A big shout out to the President of the SWANA Region 6 Chapter, J. Morgan, for a week of informative sessions, valuable networking, and fun social activities at the SWANA Region 6 conference. Dancing and singing with DJ Pudding was a highlight, along with the river tour and Shoeless Joe Jackson search with Mr. Greene. Lucas Nachman and I presented on the topic of Climate Action Plans and what businesses and municipalities can expect.
With so much public attention on climate change, we presented five case studies to illustrate common measures and strategies currently in city, state, and municipal Climate Action Plans, including:
I was also lucky enough to moderate a panel on net zero waste by the city of Nashville. The speakers were very informative. Some of the findings showing the hurdles in the environmental arena are surprising. Three other SCS presenters, David Greene, David Walker, and Michael Stonecipher, spoke on the topics of RNG Permitting, Tier 2 Sampling, and RMC capabilities. For us, we were excited to share our expertise and knowledge that solve customer challenges.
While climate seems to be a growing concern for everyone, the waste industry is on the front lines of the environment and under tremendous regulation and public scrutiny. As an essential service, we’re always concerned about the cost of operations – since it passes to citizens. In my opinion, the waste industry is rightly focused on 1) budgets, 2) increasingly, more restrictive regulations regarding leachate, PFAS, etc. 3) manpower with experience, and 4) complaints such as odor and traffic. But, to be sustainable, we address the social and economic impacts into our technical solutions.
There are exciting new technologies, master planning-climate action plans, and economic support options available. While the challenges never stop, they spur us on to ever better solutions.
About the Author: Mr. Doug Latulippe is responsible for developing and supporting SCS’s nationwide energy management and renewable energy practice. This includes work related to SCS’s air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG), and sustainability initiatives for public and private commercial businesses, industrial facility owners, real estate clients, utilities, and renewable energy project developers. Prior to joining SCS, Doug managed energy portfolios including capital and operating budget development, power generation, demand-side project and program development, bill management and reporting, and utility incentive program management. He also performed energy audits and GHG reporting for Fortune 500 companies. As part of his power generation experience, he patented a solid-fuel gasification system designed for environmental mitigation and pollution control. Doug was also recognized by the EPA for his extensive work with the ENERGY STAR program. Reach Doug Latulippe at or via LinkedIn.
