EBI News for October 19, 2022 – Woodard & Curran announces groundbreaking in-situ PFAS remedy
EBI News for October 19, 2022 – The following news section contains the latest stories for the environmental industry. Including, Woodard & Curran announces groundbreaking in-situ PFAS remedy, acquisitions, and more!
Woodard & Curran announces groundbreaking in-situ PFAS remedy
Remediation experts at Woodard & Curran (Portland, Maine) have contributed to the development of a first-of-its-kind in-situ remediation technology to destroy PFAS compounds in groundwater. The company announced that, in partnership with researchers at Brown University, members of its environmental remediation group published “Low-temperature persulfate activation by powdered activated carbon for simultaneous destruction of perfluorinated carboxylic acids and 1,4-dioxane” in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. With positive, replicable results achieved in the laboratory setting, Woodard & Curran’s remediation group plans to deploy the technology in the field. Compared to traditional pump-and-treat remediation and multi-phase sequestration and destruction techniques, low-temperature persulfate activation by powdered activated carbon presents a cost-effective, sustainable, and passive alternative to resolving complex groundwater contamination, the company stated.
DOI selects ICF for $15M environmental contract
The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation recently awarded ICF (Fairfax, Va.) a new four-year $15-million contract to provide environmental consulting services to support the long-term operation of its Central Valley (CVP) and State Water (SWP) projects. The work will help to address changing conditions associated with fish and wildlife, water and power operations and habitat restoration, and allow for facility improvements and additions. The CVP and SWP encompass a complex, interrelated system of dams, reservoirs, hydroelectric plants and other facilities that help California manage its water supply during extreme drought and generate power to support the energy grid.
Pennoni expands EHS services with Hygenix
Pennoni (Philadelphia, Pa.), a multidisciplinary consulting engineering firm, has purchased Hygenix Inc. (Stamford, Conn), strengthening its environmental, health and safety (EHS) service offerings nationwide. Hygenix has offered environmental consulting, testing and laboratory services since 1985; its staff of environmental scientists includes certified industrial hygienists, geologists and licensed environmental professionals, supported by a laboratory accredited by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The company uses innovative tools and techniques to assess asbestos-containing materials, lead-containing paint, radon and other contaminants in buildings, in addition to assessing soil, soil vapors and groundwater for contaminants of concern. The group will operate as the Hygenix Division of Pennoni in Stamford, Conn. ROG + Partners served as financial advisor to Pennoni.
EcoAnalysts expands into Florida with acquisition of aquatic toxicity lab
EcoAnalysts Inc. (EA, Moscow, Idaho), a provider of ecological field sampling, laboratory, and consulting services nationwide, has acquired Hydrosphere Research Environmental Services Inc. (HRES, Alachua, Fla.), a regional provider of aquatic ecotoxicity testing services. EA co-founder and CEO Gary Lester commented, “We are very excited to join forces with HRES, as we now firmly plant the EcoAnalysts flag in the Southeast and can increase our broader ecological service offerings to HRES clients regionally. Combining forces with our aquatic ecotoxicity team in Port Gamble, Wash. we now have an impressive team of nearly 20 ecotoxicity specialists and can apply these services to NPDES permits, product toxicity testing, and soil/sediment toxicity testing across the country.” Founded in 1995, EcoAnalysts has grown to over 70 employees with offices and lab operations in Idaho, Washington, Missouri, and now Florida.
Comvest makes strategic investment in GAI Consultants
Comvest Partners announced a strategic private equity investment in GAI Consultants Inc. (Homestead, Pa.) in partnership with GAI’s leadership team and employee-owners. Founded in 1958, GAI delivers engineering, planning, and environmental expertise to the power and energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial markets. The 700-person firm has 24 locations across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, and Texas. GAI, which was previously majority owned by an ESOP, was recapitalized and will serve as Comvest’s platform investment in the AEC industry. AEC Advisors initiated the transaction and advised GAI.
Point B expands ESG offerings
Business management consultancy Point B (Seattle, Wash.) announced the acquisition of Sustainable Business Consulting (SBC, Seattle, Wash.), a provider of ESG-focused solutions. The acquisition expands Point B’s ESG offerings, particularly in climate action, supply chain risk, ESG reporting, regulatory compliance and integrated strategy. Established in 2004, SBC brings more than 240 clients across 11 industries to Point B’s roster, including Delta Airlines, New York Life, Expedia, REI and Estee Lauder Companies.
AECOM, Alectra and Enwave to execute GHG reduction program for Toronto airport
AECOM (Dallas), Alectra Energy Solutions (Mississauga, Ont.), and Enwave Energy Corporation (Toronto, Ont.) have been selected by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to help achieve its decarbonization objectives. The firms will support GTAA’s program to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in three areas: lighting systems; clean heat energy services at its central utility plant; and deployment of on-site solar photovoltaic and electric vehicle charging at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The initial phase of the project has commenced, with the team employing “a unique energy master planning and financing approach focused on understanding the technical, financial, and greenhouse gas impacts for numerous facilities across the three scope areas.”
CHA acquires Frazier Engineering
CHA Consulting Inc. (Albany, N.Y) has acquired Frazier Engineering (Charlotte, N.C.), a civil engineering firm focused on sanitary sewer system assessments, design and rehabilitation. Frazier is known for highly specialized work on sewer system condition assessment, flow monitoring, rehabilitation design and construction management, and sewer system planning and design. The firm has 45 employees and two additional offices in South Carolina. “Water and sewer infrastructure is in a critical state for many municipalities, and Frazier will support our efforts to continue building a leading national firm assembling the skills necessary to address infrastructure challenges across the U.S.” said Jim Stephenson, CEO of CHA Holdings.
Louisiana selects CDM Smith for $19M wastewater surveillance program
The Louisiana Department of Health has selected CDM Smith (Boston, Mass.) to develop a $19 million SARS-CoV-2 wastewater surveillance program. The program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is a statewide wastewater surveillance effort to develop capacity to monitor and respond to future outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 while building a lasting, adaptable platform to support public health in the state.
Li-Cycle opens lithium-ion battery recycling facility in Alabama
Li-Cycle Corp. (Toronto, Ont.), a lithium-ion battery recycler, announced that its Alabama Spoke in Tuscaloosa, Ala. has started commercial operations. The Alabama Spoke uses Li-Cycle’s patented technology to recycle and directly process full EV battery packs without dismantling through a submerged shredding process that produces no wastewater. The Alabama Spoke has a total input processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery materials per year; Li-Cycle now has a total capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year across its four operating Spokes in North America – the equivalent of batteries from approximately 60,000 EVs. The primary output is “black mass” containing valuable critical metals like lithium, cobalt and nickel, which the company plans to convert into battery-grade materials at its first commercial North American Hub facility under construction in Rochester, N.Y.
Apollo commits $300M to plastics recycler
Circulus Holdings PBLLC (Houston), a producer of post-consumer resin (PCR) from recycled low-density polyethylene, announced that asset management firm Apollo has agreed to commit up to $300 million to an innovative structured solution in the form of a senior, secured loan to support development of the company’s recycling infrastructure. Circulus is a portfolio company of Ara Partners, a private equity firm specializing in industrial decarbonization investments. Circulus is using proprietary technologies to transform olefin plastics into resins suitable for a variety of commercial and industrial applications. Circulus currently has two plants producing PCR, with one additional facility coming online in the near term and two more in development.
EnviroZyme to acquire Novozymes wastewater business
EnviroZyme (Bowling Green, Ohio) announced a binding agreement to acquire certain wastewater business assets from Novozymes A/S (Bagsvaerd, Denmark), a provider of enzyme and microbial technologies to improve industrial performance. EnviroZyme provides bacteria-based treatment solutions for a variety of environmental, water, and waste treatment applications, complete with downstream packaging solutions and fermentation capabilities in an FDA-registered, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The strategic acquisition will give EnviroZyme access to new global markets and “transform EnviroZyme into the world’s leading provider of bioaugmented solutions for water resource recovery,” the company stated.
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