EBI News for August 14, 2024 – SCS Engineers engaged for new Florida landfill

EBI News for August 14, 2024 – The following news section contains the latest stories for the environmental industry. Including, SCS Engineers engaged for new Florida landfill, acquisitions, and more!

WSP to acquire Power Engineers 

WSP (Montreal, Canada) has agreed to acquire Power Engineers (Hailey, Idaho), a pure-play engineering consulting firm in the power and energy (P&E) sector, for US$1.78 billion in cash. Power Engineers has 4,000 employees, including 900 shareholders, and serves prominent power utilities in North America. Power Engineers is expected to complement WSP’s three core sectors:  Transport & Infrastructure, Property & Buildings, and Earth & Environment; it will also create extensive cross-selling opportunities. With over a decade of double-digit organic growth, Power Engineers generated revenues of approximately US$837.8 million in 2023 and will bolster WSP’s U.S. footprint, with P&E anticipated to represent 20% of WSP’s pro forma revenues in the United States. “The acquisition will mark a transformative step that will position us at the forefront of the energy transition,” said Alexandre L’Heureux, president and chief executive officer of WSP. To finance the deal, WSP has secured a $500 million bought deal public offering and $500 million in private placements. 

 

SCS Engineers engaged for new Florida landfill

Volusia County in Florida has approved a contract with SCS Engineers (Long Beach, Calif.) to develop a new 271-acre Class I landfill. The landfill is part of the County’s long-term plan to meet its Class I sanitary solid waste disposal needs for over a century. The Public Works department will oversee the project, and SCS Engineers will provide engineering services, including developing a solid waste permit application package for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The firm will also design the landfill gas collection and capture system, supporting infrastructure, geotechnical needs, and leachate collection to protect groundwater and soil. 

 

AECOM reports Q3 fiscal 2024 highlights

AECOM (Dallas) reported revenue increased 13% to $4.2 billion in the third quarter fiscal 2024, with net service revenue up by 8% to a record high driven by growth across all of the company’s largest end markets. In the Americas business segment, revenue in the third quarter was $3.2 billion and net service revenue was $1.1 billion, an 8% increase from the prior year. AECOM’s win rate remains at a record high, and its pipeline of larger $25-plus million pursuits with decisions expected in fiscal 2025 was approximately 70% higher compared to this time last year. During an earnings call, Chief Executive Officer Troy Rudd noted that AECOM’s focus on high value market opportunities includes the energy transition: “Nearly every aspect of our business will be touched in one form or another by this long-term secular growth opportunity,” said Rudd. “Another great example is digital consulting. Our investments are growing rapidly for our infrastructure clients. Our revenue in this market has increased by 70% year to date, and we estimate this to be a $50-billion addressable opportunity for AECOM over the next decade.”

EnviroServe expands into New England

EnviroServe Inc. (Salt Lake City, Utah), a national provider of environmental and waste management services, announced the acquisition of Environmental Projects Inc. (Auburn, Maine). The addition of EPI establishes EnviroServe’s strategic presence in New England. Founded in 1999, EPI is a leading hazardous waste removal and spill response contractor in Maine offering disposal, remediation, and monitoring amongst its services. EnviroServe is a portfolio company of One Rock Capital Partners.

 

ICF reports strong demand from utility clients in Q2

ICF (Reston, Va.) reported second quarter 2024 total revenue of $512 million, a 2.4% increase from the second quarter of 2023 and up 6.2% excluding divestitures. Revenues from ICF’s Energy, Environment, Infrastructure and Disaster Recovery client market increased 14% to account for 45% of ICF’s second quarter revenues compared to its 41% contribution to last year’s second quarter. “Similar to the first quarter, our second quarter results were led by robust growth in higher-margin revenues from commercial energy clients,” said John Wasson, chair and chief executive officer. “We experienced especially strong demand from our utility clients for ICF’s core energy efficiency programs as well as our expanded offerings in priority areas including grid resilience, electrification, decarbonization and flexible load management, all of which are particularly relevant given the growth in data center demand.”

 

Carollo and WRF publish PFAS research

Carollo Engineers (Walnut Creek, Calif.), in partnership with The Water Research Foundation (WRF), announced the completion of Project #5082, a pioneering study providing water utilities with practical, cost-effective strategies for evaluating and mitigating sources of PFAS contamination. The published study offers utilities a step-by-step guide to identifying PFAS sources, including recommendations for sampling and analysis, in addition to providing guidance on preventing PFAS from entering or transferring between systems. The study also includes insights for setting national policy priorities on PFAS. According to Carollo, while addressing industrial sources of PFAS before they enter our water systems is essential, everyday consumer product use is the dominant contributor of PFAS to water and wastewater systems on a total mass basis: Leaky landfills are the most common source of PFAS contamination in groundwater; PFAS from domestic sources contribute more mass to wastewater systems than industrial sources; and passing through wastewater systems is the predominant pathway for PFAS to enter surface waters.

 

WSP delivers strong Q2 2024 results 

WSP (Montreal, Canada) reported revenues and net revenues for the second quarter ended June 29, 2024 of $3.93 billion and $2.99 billion, up 8.5% and 9.1%, respectively, compared to the second quarter of 2023. Net revenue organic growth of 8% in the quarter was attributable to all reportable segments, led by the United States, Canada, the UK and New Zealand. “Our teams delivered a strong second quarter, once again led by robust organic growth and increased profitability to close out a successful first half. We expanded our margins as our internal initiatives continue to bear fruit, and demand for our expert services remains robust, driven by sustained momentum in key regions,“ said Alexandre L’Heureux, WSP’s president and chief executive officer.

 

Report names market leaders in environmental services

Global spending on environmental services is projected to reach $54 billion by 2029 as organizations strive to mitigate environmental risks and accelerate sustainable transformation, according to a new Verdantix benchmark report. Evaluating nine prominent environmental service providers, the report concludes that three firms – Arcadis, ERM and WSP – demonstrate the most comprehensive environmental services capabilities. According to the report, clients are prioritizing environmental services firms with “subject-matter expertise, a track record of project delivery at scale, and a commitment to leveraging a range of techniques and technology to deliver a maximum return on investment.” Digital innovation is a key differentiator, and firms are also strengthening their consulting capabilities and geographic reach through strategic acquisitions, such as the 2024 acquisition by AECOM of Sustainable Engineering Group and ALL4 acquiring Laragon.

 

SLR acquires Cumberland Ecology

SLR (London, UK) has acquired Cumberland Ecology (Sydney, Australia), enhancing SLR’s Ecology and Biodiversity capabilities and strengthening its services related to natural capital. Cumberland Ecology has more than 22 ecologists, biologists, zoologists and GIS specialists who provide expertise in environmental assessment and management. The team is located across New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia and has broad project experience in the energy, infrastructure, built environment and mining sectors. The Cumberland Ecology team will diversify SLR’s aquatic, marine and terrestrial ecology and biodiversity capabilities across the APAC region.

 

Dragonflies reveal insights into mercury pollution

A new study has unveiled surprising findings about mercury pollution: where it comes from and how it moves through the environment varies significantly depending on the ecosystem. The study used the Dragonfly Mercury Project, led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Park Service and other organizations, working with the public to collect dragonfly larvae for mercury analysis. Samples were collected from more than 150 national parks and analyzed using a state-of-the-art instrument capable of detecting different types of mercury in dragonfly larvae. According to USGS, the chemical signature of mercury from different sources is as unique as a fingerprint and can be used to reveal how mercury reached the area. While previous studies have focused on measuring mercury levels in fish and birds, dragonfly larvae are a more cost-effective, accessible and widespread accurate indicator of mercury contamination. As larvae, dragonflies are found in nearly every aquatic habitat, including areas where fish are rare, such as deserts. “These groundbreaking findings have reshaped our understanding of mercury delivery within protected lands, particularly in dry ecosystems,” said Sarah Janssen, USGS scientist and lead author. Study results “have the potential to change how mercury is monitored and managed at a global scale.” 

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