EBI News for October 18, 2023 – EA awarded natural resources contract in Montana
EBI News for October 18, 2023 – The following news section contains the latest stories for the environmental industry. Including, EA awarded natural resources contract in Montana, acquisitions, and more!
EA awarded natural resources contract in Montana
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has selected EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc. PBC (EA, Hunt Valley, Md.) to provide natural resource evaluations and studies under a multi-year contract. The agreement’s initial term extends through December 2025 with the option of five additional one-year extensions. “Although this is EA’s first contract with MDT, we have provided environmental remediation and natural resources services throughout the state,” said Jennifer Martin Bouchard, EA’s northwest operations manager. “This award is reflective of that experience combined with our strong regional team of engineers and scientists, including employees in our Helena office, who are focused on natural resources assessments, planning studies, and mitigation.”
Terracon announces key environmental services appointment
Employee-owned Terracon (Omaha, Neb.), a national consulting engineering firm, announced a strategic organizational change to support client service, innovation, and project delivery. Mike Hagemeister has been promoted to environmental service line director in charge of Terracon’s growing environmental business, leading a team of over 1,200 environmental professionals. In nearly 30 years with Terracon, Hagemeister has held several roles; prior to his current position, he was responsible for leading environmental consulting across the central United States. Recently, Terracon’s environmental service line professionals have handled multiple portfolios of planning and permitting with NEPA compliance for utility-scale solar facilities totaling more than 100,000 acres, in addition to on-call environmental justice support for an energy client. “There are excellent opportunities for growth in the environmental field with projections of continued opportunities over the next 5 years,” Terracon reported. “As an example, we have seen a year to date growth of environmental services in our renewable energy sector of over 30%.”
Carollo launches two new practices
Carollo Engineers (Walnut Creek, Calif.), a water engineering and consulting firm, has launched two technical practices dedicated to helping public utilities and private organizations achieve greater resilience and sustainable water supplies. Carollo’s Resilience and Sustainability Practice will navigate issues ranging from climate change mitigation to infrastructure vulnerabilities and safeguarding the delivery of reliable water and wastewater services. Carollo’s Water Resources Practice embraces a One Water approach and focuses on water supply planning, groundwater and surface water management, in addition to watershed and ecosystem management. “Now more than ever, our clients are confronting unique and emerging challenges that require forward-thinking approaches and long-term solutions,” said Vincent Hart, Carollo’s managing director of technical practices.
HDR awarded remediation patent
A remediation method developed by employee-owned HDR (Omaha, Neb.) that removes and reclaims dissolved solids from groundwater has been awarded a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The method, which benefits both power and industrial entities, has the potential to be cost effective and more efficient than traditional options and may offset implementation costs with resource recovery, HDR said. Using a wicking well concept, the method targets dissolved metals and other ionic elements such as arsenic, boron, lithium and selenium by capturing them in a capillary media as the groundwater evaporates. Dissolved solids and other contaminants are removed and concentrated on the media where useful resources can be recovered and sold.
Inwood Consulting joins Ardurra Group
Inwood Consulting Engineers Inc. (Orlando, Fla.), a 75-person transportation and water firm, has joined Ardurra Group (Tampa, Fla.), a multidisciplinary consulting and engineering firm with offices nationally. Founded in 1995, Inwood provides services throughout the state of Florida in ecology, water resources, utilities, planning and transportation. “We look forward to the significant growth opportunities that can be unlocked in Florida under the two businesses’ combined expertise and experience,” said Ardurra’s President & CEO Ernesto Aguilar. Littlejohn & Co. LLC and company management acquired Ardurra from RTC Partners in February 2023.
SK Capital acquires Milestone Environmental
SK Capital Partners has completed the acquisition of Milestone Environmental Services LLC (Houston), an environmental services and carbon management company, from Amberjack Capital Partners. SK Capital has taken a controlling stake in partnership with Milestone’s President and CEO Gabriel Rio, who will continue in his role and retain significant ownership. According to SK Capital, Milestone has become the one of the largest independent providers of waste management services and is an emerging leader in permanent carbon sequestration for the U.S. energy and industrial sectors. Milestone’s subsidiary Milestone Carbon is focused on developing and operating injection sites that permanently sequester CO2, and has several projects under development.
AECOM helps secure WIFIA funding for U.S. water projects
AECOM (Dallas) is partnering with clients across the United States to leverage the latest $7.5 billion in Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) funding. The company’s current WIFIA-funded client work includes drinking water, drought and hazard resilience, and wastewater projects. AECOM’s WIFIA-funded projects include upgrading and replacing aging water infrastructure for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority; working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission on its Wastewater Capital Improvement Program; and supporting the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank in modernizing wastewater and drinking water systems in New Jersey.
Aspect Ecology joins APEM
APEM Group (Stockport, UK) announced expanding its terrestrial ecology capabilities with the acquisition of Aspect Ecology (Banbury, UK). This is APEM’s sixth acquisition since 2021 with backing from private equity firm WestBridge. Aspect Ecology is known for services in planning applications and development. The acquisition is expected to deepen APEM’s access to the commercial development infrastructure sector with a particular focus on biodiversity net gain services. With employees in the UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany and the United States, the APEM Group is an environmental consultancy providing digital aerial wildlife surveys and specialist marine, freshwater, terrestrial ecology and geospatial services. Aspect Ecology takes APEM’s headcount past the 600 mark, according to Consultancy.uk.
Albemarle and Caterpillar collaborate on sustainable mining
Albemarle Corporation (Charlotte. N.C.) has agreed to work with Caterpillar Inc. (Irving, Texas) on full circular battery value chains and sustainable mining operations. The collaboration will support Albemarle’s efforts to establish Kings Mountain, N.C. as the first zero-emissions lithium mine site in North America. Efforts include next-generation battery-powered mining equipment. Albemarle’s North American produced lithium will be available for use in Caterpillar battery production. The two companies will also explore battery cell technology and recycling techniques. The announcement comes on the heels of Albemarle’s award of $90 million from the Department of Defense to support the expansion of domestic mining and production of lithium for the nation’s battery supply chain.
Honeywell and Granbio aim to decarbonize air travel
Honeywell (Des Plaines, Ill.) and GranBio Technologies (Thomaston, Ga.) have announced that they will combine Honeywell’s ethanol to jet (ETJ) technology with GranBio’s cellulosic ethanol AVAP technology to produce carbon neutral sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from biomass residues at GranBio’s U.S. demonstration plant. GranBio’s patented AVAP process converts biomass, including forest and agricultural residues, to pure low-cost, low-carbon-intensity sugars, lignin, and nanocellulose. Cellulosic sugars are converted to SAF through Honeywell’s ETJ technology and to biochemicals through a separate process.
Blue Wolf Capital to buy Logistec
Blue Wolf Capital Partners, in partnership with Stonepeak, is buying Logistec Corp. (Quebec, Canada) in an acquisition that values the company at about $1.2 billion. Logistec provides specialized cargo handling services in 60 ports and 90 terminals in North America. It also has an environmental services business focused on rehabilitating water infrastructure and remediating soil. Blue Wolf’s business plan includes future investment of more than $200 million in capital expenditures and growth initiatives.
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