT PATH THAN THE UNITED STATES by Miki Mitsunari, President FINEV Inc.

Miki Mitsunari has 18 years’ experience in research and consulting on contaminated land, environmental liabilities and corporate responsibilities. Before becoming president of FINEV, she worked for Mizuho Information and Research Institute for 10 years. She has introduced practices in assessing environmental liabilities and asset retirement obligations to environmental consulting firms, construction companies and corporate landowners. Presently she serves as a member of environmental issue committee at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and a working member of the Contaminated Land Valuation Research Group at Japan Association of Real Estate Appraisers. Miki provided several lectures to the working group of Keidanren in regard to proposals of risk based remedial measures for naturally occurring substances and brownfield redevelopment for forthcoming revision of the Soil Contamination Countermea-sures Law (SCCL) in the last 13 years Miki is co-author of several Japanese books including “Practical Guide to Environmental Liabilities and Asset Retirement Obligations” published by Keidanren Publishing. She is co-translator into Japanese of “Managing Environmental Risks through Insurance (2001)” written by Dr. Howard Kunreuther and Paul Freeman. Miki has a Bachelor in Economics from Keio University (Tokyo, Japan) and a Master of Environmental Studies (Awarded for Excellence) from University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA).

SUMMARY

Approximately 20 years after the U.S. CERCLA legislation, the na-tional law for soil pollution, the

Soil Contamination and Countermeasures Law (SCCL) was enacted in 2002 and be-came effective in February, 2003 in Japan.

At the same time, the remediation busi-ness was formally created while there had been some business for oil and manufac-turing facilities before. In 2000, an indus-try association called the Geo-Environ-ment Protection Center (Tokyo, Japan) estimated that approximately 300,000 sites around the country would be highly possibly contaminated and would cost ap-proximately $120 billion for their remedial measure.

The current remediation business in Ja-pan is about $1 billion in revenue annually with almost flat or very little growth in re-cent years. Due to relatively weak liability and postponed requirements, the market has been largely influenced by property market rather than legally obligated reme-diation. Regardless of land use types, re-medial targets are set as same as threshold values for 26 substances including natu-rally occurring substances. To avoid un-certainty, excavation is mostly selected as remedial measure.

The second revised law (SCCL) became effective in April 2019, which introduced the concept of risk-based remedial mea-sures while it is only partially applied. Re-vised civil law after 120 years will become enforced in April 2020, in which disclosure and agreement of invisible conditions such as soil contamination will be more mate-rial factors for parties to avoid litigation during and after property transactions.

There is a large stock of aging facilities on the potentially contaminated lands and have not been fully assessed. This year’s ex-treme typhoons and storm exposed certain environmental risks in the flooded areas.

BRIEF HISTORY OF THE REMEDIATION INDUSTRY

When we look at the birth of the soil remediation market in Japan in the early 2000’s, It appears to be like the 1980’s in the United States when CERCLA was in-troduced. After the SCCL legislation of 2003, the soil remediation business has rapidly grown with more than 30% of an-nual growth rate.

After the market peaked at approxi-mately US$ 2 billion in 2006, it began to shrink due to the rapid decline of property market including the Japanese REIT mar-

EBJ: How will software services in the environmental industry change over the next decade?

MP: It is clear that we will stay on the current trajectory of increased bandwidth, more powerful tools, more automation and deeper insights not only gained from a user viewing data but also from the system watching how a user is trying to interro-gate data (e.g., machine learning). We can usually get a glimpse of what we will see in the environmental and energy spaces through watching technologies that are currently in use at a consumer level.

For example, I start my car in the morn-ing remotely, which tells my phone it is on, which in turn calculates drive time to work, which passes that information to my watch and to my eyes. I didn’t program any of these pieces myself. It’s easy to envision a system in the environmental remediation space which will notify stakeholders when there is a trend in a chemical concentration over time before it ever hits an exceedance level and sends out a message with sugges-tions for mitigation and associated costs for those mitigations and costs associated with risks if a condition is not mitigated. It’s going to be fun to watch and thrilling to be part of the world of the next 10 years.

EBJ: What outstanding projects did you conduct in 2019?

MP: As the recent EBJ Technology Merit Award attests, launching of the re-cent Project Portal upgrade was a large accomplishment for us in 2019. In 2019, ddms was also privileged to help imple-ment large EQuIS and Esri implementa-tions for a Fortune 100 petroleum com-pany, a large coal energy company, and a Manhattan Project-era DOE site to name a few. ddms also saw the increased value Project Portal has brought its clients that manage portfolios of sites on the platform. Finally, ddms has also been rewarded by watching its clients respond to the benefits of data analytics ddms has been delivering through Microsoft PowerBI® and looks forward to more of these experiences in 2020 and beyond.

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ket followed by the global financial crisis in 2008.

Recovery of the market in 2011 was driven by the largest remediation project of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. In order to clean up the former gas gen-eration plant and to transform it into the New Fish Market, the remedial measure of 94 acre contaminated land took more than 3 years with US$600 million.

It is conservatively predicted that con-tinuing strong demand for logistic facili-ties for e-commerce and hotels for recently tripled foreign visitors would be able to sustain certain level of redevelopment projects from redundant industrial facili-ties. This is projected to contribute to the remediation industry and should keep around US $1 billion annual market for the next several years.

For Fukushima restoration projects, de-contamination has been mostly stabilized after US$ 25 billion spending since 2011. Present target construction of mid-term waste storage facilities will peak in 2020 or the following year. Government plans to transport contaminated soils to the storage facilities in the next few years.

PLAYERS & COMPETITIVENESS

Major players in the Japanese remedia-tion industry are construction, cement and waste treatment companies, as well as sub-sidiaries of manufacturing, oil, metal and water treatment companies. Large listed companies tend to have various environ-mental business subsidiaries, such as ana-lytical firms and engineering firms includ-ing soil remediation business.

Through the first decade of the soil remediation industry in Japan, by the time of the Tohoku Earthquake and the Fuku-shima Disaster in March, 2011, the major players were large construction companies, such as Shimz (Tokyo), Obayashi (Osaka) and Taisei (Tokyo), three out of five largest construction companies.

The long and beneficial relationship with conventional large manufactur-ing and energy companies, as well as the forthcoming construction capabilities after remediation work and heavily weighted

excavation method enables these construc-tion companies strong positions in the remediation industry. The industry asso-ciation, the Geo-Environment Protection Center has been dominated by large con-struction companies and their suppliers such as analytical firms, waste treatment companies. Shimz, the top player for a long time had initially imported reme-dial technologies from Dutch companies around 2000. Their original mobile soil washing machines had been in full opera-tion for several years after the legislation.

The construction companies offer so-called “one-stop solution”; site assess-ment, remedial design, construction and monitoring. They have various remedial technologies such as SVE, In-situ bio-re-mediation, while they had not been widely used for years.

After 2011, engineers and practitioners in the construction companies became es-pecially busy for rehabilitation of the areas destroyed or contaminated by tsunami or the nuclear disaster. In addition, the de-termination of hosting the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic game in Tokyo has stimu-lated various development projects around the Tokyo area. In the meanwhile, remedi-ation sector of the most construction com-

panies were less prioritized. Subcontractors and independent remediation companies were subcontracted by the large construc-tion companies expanding their revenues due to a relatively less competitive market.

Two publicly listed soil remediation companies, Daiseki Kankyo Solution (Aichi, Japan), a subsidiary of Daiseki, a industrial waste treatment company and Envio Holdings (Tokyo, Japan), an inde-pendent remediation firm have increased revenues for the last several years.

Daiseki Kankyo earned about US$120 million in 2018 by treatment and land-filling of contaminated properties. Since 2016, approximately 1 million tons of contaminated soils, which account for ap-proximately 16% of total contaminated soils in 2018, have been treated by Daiseki Kankyo in which 15% were for soil wash-ing. Although their primary business is treatment of contaminated soils, they also started brownfield business such as buying a 1.2 acre former factory in 2016 for reme-diation and redevelopment.

Envio Holdings, US$70 million in FY2018, an affiliate of logistic developer CRE (Tokyo Japan) has increased a num-ber of subcontract works from large con-struction companies, as well as expanding

Remediation Market in Japan (2003-2017) USD mil.

Source: Data based on the Geo-Environmental Protection Data, FINEV adjusted to reflect current market information. *This market does not include the decontamination of radioactive substances around the Fuku-shima area. This number does not include decontamination of radioactive substances around the Fukushima area which accounted for more than US$30billion by FY2017.

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their brownfield businesses with their af-filiate. Buying contaminated facilities as-is status, cleaning them up to redevelop for their own or to sell to others. Envio’s target used to be small to middle size dry-cleaning facilities and gas-stations contam-inated by VOC or hydrocarbon. Through their contracts with Regenesis and KEJR Engineering, Envio offers several in-situ bioremediation technologies.

Another independent company, cur-rently the fastest growing, Field Partners reached US$100 million in revenue in 2018, same level of remediation segment revenue as a few top construction compa-nies. Having strong partnership with an insurance company, they offer so-called fixed cost solution without worrying about exceeding cost to developers who plan to purchase former manufacturing sites for logistic or other commercial facilities. By saving the remedial cost, developers can of-fer higher purchase prices to sellers in the competitive real estate market.

One of the recent noticeable acquisi-tions was that Orix (Tokyo, Japan) ac-quired a middle size revenue remediation company called Ecocycle (Tokyo, Japan) in May 2019. Ecocycle offers various bio-remediation chemicals to large contractors and remediation companies in Japan and Asian countries including China. Orix has substantial size of real estate development and investment businesses.

QUALIFICATION OF ROLE OF IN-HOUSE QUALIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS

Under the Law (SCCL) and regula-tions, to conduct legally accepted site as-sessment practices, presently both Phase1 and Phase2, companies need to be regis-tered as a qualified assessment company by the Ministry of Environment. There are currently about 700 qualified companies which include foreign owned companies such as ERM Japan (Yokohama, Kanaga-wa), Aecom Japan (Tokyo) and subsidiar-ies of Eurofins and Veolia groups.

To be acknowledged as a qualified com-pany, they must hire at least one certain nationally qualified full-time engineer.

Although this qualification does not formally require non-regulatory assess-ments or remediation, they are mostly de-facto standards for any assessments except document screening and remedial con-struction of small size excavation.

Under the law (SCCL) revised in 2009, mandatory site assessments must be con-ducted by independent consulting compa-nies. In other words, internally conducted assessments within the group companies even if they are formally registered as quali-fied assessment companies, are not allowed as official assessment documents.

In contrast to the United States, Japa-nese law defined detail procedure of so-called phase 2 site assessment from the initial enforcement of the law in February 2003. Qualified assessment companies can perform Phase2 investigation under the law. On the other words, a qualification of practitioners conducting Phase1 site assessment had not been addressed before 2010 when the first major revised law was implemented.

There are no legally protected liability relief scheme or conditions such as All Ap-propriate Inquiries (AAIs) in Japan yet.

The quality of Phase1 site assessment still varies. The reports referred to ASTM Phase1 site assessment style are used for Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and cross-border and multi-national compa-nies’ M&As. High quality well described reports from ERM Japan have been used for M&As and most overseas environmen-tal due diligence reports.

Role of independent outside consul-tants is different from other media-seg-ments such as air and water pollution con-trol, which rely more on in-house qualified environmental managers.

Back in 1960’s when our country suffered from severe pollution issues, Pollution Prevention Manger Act was introduced in 1971. Under the Act, manufactures and energy companies (oil, gas and heat suppliers) exceeding certain level of emissions were required to have in-house qualified environmental manag-ers. Target media include air, wastewater, vibration and noise, and there are 13 types

of qualifications for them. Due to its rel-evance of industrial policy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), rather than Ministry of Environment, has been in charge of these qualifications and their examinations. According to a survey conducted in 2015 under METI, there are approximately 200,000-250,000 target facilities and 230,000 in-house qualified environmental managers in Japan. Due to aging and retirement, 70% of large com-panies and 35% of small and medium size companies claimed challenges of sustain-ing skilled and knowledgeable personnel.

SOIL CONTAMINATION COUNTERMEASURES LAW & LEGAL LIABILITY

In 2007, MOE released another report estimating potential size of brownfield (probably contaminated). Nearly 20% of corporate owned land with US$ 40-90 trillion-dollar value land would potentially exceed the threshold value. In the 2010 revision of the Law (SCCL), naturally oc-curring substances started to be considered as contaminants if they exceed the thresh-old standard. As we have numerous hot springs and volcanos around the country, as well as the costal areas, naturally occur-ring substances such as arsenic, fluorine, or boron are often detected. Since 2010, soils with naturally occurring metals during construction and development have been challenges for developers, land owners or rail companies.

The linkage between soil remediation market and property market has been readily explained when we look at the regulatory requirements and major market drivers.

Soil Contamination Countermeasures Law (SCCL) requires facilities using speci-fied 26 hazardous substances to conduct site assessment at the time of their closure. Ministry of Environment (MOE) set the maximum leachate standard for each sub-stance and concentration standards for heavy metals regardless of land use type. The groundwater standard is also set as strict as the drinking water standard. The facilities under the regulatory target ex-ceeding a single point for a single substance is automatically registered as contaminated

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sites under the Ministry’s register system. Registered sites are divided into the two categories; remedial action sites and non-remedial action sites. As of October 2019, there are about 2,600 registered sites, in which 90% are non-remedial action sites. Remedial action sites are required to con-duct some measures at least prevent health risks. Non-remedial sites are considered as nonthreatening health risks. The number of non-remedial sites keeps growing in the past 15 years. The law (SCCL) does nei-ther prohibit usage of registered sites with any types of buildings or transfer of titles. Non-remedial action sites are occasionally sold to other parties.

Every year since 2003, approximately 500 - 1,000 target facilities were closed and by the end of FY2017, more than 15,000 facilities were closed. For these facilities with histories of hazardous substance us-ages, the frequency of identification of contamination was around 50% according to the industry statistics.

In order to mitigate the burden on facil-ity owners, the transitional measures were introduced. As long as facilities were used either as dwellings of the facility owners or as the same usages without transform-ing land use type, site assessments can be postponed.

FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE: MARKET DRIVEN BY PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS

Seemingly weak enforcement can be understood through the lack of financial and administrative mechanisms under the law. Generally speaking, assessment and remediation costs are all paid by facility owners, polluter, or developer. Neither na-tional or local government have power to officially conduct assessment or remedia-tion on behalf of the owners or polluters even for the orphan sites, due to the lack of legal structure as well as the financial fund.

Due to the non-occurrence of any immediate fatal accidents from soil or groundwater contamination, a large num-

ber of potential contami-nated properties have been allowed to avoid assessment even 15 years after the leg-islation was enacted. Pres-ently, more than 10,000 facilities are allowed not to conduct site assessment after the closure, in which more than a half are from the industries such as sur-face treatment, electroplat-ing, chemical, and research laboratories. The issue has gradually come to aware-ness of the legislators. Finally, the amendment of the SCCL in 2017, be-ing effective in April 2019 slightly tightened the as-sessment requirements for the postponed facilities.

On the contrary, due to the introduction of li-ability for landowners, the law (SCCL) had substan-tial impact on the business practices of property trans-action. Unlike the widely

defined PRPs in CERCLA in the United States, SCCL defined landowner as prima-ry responsible parties for assessment and remedial measures. Potential buyers are reluctant to buy any contaminated land in order to avoid becoming owners of con-taminated land. Regardless of regulatory requirements, site assessment and removal of contaminated soil before obtaining titles became popular measures among corpora-tions.

TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE: REGULATORY MEASURES LEAD TO DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY

According to the survey for member companies of the Geo-Environment Pro-tection Center, the majority of assessment and remedial construction work were con-ducted for non-regulatory measures. Dur-ing the fiscal year of 2017, 87% or 5,870 out of 6,770 phase II assessments were conducted through non-regulatory work. SCCL or prefectural regulation driven works only account for 13%.

Present and Future Market Prediction in Japanese Remediation ($mil)

20172020

estimate2025

estimate2030

estimate

Sector

Manufacturing 30% 30% 25% 25%

Dry Cleaning 10% 10% 10% 10%

Energy (incl. gas station) 15% 18% 20% 20%

Real Estate 20% 22% 25% 25%

Other 25% 20% 20% 20%

Type of Work (US$ mil)

Assessment/Consulting 180 200 250 250

Construction/Treatment 900 1,000 1100 1250

Remediation Industry 1,080 1,200 1,350 1,500

Fukushima Restoration (US$ mil)

Decontamination 2,000 1,500 700 500

Construction of Mid-termWaste Storage Facility

1,500 4,500 1,000 1,000

Restoration Total 3,500 6,000 1,700 1,500

Total 4,580 7,200 3,050 3,000

Source: Ministry of Environment, Restoration Agency and Geo-Environment Protection Center for 2017. Fukushima Restoration budgets for 2017 and 2020 are based on the government budget information. Shaded color areas are estimate.

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53Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

Detected Contaminants (Regulatory/Non/Regulatory Measure) multiple answer

Source: Data from Geo Environment Center (2018)

For the regulatory requirements, ma-jority of remedial measure was excavation while in-situ methods have been taken more than a half of the non-regulatory measures. Due to the regulatory structure, excavation has been extremely popular for buyers. In order to be deleted from the government registry, sites must be either completely removed of contaminated soil or remediated to meet all the threshold values. If in-situ remedial methods were chosen, quarterly monitoring is required for 2 years after the completion of reme-diation. To avoid two-year uncertainty, the high cost of excavation has been justified because of time saving and apparent out-come for various stakeholders.

• Number of Projects driven by regula-tory and non-regulatory measure

• Remedial method in regulatory and non-regulatory measure

• Contaminants detected in regulatory and non-regulatory measure

ON-GOING AND FORTHCOMING ISSUES

There are numerous aged facilities and buildings around the country. Recent ex-treme weather events such as typhoons, storms and snow have imposed substan-tial damages in the areas affected recently. In addition, due to the consolidation of major oil companies, aged oil refineries around the country are either redundant assets or expected to be transformed into more productive other usages.

It is stated that the cost of soil reme-diation and zoning regulation are the two barriers for redevelopment according to the official METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) committee.

Economic transitions may provide a key to future opportunity in remediation in Japan. The loss of 1 million small to middle size companies in the last 15 years and 8 million vacant residential dwellings are potential targets for the remediation industry.

Remedial Method in Regulatory and Non-Regulatory Measure

Projects Driven by Regulatory & Non-Regulatory Measure

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EBJ COUNTS INDUSTRY CYCLES IN DECADES

The year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the environmental industry. As de facto keepers of environmental industry history,

Environmental Business Journal celebrates 1970 as the year when the stars aligned for the passage of the National Environmental Protection Act, the first year of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the first Earth Day. An industry was born.

Tracing the wider arc of human history, archeologists are rarely surprised to find evidence of waste disposal in ancient cultures. Since pre-historic mankind’s first use of fire there have been a multitude of measures to control, direct or filter smoke. We still marvel at the celebrated aqueducts and water infrastructure of the great Roman cities. And many other cultures besides have left behind evidence of attempts to treat or contain waste and protect the purity of their water.

From a commercial perspective, we can trace the U.S. environmental industry back to the 19th century when payments were first exchanged for clean water delivery, solid waste management and sewage treatment. But as a commercial enterprise that coalesced around a common purpose of bringing environmental quality to the public and private sectors and building sustainable businesses on this proposition, not to mention creating meaningful careers for generations of motivated engineers, scientists and project managers, we believe 1970 represents the legitimate springboard of the modern environmental industry.

Charts in this historical synopsis illustrate segment revenues and percentage growth decade by decade. In the ‘emerging industry’ de-cades, i.e., the formative years of the 1970s and 1980s, the environ-mental industry exhibited remarkably similar aggregated growth numbers for all 13 segments of 130% growth in the 70s and 120% in the 80s. This was followed by remarkably stable growth over the last three decades registering between 40-44% overall as the en-vironmental industry became more integrated with the economy.

Individual segment dynamics have been driven and impacted by a variety of factors as illustrated by the two segment charts, but a few notable observations emerge: First, we witnessed the relatively steady presence of the environmental infrastructure segments revolving around solid waste, water and wastewater. In the 80s and 90s, core environmental services including C&E, hazardous waste

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WastewaterTreatment Works

78% 78% 56% 58% 49%

Hazardous WasteManagement

339% 1082% 23% 14% 11%

Consulting &Engineering

1492% 856% 39% 54% 30%

Clean EnergySystems & Power

467% -28% 49% 381% 179%

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Environmental Industry Growth by Decade

Source: Environmental Business Journal © 2020 EBI Inc. All rights reserved.

129%119%

42% 44% 40%

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Environmental Industry: Growth of Key Segments

Source: Environmental Business Journal © 2020 EBI Inc. All rights reserved.

and remediation emerged. This was followed by the ascension of clean energy systems and power in the 2010s.

Plotting the growth curves of key segments by decade further reveals some of the bigger waves of activity in hazardous waste management up in the 80s, and clean energy up in the last two decades, when decades of growth and decline contrast with the relatively stable growth of wastewater

Environmental Business Journal, Volume XXXII, Numbers 11/12, Q1 2020

55Strategic Information for a Changing Industry

treatment works, and the emergence of the consulting & engineering industry in the 70s and 80s, now settling into a more consistent pattern along the lines of economic growth or frequently a notch above.

The chart comparing annual growth of the environmental industry with gross domestic product (GDP) shows the in-dustry grew roughly 5 percentage points faster than GDP in the 1980s, but has narrowed since. In the late 80s, GDP grew by an annual average of 4% for a period of seven years; a similar, relatively stable high-growth period was repeated in the late 1990s. This contrasts with the ‘new normal’ of annual average GDP growth between 2011 and 2019 of 2% or about half the growth rate of the previous stable growth periods. The difference between economic growth and environmental in-dustry growth also narrowed into a one to two percentage point spread in the 2010s, likely foretelling the future for the 2020s but also proving the diversity and resilience of the evironmental industry as a whole.

Although there is merit in the view that the past helps predict the future, we real-ize this brief historical snapshot likely can’t be completely relied upon when writing a strategic plan for 2021-2022. The indus-try must be divided into segments, and the segments must be divided into markets de-fined by at least the dimensions of services, clients and geography for each company to chart itself on its competitive gameboard.

EBJ’s Industry Outlook Edition to be released at the end of the first quarter of 2020 will focus on recent trends and short-term dynamics impacting market drivers, competition and strategy based on EBJ’s annual first quarter poll of environmen-tal industry participants. While the 2020 news cycle will be consumed by the presi-dential election, the environmental indus-try would be equally well served to pay attention to the multitude of factors that impact its growth: GDP, oil prices, natu-ral gas prices; infrastructure funding; state and local initiatives; construction activity; housing starts; investment tax credits; re-newable energy targets; water rates; trade policy; PFAS policy; federal agency bud-gets... the list goes on.

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Clean Energy Systems & Power

Resource Recovery

Water Utilities

Waste Management Equipment

Air Pollution Control Equipment

Instruments & Information Systems

Water Equipment and Chemicals

Consulting & Engineering

Remediation/Industrial Services

Hazardous Waste Management

Solid Waste Management

Wastewater Treatment Works

Analytical Services

US GDP vs. Environmental Industry Growth: 1970-2020

U.S. Environmental Industry Segments by Decade ($bil)

Source: Environmental Business Journal © 2020 EBI Inc. All rights reserved.

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USA GDP growth

Environmental Industry growth

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AECOM 1, 6, 15, 20Alta Environmental 9and Technology 17Arcadis 2, 16Ardurra Group 3Barge Design Solutions 3Beacon Environmental Services 5Burns & McDonnell 11Capaccio Environmental Engineering 6, 25Cascade Environmental Services LLC 8CHA Consulting 14Daiseki Kankyo Solution 50DDMS 11ddms Inc. 47Dudek 7, 23EA Engineering 17Ecocycle 51Ecology and Environment Inc. 12ECT2 8EN Rx 4, 29Envio Holdings 50Environmental Business Council 46Environmental Partners Group 4Environmental Services Division of San Diego 8ERM 10, 14, 17ERM Japan 51Esri 48Field Partners 51FINEV 49Geo-Environment Protection Center 52Geosyntec 2Government Executive Media Group 39Great Ecology 8Groundwater & Environmental Services 10HSG 4ICF 5, 7, 37Inter-Fluve 9Jacobs 7, 12, 16, 17KEJR Engineering 51Kleinschmidt Associates 9, 17Locus Technologies 5Los Angeles Dept of Water and Power 9Ltd. 7Mabbett & Associates 4

Mabbett & Associates Ltd. (UK) 5Marine Taxonomic Services 7Ministry of Economy 51Montrose Environmental Group 14Murraysmith Inc. 3National Conference of State Legislatures 54, 55NV5 2, 9, 13Obayashi 50Orix 51Parsons Corp. 15Partner Engineering and Science 3Partner Engineering and Science Inc 27Penn Environmental & Remediation 10, 35Phoenix Award Institute 21Quantum Spatial 6, 12Regenesis 51RES LLC 10Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management 46Rincon Consultants 4, 33RSK Group Ltd. 14SAGE Environmental Inc. 5, 44SAGE EnviroTech Drilling Services 5Science 17SCS Engineers 2, 6, 8SGS Group 12Shimz 50Strategic Environmental Services Inc. 4SubSurface Solutions 5SWCA Environmental Consultants 2Taisei 50Terracon 14, 21Terracon Consultants 11, 16Tetra Tech 1, 13, 14Trade and Industry 51Trihydro Corp. 3, 6Trihydro Corporation 32Weston Solutions 7, 11, 13, 41WSP Global Inc. 13