SCS Engineers

July 18, 2023

Meet SCS Engineers professionals at the Partners for Environmental Progress’s 23rd Industrial Reverse Trade Show and Education Seminar, October 19, at Fort Whiting, Alabama.

SCS Engineers Project Director, Steve Stewart, is president of PEP, and is looking forward to welcoming you to the show!

July 18, 2023

Look for SCS Engineers’ environmental professionals Kirk Blevins and Amy Guilfoyle to answer your environmental questions.

July 17, 2023

What if you could reduce your company’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1.5 to 2 million metric tons per year for the next 20 years?

Now you can, with carbon capture and storage technology. Watch the Illinois Basin Carbon Capture and Storage webinar to learn more. Carbon capture and storage is an EPA-approved technology companies are exploring to help reduce GHG emissions.

In Illinois and many other states, leading firms are submitting permit applications for Class VI underground injection control wells. It’s a great time to review the state of the practice and learn how this technology works and how it can help you meet your carbon reduction goals. In this video chapter, SCS answers these questions:

• What is the carbon capture and storage process?
• What are the costs, benefits, and incentives?
• How much carbon can you store in a well?
• How big of an impact can just one well make?

This technology is on track to transform how industry leaders like you manage greenhouse gas as a byproduct of modern life. Watch Charles Hostetler’s short video to learn more, or contact your local SCS Engineers’ office for a consultation.

Click to watch Key Considerations for CCS Projects

Dr. Charles Hostetler has nearly four decades of experience as an engineer and hydrogeologist. He has diverse experience in coal combustion residue (CCR) and solid waste management permitting, design, and construction projects. His areas of expertise focus on supporting electric utilities, property owners and developers, solid waste facility owners and operators to meet demands for addressing environmental changes and impacts on their operations.

Additional Resources:

• Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration: Overview
• Class VI – Wells used for Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide
• Class VI Wells Permitted by EPA

July 12, 2023

SCS Engineers’ deep well injection expert, Monte Markley, is presenting at the 26th Annual EUEC conference, February 13-15, 2024, at the Irving Convention Center near Dallas, Texas.

The Energy Utility Environmental Conference (EUEC) attracts some 2000 attendees from around the globe and features over 300 speakers and 200 exhibitors.  This is the first live in-person event since the pandemic, and we are happy to be together again!

SCS Vice President, Monte Markley, will present on “The Basics of Deep Well Injection as a Leachate Disposal Option”

Abstract: Deep well injection is a viable leachate management option in many parts of the United States, yet it is often screened out as a viable alternative due to a lack of understanding of the technology or gross misconceptions about its acceptance or applicability. The purpose of this paper is to present the basics of deep well injection as a technology and to present three key threshold criteria a facility should evaluate when considering the applicability of geologic sequestration of leachate.Technical criteria that will be discussed are potential disposal volumes, geologic suitability, chemical compatibility, pre-treatment requirements, and leachate chemistry. The economic considerations are evaluated based on the technical criteria noted above, management of public perception/relations, current leachate management expenditures, service life of the asset and risk to develop accurate capital, O&M costs, and return on investment. Regulatory considerations will include the role of state vs. federal primacy for each state, the general stance of regulatory acceptance in specific areas of the United States, and a discussion of the permitting process and typical reporting requirements.These key considerations are then integrated into an overall suitability evaluation that an owner can utilize to accurately determine if deep well injection is a viable option and, if so, how to educate other stakeholders and manage the process of implementation as a project moves forward.

Visit the EUEC 2024 website for abstract info, conference details, and registration information.

We hope to see you there!

July 10, 2023

Meet SCS Engineers coal ash and utility professionals in BOOTH 92 at The World of Coal Ash 2024 conference, May 13-16, 2024, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. SCS is also a Palladium level sponsor.

WOCA is an international conference organized by the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA) and the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER). The 2024 conference is the 10th joint biennial meeting with a focus on the science, applications, and sustainability of worldwide coal combustion products (CCPs) as well as gasification products.

The call for abstracts will be announced soon.

For more information and registration, click here

We hope to see you there!

July 7, 2023

Plenty of SCS industrial refrigeration experts will be on hand at BOOTH 509 at the 2023 RETA National Conference, November 14-17, at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront, in Jacksonville, Florida.

The conference will cover a wide ranges of topics for professional development of industrial refrigeration operators and technicians. It spans four days filled with hands-on training, workshops, technical presentations, networking events, and an expansive exhibit hall. No matter your level of experience or position within the Industrial Refrigeration Industry, this educational conference has an all-encompassing and comprehensive program designed to enhance your knowledge and success.

The program is taking shape, check here for conference details and updates, and for registration information.

The conference is organized by the Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA) and is always a great event!  We hope to see you there!

July 6, 2023

SOP, Version 50 10 7 for the Small Business Administration’s Standard Operating Procedures for Lender and Development Company Loan Programs effective on August 1, 2023.

On May 10, 2023, the United States Small Business Administration (US SBA) issued a long-anticipated informational notice regarding implementing their newest Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) under Lender and Development Company Loan Programs. According to this notice, the new SOP, Version 50 10 7, goes into effect on August 1, 2023. All lenders, certified development companies (CDCs), SBA employees, and applicants/borrowers of 504 and 7(a) loans will be subject to the changes therein at that time.

Today’s SCS blog provides critical guidance to entities needing environmental due diligence or other services under the auspices of US SBA programs.

The environmental policies of the SOP are contained within Chapter 5, Section E of the new SOP. One highlighted change from the previous version (10 5 6) is that these policies apply “only to real estate acquired, refinanced, or improved by the loan proceeds” and do not apply to collateral. For the commercial real estate subject to the program, the following summarizes the basic requirements:

• For any loan up to and including $250,000, assuming the Property does not fall under the banner of “environmentally sensitive industries” (per the list provided in Appendix 6 of the SOP), only an “environmental questionnaire” is required.
• For loans exceeding $250,000, in addition to the questionnaire, a Records Search with Risk Assessment (RSRA) report is required.
• If either the questionnaire or the RSRA reveals the potential for contamination or that historic use of the Property is environmentally sensitive (i.e., a “high risk” RSRA), a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) will be required.
• Phase II ESAs will be required for all Phase I reports issued with Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs), as well as for all dry cleaning establishments, regardless of the findings of the Phase I ESA.
• Contamination confirmed in the context of a Phase I or II ESA report will result in cessation of approval/disbursement of the loan unless the SBA can be assuaged that the risk is sufficiently low. Preparing a Section E-5 letter providing the following information is the recommended method for addressing SBA’s concerns:
  • Nature and extent of contamination
  • Remediation (past and planned, including methodology and costs)
  • Collateral value
  • Mitigating factors

The SBA SOP also has specific requirements for “Special Use Facilities,” which differ from other property types. The three categories of Special Use Facilities include child-occupied, dry cleaners, and gas stations. Of the three, the new version of the SOP contains a point of clarification pursuant to child-occupied facilities. It now explicitly specifies that all such facilities constructed before 1978 must undergo a Lead Risk Assessment (RA) and test all taps, water fountains, and spigots for lead in drinking water. The RA should be conducted within one calendar year of submission to SBA for approval and follow US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Guidelines.

As always, SCS aims to make the process of securing both conventional and SBA loans as painless as possible. Rest assured that we fully understand the program’s intricacies and are well-positioned to assist you with environmental requirements related to this program.

Meet Author Rachel McShane

Additional Resources:

Brownfield Properties: The Ins and Outs of Due Diligence and Investment
Author Megan Hente discusses the importance of environmental due diligence for purchasing brownfield properties. Brownfields offer opportunities to redevelop…

Will EPA’s Proposed Designation of PFOA and PFOS Impact Real Estate?
Jeffrey D. Marshall, PE, and Michael J. Miller, CHMM, discuss environmental due diligence and how the proposed CERCLA rule could impact the number of recognized environmental conditions…

Environmental Due Diligence and All Appropriate Inquiries
Today’s commercial real estate transactions must consider environmental issues. Complex laws can impose significant environmental liabilities on…

July 5, 2023

Meet SCS Engineers experts Whitney Rodriguez and Claudio Vera at the Tampa International Airport Buyer-Supplier Connect ’23 on Wednesday, July 12, at the Main Terminal Event Space at TPA.

The event will include a Reverse Trade Show, Educational Workshop, Networking Opportunities, and an Opportunity to Meet Airport Decision Makers.

The event is FREE to attend.  Reserve your spot today!

July 5, 2023

Meet SCS Engineers professionals at our booth at the Missouri EHS Conference, September 19 & 20, 2023, at the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs, MO.

The Missouri EHS Conference brings together members of the environmental, health, and safety industries to connect and learn about new compliance regulations, leading technology, work comp challenges, the healthcare landscape, and the culture of safety.  It features 20 educational breakout sessions, an expo, safety awards, an address by Dan Meers and KC Wolf of the Kansas City Chiefs, networking opportunities with over 300 safety professionals, and more.

SCS experts are scheduled to present at the conference – topics to be announced soon.

This 2-day conference will feature experts in the EHS field, covering a variety of topics and sharing best practices to ensure employees and facilities are safe.

The conference is hosted by the Missouri Association of Manufacturers, celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year!

For more information and conference registration, click here

We’ll see you there!

July 5, 2023

Published in Waste Management & Research, two of SCS’s most experienced MSW experts, Dave Ross and James Law, cover the MSW evolution and forecast conditions and practices to expect in the next 40 years. Their paper is a mix of facts and sage opinions highlighting some significant and interesting milestones as solid waste management transformed from the 80s to today’s rapidly changing infrastructure and processes.

Ross and Law close their article with speculations on how solid waste management might evolve further by 2063.

Click here to read and share the paper.

Additional Solid Waste Management Resources:

• ISWA: Protect Our Environment — Protect Our Environment and Controlling Climate Change The ISWA World Congress attracted 1,200 participants this year despite the pandemic and received major coverage in the news while heating up …
• SWEET Tracks Greenhouse Gas and Short-lived Climate Pollutant Emissions — Using the Solid Waste Emissions Estimation Tool (SWEET), in 2020, International Solid Waste Association’s (ISWA) Task Force on Closing Dumpsites completed a study of waste sector short-lived climate pollutants …
• Preventing and Reducing CO2 – Technical Resources, Issue 2 — Reducing CO2 is essential for our planet to thrive. At SCS, we’ve been helping all industries, cities, and states do just that for over 50 years. We focus …
• Sustainable Living Key to Tackling Climate Change — Tackling Climate Change: ISWA’s James Law of SCS Engineers explains how changing people’s mindsets and behaviors impacts climate change.