EBI News for March 26, 2025 – Jacobs pioneers wildlife overpass in California
EBI News for March 26, 2025 – The following news section contains the latest stories for the environmental industry. Including, Jacobs pioneers wildlife overpass in California, acquisitions, and more!
Jacobs pioneers wildlife overpass in California
Jacobs (Dallas) has posted details of its role in the first ever wildlife overpass in California, created as part of the Clinton Keith Road Extension Project. Jacobs led planning, design and construction of the six-lane urban arterial highway extension that integrates bike lanes and sidewalks in addition to the wildlife overpass. The overpass enhances habitat connectivity and road safety along a three-mile stretch in Riverside County and also includes multiple wildlife underpasses, culverts, skylights, and custom fencing. “California’s first wildlife overpass demonstrates how we can meet critical infrastructure needs without compromising environmental preservation,” noted Jacobs Project Manager Alicia Cannon.
Willdan acquires Alternative Power Generation
Willdan Group Inc. (Anheim, Calif.) has acquired Alternative Power Generation Inc. (APG, Elmhurst, Ill.), an electrical engineering and construction management firm, in a stock purchase. APG adds expertise in data center substation design and construction management, microgrids, EV charging stations, and renewable energy projects for the commercial sector. This expertise strengthens Willdan’s position in electrical engineering and enhances its capabilities in the energy transition. In 2024, APG generated approximately $37 million in revenues. Terms were not disclosed.
Utilities rush to embrace AI
ICF (Reston, Va.) has released a report based on its latest survey of utility program leaders on the state of customer programs. The new survey reveals that utilities are racing to modernize customer programs to keep pace with load growth, aging infrastructure, and emerging technologies. Key findings include: 65% of utility program leaders view leveraging AI as a game changer; 100% of respondents use AI for at least one aspect of their customer programs; and 98% said that developing energy efficiency programs has become essential to stay ahead of rising energy costs and improve grid security. “Acting on these findings, we can create personalized campaigns based on data and behavioral science to encourage customers to act and help utilities improve their programs during this challenging period,” said Anne Choate, ICF executive vice president for energy, environment and infrastructure.
Heritage Environmental rebrands as Arcwood
Industrial waste management firm Heritage Environmental Services (Indianapolis, Ind.) has rebranded as Arcwood Environmental following the company’s acquisition by EQT Infrastructure in January 2024. Arcwood Environmental’s transformation includes expanded service capabilities such as the ramp-up of its Orange, Texas incinerator for hazardous materials and the integration of its Joplin, Mo. facility, which specializes in demilitarization and energetic waste disposal. “Arcwood Environmental is scaling up, innovating, and leading the way in sustainable industrial waste management,” said CEO HP Nanda.
Verde cuts carbon emissions by 46% in road construction
Verde Resources Inc. (St. Louis, Mo.) announced preliminary findings from the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT) revealing the “transformative impact” of its TerraZyme technology in road construction. The life cycle assessment of Verde’s S-11 cross-section at the NCAT Test Track demonstrated significant advancements. Compared to a conventional method also installed on the track, TerraZyme reduced overall carbon emissions by 46%, cut Portland cement use by 60%, and completely eliminated hydrated lime. “This enzyme technology has been incredibly impressive not only in reducing carbon-intensive materials, but also in overall emissions reduction and performance,” said Nathan Moore, NCAT’s lead for the test track program. “TerraZyme is shaping up to be a game-changer in the road construction industry.”
Arvia launches PFAS destruction solution
Water treatment company Arvia Technology (Runcorn, UK) announced the launch of Florenox, a range of electrochemical oxidation reactors designed to destroy per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from concentrates. At the heart of Florenox is Nyex.3, a patent-pending advanced inert electrode material that promotes the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals capable of breaking the carbon-fluorine bond in PFAS. Unlike comparative technologies, Nyex.3 is fluoride resistant, offering a significant increase in lifespan for each unit. The 3D nature of the Nyex.3 electrodes is also unique to Florenox, offering a larger surface area for the mass transfer of PFAS, making the technology particularly effective at treating to parts per million (ppm) levels, including in concentrates from foam fractionation processes, leachates, and water containing aqueous film-forming foam.
How higher Indian economic growth could impact global energy markets
India is set to become a major player in the global energy market with a unique growth path featuring lower energy intensity, a diverse energy mix, and increased commodity imports, according to Wood Mackenzie’s latest Horizons report.
Unlike China’s energy-intensive boom in the early 2000s, India’s growth is expected to be more balanced, with a focus on high-value manufacturing and renewable energy. “While energy demand will surge, India’s industrial sector is less energy-intensive, and the country is better positioned to adopt efficient, low-carbon technologies compared to China in the 2000s,” said Yanting Zhou, principal economist at Wood Mackenzie. This unique trajectory could accelerate India’s transition to a low-carbon economy, potentially enabling the nation to achieve its net-zero emissions goal ahead of the 2070 target.
Tetra Tech wins stormwater management contract in UK
Tetra Tech Inc. (Pasadena, Calif.) has been selected by United Utilities for a multiple-award contract to manage flooding and control stormwater overflows in the United Kingdom. Under the five-year contract, Tetra Tech will provide comprehensive technical support to design innovative solutions using predictive models to maximize the use of existing and future wastewater network capacity and incorporate nature-based solutions to optimize stormwater requirements. Tetra Tech’s water resources engineers will use its proprietary software tools, Plato and Socrates, to generate scenarios for stormwater storage and water quality assessments and optimize solutions for capital investment and future planning cycles.
Republic Services and Blue Polymers open plastics recycling complex
Waste management company Republic Services Inc. (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Blue Polymers LLC (Indianapolis, Ind.) announced the opening of North America’s first Polymer Center and Blue Polymers plastics recycling complex. The facilities are designed to work together to produce more than 175 million pounds annually of recycled plastics for use in food-grade packaging and other applications. The Polymer Center is owned and operated by Republic Services, and Republic is a joint-venture partner in Blue Polymers along with Ravago, a global polymer recycling and distribution company. The Polymer Center will process recycled plastics collected from homes and businesses in Indiana and nearby states. Republic Services and Blue Polymers are developing a network of plastics recycling facilities to provide nationwide coverage.
Amazon launches carbon credit service
Amazon (Seattle, Wash.) has started selling carbon credits to its suppliers, business customers and other Climate Pledge signatories that can be used to offset their carbon emissions. Carbon credits are available through Amazon’s Sustainability Exchange, which was launched in 2024 to focus on the best decarbonization solutions for companies of all sizes. Credits will only be available to companies that have set a net-zero carbon emissions target covering Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3; measure and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis; and commit to implementing decarbonization strategies in line with the latest climate science.
Only 17% of global cities meet WHO air pollution guideline
IQAir (Steinach, Switzerland) has released its 7th annual World Air Quality Report highlighting the world’s most polluted places in 2024. Only seven countries met the WHO annual average PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m3: Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Estonia, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand. The five most polluted countries in 2024 were Chad at more than 18 times the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline, followed by Bangladesh, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and India. Only 17% of global cities met the guideline. The most polluted major city in the United States was Los Angeles and the cleanest was Seattle, while out of all U.S. cities, Ontario, Calif. was reported to be the most polluted last year. IQAir’s air quality scientists analyzed data from more than 40,000 air-quality monitoring stations at 8,954 locations worldwide.
CPH Consulting acquires Mittauer & Associates
Architecture and engineering firm CPH Consulting LLC (Sanford, Fla.) has acquired Mittauer & Associates Inc. (Orange Park, Fla.), an engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater, civil, structural engineering, and grant funding. This strategic acquisition strengthens CPH’s capabilities in municipal and utility infrastructure while enhancing its ability to assist clients in securing state and federal project funding. Mittauer & Associates gains access to CPH’s multidisciplinary resources and national network, enhancing its ability to take on larger, more complex projects.
Founded in 1981, CPH currently employs more than 420 professionals across 17 office locations. The acquisition expands CPH’s water practice to over 100 individuals dedicated to water and wastewater infrastructure in Florida.
UN proclaims World Day for Glaciers
The United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation and established March 21 as the annual World Day for Glaciers, highlighting the risks of accelerating glacier melt for economies, ecosystems and communities globally. According to the World Meteorological Organization, five of the past six years have witnessed the most rapid glacier retreat on record. The World Glacier Monitoring Service estimates that glaciers (separate from the continental ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica) have lost a total of more than 9,000 billion tons since records began in 1975, equivalent to a block of ice the size of Germany and with a thickness of 25 meters. Together with ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, glaciers lock up about 70% of the world’s freshwater reserves; more than 2 billion people depend on glacier and snowmelt as a source of fresh water.
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