>News

>Regulations/Programs

>Papers/Presentations

>Events

>Links
 

 

            

 

   

More coverage:

V AWWA National

V Lake Management

V Massachusetts EMS

V Preserving History

V Stormwater Kudos

V Surface Mining Act

V Transfer Stations

 

Mine funding, waste technology and water news is discussed herein.  We also review the benefits of well-planned management systems and going "green."

 


 

Refer to our Corporate Web Site for a list of upcoming events. 

 


 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Senior Associates:
Arizona

Dean Durkee, Ph.D., PE, based in our firm’s Phoenix, AZ, office, is the regional manager of the Earth Science and Hydraulics Practice. Possessing more than 16 years of experience, he oversees the technical direction, project management and business development of geotechnical efforts.

Massachusetts

Peter Golonka is the regional office manager of our firm’s Newton, MA, office. A University of Massachusetts (UMass)-Amherst geology graduate, he focuses on the technical supervision of remediation work, management of environmental projects, and business development efforts. 

Read papers/presentations for more on our UMass TURI project.

New Jersey

Possessing more than 18 years of experience, Robert Ulrich is the manager of the Water and Wastewater Department in our firm’s South Plainfield, NJ, office. He coordinates the planning, permitting, design and construction of water and wastewater projects.

Pennsylvania

Mike Knight, PG, is a senior project manager and geologist with over 22 years of experience in our Harrisburg, PA headquarters.  He directs geologic and hydro-geologic projects involving the study, evaluation and assessment of earth materials.

Cy Whitson, CWD, PWS, is a senior environmental scientist and project manager possessing more than 20 years of experience. He manages the Natural Resources Group within the firm’s Environmental Planning and Management Section in Harrisburg, PA.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Program Management:
California

Based in our firm’s Los Angeles, CA, office, Rodney Dawson, C.M.C., has been named a vice president and serves as the National Program and Project Management Consulting Practice leader. Possessing more than 40 years of experience, Rodney his leadership provides clients with a full range of project services for capital program management, engineering and construction management, schedule and cost controls, contract administration, project finance . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Stormwater:
Pennsylvania

Recent regulatory developments are changing the way stormwater is being handled by the consulting community (see regs/programs).  In order to facilitate change, numerous Gannett Fleming employees have received PADEP's Stormwater Best Management Practices training and possess extensive stormwater management experience.

Furthermore, our firm has been selected as a qualified stormwater consultant by PADEP.  Cliff Elicker is the contact for Southwest region projects, Jeff Ream handles the Northcentral and Northwest regions, Eric Neast coordinates projects in the Southcentral region and Frank Eells manages the Northeast and Southeast regions.

Contact appropriate staff to learn more about these regional initiatives.  Jeff is also spearheading a Gannett Fleming Pennsylvania "Virtual Stormwater Team."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Water/Wastewater National
Toronto, Canada

Marlay Price and Dave Weiss were recent presenters as part of an AWWA/Association of General Contractors (AGC) joint committee panel discussion at the 2007 AWWA Annual Conference and Exposition.  Marlay served as the session moderator and presented findings on the importance of effective construction cost forecasting as it relates to both individual construction projects and the industry as a whole.  Dave discussed the elements of successful construction projects from the viewpoint of the consultant/ project engineer.  Other panel members were scheduled to include representatives from Naples, FL; Cincinnati, OH; a materials supplier; and a general contractor.

 

Technology Corner:

Transfer Stations

 

 

definition:

A transfer station is a solid waste management (SWM) facility in which collection vehicles discharge their waste payloads, typically on a concrete tipping floor.

process:

The waste can be deposited by type designation (municipal solid waste, wood debris or metal), which is then navigated by rubber-tired loaders into an open pit for compaction.

Following compaction, the waste is transferred into higher-volume containers (trailers, railcars or barges) that are destined for a waste-to-energy facility for processing or to a landfill for disposal.

logic:

People want to go places where they can accomplish multiple tasks in a single trip.  Transfer stations aid this cause by providing various solid waste services at one convenient location (such as drop-off facilities for household hazardous waste, waste oil, or yard waste)

They also offer recycling facilities for aluminum, scrap metal or electronics.  Consequently, transfer stations are the focal point and distribution center for numerous waste products.

for more information:

Contact Solid Waste Specialist Stephen Lezinski and read an excerpt from his related article on the right.

 

 

Mission Statement:
 

"To provide timely industry news and information while sharing related Gannett Fleming activities."

Notes:

* This site is best viewed in IE or Netscape 6.0 or higher at 1024x768 resolution.

*Click here for site disclaimer.

How do I subscribe or unsubscribe?

To start receiving your FREE subscription to "Environmentally Speaking", please send an e-mail to environmental@gfnet.com and include your name, address and telephone number in the body of your message.  Your information will remain STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

To stop receiving "Environmentally Speaking", just send an e-mail to the same address with "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject field of your message.

 

A Water Treatment Plant First:
Achieving LEED® Certification

This facility is the nation's first WTP registered for USGBC LEED® certification.

The Northampton Borough Municipal Authority (NBMA) has been awarded LEED® certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the design and construction of their 8 MGD Water Treatment Plant (WTP).  Beyond its engineering features, the new WTP is a model for environmental sustainability.

Gannett Fleming conducted green building charette workshops, facilitated selection of green design components, implemented the design and prepared a Building Commissioning Plan.

Our firm designed and constructed the WTP as a cutting-edge drinking water treatment facility, while simultaneously incorporating sustainable building design features and construction practices.  WTP green features include:

  • high-performance lighting control systems

  • energy efficient building envelope

  • maximum use of recycled and local materials

  • efficient water use features

  • day-lighting within the facility

  • minimization of VOC-emitting materials for optimal indoor air quality

  • construction waste management and recycling practices.

Contact Project Manager, Bill Allis, PE, for more information.

 

Raising Lake Chesdin

Raising Lake Chesdin between 1 to 3 feet and constructing a pumped storage reservoir upstream of the lake was considered the most viable expansion option. Using inflatable crest gates and assessing environmental impacts associated with this option were also considered.

As part of a comprehensive safe yield evaluation, the Appomattox River Water Authority (ARWA) in Virginia investigated raising the 3,550-acre Lake Chesdin.  Retained by ARWA, our firm subsequently evaluated raw water source expansion alternatives and determined the most feasible and economical means of increasing the safe yield of the ARWA system.  Project details included:

  • conducting a sediment survey to ascertain the loss of reservoir storage due to sedimentation from a 1,333-square-mile drainage area
  • developing a computer model to simulate system daily operation
  • analyzing the system to determine the safe yield for various operating scenarios.

Contact Project Manager, Paul Schweiger, PE, for more information.

 

Pennsylvania Stormwater Challenges:
NPDES Permitting

Significant increases in Pennsylvania's NPDES permit backlog can be attributed to recent flood events, staff turnover, increased state land development and changing federal laws that have expanded the scope of the NPDES program.

Both the general public and the engineering consulting community need more assistance when it comes to navigating National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulations.  While the Best Management Practices (BMP) Manual, existing permit application instructions and other training programs provide excellent guidance to Pennsylvania's NPDES permit applicants, there needs to be a better transition available to understand new NPDES requirements.

Selected by PADEP as a qualified stormwater consultant, our firm will serve all of Pennsylvania in this capacity.

In order to facilitate this action, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) issued a stormwater "Request for Information (RFI)."  This RFI identified qualified firms willing to provide consulting services related to post-construction stormwater management for permit applicants and/or their consultants.

Read our stormwater Staff Spotlight for your regional Gannett Fleming contacts.

Preserving History by
Managing Cultural Resources

Our firm routinely partners with clients, State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPO), local historical commissions and other review agencies on cultural resource assignments.

Stakeholders must work together on all stages of an  historic preservation project to ensure that regulatory guidelines are followed and successful outcomes achieved.  Efforts typically require compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act in addition to other federal, state and local municipal mandates.

Our archaeologists and architectural historians meet the Secretary of Interior's professional qualification standards.

A cultural resources team can include specialists ranging from historians to archaeologists.  In addition, working with NEPA professionals and engineers can broaden the success for projects with better integration.

Cultural Resources Management


^ Greek revival house in Delaware, ca. 1850.

Gannett Fleming offers a full range of Cultural Resource services.

 

Check back soon for more information on our firm's project approach to cultural resources management. 

Contact Cultural Resources Manager, John Martin, to request a brochure.

 

Surface Mining and Reclamation Act:
Title IV Nationwide Impact

Title IV is the section under the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) that deals with lands and waters adversely affected by coal mining before the legislation was enacted 30 years ago.     

Title IV establishes the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund (AMRF) to provide grants for reclaiming abandoned mine lands and waters.  As reported last issue, historic coal-producing states such as Pennsylvania are the biggest beneficiaries of the recent fund extension.  This was made possible by the significant SMCRA amendment changing Title IV.

West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana will all receive over $100 million over the next 15 years in their AMR efforts.   

Numerous states will incur a substantial increase in the annual grants that they receive through Title IV for abandoned mine reclamation (AMR).  Collection of reclamation fees will continue to fund the program through fiscal year 2021 with funding beyond 2022.

Contact Vice President and Clearfield, PA, Office Manager, Jeff Ream, PE, for more information.

EMS Lessons Learned

Our firm participated in related Solutia Inc. EMS workshops and co-authored a case study entitled, "Learning from the Solutia EMS Experience: Improving an EMS at the Solutia, Inc., Indian Orchard Plant in Springfield, MA. 

As part of a cooperative effort with the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) to educate industries in environmental management system (EMS) concepts, our firm implemented an ISO 14001 EMS for the largest chemical manufacturer in New England. This Solutia Inc. assignment included planning, gap and operational analyses, standard operating procedure development and training at the company's Indian Orchard Plant in Springfield, MA.

This assignment has led to overall environmental improvements at the plant while reducing risks.  Contact Environmental Compliance/EMS Project Manager, Chuck Mason, for more information or visit the TURI web site (links).

Solid Waste Disposal Tipping Fees:
Transfer Station Hub

A tipping fee is a monetary value charged for the disposal of a unit weight of waste, usually on a per-ton basis.

As existing landfills reach capacity, local residents and businesses are taking the "Not-In-My-Backyard" approach to new landfills.  Stephen Lezinski's MSW Management article on "The Middleman of Solid Waste" describes how waste disposal tipping fees are increasing as a result of rising costs for new solid waste management (SWM) facilities. 

^ Abington Transfer Station Recycling Montgomery County, MD     

Considering the dynamic nature of SWM and in order to implement the most economical community waste management solution, transfer stations have become the "hub" for receiving smaller waste loads for consolidation and redistribution.  Stephen points out, however, that transfer stations are not an end or long-term storage point for solid waste.

Contact Stephen to request a paper abstract and stay tuned for future article excerpts.

 

»  AWWA National Conference

»  Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI)

» National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO)

» USEPA: Jobs Through Recycling
(Tipping Fees)

» Western Pennsylvania Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation