2022 EBJ Business Achievement Awards

Released in February 2023 in recognition of environmental industry achievements in 2022. (Note: Additions of modifications may be made to this list. Award certificates will be sent to recipients. In-person awards will be presented to those in attendance at the EBJ Awards banquet at Environmental Industry Summit XXII on March 22-23 in San Diego.

About the 2022 EBJ Business Achievement Awards: In October-December 2022, Environmental Business Journal solicited nominations for the EBJ Business Achievement Awards. Nominations were accepted in 200-word essays in specific categories. Final awards were determined by a committee of EBJ staff, EBJ editorial advisory board members and regular contributors. (Disclaimer: Company audits were not conducted to verify information or claims submitted with nominations).

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Large Firms $1 Billion+

Tetra Tech for an exceptionally strong fiscal 2022 that delivered more than 80,000 projects in 125 countries on seven continents while helping to create more resilient and sustainable communities. Gross revenue was $3.5 billion and net revenue was $2.8 billion, up 9% and 11%, respectively, from 2021. In the fourth quarter alone, Tetra Tech received record new orders of $1.3 billion, which resulted in a book-to-bill of 1.4x and an all-time high backlog of $3.74 billion, up 8% year-over-year, and up 13% on a constant currency basis. In fiscal 2022, the company furthered its strategic plan by welcoming four companies: Enterprise Automation and TIGA added industry-leading software engineers and consultant expertise to address complex challenges related to water and big data; Axiom Data Science added unique expertise in technology for the analysis of massive data sets; and Piteau Associates provided global leadership in hydraulic modeling and sustainable water management for commercial clients. In September 2022, Tetra Tech announced its offer to acquire RPS Group, which will bring 5,000 staff adding expertise in energy transformation, water, and program management.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Large Firms $100 Million+

SWCA for a record-breaking year in 2022, surpassing $235 million in sales and shattering sales goals. Revenue was up 27% compared to 2021, which the firm attributed to being at the forefront of the environmental industry while expanding its nationwide presence, service offerings, and people-focused programs. Renewable energy boomed nationally, reflected in SWCA’s year-over-year (YOY) solar and wind energy sales growth of 50%, specifically increasing sales of offshore wind services by 435%. SWCA also saw 80% YOY gains in cultural resources work and climate-driven services. The firm established a Philadelphia office and hired a team of spill response, environmental economics, and NRDA experts. Central-East region operations were redefined to support rapid growth in the southeast. Key hires and promotions propelled data acquisition, visual resources, environmental engineering, geoarchaeology, and hydropower service offerings and helped formalize the firm’s ESG consulting practice. SWCA reached 40 offices with over 1,450 employees nationwide, adding over 230 employees in 2022. As a 100% employee-owned firm, SWCA furthered its sustainability commitment by ending single-use plastic purchasing and continued growing SWCA Gives Back with a record number of employee volunteer hours and donations.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: GOLD MEDAL AWARD: Firms $10 Million+

Herndon Solutions Group (HSG) for exceeding revenues of $30 million, an increase of more than 30% and graduating as a small business in several categories. In 2022 HSG led environmental services on behalf of multiple federal government customers, including NASA at the Kennedy Multiuser Spaceport in Florida and NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia. Work included environmental impact assessments for critical NASA programs like the pending Mars Mission Sample Return Mission and the NASA Agency Wide Master Plan. Simultaneously, HSG won multiple task order awards from the Bureau of Land Management and DOI to assess federal properties and survey abandoned mine sites using innovative technologies such as aerial drones. Concurrently, HSG greatly expanded municipality support for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), assisting businesses in meeting critical water conservation mandates. HSG continues to grow outside the environmental services categories, including occupational health, aerospace medicine and industrial hygiene. The HSG team was a key member of the successful NASA Artemis space launch in November 2022. HSG was also selected as the 2021 Small Business Administration’s Category 8(a) Graduate of the Year for both the State of Nevada and SBA Region IX

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Small Firms

Consulting firm Mabbett & Associates Inc. for starting and transitioning, and Mabbett & Associates Ltd for building and operating one of the largest environmental planning, design and development practices in Scotland. The UK-based firm grew its staff from 44 to 115 in around 18 months – a 160% increase – and grew revenues from £3,570,000 ($4,284,000) in 2000 to £7,900,000 ($9,480,000) in 2022 – a 220% increase. Mabbett specializes in planning, design, environment, engineering and safety services for private and public sector clients. During the pandemic, Mabbett protected its staff from the economic rollercoaster, resulting in significant growth in 2022 combining organic growth with the acquisition of three specialist environmental firms. The UK-based team works on environmental projects in Uruguay, USA, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Norway, Portugal, Poland and Gibraltar, and plays a leading role in the Scottish, UK and Irish Government’s net zero carbon targets. Separately, founder Arthur Mabbett sold his controlling stock interest in Mabbett & Associates to GEG Capital Ltd in a deal announced in September 2022. Mabbett commented that the Mabbett & Associates history offers a “good case study of entrepreneurship (starting an overseas company in the UK from scratch), strategic growth and expansion, and then successfully transitioning the firm to a new owner that allows the firm to grow further due to access to enhanced capital.”

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Small Firms

Ensero Solutions for achieving overall growth in net revenue of more than 20%, an increase in annual sales of 77% year over year and a 12% increase in headcount. Key project awards and milestones included: $18.2-million 3-year contract for environmental monitoring services for the Faro Mine Remediation Project in Faro, Yukon, Canada; completed construction and began operating the on-site water treatment plant to treat arsenic, iron, manganese and zinc at the former Mount Nansen mine near Carmacks, Yukon as part of the care and maintenance program; and completed a $1.7 million soil characterization, soil remediation, and stormwater tank expansion construction project for a major lead battery recycling facility in the United States. Ensero Solutions was awarded Great Place to Work Certification for the first time in both Canada and the United States, based entirely on what current employees say about their experience. In 2022, 93% of employees said Ensero is a great place to work – 34% points higher than the average company.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Small Firms

KC Harvey Environmental, LLC, an environmental and natural resources consulting, land reclamation, and field services firm, for exceeding 40% growth in 2022— testament to its commitment to excellence and ability to adapt to customers’ changing needs. One key factor in KC Harvey Environmental’s success has been continued strategic expansion into new and existing markets, allowing the company to better serve its customers across a wider geographic area. KC Harvey has also added strategic depth to its team by hiring experienced professionals who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table, allowing the company to provide even more comprehensive and effective environmental services. KC Harvey Environmental is establishing itself as a leader in the environmental industry. In July 2022, Bernhard Capital Partners announced it was launching a dedicated environmental services platform through the acquisition of KC Harvey Environmental. 

 

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS AWARDS

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

WSP for continuing the rapid expansion of its global Earth & Environment (E&E) business with the acquisition of the Environment & Infrastructure business (E&I) of John Wood Group plc for a $1.81 billion. Aligned with WSP’s 2022-2024 Global Strategic Action Plan, the acquisition has significant implications for the firm and its market position. Notably, it added 6,000 personnel globally, increasing E&E staff to roughly 20,000, and greatly enhances WSP’s presence in the United States, Canada and the UK. In the United States specifically, the acquisition more than doubles the size of WSP’s E&E business to approximately 5,000 experts, creates nationwide leadership and scale, and further builds WSP’s capabilities in the water sector. The integration of E&I enriches WSP’s growing suite of services, building on the firm’s portfolio in environmental engineering, remediation consulting, environmental permitting, inspection and monitoring, and environmental management services to government, industrial, infrastructure, oil and gas, power and water. Additionally, the combined expertise of WSP and E&I in providing ESG-centered consulting further positions WSP to help clients across all sectors reduce their environmental impact and build more resilient organizations and infrastructure.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Tetra Tech, Inc. for acquiring RPS Group, a leading UK-based environmental consulting and project management firm, in a deal valued at approximately £636 million. Founded in 1970, RPS Group employs 5,000 employees in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America, delivering consulting and engineering solutions for complex projects across key service areas in energy transformation, water, program management, and data analytics. The acquisition advances Tetra Tech’s market-leading positions in water, renewable energy, and sustainable infrastructure enhanced by a combined suite of differentiated data analytics and digital technologies. “The addition of RPS aligns with our strategy to be the premier global high-end consulting and engineering firm focused on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure; and allows us to offer our combined staff even greater professional opportunities,” said Dan Batrack, Tetra Tech chairman and CEO. Prior to the deal closing, RPS Group’s shares traded on the London Stock Exchange.

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Arcadis for completing the acquisitions of IBI Group, DPS Group, and Giftge in 2022, accelerating its 2021-2023 Maximizing Impact business strategy. The three firms add strength to Arcadis’ existing global business areas—Resilience, Places, and Mobility—and represent a transformational step in the creation of the firm’s Intelligence Global Business Area. This new business area combines IBI Group’s digital / intelligent infrastructure solutions and capabilities with Arcadis GEN, building a world-class portfolio of capabilities aimed at supporting sustainable operations and sustainable urbanization. Through the new additions, Arcadis is adding 25% to its top line while significantly enhancing its digital development capabilities, process support to industries such as life sciences and chip manufacturing, and energy transition capabilities. The acquisitions also add significant scale in North America including a strong position in Canada. 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

TRC for achieving strong organic growth and completing five strategic acquisitions following investment by Warburg Pincus in 2021. Warburg Pincus invested in partnership with TRC’s management team to accelerate TRC’s growth initiatives, including scaling the company’s compliance-focused engineering and consulting services as part of its broader ESG advisory and decarbonization efforts. Acquisitions by TRC in 2022 included: United Sciences Testing, Inc. (USTI) in air emissions; ESS Group in power and renewable energy, coastal engineering, and water resources; consulting & engineering firm Draper Aden; Blue Oak Energy in PV engineering and solar energy storage; and MagikMinds in enterprise GIS. TRC provides “environmentally focused and technology enabled” consulting, engineering and project management services for clients in mission-critical government, utility and infrastructure end-markets. TRC was formed in 1969 and maintains a staff of almost 7,000 team members across 140 offices worldwide. 

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

ICF for acquiring Texas-based environmental consulting firm Blanton & Associates, enhancing ICF’s environmental planning services to support clients who face increasingly complex infrastructure projects. Blanton brings a multidisciplinary team of more than 75 biologists, botanists, scientists, geographers, archaeologists, historians, cartographers, and environmental planners and is a trusted partner to state and local government agencies, as well as renewable energy and mining companies. Adding Blanton’s domain expertise and 25-plus years of experience expands ICF’s regional environmental planning and permitting capabilities and presence in growing markets. Blanton has longstanding partnerships with the Texas Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, as well as more than 40 environmental compliance projects for the Texas Water Development Board and over 500 solar and wind energy projects across 30 states. Blanton is also a leading provider of habitat conservation plans in Texas with specialized expertise in endangered species that drive permitting in the state. Blanton’s capabilities complement ICF’s environmental services and provide synergies with its climate, energy, transportation, and disaster management offerings.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Alliance Technical Group, LLC, an environmental testing, monitoring, and analysis company backed by investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, for completing seven acquisitions in 2022: C.E.M Solutions, PACE Environmental, CK Environmental, InspectionLogic Corporation, Guideware Systems, EcoTest Energy Services, and GBMc & Associates. “Acquiring these companies expands our national network in fast-growing geographic markets, as well as our capabilities with the addition of new services,” said Chris LeMay, Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer. Alliance provides seven service lines: Stack Testing, Leak Detection & Repair (LDAR), Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS), Mechanical Field Services, Analytical Services, Ambient Air Monitoring, and Environmental Consulting. Through a combination of organic and acquisition growth, the company is strategically enhancing its platform by building new and existing regions and a range of environmental compliance services. Alliance has over 950 employees and 35 offices across the United States, providing value-added services to an established and growing customer base. 

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

CHA for accelerating its merger and acquisition strategy in 2022, adding technical depth to its transportation and water resources business lines while expanding and solidifying its presence in Florida. Acquisitions included Miami-based A&P Engineers, adding 100 employees in South Florida with expertise in civil engineering, transportation, water resources, environmental, structural, lighting, electrical, ATMS, and construction engineering and inspection. Frazier Engineering in North Carolina, a civil engineering firm focused on sanitary sewer systems, added 45 employees to CHA, representing a new specialized business practice for CHA. Eckler Engineering, providing water/wastewater services, was CHA’s third acquisition in Florida in less than two years and its third in 2022. Eckler Engineering brought CHA’s water resources staff count to over 160 and company-wide staff count to over 1,500 across 45 offices. CHA is now positioned as a leading firm in both transportation and water resources and a significant competitor in Florida and the Southeast. This added growth and technical strength also positions CHA to tap into federal funding for transportation and water infrastructure.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Stanley Consultants, an employee-owned consulting engineering firm, for acquiring Resilient Analytics (RA), a leader in analysis and application of climate science for the built and natural environment. In alignment with Stanley Consultants’ strategic plan, the acquisition adds specialist adaptation and resiliency capabilities, services and technologies to its service offerings and underpins the firm’s commitment to providing data-driven environmental, social and governance (ESG) insights, reporting and solutions to customers and partners. Stanley Consultants is utilizing Resilient Analytics’ future-focused data, models and analytics to prioritize human safety and capital investments. For Stanley Consultants’ clients, these include the infrastructure and social responsibility impacts of wildfires; coastal impacts of global warming; extreme heat impacts on environments and assets; and physical, security and energy demands on buildings, facilities and bases. Resilient Analytics has worked in more than 50 countries with clients such as the World Bank and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help manage climate risk. 

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Citadel EHS, a 100% employee-owned environmental, health, safety, ESG and sustainability consulting company based in Southern California, for acquiring RMD Environmental Solutions, Inc., an environmental consulting firm known for the design and management of complex subsurface remediation projects. RMD’s leadership team joined Citadel’s Engineering and Environmental Sciences practice. Founded in 2018 and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, RMD has offices in Southern California and Sacramento. A leader in the field of soil, soil vapor, groundwater, and vapor intrusion assessment and remediation, RMD is known for the assessment and remediation of chlorinated solvent contaminated soil, soil vapor and groundwater. RMD’s success with complex subsurface remediation programs has earned the company large contracts with major corporations and government agencies, often in competition with the industry’s largest firms. “This is an exciting opportunity for both firms because we have complementary strengths, and we share the same values, culture, and approach to client solutions and project delivery. This is a win-win not only for our clients but also for our employee-owners,” stated Citadel’s Chief Executive Officer Loren Witkin.

 

BUSINESS ACHIEVEMENT: Mergers & Acquisitions

Mabbett & Associates Ltd., a Scottish headquartered consulting firm specializing in planning, design, environment, engineering and safety services, for implementing an aggressive acquisition strategy across the UK and acquiring three firms in 2022 to diversify and expand geographically. Specialist consultancy GH Johnston added more planning and architectural services to Mabbett’s portfolio and a new local office in Forres, Scotland to support the distilling and space sectors. Nevis Environmental, a specialist ecology and environmental management firm, also based in Scotland, added technical depth and geographical reach to Mabbett’s renewables services business. In acquiring Nevis, Mabbett opened a new office in Carlisle to serve the north of England. GEP Environmental, a UK environmental and energy consultancy, continue to grow Mabbett’s environmental compliance, training, carbon and decarbonization services in England. This acquisition led to a new office in Winchester to service the south of England and Wales. The three acquisitions together added 45 employees and around $4 million of new revenue to Mabbett, resulting in the firm doubling in size during the year.

NEW PRACTICE AWARDS

NEW PRACTICE: Thermal Remediation

EA for continuing to broaden its site remediation capabilities with the application of thermal remediation strategies to address legacy and emerging contaminants. The value of new contracts awarded to EA for thermal remediation services grew by more than $30 million over the past year with significant work underway for federal and private clients. The firm is initiating projects to perform in situ thermal remediation of two chlorinated solvents sites and one coal tar site. Approximately 86,000 cubic yards of soil will be treated with thermal conductive heating to target temperatures between 100 and 300 degrees Celsius across these three sites to depths of over 100 feet below ground surface. Soil to be remediated has significant logistical considerations including thermal treatment beneath an active industrial facility, a site adjacent to an electrical transformer, and an active commercial building. The EA team is also advancing the science of thermal remediation through research. Under a Department of Defense grant program, EA performed a proof-of-concept pilot-scale study evaluating ex situ indirect thermal desorption coupled with thermal oxidizer technology to achieve “complete and irreversible destruction” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil. EA is now preparing to scale up the technology.

 

NEW PRACTICE: Equity Center of Excellence

Communities of color and underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by poor urban planning and infrastructure that can worsen public health, environmental quality and economic opportunity. WSP is recognized for establishing the Equity Center of Excellence (ECE) to address these challenges via innovative work with companies, governments, academia and other institutions. The new practice collaborates across WSP’s business to promote high standards of inclusion in its projects via equity analyses, inclusive community engagement, accessible and participatory design, and a focus on equitable outcomes. Considering indicators like race, income and pollution, the ECE is advancing work such as groundbreaking research into the disproportionate impacts of highway tolling on low-income and minority motorists; equitable transit initiatives from Raleigh to Phoenix; and a memorial acknowledging the historical use of enslaved labor to build the University of Virginia campus. Driving even broader impact, the ECE works to establish equity as an industry-wide measure of progress on policy and practice.

 

NEW PRACTICE: Global Sustainability

Arcadis for investing in its rapidly growing Global Sustainability Advisory Practice. Bringing together existing capabilities under a single solution team, Arcadis announced four senior sustainability advisory appointments in 2022: Jane Boyle joined as Sustainability Advisory practice lead in the UK & Ireland, while Michelle Bachir joined in the same role in North America. Kealy Herman joined as Global Technical Director for Net Zero Strategy, and Kaylee Shalett joined as second Global Technical Director with a focus on climate risk and reporting. Arcadis will continue to expand its team to serve clients, focusing on significant market demand and services related to Net Zero strategy. Arcadis shapes a more sustainable future through ESG advisory services for clients’ operations, products, and supply chain. Services include circular economy, product stewardship, footprinting services, non-financial reporting, advising on sustainability, and ESG digital transformation.

 

NEW PRACTICE: Offshore Wind

ICF for establishing an Offshore Wind Practice to address environmental impact analysis in the offshore wind industry. Having already supported a variety of projects for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) since 2011, ICF’s newly cemented Offshore Wind Practice helps both BOEM and developers navigate this nascent industry. ICF has assembled a dynamic and enthusiastic team that includes professionals who bring experience working with BOEM, as well as seasoned National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and resource experts. ICF’s NEPA professionals advise based on prior experience both off- and onshore. ICF has over 30 years of experience nationally and a deep presence on the West Coast. The firm recently added projects on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf and is poised to support clients focused on bringing clean renewable energy to California. ICF’s active portfolio has grown to 14 offshore wind projects, all focused on environmental impact analysis and/or permitting. ICF anticipates steady growth in its Offshore Wind Practice to meet growing demand from current and future clients.

 

NEW PRACTICE: Enhanced Due Diligence

BSI for developing Enhanced Due Diligence, a new practice that takes a comprehensive look at actual or potential risks related to business transactions and environmental reserves development. The BSI approach goes above and beyond traditional ASTM requirements and also evaluates key areas of potential risks to operations, revenue generation and brand reputation by assessing safety culture; sufficiency of planning and investment to meet sustainability goals; mitigation of supply chain and security risks; and traditional chemical handling / release risks and routine compliance preparedness, etc. BSI’s Enhanced Due Diligence model will allow for more transparent business transactions and provide information for buyers, sellers, and third parties to make more educated and beneficial business decisions. As the complexity of business transactions has increased concurrently with more awareness of environmental and sustainability issues, the traditional due diligence model focusing primarily on adverse impacts to properties is no longer sufficient, BSI notes.

 

NEW PRACTICE: Response Management

SWCA for opening a Philadelphia, Pa. office to support clients across the country with new services in Natural Resource Damage Assessments (NRDAs), natural resource economics, and strategic environmental spill response management. SWCA’s Philadelphia office achieved over $4.2 million in sales, contributing to SWCA’s record-breaking growth in 2022. SWCA hired an established group of nine environmental consulting professionals with over 200 years of combined experience working together to plan for, respond to, and assess the environmental impacts of human-made and natural disasters. Alongside a core group in Philadelphia, staff members are distributed throughout the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States, bringing expertise that aligns with SWCA’s work in environmental regulation, risk assessment, and natural resources. These new services and geographic expansion complement SWCA’s core services, allowing for smooth integration and growth within existing services, as well as nationwide collaboration on response services. This group hire allowed SWCA to build a national response team, bringing together response experts and employees specializing in natural and cultural resources, data acquisition, geospatial sciences, and more.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AWARDS

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Project Delivery

Terracon for Terracon Compass, a real-time/on-time project delivery tool that enables clients to quickly find and view specific data to make timely, informed decisions about their projects. Advantages of Terracon Compass include tracking project milestones, viewing project site data and findings in an interactive GIS viewer, access to uploaded development and construction plans, access to hundreds of publicly available GIS data layers to visualize conditions at a project site, Terracon and client project team collaboration, and preliminary and final deliverable access, viewing and download. Clients can access all project data in one place, geo-located, with intuitive filters to find what they need. In collaboration with Terracon, clients can build a library of past projects curated online through a secured login and even years after completion can readily find a final signed deliverable.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Analytics

Weston Solutions, Inc. and its Enterprise Visualization and Analytics team for developing an automated, dynamic way to create, manage, and place informative environmental analytical callout boxes showing exceedances of multiple regulatory criteria. The confidential project involved displaying analytical results from thousands of samples of environmental media. The callout box contained analytical results; any combination of associated sample information such as depth, date, and analytical flag; and criteria exceedance indicators or exceedance factors. This automation was used to streamline the generation of more than 100 figures that previously took as many as seven geographic information system (GIS) analysts a full week to complete. By creating complex callout labels directly from a central database, Weston’s innovation allowed GIS analysts to create and re-create labels rapidly and consistently for use in any software that can read Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) GIS file formats. This innovation improves the quality of information presented, relieves GIS analysts from the tedious work of generating and placing labels, and greatly reduces the effort required to make complex analytical result maps.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Analytics

EA for initiating a comprehensive digital transformation strategy to identify and apply innovative approaches for capturing, managing, analyzing, and visualizing data related to clients’ environmental challenges. Through a combination of technology champions, engagement programs, and proofs of concept, the EA team has successfully adopted a host of tools for environmental assessments, site investigation and remediation, coastal resilience studies, and research projects. Pilots are conducted to evaluate new approaches to data collection, analysis, and sharing using a range of technologies, including drones, smart glasses, and new modules for existing software. Successes are shared through a companywide engagement program. Throughout the year, employees are invited to attend webinars, group meetings, and help-desk events featuring subject matter experts to demonstrate process improvements, discuss lessons learned, and answer questions. This digital transformation strategy is credited with expanding the use of technology companywide in the form of online dashboards, 3D visualization, modeling, field forms, asset management, and drone data collection. In 2022, in addition to incorporating data management and analysis of other service lines, EA performed more than $2 million in technology-specific consulting.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Data Management

Burns & McDonnell for its Envolve platform, a geospatial and data management tool built to increase efficiency for real estate and public involvement initiatives in support of capital projects. Launched in 2022, Envolve is proprietary software that allows users to manage external risk throughout the life of projects by collecting and organizing information essential for project coordination and stakeholder relations. Clients and the Burns & McDonnell team can easily input and access a wealth of data through desktop, tablet or mobile interfaces, empowering everyone from the field to the executive office to make informed decisions about a project. The Envolve platform manages critical data for large and complex projects, including interactions, workflows, negotiations, commitments, follow-ups and more. Data housed in the Envolve platform is fully integrated, allowing aggregation of multiple data types to create a unified project work environment. Clean, consistent data inputs allow for ease in reporting via dynamic dashboards, delivering the most current information to interested parties and creating reliable records for regulatory reference. Since launch, Envolve has added value for teams tracking commitments and cost for projects nationwide.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Carbon Emissions

Siemens Energy for creating a project that is the baseline for the company’s program to meet net carbon emission reductions by 2030. Siemens Energy is combining real estate facility condition audits and sustainable business procedures with proven decarbonization practices. The project is hemisphere-wide for 122 Siemens Energy facilities from Canada to Latin America. AECOM is providing proprietary software tools and resources for the project, including PlanSpend to gather facility data along with Rosetta and Ocean for carbon calculation and reduction, greatly speeding up the reporting process and improving accuracy. The facility audit, energy evaluation, and sustainability assessment are performed by Siemen Energy’s team of engineers and scientists. Combined, the software output is detailed and includes an internet-accessible facility-condition database and dashboards. This dashboard-based reporting output allows readily accessible visualization of the data and recommendations for further action to manage real property assets and examine options for sustainability and decarbonization. The project has expanded to include the design of rooftop and parking lot roof shelter photovoltaic cells to supply renewable power to Siemens Energy manufacturing plants and warehouse facilities.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: EHS Management

Founded in 1997, Locus Technologies celebrated its 25th anniversary in April 2022 as a pioneer of enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) for EHS compliance, water management, and ESG reporting. In 2022 Locus was selected as the environmental solution for environmental data management, compliance, and GIS software for The Port of Seattle, which oversees Seattle’s air and seaports. Using Locus’s software, The Port will streamline environmental management across its properties. Locus was also selected by the international semiconductor manufacturer Onto Innovations for ESG and incidents management. Onto Innovations will leverage Locus’s asset modeling, calculation visualizer and no-training survey tool for its ESG solution. Onto Innovations anticipates further leveraging Locus’s configurable workflow tool for incidents management. Locus is also implementing a comprehensive water quality and compliance solution for the City of Thousand Oaks, Calif. This solution includes analytical management for wastewater, permit tracking, and illicit discharge tracking. Locus continues to lead third-party verifiers in Low Carbon Fuel Standard and Greenhouse Gas verifications, providing verification services for 120 facilities. Other Locus customers include Chevron, Sempra, Corteva, DuPont, Chemours, San Jose Water Company, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Cliff Monitoring

The City of San Diego and Jacobs for proactively implementing a Monitoring Program to assess cliff conditions along its Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant’s access road, informing mitigation measures to allow continued safe road use. Cliff retreat is a chronic problem along the California Coast, imperiling infrastructure and hampering development. Real-time cliff condition monitoring is critical to inform near-term decisions and develop long-term mitigation measures. The City’s Monitoring Program collects comprehensive data for metocean parameters; road inspections and surveys; cliff drone imagery and LiDAR surveys; vibration monitoring; and groundwater and ground movement measurements. Data and analyses are displayed in a state-of-the-art dashboard, developed and managed by Jacobs and available to the City and stakeholders. The dashboard displays infographics, 2D and 3D imagery and point cloud data, can issue alerts, export and download data, store and display reports, and analyze cliff drone imagery and LiDAR point clouds over time. This Program represents the first of its kind in California.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Due Diligence

Envirosite for launching a next-gen platform, Envirosite Atlas®, giving environmental professionals control over their due diligence data review and analysis by providing easy, customizable views of the information. With Envirosite Atlas, users can quickly map out current environmental records and view past land use reports in real time. Features include filtering by environmental database, distance, and elevation relative to the subject property, geologic data and soils details, historical map overlays, and annotation tools. Areas of concern around the property can easily be identified with an embedded groundwater flow tool; a built-in figure generator tool is used to create and download images easily. The platform integrates Envirosite’s full suite of ASTM E1527 Phase I ESA, and EPA’s All Appropriate Inquiries compliant data that includes government environmental records (including area/corridor studies, geologic records, soils data, and historical land use reports), aerial photos, USGS Topographic Maps, and fire insurance maps. Envirosite Atlas also helps to comply with ASTM’s E2600 Standard Guide for Vapor Encroachment Screening with a customizable and user-oriented VEC App Tool. Envirosite Atlas is free to Envirosite customers.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Digital Site Management

Burns & McDonnell for its Digital Site Management Tool (DSMT), a web-based application that uses a dashboard-style interface to streamline clients’ access to a site’s spatial and tabular environmental data. The DSMT offers quick access to customized site maps, imagery, graphs, tables, and live-streamed data, empowering users with GIS-style capabilities and bringing to life a dynamic Conceptual Site Model. Clients can simply open their preferred web browser to access a robust platform built for both technical and non-technical staff – no additional software required. The DSMT facilitates streamlined communication with internal and external stakeholders, enables at-a-glance work planning, management and tracking of project execution, and increases transparency for ease in decision making. Colin Plank, CPG, Senior Geologist at Burns & McDonnell, presented a Learning Lab demonstration of the DSMT technology to a standing-room crowd at the 2022 Battelle Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds in Palm Springs, CA. Demonstration of this technology in 2022 showcased the value that the DSMT can add throughout complex site remediation projects.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Air Emissions Software

ERM for partnering with Sasol, a global chemicals and energy company, to analyze emissions and energy usage at its ethylene unit in Lake Charles, La. using an innovative digital solution called emissions.AI from OPEX, an ERM Group Company. OPEX provides digital solutions to carbon intensive industries, and Sasol is the first chemical manufacturing company to use emissions.AI. Integrating the software will help identify emissions and energy reduction opportunities at the site, which will play an important role in Sasol’s sustainability strategy to decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% globally by 2030. The solution will monitor energy consumption and emissions, calculate and analyze the data, as well as identify and prioritize opportunities for reduction, informing decisionmaking around more sustainable operational strategies and investments.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Mitigation Banking

Ecobot for releasing a new mitigation banking functionality and features to support site monitoring, and for continuing to grow the Ecobot team and platform as the company extends its reach into the environmental services industry. Ecobot offers a digital solution for mandatory pre-construction assessments and permitting. With mobile and desktop components, Ecobot streamlines workflows from fieldwork through to report generation. Ecobot “un-anchors” data from individual assessment forms to utilize them in different contexts, including applying data collected for one permit for other purposes, maximizing how data can be analyzed and leveraged, and eliminating redundancies in the workflow. With features and automations that promote accuracy and efficiency, Ecobot customers complete assessments and reporting in half the time of other methods. Environmental and civil engineering firms employ Ecobot on projects ranging from small construction to large-scale infrastructure improvements and development, as well as energy efficiency and renewable energy. Since 2018, Ecobot customers have generated over 80,000 reports across 9,000 projects on the platform.

 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY : Ocean Monitoring

Tetra Tech for designing open-source software to support the management, accessibility, and visualization of ocean data. The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), funded by the National Science Foundation, delivers real-time data from sensors in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to address critical questions regarding the world’s oceans. Axiom Data Science, A Tetra Tech Company, worked with the OOI cyberinfrastructure team to develop both front-end and back-end systems for data management and visualization of OOI data feeds. Axiom Data Science played a foundational role in designing and operationalizing the Data Explorer, the primary gateway for discovering, visualizing, and accessing OOI data. The Data Explorer makes it possible to search across data points, download full datasets, and compare datasets across regions and disciplines for more than 800 instruments in near real-time. In 2022, Axiom Data Science upgraded the OOI cyberinfrastructure to improve the OOI’s ability to serve ultra-high resolution data streams from next generation ocean instrumentation that span the ocean floor to the sea surface.

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT AWARDS

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: Emissions Estimator

ICF for launching the new cloud-based California Emissions Estimator Model (CalEEMod®) for quantifying ozone precursors, criteria pollutants, and greenhouse gas emissions from the construction and operation of new land use and linear development projects. In partnership with the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and the California Air Pollution Control Officers Assn., ICF incorporated stakeholder feedback into the revamped model for expanded content, data quality, interactivity, and reporting. By improving the usability of CalEEMod, agencies and planners throughout California have an accessible and inclusive tool to collectively analyze interrelated planning concerns for air quality emissions, climate risk, health and equity. With intersecting crises unfolding in California and across the globe, this tool will become even more essential to reduce emissions, climate risks, and environmental burdens as users explore over 280 measures and immediately see the quantified benefits of their actions. CalEEMod is now used for analysis in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and sees an average of 250 users weekly.

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT : Wastewater Management

Jacobs for introducing Aqua DNA, an intelligent digital platform that collects live data to improve wastewater network performance using smart sensors and AI-powered predictive analytics. Aqua DNA represents new standard for wastewater network management, allowing utility providers to understand system performance in real time, alerting operators to emerging incidents and avoiding damaging spills, floods, blockages and discharges. Previous case studies have shown deploying Aqua DNA in wastewater networks is expected to reduce external flooding by 14%, sewer flooding by 20%, pollution events by 20% and blockages by 13%. “Working with Jacobs, we are the first in the world to be implementing this platform at this scale and with artificial intelligence being applied for full network system learning, we believe the work we’re doing is truly transformational and will deliver a step change in wastewater performance,” said Chief Executive of United Utilities Steve Mogford. “By the end of 2022, we have detected and resolved over 1,600 operational issues, rolled out the remainder of the 20,000 sensors and enhanced telemetry at over 3,000 sites.”

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: Dam Safety

Tetra Tech, in partnership with the Institute of Mine Seismology, for developing an innovative technology for monitoring tailings dams in Brazil and addressing the dangers of dam failures and improving safety in the mining industry. Tetra Tech uses an advanced application of geophones to integrate two approaches: passive seismic monitoring and ambient noise interferometry, which allows the continuous monitoring of vibrations and internal changes in a geotechnical structure based on ground motion measurements and differences in seismic wave propagation velocity. To date, Tetra Tech has commissioned more than 20 seismic systems and installed more than 180 geophones connected to 50 seismic stations. These systems continuously process collected data to support geotechnical engineers monitoring a dam’s safety conditions. The monitoring system provides a range of information that contributes to the understanding of variations in the physical properties of the structure, allowing the geotechnicians responsible for the dams to proactively manage the operational safety of the structures.

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: PFAS Monitoring

Eurofins Environment US for a leap forward in PFAS monitoring through blood testing. Under the direction of Technical Director Andrew Patterson, Eurofins Environment US has developed a self-administered test kit, PFAS Exposure™. To date, testing for PFAS in blood has required a blood draw by a healthcare practitioner, and the scope of testing has been limited to just a few PFAS compounds. PFAS Exposure uses a simple finger prick and is the first test of its kind, according to Eurofins. Measuring PFAS levels in blood can help users understand their PFAS exposure—whether it’s related to occupation, such as first responders, or food, drinking water, indoor air, and consumer products. For proper assessment, it is important for the target list of compounds not only to represent legacy PFAS but also next-generation PFAS that have replaced their longer chain counterparts. Eurofins’ PFAS Exposure kits allow participants to self-collect samples at home or work and submit them directly to the laboratory to obtain data for over 40 PFAS compounds.

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: Algae Biomass

AECOM for demonstrating the successful transformation of deadly harmful algal blooms into viable, clean carbon-neutral sweet crude oil in under 90 minutes. AECOM combined three innovative technologies at Lake Harsha, Ohio to prove the process simultaneously restores nutrient-impacted waterways while creating sustainable biocrude almost identical to fossil oil. First, AECOM’s patent-pending Hydronucleation Flotation Technology physically removes cellular algae from waterbodies; this biomass slurry contains carbon and nutrients used to create renewable products. Second, dewatering technology presses the slurry into a feedstock for clean-energy processes. Remaining water is cleaned and returned to enhance submerged-aquatic vegetation renewal, making a no-waste closed-loop mitigation system. Third, patented hydrothermal liquefaction technology uses heat and pressure to transform algae into clean, carbon-neutral liquid biocrude. Phosphorus is removed and any PFAS destroyed, providing a game-changing process to be used with other wet-waste comprised of biosolids and manure. The remaining water is sterilized and reused, providing an almost perfect zero-waste system. Projections indicate algae-to-biocrude can reduce U.S.-produced aviation fuel by 23% yearly. Moreover, the process prevents methane release from untreated, decomposing algae.

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: Fire Management

Rincon Consultants, Inc. for helping California’s Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District to develop a fuel mitigation and fire management plan (FMFMP) for the Garland Ranch Regional Park in Carmel, Calif. The plan provides a roadmap for various fire hazard reduction strategy projects and land management activities, taking a balanced approach that helps protect the park and surrounding communities from catastrophic wildfire while enhancing park resources and resiliency to wildfire. As part of the FMFMP, Rincon created an interactive web portal to support a more transparent public planning process and community engagement. Leveraging geographic information systems (GIS) and other innovative technologies, the platform includes an interactive page that introduces the FMFMP with maps and graphics to convey technical concepts in a more visual and compelling format when presented to the community. The digital platform also includes a reference library, project-specific documentation, and easy-to-access materials for community download. This digital platform is a single point of information for the FMFMP planning process and helps inform the community throughout the various stages of the plan itself.

 

TECHNOLOGY MERIT: Wastewater Health Monitoring

Eurofins Pandemic Services (EPS – Eurofins Scientific) for wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) by drop digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and narcotics/cannabinoid analysis by LC-MS/MS of wastewater samples for community health monitoring. Proposed 20 years ago but infrequently applied, WBE uses wastewater (sewage/solids) sample analyses as sources of anonymized community health data. COVID-19 revived interest in WBE, since SARS-CoV2 virus is measurable in wastewater and infections are detectable in advance of clinical signs or hospital visits by up to two weeks. Thus WBE can help direct public health actions to mitigate the spread of infections. In 2022, EPS established commercially viable ddPCR (alongside RT-qPCR) capability to support community monitoring and actionable data to respond to COVID outbreaks, including rapid development of tests for evolving variants/sub-variants of concern, monkeypox, etc. According to Eurofins, ownership and use of IP related to WBE samples and data (community or facility) and their interpretation and application have significant potential and implications for the environmental lab and consulting industry. Tracking/mitigating other pathogens or narcotics and cannabinoid use by LCMS/MS are possible, depending on WBE methodology.  ddPCR offers particular pathogen sensitivity and specificity in wastewater samples.

 

PROJECT MERIT AWARDS

 

PROJECT MERIT: Fuel Transfer

The USNS Walter S. Diehl was scheduled to be decommissioned by the Navy. The ship had over 200,000 gallons of fuel remaining on board. Lucianos Excavation Inc (LEI) was contracted by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command to transfer that fuel to another ship rather than dispose of it. The USNS GYSGT Fred W. Stockham was docked on the pier across from the Diehl and could accept the fuel. Safety concerns prevented a direct ship to ship transfer. LEI brought in a barge and tugboat to complete the transfer. Once the barged cleared security, it was brought alongside the Diehl and boom was placed around the barge and tug. Safety checks were performed, hosed were laid out, and pumping began. By the end of the second day, 206,648 gallons of fuel had been transferred to the barge. On day 3, the barge was repositioned next to the Stockham and the fuel was offloaded. The full transfer was estimated to take 4-5 days to complete. However, LEI successfully completed the evolution in 2.5 days and saved the Navy over $1.1M in fuel costs.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Remediation

Cascade Environmental was hired by Claremont Development/March Development to provide support in the delineation, remediation and excavation of PCE and daughter products on a site slated for redevelopment. The licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) initially contracted Cascade to address the chlorinated plume, but because of its size the consultant decided to conduct high resolution site characterization at various hot spots, then treat those hot spots via injection of CleanER™ iZVI supplemented with bioaugmentation. This strategy allowed the consultant to home in on the actual source zone for Cascade to treat and excavate. Because the subsurface contained sandy layers, Cascade treated the dissolved plume prior to the source to maintain the overburden pressure and ensure performance was as expected. An existing dilapidated structure over the source zone added another challenge: it was built with asbestos-containing materials, and demolition required careful hazardous materials safety precautions, including spraying the building during demolition, use of PPE, and careful deconstruction. Groundwater sampling at 30, 60, and 90 days showed treatment was effective in reducing groundwater contamination, and plume sampling indicated reduced concentrations. A second round of injections is scheduled for 2023 to reduce contaminant concentrations further to levels appropriate for monitored natural attenuation and redevelopment.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Sustainable Water Supply

The 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, Calif. caused the Paradise Irrigation District (PID) to lose approximately 90% of its water service connections. The California State Legislature mandated PID to perform an Options Study to evaluate opportunities to ensure long-term sustainability. EBJ recognizes GEI Consultants,Inc., in partnership with PID, the State Water Resources Control Board, Sacramento State Office of Water Programs, and the Town of Paradise, for preparing this innovative study, which strategically combined 15 options to formulate six portfolios with the goal of providing water supply sustainability. These portfolios were evaluated for technical, economic, financial, regulatory, legal, environmental, stakeholder acceptance, and implementation criteria. Stakeholder engagement and outreach was a significant component: A stakeholder group comprised of 12 agencies representing the public interest met monthly, and public meetings were also held to solicit stakeholder feedback. Based on stakeholder partnership, engagement and an innovative process of evaluating options and portfolios, the Financial Claim Portfolio had the highest portfolio score, which was accepted by PID and the State Water Resources Control Board in March 2022.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Cross-Border EMS

Canada’s Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) for delivering the Gordie Howe International Bridge project through a $5.7 billion public private partnership (P3). Working with Bridging North America, AECOM, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), WDBA developed an award-winning cross-border ISO Certified Environmental Management System (EMS) that integrates with the project’s safety, security, quality and sustainability systems. The EMS encompasses the bridge, the Canadian and U.S. Ports of Entry and the Michigan I-75 Interchange. It satisfies environmental regulations from Canada, the U.S, Ontario and Michigan, and is among the first P3 projects in Canada to achieve ISO certification. Used to mitigate environmental impacts and drive compliance, the EMS includes 40 environmental plans in 10 disciplines. The bridge will improve cross-border travel, enable more efficient movement of goods and services, and create jobs on both sides of the border. Once complete, the bridge will be 2.5 kilometres long with a span of 853 meters, making it the longest cable-stayed bridge in North American and one of the largest in the world. 

 

PROJECT MERIT: Emissions Control

Soil-Therm Equipment, Inc. and Trihydro Corporation for demonstrating that the combined efforts of equipment manufacturers and equipment operators are essential for advancing the latest technologies in remediation and emissions control. Soil-Therm designed and built two advanced burner/oxidizer systems for a Los Angeles refinery, which was mandated to meet the toughest SCAQMD Title V NOx emissions standards for remediation operations (30 ppmv @ 3% O2). This new Jet-THERM burner, built specifically for the project, was modified to generate extreme flame turbulence with VOC recirculation mixing and rapid flame-zone cooling to minimize retention times of the 3400F flame during VOC destruction. Flame destruction of VOCs was designed to occur in as little as 30 milliseconds within the burner section. Trihydro and Soil-Therm worked successfully from design to installation. During certified testing, oxidizers operated at 1600F with inlet methane/BTEX concentrations from 35-55% LEL. Stack results were 0.0 ppmv CO exhaust and NOx levels steady at only 19 ppmv @ 3% O2, with VOC Destruction Efficiency estimated to be >99.99+%. Trihydro provided valuable expertise in optimizing controls operation of the oxidizer during widely varying SVE extraction operations, and Trihydro engineers requested best controls and options for field operations.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Overflow Interceptor

CHA for completing the Moler Street Overflow Interceptor Design project, which will redirect combined sewer overflows that currently discharge to the Scioto River into the Olentangy-Scioto Interceptor Sewer Augmentation and Relief Sewer (OARS) Shaft. CHA was selected by the City of Columbus, Ohio, to reimagine and create a new sewer design that better manages overflow and stormwater in conjunction with the city’s relief sewer system to convey up to 1.7 billion gallons of sewage annually to the city’s Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plant. CHA’s solution addressed local basement flooding and utilized several measures to preserve natural areas and soil reuse for contaminated soils, which was a significant improvement. The design included a 60-ft drop shaft through clay soil to protect the two adjacent aquifers. Efforts to minimize disturbance to the local residential and commercial community within the tight geographic confines of the project site were very successful. CHA partnered with several local and federal government agencies and stakeholders throughout the project and received notes of commendation.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Remediation

Burns & McDonnell for remedial design and action for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) Tar Creek Operable Unit 2 Superfund Site. Lead and zinc production during World War I and World War II left significant mining waste, or “chat,” on the surface of the site, contaminating soils, surface water and groundwater and posing threats of ecological degradation and health concerns for the community, specifically elevated blood lead concentrations in children. Since 2019, Burns & McDonnell has executed remedial design services including planning documentation, site investigations, soil sampling and analysis, and design specifications and drawings. Resulting remedial actions include documentation of lead-contaminated soil excavations and property restoration utilizing three-dimensional LiDAR scanning. Burns & McDonnell’s successful working relationship with ODEQ has led to additional public involvement support and increased participation in the sampling and remediation program. In 2022, Burns & McDonnell sent mailers to approximately 8,000 residents, performed site visits at approximately 250 properties (including large multi-family housing complexes), collected over 3,000 samples for lead analysis, and documented remediation of 18 properties.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Flood Resilience

After Superstorm Sandy devastated the East Coast, the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery mobilized to protect New York’s residents and natural resources. With increased severity and frequency of flood events, Smith Pond and the adjacent Village of Rockville Centre in coastal Long Island, N.Y. became vulnerable to flooding. WSP is recognized for integrating flood resilience into the community while enhancing ecosystem function and augmenting public access to the waterway. WSP’s design addresses riverine flooding and natural resource protection up to the 100-year flood event. Protective and restorative features of the project include: Invasive plant species removal and native species planting; Design and construction of a fish ladder to reintroduce the migration of American eel and herring, including public viewing areas; Improved public connectivity with upgraded overlook areas and a 6-foot-wide ADA-accessible lighted, porous paved greenway; Upgraded parking lots with porous pavement to reduce stormwater runoff. Separately, WSP was selected by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to design an ecological enhancement project in the Niagara River in Buckhorn Island State Park.

 

PROJECT MERIT: PFAS

Weston Solutions, Inc. for completing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) removal actions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Shaw Air Force Base for former PFAS source areas caused by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) releases that are impacting local drinking water aquifers. Weston has developed a comprehensive strategy using novel applications of traditional water and wastewater treatment systems adapted to treat PFAS in soil, surface water, and groundwater. To capture and concentrate PFAS from these media, Weston is using technologies such as soil washing with wash water treatment and recycling; 45-foot-deep, one-pass groundwater extraction and reinjection trenches; biologically active wetland filters for nutrient removal; and passive gravity flow organoclay basins for PFAS removal from groundwater and surface water. The basin application at Wright-Patterson AFB (the first of its kind, according to Weston) resulted in client savings of more than $7 million compared to conventional pressure vessel systems. Site characterization and remediation system designs were completed in 2022, and construction has begun at both facilities.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Climate Change 

Resilient Analytics, a Stanley Consultants company, for a multi-year study completed in 2022 on the projected impacts of climate change on daily life in Boulder County, Colo. The study bridges the gap to localization by creating an actionable GIS-based visualization of Boulder County that allows personnel to communicate at a neighborhood level the risks of climate change, appropriate risk mitigation options, and essential adaptation strategies. The new map is being used across Boulder County administrative offices to help with planning, service delivery, budgeting, and federal grant requests. The new visualizations have revealed key areas where climate adaptation assistance is required, key areas of vulnerability, and pockets of previously undefined vulnerable populations. Visualizations include new fire vulnerability maps, energy demand changes, vulnerable-population risks for public health, heat wave concerns, and multiple climate change measures. The new mapping tool will allow Boulder County to introduce neighborhood outreach programs, coordinated initiatives, and campaigns directed towards individual neighborhoods. Boulder is introducing the tool to other counties across the country interested in identifying critical risks and population vulnerabilities.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Planning and Environmental Linkages

ICF for leading a team of consultants to prepare the California Department of Transportation’s first-ever Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) study on the state highway system. Though federal law established the optional PEL process about two decades ago, the State Route 37 PEL is the first to be completed by Caltrans. The PEL process can speed up project delivery, reduce long-term project costs, and ensure environmental stewardship and equity. The 21-mile project corridor is heavily used, poorly served by public transportation, and lies along the northern edge of the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest remaining tidal marsh. By 2100, it is predicted that a portion of the corridor will be permanently submerged due to climate change. Because SR37 crosses multiple jurisdictions, a National Wildlife Refuge, and extensive farmlands while also connecting disadvantaged communities to jobs and housing, a long-term solution is urgent. The success of Caltrans’ first-ever PEL is the result of an intensive two-year multiagency, interdisciplinary series of workshops. Caltrans also now has a blueprint and a guidebook to use the PEL process elsewhere in the state, particularly in other critical corridors facing complex transportation issues.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Remediation

TerraTherm, a Cascade Company was contracted to remove free-phase non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) and reduce organic (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene [BTEX] and naphthalene) manufacturing gas plant (MGP) related impacts to below the industrial/commercial remediation objectives to the extent practicable at a confidential former MGP site in the Midwest. TerraTherm implemented the project in two phases. The company first treated a 10,789 cubic yard volume around a former MGP gas-holder then continued treatment in the adjacent 24,676 cubic yard volume. The second phase of treatment was successfully implemented around a large 8-ft diameter active sewer that ran through the treatment zone. Subsurface temperatures were monitored around the sewer throughout operations. Power input to the heaters was adjusted during treatment as needed to ensure safe temperature limits were not exceeded and the sewer was not damaged. TerraTherm’s approach combined thermal conduction heating with multi-phase extraction (MPE) to achieve diminishing returns and removed an estimated 41,000 lbs of contaminant mass from the subsurface, with an estimated additional 48,957 to 125,171 lbs of contaminant mass destroyed in situ. Final project reporting was completed in 2022.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Remediation

Weston Solutions, Inc. and SkyTEM for providing environmental remediation services at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, former Atlas “E” Missile Site 11, Nunn, Colo., to delineate and remediate trichloroethene (TCE) groundwater impacts from historical site operations. An adjacent property was also suspected of having groundwater contamination, but traditional methods of groundwater delineation were ruled out due to access issues and the size of the contaminated groundwater plume. To overcome these obstacles, Weston and its subcontractor SkyTEM performed an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) geophysical investigation to confirm subsurface bedrock topography, which controls the distribution of TCE impacts. This innovative approach to assessment differs greatly from standard direct-push or well drilling. Results guided the selection of groundwater monitoring well locations to aid with TCE plume delineation and resulted in a greatly reduced number of groundwater wells to confirm the extent of groundwater contamination. Using the AEM approach gave the adjacent property owner the confidence to allow the Weston team access for focused well placement. This innovative application of technology provided the client substantial cost savings and fostered stronger stakeholder relationships.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Fire Management

Environmental Management and Planning Solutions, Inc. (EMPSi) was awarded a $1.3-million contract by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reduce barriers to wildlife migration and conserve big game habitats in Colorado through changes in land use plans. This is the first state-wide study of its kind is heavily focused on collaborative partnerships. EMPSi and the BLM are working with over 40 federal, state, and local agencies in evaluating land use plan revisions for the protection of big game species and their habitats. The state of Colorado is home to the largest mule deer and elk herds in the West, but some big game species have populations far below state objectives. In addition, since December 2018, BLM Colorado has deferred offering over 140 oil and gas lease parcels due to concerns about big game disturbance. By examining the impacts of oil and gas development on these species, the goal is to find ways to balance energy development and conservation efforts at a state-wide scale. This project reached a major milestone this year with the Notice of Intent to amend BLM Colorado land use plans, which initiated the public scoping phase.

 

PROJECT MERIT: Wetland Restoration

AECOM for being part of a team advancing a critical wetland mitigation project in San Dieguito Lagoon. The restoration project will convert former agricultural fields to saltwater wetlands and enhance and maintain the natural flood control channel. AECOM has worked with San Diego Assn. of Governments (SANDAG), Caltrans and the San Dieguito River Park JPA to make this project a reality. Under construction now, it will provide wetland and transitional habitat in coastal San Diego, as well as additional public recreational access. The project will create a sustainable ecosystem prepared for sea-level rise and anticipated flood conditions. It will provide for carbon sequestration in this enhanced coastal wetland, also known as Blue Carbon, which is increasingly recognized as a key ecosystem for removing/storing carbon. The project also improves community access, with improved trails and a trail connecting to JPA’s signature Coast to Crest trail. This trail will eventually link the San Diego coast to Volcan Mountain near Julian, Calif. AECOM has supported the project through preliminary design, environmental review and permitting, and construction.

 

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION

Dudek for supporting clients and community stakeholders through an active program of volunteerism and donations to local civic, educational, and professional development organizations. Dudek’s philanthropic initiative, DuGood, supports local communities through charitable and volunteer contributions across office locations nationwide. Since 2015, “Dudekians” have raised and donated more than $215,000 to 50-plus organizations through the DuGood Team Challenge. Dudek launched an Office-Based Charitable Giving Program to localize charitable giving decisions so that each Dudek office chooses which charities to support: Funding comes from the DuGood budget of 1% of annual profits applied proportionately by office headcount. Dudek employees are eligible to take a paid day off each year to volunteer at non-profit organizations. Dudek has also pledged to donate 600 computers over three years to Computers 2 Kids San Diego (C2SDK) to aid in their mission to refurbish and distribute electronics so that all children and their families in San Diego, regardless of economic status, have equal access to technology.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION

ERM for presenting the results of La Pista Water Management Project, which was completed by the pro bono ERM Foundation and Engineers Without Borders (EWB). In 2019, the two organizations were approached to help mitigate intense flooding and property damage due to climate change in the rural Guatemalan community of Ac Txumbal La Pista. After field visits to assess conditions, gather data, and hear from the community of around 3,200 people, the project resulted in the design and installation of 21 new or improved culverts. Construction was finished in spring 2022 following two years of design, reporting, and data collection. The water resources engineering and civil design endeavor was underpinned by numerous philanthropic aspects. For example, all design and project work were performed by volunteers, and 95% of materials, construction, and design were funded by the ERM Foundation.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION

Terracon Foundation for awarding over $3.6 million to support education, the built and natural environment, and equity since 2012. The year 2022 was the firm’s most charitable to date, with over $480,000 awarded in grants, matching gifts, and scholarships—all championed by Terracon’s employee-owners. Terracon awarded 73 community and university grants, including over $25,000 in equity grants for organizations building leadership in underrepresented communities. Funds will support causes such as amplifying BIPOC history (Putnam Museum and Science Center, Davenport, Iowa) and making STEM education more accessible to girls from underserved populations (The North Museum, Lancaster, Pa.). Terracon also funded three endowments with university partners, leaving a lasting impact for STEM students at the University of Arizona, Alamo Colleges, and University of Texas at San Antonio, complementing existing endowments at Iowa State University, Texas A&M, and University of Cincinnati. The Terracon Foundation matches employee donations through an ongoing matching gift program and during companywide giving campaigns. Matching gifts and campaigns supported Earth Day, Hurricane Ian relief, hunger relief, a school supply drive, and other causes dear to employee-owners’ hearts, yielding $35,000 in matching grants.”

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION

Pace for supporting its mission of “working together to protect our environment and improve our health” through a long-standing partnership with Water Missions International (WMI). This non-profit engineering organization develops, implements, and maintains sustainable technologies to provide safe drinking water systems, sanitation, and hygiene solutions to developing nations and disaster areas. To further support WMI, Pace and its employees have participated in the organization’s Walk for Water campaign every year since 2016 to raise funds – and awareness – for its mission. Since then, Pace employees have raised over $1 million.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION

Mabbett & Associates Ltd, a Scottish headquartered consulting firm specializing in planning, design, environment, engineering and safety services, for launching the See a Difference, Make a Difference pledge in January 2022. Echoing Mabbett’s See a Difference tagline, the new pledge aims to make positive and lasting contributions to the communities it serves. Recognizing the importance of engaging with local communities, the pledge provides all staff with a full day of paid volunteer leave every year to allow them to Make a Difference in their own communities. Mabbett’s Make a Difference initiatives in 2022 included: Beach Clean at Muirshiel Country Park, supporting a small community food growing project, guest lecturing at university, celebrating International Women in Engineering Day, Business Fives Corporate Charity Competition, and many others. 

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

TRC Companies Inc. for expanding its Student Training and Enrichment Program (STEP) in 2022. TRC’s college and diversity recruiting efforts have established relationships with over 25 colleges and universities determined by academic rigor, diversity and location. The purpose of STEP is to equip students with hands-on projects to practice their academic knowledge. The internship program not only gives students exposure in the field but also supports networking opportunities and invests in those students as they begin their careers. As part of TRC’s efforts to cultivate young talent, in fiscal year 2022 the company hired 368 interns, exceeding its hiring goal of 300, of which 63% were diverse. Following their internships, the company hired 107 full-time employees, exceeding TRC’s goal of 75. TRC’s goal in 2023 is 400 interns. Since 2021, TRC has conducted 48 TRC Tech Talks, information sessions sharing the vision and culture of TRC in which panelists throughout the company discuss their academic and career journey with students. According to TRC, interns allow the company to evaluate talent in anticipation of full-time hiring, learn from fresh perspectives of a younger generation, and increase employee engagement.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC for growing its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program substantially in 2022. An employee-led committee oversees a comprehensive program to create a welcoming and inclusive culture.  With many initiatives in process, a primary focus of the program is engagement through awareness and education. Since 2020, nearly all EA employees have attended mandatory DEI Foundations training, a 4-hour interactive course. These sessions continue quarterly for all new hires. Separately, EA’s most senior managers completed one-on-one DEI-focused training with an outside consultant. Optional events, called Open Hours, are held every other month as a forum to learn about and discuss specific DEI topics. Subjects have included unconscious bias, ally-ship, microaggressions, inclusive leadership, intergenerational challenges, homophily, and DEI in fieldwork. More than half of the EA team has attended at least one Open Hour each year, with regular participation ranging from 15% to 25% of total staff. The committee also launched Reflections, a companywide email campaign through which employees share what are often very personal DEI stories.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

GEI Consultants, Inc. for adding “Equity” to its Diversity, Equity + Inclusion (DE+I) Committee in 2022.  Since 2021, GEI’s DE+I Committee has focused on four areas: Educate, Speak Up! Take Action, and Engage Allies, with voluntary attendance reaching approximately 50% of the staff through at least one DE+I education/engagement event. The Committee provided staff with education and resources throughout 2022, in addition to expanding GEI’s partnership with the National Society of Black Engineers, establishing a new partnership with Thrive Scholars to help support the STEM student pipeline, and launching GEI’s first company-wide employee resource group, GEI X2, to support women staff. GEI’s initiatives in 2023 include expanding supply chain diversity and developing a more diverse pool for the recruitment of entry-level employees. GEI believes the entire AEC industry needs to work together to achieve DE+I goals.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Stantec for signing the Declaration of Amsterdam for LGBTIQ+ Inclusion at Work, a document developed by Workplace Pride, a non-profit organization with corporate advisors dedicated to LGBTIQ+ inclusion in the workplace through awareness, measurement, research, training, and network building. Stantec is the 39th international organization to sign the Declaration of Amsterdam, joining IBM, PwC, Shell, Microsoft, and others to commit to a safe and inclusive corporate culture. The Declaration of Amsterdam encourages: Inclusive corporate culture, working environments for LGBTIQ+ people that go beyond minimum legal requirements of equality; leadership from heterosexual allies and LGBTIQ+ role models who visibly support LGBTIQ+ inclusive workplaces; and dedicated, declared, and active collaboration between employers and LGBTIQ+ employees to realize mutually beneficial improvements. In addition, Stantec formalized a Global Pride Committee, a new addition to the company’s Inclusion and Diversity Council. 

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

In April 2022, SWCA launched a companywide Future of Work workforce model that emphasizes flexibility, adaptability, and equitable support and development for all employees. We offered flexible workplace arrangements for years, but the pandemic emboldened us to formalize the model. As a 100% employee-owned firm, SWCA is committed to our vision of being the best workplace, fostering community through people-focused programs. Our workforce model provides employees with clear choices, defined expectations, and ongoing support around four established work categories: distributed, hybrid, hub, and mobile. SWCA’s multidisciplinary Future of Work task force brought the perspectives of leaders and employees together by gathering input through listening, exploratory conversations, and employee surveys. The team also developed a comprehensive intranet section packed with resources (many built in-house) in an easy-to-use format for a smooth transition and long-term success.  SWCA’s spring 2022 engagement survey reported that 93% of employees were satisfied with the approach to the Future of Work model. A check-in questionnaire six months after the model launched yielded an overall 4.27 out of 5 employee satisfaction score. Formalizing our flexible workforce model enables SWCA to hire the best people, regardless of location, and do our best work while growing the company’s nationwide presence.

 

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Ecosystem Restoration

Stantec for being named a partner in the United Nations (UN) Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which runs from 2021 through 2030. This global compact, signed by 70-plus countries, aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems around the world and also plays a critical role in achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Stantec is the first design and engineering firm to be named an “actor” partner by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration team. Actor partners are private sector entities that develop restoration programs and advise, support or facilitate restoration activities on the ground. Stantec’s ecosystem restoration team works with clients to reduce their carbon footprint by restoring forests and wetlands that sequester carbon, improve coastal resiliency through the restoration of estuaries and coastal wetlands, meet corporate sustainability goals through nature-based solutions, restore prairies and forests to create pollinator habitat, and meet mitigation needs and improve water quality and aquatic environments by restoring streams and wetlands. 

 

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Infrastructure

GHD for industry leadership with their support of professional societies that are working to advance the profession.  GHD is an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Industry partner, which actively  participates in local, state and federal activities, codes and standards, technical activities and committees, pre-college outreach, conferences and public policy.  ASCE was instrumental in the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) through its public advocacy and its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.  The 2021 Report Card paved the way for a large role in providing language and illustrative examples to develop the BIL, as ASCE and with coalition partners such as United for Infrastructure and the U.S. Alliance for Water.  GHD recognized the opportunity to play a critical role in the advancement of our industry and America’s infrastructure by supporting their U.S. Infrastructure Market Leader, Maria Lehman, P.E., NAC, ENV SP, F.ASCE as the newly appointed ASCE International President.  This support and public advocacy resulted in Lehman being named as the Vice Chair of the President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council. With this critical appointment, both GHD and ASCE have a voice on how infrastructure implementation will occur, ensuring that not only are projects done right, but that the right projects are advanced, reinforcing the critical role that GHD and the consulting and engineering industry will play in America’s future.”

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Infrastructure

AECOM for bringing ESG principles to Chinese road construction. Guizhou Zhengxi Expressway Project invested and constructed by China State Construction International Holdings Limited integrated ESG principles into the whole process of planning, design, construction and operation. The project adopted holistic mitigation measures to minimize impact to the vulnerable local environment and biodiversity, including 64% of bridge & tunnel ratio, environmentally-sensitive route selection, building 14 flyovers and 45 biological corridors, 100% reuse of construction waste topsoil and afforestation activities to offset GHG emissions. The project realized massive social benefits by local employment, poverty-eradication, and risk management, which shortened the original travel distance from 10 hours to only 1.5 hours and created 20,000 job opportunities for the local community, greatly stimulating local economic growth. Moreover, the project achieved zero fatality during construction by adopting ESG risks management mechanisms.  AECOM innovatively expanded the ESG service scope from corporate level to project level and compiled the world’s first ESG report published by an expressway construction project. The Project became a real asset for the road industry, leading the way in innovation and sustainability. With the above mentioned work, the project was recognized by the International Road Federation and won the environmental mitigation category of the 2022 Global Road Achievement Awards.”

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: Mental Health

Jacobs for continued leadership in mental health. Mental health remains one of the leading causes of death and disability across the world, however as a society we often fail to address it or invest in preventing it. To help end this global pandemic and change our societal approach to mental health, Jacobs, in collaboration with mental health professionals, launched One Million Lives (OML), a free web-based mental health check-in tool to help users assess their current state of mind and provide proactive strategies for mental health growth. Open to everyone, the tool is multilingual, digitally accessible and 100% confidential. The goal of OML is to create a ripple effect across the globe, where over one million people are inspired to complete a mental health check-in, reducing the stigma, raising awareness, and leading to lasting global action on mental health. On October 10, which is World Mental Health Day, Jacobs led a global coalition of over 40 industry-leading companies in the “World’s Biggest Mental Health Check-In,” a day of action for positive mental health resulting in 17,600 mental health check-ins. To date, the OML campaign has provided over 36,500 check-ins, with one in three users from outside of Jacobs, and generated over 12 million impressions on social media.

INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP: PFAS

AECOM for funding PFAS innovation and collaboration. AECOM performed a voluntary PFAS evaluation of municipal wastewater influent, effluent, and biosolids with nationwide US participation. Study results were compared against a statewide study we previously performed in Michigan, and a California study. AECOM publicly shared compiled results: measurable PFAS typically increase during treatment (precursors are oxidized), and effluent has higher short chain concentrations and biosolids higher long chain concentrations. Future biosolids treatments remain uncertain, but our focus is on the continued beneficial reuse for agriculture or energy. AECOM self-funded a study of PFAS uptake in plants pursuant to understanding PFAS behavior in plants and soil. We started with controlled single-species growth, finding PFAS accumulation on leaf surfaces and within tissues. Results were shared at the 2022 Battelle conference; additional studies are planned. Research by Peter Jaffe observed that Feammox bacteria, which are naturally occurring in some seeps and soils, can cleave the C-F bond. AECOM sampled PFAS-containing seeps along the banks of a river to characterize the microbial populations and other Feammox indicators. Results will be shared at Battelle 2023.”

 

50-YEAR RECOGNITION AWARDS

 

50 YEAR: EA Engineering, Science, and Technology

EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC (EA) for growing its team of employee-owners to more than 600 professionals in 2022 and operating out of 27 offices across the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. In its 50 years of operation, EA has completed more than 100,000 environmental projects and performed more than $3 billion of services worldwide. EA was founded in 1973, by the late Dr. Loren Jensen who established Ecological Analysts, Inc. as a small part-time venture in Baltimore. The original staff consisted of fisheries biologists helping electrical utilities achieve compliance with new environmental regulations. Today, EA provides a broad range of environmental science and engineering solutions to a diverse customer base. As a public benefit corporation (PBC) the firm produces tangible public benefits while operating in a responsible and sustainable manner. EA maintains a robust corporate social responsibility program and PBC pillars focused on advancing the state of practice in the environmental profession through research and development, extensive industry association engagement, and investments in professional development, as well as community support through volunteerism and charitable giving. 

 

50 YEAR: TRC

TRC for expanding to nearly 7,000 employees across 140 offices worldwide and generating more than $1 billion in revenue in 2022. Incorporated in Connecticut in 1969, TRC has spent half a century providing cutting edge professional services in the engineering and consulting realm. From humble beginnings as The Research Corporation of New England, a meteorological and air quality analysis firm, TRC quickly expanded into the power and infrastructure markets and serves as an environmentally focused and digitally powered consulting firm focused on #ProjectsWithPurpose and making the world a better place. While growing organically, TRC has also acquired brands to expand its environmental offerings including RMT, The Payne Firm and Lockheed Martin’s Distributed Energy Solutions Business division. For more than 50 years, we have set the bar for clients who require consulting, construction, engineering, and management services, combining science with the latest technology to devise solutions that stand the test of time. Landmark projects include managing the monitoring program at the Love Canal and designing and engineering the Pentagon Solar Farm.

 

EBJ Lifetime Business Achievement Awards

 

Gary M. DeJidas, PE, MBA, F. GBA, Chairman and CEO, GAI Consultants Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Gary DeJidas began his career with GAI as a civil engineer in the Pittsburgh office in 1972. In 1982, Gary opened GAI’s first branch office in Orlando, Fla. With Gary as President, the subsidiary, GAI Southeast, Inc., grew to more than 100 professionals in Orlando and Jacksonville. When GAI consolidated its operating companies in 2003, Gary was elected Chairman of the company Board of Directors and President/CEO of the newly formed GAI Consultants, Inc. Under his leadership, GAI experienced consistent growth, geographic expansion, and fiscal success. In 2017, consistent with GAI’s succession planning strategy, Gary transitioned from President and CEO to Chairman and CEO. Following a recent strategic investment in GAI by Comvest, Gary continues to lead the company alongside GAI’s existing leadership team. GAI is a national engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firm that serves energy, transportation, development, government, and industrial clients. GAI serves global companies, local firms, and large government agencies from 24 locations across the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Southeast, and Texas. GAI ranked #156 on EBJ’s list of top 600 environmental C&E firms in the U.S. with $32 million in 2021 C&E revenues out of total gross of $130 million.

 

Arthur N. Mabbett, PE, QEP, RS, CSP, CHCM, DAAS, Chairman & CEO, Mabbett & Associates, Inc., Medford, MA

Arthur is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mabbett & Associates, Inc. with direct responsibility for overall company management, strategic planning, financial and general administration. Mabbett was established in Massachusetts in 1980. Mabbett has four offices along the eastern seaboard as a recognized small business and award-winning provider of environmental consulting, health and safety, and architectural/engineering design services to Federal, state and local agencies, and private commercial, institutional and industrial clients. Arthur also serves as a Senior Project Manager and project team member for EH&S technical input, as required. As an Environmental Scientist and Engineer, Arthur has over 50 years of experience in the fields of environmental auditing and permitting, industrial waste management, site assessment and restoration, pollution prevention, environmental pollution control, and occupational safety and health. Prior to establishing his own firm in 1980, he was an Associate and founded the Health and Environment Group of a Cambridge based architectural-engineering firm, and also served as an Environmental Sciences Officer/Consultant at the US Army Environmental Hygiene Agency, the US Army Academy of Health Sciences and the US Army Hawaii/Tripler Army Medical Center. As a Major in the US Army Reserve, Arthur served as a Special Assistant for Occupational and Environmental Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC. Mabbett founded a UK firm Mabbett & Associates Ltd. that grew to a staff of 115 and revenues to £7,900,000 in 2022 and sold his stake in Mabbett & Associates Ltd. to a private equity firm in 2022.

 

Earth Science Pioneer

Eliot Cooper, Vice President of Technology at Cascade Environmental, has served the environmental services industry for more than 30 years. During his career, he has driven remediation technology development, optimized approaches for existing technologies, and become a renowned industry educator on a range of remediation topics. Cooper earned a MS in Civil Engineering and was in the first graduating class of environmental engineers funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He served at the EPA for many years in air pollution and hazardous waste management programs. When Cooper moved to the private sector, he led the remediation divisions of several companies before joining Cascade. Cooper is known for his expertise in both remediation injection operations and chemistry know-how. He recognized the value of high resolution site characterization early on and how it benefited remediation injection—now considered an intrinsically integrated part of the industry. Cooper remains the driving force behind Cascade Chemistries, a line of next-generation amendments designed for the toughest contaminants. He also designed the Pathfinder™, the first fully-automated injection system. Cooper invests in educational opportunities for environmental consultants, moderating an active LinkedIn group about PFAS and presenting a robust schedule of webinars.