Agriculture

Everyone agrees that prevention is better than correction. Adequate planning and management often contribute significantly to preventing or minimizing environmental releases and related events. From our earliest days as a company, SCS Engineers has been active in helping farmers, agricultural organizations, and local governments identify and implement proper environmental management practices.

At SCS Engineers, we know that wineries, greenhouse operations, commercial farming, and feedlots face a vast array of environmental compliance challenges, including:

SCS is a member in good standing. We help clients in California, Virginia, New York, and across the nation with environmental, packaging, recycling, and energy conservation challenges.
SCS is a member in good standing. We help clients in California, Virginia, New York, and the nation with environmental, packaging, recycling, and energy conservation challenges.
  • Anaerobic Digestion/Biogas/RNG
  • Energy and natural resources conservation programs. These programs include protecting habitats and species.
  • Water Quality – Stormwater, Wastewater, Groundwater, Well-water and Surface Water;
  • Air Quality – Winery Fermentation and Aging Emissions, including VOCs, Stationary-Traditional Combustion Sources, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Odor Management.
  • Environmental Due Diligence -All Appropriate Inquiries, Phase I’s/Phase II’s, Environmental Compliance Reviews and Audits, Vapor Encroachment and Vapor Intrusion Studies.
  • Hazardous Materials – California Unified Program Agency Requirements, including Hazardous Materials Business Plans (HMBPs), Spill Control and Countermeasure Plans (SPCCs), and Hazardous Materials Inventories;
  • Sustainable Materials -Recycling, Reuse, and Repurposing of Materials;
  • Waste: Organic, Solid, Hazardous and other Waste; Waste to Energy
  • Geographic Information Services (GIS) -Spatial Databases; GPS Inventories, plots, varietal blocks and soils maps, vineyard development; and
  • Occupational Safety and Health – Facility Health and Safety Plans, Safety and OSHA Compliance Audits, Injury and Illness Prevention Programs.

Managing concentrated biosolids has become an increasing concern due to the potential impact on potable groundwater in many regions of the United States. As a result, the U.S. EPA has promulgated regulations targeting Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operations (CAFOs), including dairy farms, poultry ranches, hog farms, egg farms, and other facilities. SCS gained strong technical experience in managing high-nutrient waste materials for the EPA.

scs engineers agricultural servicesFor example, in California, regulatory orders issued by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) identified more than 50 dairy operations in the Chino, Ontario, and San Jacinto areas alone. These operators were directed to address management practices associated with high-nutrient biosolids (i.e., manure). SCS can help by:

  • Developing and implementing an Engineered Waste Management Plan (EWMP) by a registered Professional Engineer.
  • Working with agencies to develop plans to mitigate and prevent groundwater contamination.
  • Removal and reuse of biosolids.
  • Enforcement action for the protection of the environment, which, as such, is exempt from provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Our Facility Energy Management teams help large agricultural organizations leverage engineering analysis to lower operating costs and increase production efficiency. SCS has conducted hundreds of projects to help companies find solutions to lower their electric, natural gas, liquid propane, and water utility costs. Our energy management experts can identify improvements to a wide variety of processes and systems, always targeting their investigations to best suit the customer’s needs.

For detailed information, click on each of our services below:

SCS Engineers Environmental Consulting and Contracting
Greenhouses operate within neighborhoods and urban areas with odor and emission controls.