EBI News for September 23, 2026 – Onterris awarded C$9 million environmental services contract

Onterris awarded C$9 million environmental services contract

Onterris (Little Rock, Ark.), formerly Montrose Environmental Group, announced a contract win worth more than C$9 million from a leading Canadian energy infrastructure company to provide environmental services during construction of a C$3 billion natural gas transmission project. Onterris previously supported the project’s front-end engineering design phases; this latest award extends the company’s environmental role into construction and reclamation. Services include support for wildlife protection, aquatic habitat monitoring, nesting and migratory bird compliance, amphibian breeding programs, wetlands protection, and other aspects of natural resources management. According to Onterris, its integrated digital management platform—including enterprise GIS technologies, cloud-based field data collection, and interactive dashboards—is a key differentiator on the project.

Imperial Capital sells Integral Consulting to Audax Private Equity

Imperial Capital Group announced that it has completed the sale of Integral Consulting (Boulder, Colo.) to Audax Private Equity. Integral is an environmental science and engineering consulting firm that works in coastal and climate resilience, ecological sciences, natural resource management, litigation support, site remediation, permitting and planning, and toxicology and health sciences. Integral’s management team and broader employee base have retained a meaningful ownership stake in the business. Integral has completed four strategic acquisitions since partnering with Imperial Capital in 2022, including Heritage Environmental Consultants, the ecological consulting firm H. T. Harvey & Associates, and PennJersey Environmental Consulting in site assessment and remediation. 

Salas O’Brien welcomes Coleman Engineering

Salas O’Brien (Irvine, Calif.) announced that Coleman Engineering (Roseville, Calif.) has joined the company, deepening its water and wastewater design capabilities. For over 15 years, Coleman Engineering has provided specialized services to ensure water and wastewater resiliency. The company has public and private sector experience with pump stations, storage tanks, treatment facilities, utility operations, and water, sewer, and recycled water systems. The merger reflects Salas O’Brien’s strategy of “uniting with specialized firms that share its commitment to technical excellence, local relationships, and meaningful community impact.”

Weston Solutions announces planned CEO transition 

Weston Solutions Inc. (West Chester, Pa.), a 100% employee-owned environmental and infrastructure services firm, has announced a planned leadership transition. After 44 years of service with the company, Chief Executive Officer Lawrence J. Bove will retire at the end of the year. Kara Fields will assume the additional role of Chief Executive Officer in January 2027, becoming the first female CEO in Weston’s history. This follows her appointment by the Board of Directors as President in January 2026. Fields has been with Weston since 2001 and currently serves as President and Chief Operating Officer. During Bove’s leadership as CEO, Weston achieved several consecutive years of record profitability, enabling significant investment in leadership development and a full corporate capital restructuring that made Weston 100% owned by its active employees. Bove will remain as a senior consultant to the company during 2027.

GEI awarded feasibility study for coastal wetland restoration

GEI Consultants (Allendale, Mich.) has been selected by Audubon Great Lakes to lead the Wigwam Bay Coastal Wetland Restoration Feasibility Study in Michigan. Located along the northern end of Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron, the approximately 3,500-acre Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area (SWA) contains some of the region’s most important coastal wetland habitat. Approximately 900 acres of wetland within the SWA have been physically disconnected from Saginaw Bay through a system of earthen embankments. The study will evaluate opportunities to restore ecological connectivity, improve habitat quality, support fish passage, assess water quality and nutrient dynamics, and enhance long-term management of the impounded wetlands. “This project represents an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of one of Michigan’s premier coastal wetland systems,” said Brian Majka, senior restoration ecologist and project manager with GEI.

Jacobs to enhance wastewater system performance in Oklahoma City

Jacobs (Dallas) has been selected by the Oklahoma City Water Utilities Trust (OCWUT) to provide operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the city’s wastewater facilities and solids management program under a five-and-a-half-year contract. Jacobs will run four wastewater treatment facilities with a combined treatment capacity of more than 110 million gallons per day, a regional pump station and solids management programs. Jacobs Senior Vice President Alberto Lazaro said: “As one of the region’s fastest-growing metropolitan areas, Oklahoma City faces increasing demand on its wastewater infrastructure. By integrating operational insight, asset management and digital capabilities, we’ll support reliable day-to-day performance, while helping OCWUT prioritize investment, strengthen regulatory compliance and manage its infrastructure for the long-term.”

Ozone hole in 2025 was smallest in decades

The Antarctic ozone hole in 2025 was one of the smallest in decades—testament to the continuing success of international action to protect Earth’s ozone layer, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The WMO Ozone Bulletin reported that last year’s ozone hole ranked as the fourth or fifth smallest since severe depletion patterns were observed in 1992. This is the second consecutive year that both the depth and extent of the ozone hole were significantly below the 1990–2010 average. “This is an environmental success story. Since 2000, the ozone layer has been recovering, and we can expect full recovery within several decades,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

Spheros Environmental acquires Panorama Environmental 

Spheros Environmental (Denver, Colo.) has completed the acquisition of Panorama Environmental Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.). Panorama brings nearly 15 years of experience supporting public- and private-sector clients throughout California and the western United States. The company’s work spans energy, water, infrastructure, natural resources, wildfire and fuels management, transportation, mining, and public infrastructure. The deal also adds substantial experience in CEQA and NEPA environmental review, regulatory strategy, and permitting and strengthens Spheros’ capabilities in the West. Panorama’s multidisciplinary team includes environmental planners, project managers, GIS specialists, biologists, air quality and noise specialists, paleontologists, and foresters.

EIS adds demolition, abatement and remediation capabilities

EIS Holdings (Westlake, Texas), a provider of environmental and infrastructure services, has added Environmental Construction LLC (ECI, Tampa, Fla.), a firm that works across the Southeast in commercial demolition, abatement and environmental remediation. The addition strengthens EIS’s Florida platform and expands its capacity to self-perform services. EIS delivers environmental consulting and compliance, surface and subsurface remediation, decontamination, abatement, and facility and infrastructure services nationwide. EIS operates from 35 offices across 39 states and has more than 1,000 employees. 

Air quality specialist boosts ALL4’s presence across the Southeast

ALL4 LLC (Kimberton, Pa.) announced the acquisition of Koogler and Associates Inc. (Gainesville, Fla.), an environmental engineering and air quality consulting firm. Koogler has over 52 years of experience primarily serving industrial clients throughout the Southeastern United States. Koogler brings an expanded range of air quality permitting, monitoring, and compliance services to ALL4. One of Koogler’s key differentiators is the integration of its engineering and emissions testing teams. The firm’s capabilities include air permitting and compliance; litigation support; source emissions testing and ambient monitoring; continuous emission monitoring; and wastewater and solid waste permitting, reporting, and compliance. The acquisition expands ALL4’s presence in Florida and across the Southeast.

Tech pioneers launch AEMA to optimize the power grid 

Emerald AI, Google, and Nvidia have launched AI Energy Management Alliance (AEMA) to champion flexible AI data centers that both power AI innovation and protect affordable, reliable energy for communities. “Traditional grid interconnection processes designed for flat, static electricity demand are too slow and rigid to meet today’s unprecedented surge in power demand,” AEMA stated. AEMA says it will promote accelerated interconnections across the United States to provide relief during periods of peak grid stress using a range of demand management technologies. “Data centers that flex their power use in response to peak grid stress can connect faster and at far greater scale, while the communities that host them gain a more reliable grid and protection from rising electricity bills,” said Dr. Varun Sivaram, CEO of Emerald AI.

Salvus brings rapid on-site PFAS screening to market

Salvus LLC (Valdosta, Ga.) has released its Salvus PFAS system to extract, concentrate, and screen for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the field. The three portable modules are: Salvus APEX (Automated Portable Extraction), which automates the sample preparation process. The sample is then mixed with a buffer and placed in the Salvus FLOW module, which works with the Salvus PRISM (Portable Real-time Interferometric Sensing Module) to screen the sample and provide results. While current capabilities are for C6 and longer PFAS in a portable form factor, Salvus is developing capabilities for shorter-chain PFAS (C5, C4) and other analytes of concern. 

Solar thermal desal produces fresh water without brine

Scientists at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics have created a solar thermal desalination system designed to produce fresh water without generating liquid brine or requiring chemical pre-treatment. According to an article posted by the University, the technology uses solar panels made from black metal etched by femtosecond lasers. The etched metal is extremely effective at absorbing sunlight and has super-wicking properties, allowing water to spread rapidly across the surface instead of beading up. The metal absorbs nearly all incoming solar radiation, causing water to evaporate, while microscopic grooves enable self-cleaning by guiding salt and mineral residues toward the edges of the panel. The system also has the potential to extract lithium from the salts. The method is published in Light: Science & Applications.