Mateja Vidovic Klanac talks about her job as an environmental engineering consultant in the Waste Today podcast series called New Voices. Mateja Vidovic Klanac is a Senior Project Professional with experience in the environmental engineering field, currently focusing on solid waste management. Her experience in solid waste includes involvement in a diverse range of landfill design projects, including lateral expansions, vertical expansions, permitting, stormwater management systems, geotechnical evaluations, modeling, and field experience in observing and documenting construction projects and verifying adherence to plans, specifications, and construction quality assurance plans. Mateja has Master’s Degrees in Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering.
During her interview, Mateja takes us through her educational and professional journey—a fascinating and inspiring one! She discusses the different elements of environmental solutions and how they must integrate economic and social factors into the design to be sustainable and worthy of investment.
Her field experience has greatly influenced Mateja’s innovation of modern solutions. She discusses how she fell into solid waste management, which was not on her radar as a student, but she’s hooked now. “I had never considered working in the solid waste arena before, but that’s when I discovered how interesting and interdisciplinary it is—where my work could positively impact the environment and my community the most,” says Mateja.
While still a young professional, she advises those just starting their careers or still in school. As a woman, she describes how the environmental industry offers many opportunities for women and the remarkable number of choices available to all.
She speaks of the value of networking and her involvement in industry associations and multidisciplinary groups, including the Florida Water Environment Association (FWEA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), and Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA), to learn more about solid waste, continue learning, and grow her professional career.
“Mateja and her work at SCS are truly inspiring. We’re proud to say she’s an SCS colleague and professional helping to make significant, positive impacts on our communities, our planet, and for each other,” says Doug Doerr, CEO of SCS Engineers.
Glenn Haave has had a close relationship with protecting our environment for years, ever since his days working on the ocean towing ships in and out of ports. He figured his deep appreciation of his natural surroundings and desire to protect them might carry into his chosen career path, especially after earning a Bachelor of Science in Geology. But when he came to SCS Engineers as a high-spirited, new graduate, he had no idea of the opportunities that would come his way— both at SCS and serving in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves.
“Both SCS and the Coast Guard hold you accountable to rise to the occasion and get the job done. With that trust and delegation of responsibilities, I am challenged to become a leader, which gives me a sense of duty and confidence,” Haave says.
Combining Geology, Hands-On Experience, and Teamwork
Starting at SCS doing groundwater and soil sampling and helping remediate landfills for redevelopment, Haave proved to be a fast learner. Quickly building on his skills, he was presented with a unique proposition– to join one of only a few multidisciplinary teams in the country that design and install deep well injection infrastructure. EPA-approved injection wells are safe for placing fluids underground into porous geologic formations. These underground formations may range from deep sandstone or limestone to a shallow soil layer. Injected fluids may include water, wastewater, brine (salt water), or water mixed with chemicals.
Planning, permitting, and executing these projects is a multifaceted undertaking encompassing geologic consulting, reservoir engineering, and deep drilling, with environmental protections and sustainability as core goals.
“Few geologists ever get to work on this type of job. These projects require a lot of capital, time, and very specialized expertise. I was fortunate to be working at SCS’s Miami office at the right time, able, and willing,” says Haave, drawn to complex tasks calling for a razor-sharp eye for detail, focus, and discipline.
Drawing on his experience supporting the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department Ocean Outfall Legislation Injection Well Program, where he saw 11 wells constructed in a demanding, high-profile project, he is now on a multidisciplinary team of SCS professionals.
Innovations in Carbon Sequestration – Protecting Our Environment
Now, he takes on a new charge: working on a type of deep injection well called a Class VI well. This sophisticated infrastructure directs carbon dioxide (CO2) liquids and gases into the ground for long-term storage. A fairly new, EPA-approved carbon sequestration technique, it is proven effective at substantially reducing CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
“Class VI wells are an exciting evolution as the world looks to decarbonize the economy. I feel like I am part of an extraordinarily innovative solution where I am using my background to support a global effort to impact our climate positively,” Haave says.
“I feel a sense of purpose in that we are helping mitigate exponential global warming. At least as important, I am comforted that what we do brings hope that my son, daughter, and their generation will grow up on a healthy, safe planet.”
Another Dimension – U.S. Coast Guard A School
As he embraces this unique opportunity to help the environment, he celebrates another milestone: graduating from U.S. Coast Guard A School and advancing in rank to Marine Science Technician Petty Officer Third Class. His calling will be responding to pollution incidents to protect U.S. waters and inspecting facilities and container vessels that transfer hazardous materials to and from land.
Getting into the Reserves is not easy, nor are the next steps. Making it into A school after boot camp is typically a two-year journey: the waiting list of accomplished graduates is long.
Haave finished three intensive months of classroom work; mock training in the field, morale-building exercises to keep spirits high while away from family and friends, and a battery of testing.
Through these rigorous trials, he took on the honorary role of Master at Arms, leading and mentoring his shipmates and serving as a liaison between the crew and captain.
“Becoming a Coast Guardsman was like a dream come true. It was something I had wanted to do since I was 19. But I needed time to mature. I did a lot of soul searching before I could fully realize what was entailed in living up to Coast Guard expectations; to truly embrace that it’s about a sense of duty to country and family, and to deliver on that conviction,” says Haave, now 37, and nominated as a most inspirational person by his shipmates and instructors.
When he shared his long-envisioned, materialized aspiration with his SCS supervisors, he was unsure what they would think; he was taking on another big commitment.
“They were not only accommodating, but they are proud. SCS Engineers is a military-friendly organization. They are always supportive, flexible, and believe in me.”
In the Coast Guard, he had a choice from a far-encompassing list of specialty areas, given his high military school entrance score. He chose marine science technology because it tied in with his civilian work – navigating and ensuring adherence to federal regulations and being a steward of the environment.
Looking Forward
Gazing back at how far he’s advanced in just the last few years, then looking forward, Haave says, “You know, I’m just 37 years old. I feel like I have a lot more in my gas tank –the amazing experiences I have been fortunate to have are just the beginning. I see more opportunities to advance as a leader and to become an even more rounded geologist, able to approach every project comprehensively and deeply.”
We thank all of our veterans and appreciate Glenn Haave for his service to the U.S. Coast Guard and his commitment to protecting our environment with SCS Engineers by advancing sustainable environmental practices and solutions.
Find out more about carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases:
Video: Building a Well
Information: Deep Well Injection and Sequestration Wells
Video: Carbon Sequestration for Landfills and GHG Tutorial
Safe engineering takes discipline and teamwork –qualities that have always served SCS and our clients with innovative, proven solutions for running operations more efficiently and greener. For a rewarding career, consider SCS Engineers, where all employee-owners have a vested interest in every solution.
The San Diego Business Journal named two SCS Engineers professionals among the Top 50 Influential Women in Engineering for 2022. The Journal recognized Vidhya Viswanathan and Jennifer Morton for their career achievements and status among San Diego’s top women in the engineering field. Both women have advanced their careers with award-winning projects for their clients, value their involvement in industry associations, and serve as thought leaders in environmental engineering.
“We congratulate Vidhya and Jennifer on this outstanding recognition,” said Pat Sullivan, SCS senior vice president. “In addition to being leaders at SCS, both women have a proven track record advancing the environmental engineering field for all engineers and especially students and girls aspiring to become engineers and geologists in the future.”
As a Vice President and the Southwest Director of Engineering, Vidhya Viswanathan leads the firm’s solid waste engineering operations in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and New Mexico. Viswanathan spent the last several years at SCS broadening her client base in the Southwest and expanding her expertise from solid waste and environmental engineering to include renewable energy, recycling, and organics management. In addition to leading engineering operations in the Southwest, Viswanathan leads SCS’s strategic initiative on composting systems and facilities. Viswanathan is active in solid waste and renewables industry associations and has won awards for her projects as a rising young professional.
Jennifer Bauer Morton is a licensed professional geologist working in the environmental consulting industry for over 16 years, supporting commercial real estate transactions and site cleanups. As a geologist, Morton has supported numerous assessment and remediation projects at contaminated properties throughout Southern California. She has worked with environmental engineers to develop remediation systems used to clean up soil and groundwater and has developed site mitigation plans which help to keep the community safe from contamination. Morton also served as Vice-President and then President of the San Diego Association of Geologists and was the editor of Coast to Cactus: Geology and Tectonics, San Diego to the Salton Trough, a guidebook accompanying the group’s 2014 field trip.
About SCS Engineers
SCS Engineers’ environmental solutions and technology directly result from our experience and dedication to industries responsible for safeguarding the environment as they deliver services and products. For more information about us, please visit the SCS Engineers website, or watch our video to see what we can do for your community.
Careers in Environmental Engineering, Consulting, Technology, and Operations – Join the finest environmental team in North America.
These days you see companies bending over backward to attract new hires. Puffy job descriptions, promises of success, big salaries, and benefits are everywhere. My advice is to learn about a company’s leaders — not yet retiring and not a young professional. What they talk about during interviews is often a good indication of what they are like and what they value. It has always helped guide me to work somewhere rewarding under the tutelage of remarkable people.
Mike McLaughlin is the Senior Vice President of Environmental Services for SCS Engineers and was once an SCS young professional. He graduated from law school in 1979 and continues to influence people and businesses every day, including many at SCS Engineers.
He is an environmental engineer with a law degree, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable person in the field. You’d also be lucky to know him. He is as entertaining as thoughtful about finding practical solutions to environmental challenges and the things that matter.
Just reading the article A Special Place to Study Law makes me happy knowing I get to work with people like Mike, and you could too.
