EDUCATION

 

B.S. Civil Engineering - University of Pittsburgh, 1973

M.S. Civil/Environmental Engineering - University of Pittsburgh, 1977

  PROFESSIONAL LICENSES

 

Professional Engineer - California (No. 37587), Oregon (No. 18192 PE), Massachusetts (No. 31147), Pennsylvania (No. 26191-E), and West Virginia (No. 7686)

 

  PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Solid Waste Association of North America

  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Pierce has 25 years of experience in environmental and energy facilities project development, engineering, and construction management. He has been responsible for a wide range of activities and services on environmental and energy projects, including feasibility studies; conceptual engineering; construction and operating cost estimating; negotiation of energy sales and energy purchase contracts; financial studies and modeling; facility siting; air and wastewater permitting; power line and pipeline routing and right-of-way-work; detailed design; construction management; operational training; operation/maintenance manuals; start-up; and performance testing.

Mr. Pierce’s experience has concentrated on the following areas: landfill gas collection and control; productive utilization of waste fuels to generate electric power and/or to replace natural gas; cogeneration facilities fired on conventional fuels; municipal and industrial wastewater treatment; municipal water treatment; hazardous and industrial waste management; energy audits; and environmental audits.

Landfill Gas Collection and Control Projects and Assignments--

• Project manager for the design of a landfill gas collection and control system for a Superfund Site in Los Angeles. The site has 29 million tons of municipal solid waste in place. The system will incorporate over 200 extraction wells and a 5,000 cfm 99.99 percent DRE flare station.
• Project manager for the design of a landfill gas collection and control system for a municipal solid waste disposal site in San Diego. The active site currently has 25 million tons of waste in place. The system incorporates a 6,000 cfm flare, over 250 extraction wells, 20,000 feet of low-pressure transmission line, and a 2,500 cfm gas processing/compressor station. The project fuels cogeneration facilities at two remote locations.
• Project manager for the design of a landfill gas collection and control system for a Superfund Site in Denver. The municipal solid waste landfill has 6 million tons of waste in place. The system incorporates 50 extraction wells and a 2,000 cfm flare equipped for destruction of condensate and off-gas from a groundwater treatment plant.
• Project manager for various landfill gas projects at a 9 million ton active landfill in San Diego. Projects include development of an updated surface monitoring and well field operations manual; design and installation of additional extraction wells; testimony before the local air pollution control district; implementation of an expanded well field monitoring program for downhole well temperatures and carbon monoxide; and development of a conceptual plan for the landfill gas component of the landfill’s final closure plan.
• Project manager for the landfill gas component of a project to develop a 40-year waste management strategic master plan for San Bernardino County. Responsible for determining the landfill gas collection and control system needs for 17 active and 23 inactive landfills. The scope of work covers the development of landfill gas production models, conceptual designs, and construction/operating cost estimates.
• Development of a NSPS design plan for a landfill gas collection and control system for a 6,000 ton/day landfill in Las Vegas.
• Project manager for preparation of landfill gas master plans for four landfills having a total of 42 million tons of refuse in place. Review of the regulatory status, operations, performance, and condition of the existing landfill gas collection systems. The studies addressed subsurface migration, surface emissions, groundwater impacts, and the condition and performance of the well fields and flare stations.
• Preparation of Title V air emission projections for eight landfills in Orange, San Diego, and San Bernardino Counties, California.
• Preparation of landfill gas recovery projections for more than 60 landfills across the United States.

Waste Fuels Utilization Projects and Assignments--

• Engineering project manager for the design, construction, start-up, and performance testing of a 50 Mw landfill gas-fired steam electric power plant. The plant is fired on 23,000 cfm of LFG.
• Preparation of due diligence investigations to support project financing or the sale of tax credits for 17 landfill gas energy utilization projects. The projects produce or will produce electricity, high-Btu gas or medium-Btu gas.
• Conceptual design, cost estimating, financial modeling, environmental permitting, and/or assistance in securing power sales agreements for 10 landfill gas-fired electric power generation projects totaling 70 Mw.
• Preparation of a waste classification and minimization study to reduce waste management costs at seven high-Btu and medium-Btu landfill gas production facilities.
• Conceptual design, cost estimating, and financial modeling of alternatives for an industrial cogeneration project which would burn 140,000 cfm of low-Btu blast furnace gas (110 Btu/ft2) and produce 675,000 pph of steam and 25 Mw of power.
• Engineering project manager for the detailed design, construction, start-up, and performance testing of the sludge combustion and energy recovery facilities at the City of Los Angeles’ 400 MGD main wastewater treatment plant. The project employs fluidized bed combustion and advanced air emission controls in burning powdered sludge, sludge oil, and digester gas (600 Btu/ft3).
• Team member on a feasibility study on alternatives for productive use of 5,000 cfm of existing and increased digester gas production at the City of Los Angeles’ main wastewater treatment plant. This study recommended expansion of the existing cogeneration facilities to 25 Mw.
• Preparation of a feasibility study on sludge and digester gas-fired power production at the City of San Bernardino’s 20 MGD wastewater treatment plant.
• Engineering project manager for the conceptual design, detailed design, and construction of a 30 Mw wood and agricultural waste-fired fluidized bed power plant in Delano, California.
• Conceptual design and cost estimating for three projects totaling 115 Mw intended to be fired on coal preparation plant wastes.

Conventional Cogeneration Projects and Assignments--

• Engineering project manager for the detailed design, construction, start-up, and performance testing of a 50 Mw coal-fired fluidized bed power plant in Stockton, California.
• Project manager for the design of a 24 Mw natural gas-fired reciprocating engine cogeneration plant in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
• Conceptual design, detailed construction cost estimate, and preliminary air, water, and wastewater permitting for a 250 Mw coal-fired fluidized-bed power plant to be located in central Pennsylvania.
• Conceptual designs and cost estimates for five natural gas-fired combustion turbine projects totaling 375 Mw.
• Participation in reactivation/upgrade cost assessments for a cold-reserved 300 Mw coal-fired power plant and a cold-reserved 330 Mw combustion turbine power plant.
• Preparation of feasibility evaluations for two dozen potential "inside-the-fence" natural gas-fired cogeneration projects at industrial and institutional sites across the United States. Execution of technical/economic performance models to optimize the conceptual design of individual facilities based on "in-house" thermal and power demands and based on projected public utility charges for standby and supplemental power.
• Preparation of a cogeneration feasibility study for the expanded greater Pittsburgh International Airport.

Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Treatment Projects and Assignments--

• Preparation of a leachate management feasibility study for a closed 5 million ton landfill in Northern California. The study addressed treatment with surface discharge, leachate evaporation, pretreatment and discharge to a POTW, and recycle/reuse.
• Preparation of a study on alternatives for water conservation and wastewater reduction (including a zero discharge plan) for the largest refuse-fired energy recovery facility in New England.
• Preparation of a conceptual design, detailed design, permit application, and operation/maintenance manual for a zero discharge wastewater management system for a 30 Mw power plant in California.
• Development of an oily wastewater treatment and partial wastewater reuse system for a major hydrocarbon storage and distribution terminal in Southern California.
• Preparation of an industrial wastewater pretreatment program to regulate dischargers tributary to the City of Pittsburgh’s 200 MGD main wastewater treatment plant.
• Final technical responsibility for more than 50 studies addressing the siting, cost-effectiveness, and environmental impact of municipal wastewater facilities projects ranging in the size from 0.5 MGD to 20 MGD.

Solid and Hazardous Waste Assignments and Projects--

• Preparation of an industrial/hazardous waste management plan for the metropolitan Pittsburgh region. Specific tasks on the project included a detailed survey of industrial/commercial/utility waste generation on a plant-by-plant basis; classification of each industry’s wastes by type, by degree of hazard, and by source; development of a computer-based data management system; a review of waste handling/disposal practices, outlets, and costs; a state-of-the-art review of the available technologies for the treatment, recovery, transportation, and ultimate disposal of waste; the conceptual design of alternative areawide waste management facilities and the preparation of comparative economic analyses, including the projection of user charges; the development and implementation of a site screening methodology; development of public information and participation programs; and an evaluation of the more important institutional considerations affecting plan implementation ownership, financing, liability, monitoring, and site acquisition.
• Preparation of a feasibility study addressing options for improved sludge processing/disposal facilities and for expansion of the secondary treatment facilities at the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority’s 200 MGD wastewater treatment plant which serves the City of Pittsburgh and 76 adjacent municipalities. A financing and institutional arrangements plan was developed. Also responsible for the preliminary design and siting of a 500 ton/day lined landfill and an analysis of transportation options, routes, and costs. The study recommended a $50 million capital improvement program designed to replace aged equipment, improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs.
• Preparation of a feasibility study for western Pennsylvania’s first municipal waste-to-energy facility.

Conference Presentations

Pierce, J. Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Credits from Landfill Gas Utilization and Control. Power-Gen International, New Orleans, Louisiana. December 1999.

Pierce, J. NSPS, NESHAPS, NSR and Title V: Impact of Federal Air Regulations on Landfill Construction and Operation. SWANA 37th Annual International Solid Waste Exposition, Reno, Nevada. October 1999.

Pierce, J., and A. Stege. Destruction of Landfill Gas Toxics in Conventional Enclosed Flares. SWANA 22nd Annual Landfill Gas Symposium, Lake Buena Vista, Florida. March 1999.

Pierce, J. Landfill Gas Utilization Alternatives: Pipeline Quantity Gas; Vehicle Fuel; Hydrogen; Methanol; and Fuel Cells. Waste Tech ’99, New Orleans, Louisiana. February 1999.

Pierce, J. Landfill Gas Utilization: Project Development in a Distressed and Changing Energy Market. Waste Expo ’98 Conference and Exhibition, Chicago, Illinois. June 1998.

Pierce, J., and M. Beizer. Design and Implementation of a Landfill Gas Control System at the Operating Industries Landfill Superfund Site. SWANA 21st Annual Landfill Gas Symposium, Austin, Texas. March 1998.

Pierce, J., and A. Stege. Landfill Gas Surface Emissions Monitoring under NSPS--An Adequate Measure of Landfill Gas Control System Performance? SWANA 35th Annual International Solid Waste Exposition, St. Louis, Missouri. October 1997.

Pierce, J. Landfill Gas Electric Power Generation: A Cost-Effective and Environmentally Sound Renewable Energy Source. Power-Gen ’97 ASIA, Singapore. September 1997.

Pierce, J. Landfill Gas Management--Update on Control/Recovery Options. Waste Expo ’96, Las Vegas, Nevada. May 1996.

Pierce, J., and S. Gauntlett. ISO 14000--The International Environmental Management Standard: Potential Impacts on Environmental Management and Auditing in the Electric Power Generation Industry. Annual Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generating Industries (Power-Gen ’95), Anaheim, California. October 1995.

Pierce, J., and S. Sbei. Augmentation of Combustion Turbine Power Output Through the Application of Inlet Air Absorption Chilling, Annual Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generating Industries (Power-Gen ’94), Orlando, Florida. December 1994.

Pierce, J. Evaluation of Alternatives for Air Emissions Reduction and Increased Electric Power Output for a 130 MW Central Heating Plant in Nachod, Czech Republic. ASME Industrial Power Conference, San Francisco, California. March 1994.

Duckett, E. J., and J. Pierce. Landfill Gas Electric Power Generation--An Emerging Renewable Resource. Annual Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generating Industries (Power-Gen ’93), Dallas, Texas. November 1993.

Pierce, J., and E. J. Duckett. NOx Offset Trading: Regulatory and Economic Considerations in the Developing Market. Annual Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generating Industries (Power-Gen ’93), Dallas, Texas. November 1993.

Pierce, J., D. Williams, and E. J. Duckett. Air Emissions at Landfill Gas-fired Electric Power Generation Facilities. AWMA Conference on the Environmental Aspects of Cogeneration, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November 1992.

Pierce, J., M. Karl, and E. J. Duckett. Evaluation of Contracting Alternatives for Reactivation of a 330 Mw Combined Cycle Power Plant. Annual Exhibition and Conference for the Power Generating Industries (Power-Gen ’92), Orlando, Florida. November 1992.

Pierce, J. Alternative Contractual and Financial Arrangements for Implementation of Landfill Gas Power Generation Projects. Solid Waste Association of North America 15th Annual Landfill Gas Symposium, Arlington, Virginia. March 1992.

Pierce, J., R. Haug, and E. J. Duckett. Initial Operation of Three Solid Fuel-Fired Non-Utility Power Plants Designed for Ultra-Low SO2 and NOx Emissions. 53rd American Power Conference, Chicago, Illinois. April 1992.

Pierce, J., and S. Sbei. Design, Permitting, and Initial Operation of a 31 MW Agricultural Waste Fired Power Plant. ASCE/EPRI Specialty Conference, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. March 1991.

Pierce, J., and D. Krysinski. Zero Discharge Wastewater Management System at a 31 MW Agricultural Waste-Fired Power Plant. Water Environment Federation Annual Conference, Industrial Waste Symposium, Washington, D.C. October 1990.

Pierce, J. Cogeneration Feasibility Study for the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport Expansion. American Society of Civil Engineers, 1988 National Convention, Session No. 60--Trends and Changes in Power Generation Facilities Construction, Nashville, Tennessee. May 1988.

Cooper, J., M. Eshelman, and J. Pierce. Status of Combustion System for Dried Sewage Sludge at Los Angeles HERS Facility. Eighth International Conference on Fluidized Bed Combustion, Houston, Texas. March 1985.

Pierce, J., and E. J. Duckett. Development of an Industrial Wastewater Pretreatment Plan for the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area. Water Environment Federation 56th Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia. October 1983.

Huang, P., and J. Pierce. Obstacles and Problems to Be Overcome in Developing an Effective Areawide Hazardous Waste Management Plan. Water Environment Federation, 54th Annual Conference, Detroit, Michigan. October 1981.

Pierce, J., and L. Lundberg. Economic and Technical Feasibility of Large-Scale Anaerobic Digestion of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Sludge. Water Environment Federation, 53rd Annual Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada. September 1980.

Pierce, J., and B. Bradd. Industrial and Hazardous Residue Classification System. Twelfth Mid-Atlantic Industrial Waste Conference: Toxic and Hazardous Waste Management, Bucknell University. July 1980.

Pierce, J. Metropolitan Pittsburgh’s Sludge Management Plan. American Society of Civil Engineers 1979 Convention and Exposition, Boston, Massachusetts. April 1979.

Work Shop Presentations

"Implementation of NSPS and Emission Guidelines for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills." CIWMB/AEG Landfill Gas Assessment and Management Symposium, Ontario, California. April 1998.

"Municipal and Industrial Waste Minimization in the United States." National Conference on Waste, La Baul, France. September 1997.

"Landfill Gas Air Emissions Modeling and Reporting Under NSPS." SWANA Landfill Gas Emission Regulation (NSPS) Workshop, Los Angeles, California. April 1996.

"Waste-to-Energy Opportunities in Municipal Solid Waste Management." USETI Solid Waste Management Training Program, Tijuana, Mexico. March 1996.

"VOC and HAP Control Regulations and Options for the Aerospace Industry." Aerospatial Seminar, Paris, France. February 1996.

"Industrial Estate Assessment and Pollution Control Workshop." World Environmental Center Indonesian Delegation Environmental Training Program, San Francisco, California. April 1994.

"Review of SO2, NOx, and Particulate Control Technologies Applicable to Coal-Fired Utility Power Plants." Czech Power Company Seminar, Prague, Czech Republic. November 1993.