Marion County has awarded SCS the planning, designing, permitting, bid phase services, construction quality assurance (CQA) services, and construction contract management for the approximately 50-acre baseline landfill cell No. 3 closure. The County sought a firm specializing in solid waste, with landfill closure experience in Florida to provide the required design and permitting services, and with the in-house capability to conduct the construction quality assurance (CQA) services required during construction. The entire project is estimated to take three years to complete, with construction spanning multiple rainy seasons.
Weather-related issues during closure construction are one of the critical factors to address. An overly aggressive contractor could strip too large of an existing vegetative area, try to place too much protective cover material over the barrier layer system; either can potentially cause significant erosion during rain events.
The County’s concern about CQA is to prevent placing the protective cover material over the newly installed barrier layer system. Should an unqualified contractor replace the protective cover material on the barrier layer, it will increase construction time and increase the potential for damage to the system. This damage is often not found until the contractor has demobilized from the site, and the facility begins to conduct the required surface emissions monitoring. The resulting repairs to the barrier layer are often a cost the owner incurs, not the contractor.
Based on decades of experience designing, building, and operating landfills, the SCS CQA professionals prevent these types of construction mistakes. Working closely with contractors to ensure construction events are thought through to the operations phases while providing recommendations if the construction plan may encounter potential issues.
“Our entire team is excited to have the opportunity to continue serving Marion County, especially with a project of this magnitude and importance to Marion County,” said Shane Fischer, a vice president with the SCS team. “Our professionals are committed to delivering the highest quality engineering and construction services possible for the long-term success of the project.”
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Ms. Bulusu is an experienced solid waste and geo-environmental engineer with over 12 years of experience as a design engineer and senior project manager for numerous landfill, environmental, and civil engineering projects.
Her work focuses on waste disposal facility siting, design, permitting, and construction; design, permitting, and construction of landfill gas collection and utilization systems; landfill gas collection system operation and monitoring and air permitting and compliance; renewable energy projects; and construction management.
Not only is Sowmya a licensed professional engineer in Georgia, but she is also a professional Kuchipudi dancer. From the age of 7, she practiced five days a week, for up to three hours a day. She maintains her passion for this classical dance dating back to the 10th century. Sowmya says the regimen and dance tours throughout India and the U.S. taught her valuable skills that she uses today; time management, discipline, responsibility, and cooperation.
She retains her passion for Indian classical dance and Carnatic music, continuing to perform in the U.S. while meeting environmental challenges and goals of her clients.
