EBI News for December 14, 2022 – B&V announces lead role in UK solar and battery storage initiative
EBI News for December 14, 2022 – The following news section contains the latest stories for the environmental industry. Including, B&V announces lead role in UK solar and battery storage initiative, acquisitions, and more!
EcoAnalysts acquires Hydrosphere Research
EcoAnalysts Inc. (Moscow, Idaho), a provider of ecological field sampling, laboratory, and consulting services nationwide, has expanded into Florida with the acquisition of 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.”
CSIRO looks at carbon sequestration options for Australia
Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, has published an assessment of 12 carbon sequestration technologies and the role they could play in helping the country reach net zero emissions. Technologies reviewed were permanent plantings, plantation and farm forestry, natural regeneration of native forest, avoided land clearing, savanna burning, soil carbon, blue carbon, pyrolysis biochar, geological storage (carbon capture and storage), bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, direct air capture (DAC), and mineral carbonation. The review found that nature-based technologies such as permanent plantings, plantation and farm forestry, and soil carbon currently provide significant potential, as does Australia’s vast geological storage capacity. Biochar, mineral carbonation and DAC also have significant sequestration potential, but more research and development are needed to bring down costs.
B&V announces lead role in UK solar and battery storage initiative
Black & Veatch (B&V, Overland Park, Kansas) announced that it has been awarded a lead role in the development of an initial 2GW of solar and battery storage by UK-based developer Amberside Energy. Black & Veatch will deliver technical advisory and support services for Amberside’s Solar & Storage Portfolio Framework Agreement, which covers standalone solar PV, standalone battery, and co-located solar PV and battery sites across Great Britain. In addition to planning and designing solar and battery storage systems, B&V will plan and design the electricity distribution and transmission assets and manage interfaces with National Grid and distribution network operators.
WSP to acquire BG Consulting Engineers in Switzerland
WSP Global Inc. (Montreal, Canada) has agreed to acquire BG Bonnard & Gardel Holding SA (Lausanne, Switzerland), a Swiss engineering consulting firm with a strong presence in France. BG offers consulting, engineering and project management services in the infrastructure, building, water, environmental and energy sectors. With a workforce of approximately 700 professionals, including 480 in Switzerland and 210 in France, BG also has operations in Portugal and Italy. The acquisition would more than quadruple WSP’s Swiss workforce to over 600 professionals and almost double its workforce in France.
EPA issues guidance to reduce PFAS pollution
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a memorandum to states that provides direction on how to use the nation’s clean water permitting program to protect against per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Guidance outlines how states can monitor for PFAS discharges and take steps to reduce them. This action is described as a critical step in EPA’s efforts to restrict PFAS at source, reducing PFAS entering wastewater and stormwater systems and ultimately lowering human exposure to the chemicals. The memorandum, “Addressing PFAS Discharges in National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits and Through the Pretreatment Program and Monitoring Programs,” will align wastewater and stormwater NPDES permits and pretreatment program implementation activities with the goals in EPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap.
Geosyntec expands in Australia with Red Earth Engineering
Geosyntec (Boca Raton, Fla.) announced that Red Earth Engineering Pty Ltd (REE), a consultancy with offices in Brisbane and Perth, Australia, has entered into an agreement to join its family of companies. REE is an engineering consulting firm focused on mine tailings and water dams in the Asia Pacific. Established in 2009, and with a staff of 61, REE has become tailings dam consultant for many major mining companies with operations in Australia. REE brings engineering expertise in water balance, hydraulic, hydrologic and dam-break modeling, in addition to a strong record of supporting clients with civil, geotechnical and hydraulic/hydrologic engineering services. Geosyntec is a consulting and engineering firm specializing in environment, natural resources and civil infrastructure.
Atlas to support fish passage in Washington State
Atlas Technical Consultants Inc. (Austin, Texas), an infrastructure and environmental solutions provider, has been awarded a $5 million contract to provide environmental and quality assurance services to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Atlas’ technical staff will support WSDOT in removing fish barriers and improving fish migration patterns in streams and rivers statewide. Following a federal culvert injunction, initially issued in 2013, Washington has been working to remove culverts where highways and roads cross streams and rivers. Atlas will support WSDOT in removing the culverts by providing environmental, engineering, and quality assurance and control services.
ERM expands digital technology capabilities with Libryo
ERM (London, UK) has acquired Libryo (London, UK), a global cloud-based environmental health and safety (EHS) regulatory platform. Libryo’s technology and regulatory experts will work alongside ERM’s global sustainability advisory teams to offer comprehensive solutions to clients’ compliance requirements. Libryo’s global regulatory database is enhanced by a network of legal contributors providing insights into regulatory changes around the world. The Libryo platform is the latest addition to ERM’s digital technology portfolio. ERM has also developed ESG Fusion, a rating platform that helps private market investors make investment decisions; CRISP (Climate Risk, Impacts and Solutions Platform); and emissions.AI to help decarbonize operations.
Legence builds “Energy Transition Accelerator”
Legence (San Jose, Calif.) has acquired sustainability consultant LORD Green Strategies (Dallas). LORD Green will merge with RE Tech Advisors (McLean, Va.), an existing Legence company. The acquisition positions Legence, a Blackstone portfolio company, to provide ESG services to the world’s largest companies and institutional investors, according to a statement. Clients of RE Tech Advisors and LORD Green include Invesco, UBS, MetLife Investment Management, Principal Real Estate, and U.S. Department of Energy. Today, more than 90% of the companies in the S&P 500 publish ESG reports, and 73% of S&P 500 executives have compensation tied to ESG performance, according to Legence.
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