SCS Engineers

December 5, 2019

 

Brownfields: An Affordable Housing Solution

Wednesday, December 11, 10:45 am – 11:45 am, Room 403A
Track 2: Financing Options, Real Estate, & Economic Development

brownfield servicesThis interactive panel will discuss the nexus between brownfields development and affordable housing and will explore various policy, funding and incentive programs that have been successfully deployed in the US, including a forgivable loan and grant program in California, with an emphasis on creating affordable housing. A case study focused on Comm 22, an award-winning affordable housing project complements the policy and funding conversation. Dan Johnson, Evans Paull, and Jeff Williams share the complexities of tax credit based affordable housing finance of a 200 unit affordable housing and brownfield redevelopment project and the role that brownfields funding played. The premise is that if early-stage project funding were more widely available, combined with informed policy and regulatory approach, that the housing stock in California and elsewhere could be expanded, possibly significantly.

 

Brownfields 2019 Opening Celebration and West Sacramento Poster Presentation

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Exhibit Hall, West Hall A

Brownfields OpeningJim Ritchie and Amy Dzialowski present on the City of West Sacramento and the SCS Brownfields Toolbox that helps take advantage of economy of scale to improve both cost and schedule outcomes, and can result in better buy-in from regulatory agencies, due to an emphasis on an overall vision rather than just a transactional approach. Flexibility is another key concept for reuse planning and as a tool for brownfields sites. SCS demonstrates their expansive experience with an array of brownfields tools including, grant funding and leverage, environmental insurance, and other risk-shifting tools such as “CLRRA” agreements.

 

brownfield engineeringAt the SCS booth 417, meet Mike McLaughlin, SCS Engineers’ Senior Vice President of Environmental Services and a National Specialist on Brownfields & Landfill Redevelopment and Electric Utilities. He is a licensed engineer and attorney with over 30 years of professional experience providing advice on environmental matters. He is an expert on environmental compliance, remediation, and allocation of response costs.

Mr. McLaughlin advises developers, contractors, lenders and land development professionals on the technical and regulatory requirements for construction on Brownfields’ sites nationwide. His combined engineering and legal background provides an unusual perspective on land development where hazardous wastes or other environmental challenges are present. Redevelopment of closed landfills is an area of special interest; he worked on his first such project in 1976.

Mr. McLaughlin has worked at some three dozen Superfund National Priorities List sites in 17 states, and on scores of regulatory compliance, voluntary cleanup, and remediation projects for commercial, industrial, municipal, and military clients.

 

Green Stormwater Infrastructure on Brownfields – Hands-on Clinic

Thursday, December 12, 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm, Room 411
Track 1: Sustainability, Livability, Resiliency

Stormwater Infrastructure

This 75-minute clinic provides a fun and engaging hands-on experience that will inspire you to tackle the challenges of stormwater flooding using GSI on brownfields. Experts, including Jonathan Meronek, will explain the applications, techniques, and benefits of using GSI on any project site, including the challenges of implementing GSI on Brownfield Sites. During the guided exercise, participants will break into small think tanks, and each think tank will have an opportunity to design their own solution. Come to this session to soak up information on techniques and strategies for integrating GSI into your community’s overall planning efforts.

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

December 4, 2019

Inductive Automation® announced the software firm now recognizes SCS Engineers as a Premier Integrator. Premier Integrators have a high level of commitment, professionalism, and competency using the Ignition software. They must consistently produce high-quality work and must consistently demonstrate successful projects with very satisfied end-users.

SCS uses Inductive Automation’s Ignition supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) software in their solution because it is a proven state of the art software, which works well with cloud-based systems and the internet of things (IoT). It allows clients to easily control, track, manage and report on their processes.

Large landfills, counties with multiple landfills, and private waste management firms have been waiting several years for SCADA software to catch up to their business needs. Landfill operations are extremely complex and expensive since they monitor and manage multiple systems to protect the public from contamination to the air, water, or soil. There are typically multiple operations active on many sites, such as waste recovery, recycling, composting, Gas Collection and Control Systems (GCCS), and renewable energy plants.

SCS Remote Monitoring and Control®, or SCS RMC® provides a next-generation option to monitor and control systems, and see the data collected and the systems in action. It allows users to control their systems remotely, collect data and use the data to enhance their productivity, reduce their operations and maintenance (O&M) costs, and reduce their environmental risk. Other offered services include 3D imaging from drones and virtual reality (VR). SCS uses aerial data collected via drones to compose topographic mapping, 2D images, 3D renderings, GIS, thermal, infrared (IR), and methane leak detection for waste facilities. The SCS RMC® team can take rendered models and apply them into virtual reality (VR) headset as well, which allows decision-makers at waste management facilities and organizations to “walk the site” from anywhere.

 

Current clients save Operating & Monitoring (O&M) costs and reduce human error by generating internal and regulatory reports automatically, using data automatically collected by the system. They can also receive instant notification of malfunctions and can troubleshoot these notifications remotely.

Not only for landfills, until recent years the public did not realize the long-term value of recycling nor the associated costs. Some clients use SCS RMC® to monitor dumpsters and recycling receptacles for collection. This helps keep waste and recycling inside the container, collection schedules more efficient, and overall operations less costly.

Manufacturing, industrial facilities, and ports use remote monitoring and control for real-time viewing, analysis, and control of equipment and systems critical to production and safe operations, often for air monitoring.

Galen Petoyan, Senior Vice President of Field Services states, “We fully embrace SCS RMC® within SCS Field Services® because the software allows us to provide more value to our clients; our technicians and engineers can avert problems, and when needed, provide rapid, efficient, and accurate analysis and action.”

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

December 3, 2019

To support the growing use of technology by municipalities, in waste management, and by industrial and manufacturing clients, SCS Engineers is opening new offices. The newest office is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The office provides environmental engineering, consulting, and is the base for the east coast SCS Remote Monitoring and Control® (RMC) professionals.

The office is the third SCS location in Pennsylvania, and is located at:

SCS Engineers
1861 Charter Lane
Suite 107
Lancaster, PA 17601

Tel: +1-717-550-6330

SCS RMC® works closely with the firm’s business sectors developing software, applications, and support services, which harness technology to capture, track and evaluate environmental data, provide remote monitoring and controls, and drone services with advanced capabilities.

The SCS RMC® platform and applications help public and private clients control their equipment remotely, collect data and use the data to enhance their productivity, reduce their operations and maintenance costs, and reduce their environmental risk. The tools are versatile; SCS programmers, engineers, and scientists are available to develop custom applications meeting a spectrum of industrial environmental objectives for groundwater, leachate, air monitoring, and landfill gas management.

SCS RMC® uses a network of sensors and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications to help minimize equipment downtime by alerting staff to maximize production or to an operational safety issue. The system supports additional monitoring components as operations grow, providing facility owners and operators with a single secure application for their supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), data management, and reporting needs.

SCS RMC® is experiencing exponential growth, as industrial operations need technology most when reaction time is essential to avoid production downtime and continue operations within regulatory mandates to maintain public safety standards.

To discover how these and other next-generation technologies can support your operations, contact SCS at , or use the links below to explore:

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

December 2, 2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year proposed changes to the federal coal ash rule, saying it would eliminate requirements for onsite dry storage of coal ash, along with limiting environmental protections on large fill projects, except for those with what the agency calls “geologic vulnerabilities.” Under the original version of the rule, companies with fill projects larger than 12,400 tons had to ensure that the ash did not impact the soil, air, and water around the sites.

The power generation industry has said those changes could allow coal ash to be more easily recycled, opening more pathways for what’s known as “beneficial use” of ash, which includes the use of ash in construction materials such as concrete and wallboard. Environmentalists have said the proposal would lead to more untracked and unregulated coal ash. The EPA has been working with the utility industry since March 2018 to streamline the 2015-enacted Coal Combustion Residual (CCR) rule, which was issued after years of debate in the wake of large coal ash spills in Tennessee and North Carolina. The rule establishes technical requirements for CCR landfills and surface impoundments under subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the nation’s primary law for regulating solid waste.

SCS Engineers closely follows developments relating to coal ash disposal, helping landfill operators, utilities, and others who deal with CCR meet the challenge of proper waste management as regulations evolve.

In addition to keeping up with rule changes, utilities are facing new challenges under the original CCR rules as time goes by, and CCR sites move through the regulatory timeline. Many utilities that began groundwater monitoring at CCR units under the rule in October 2017 and identified groundwater impacts are now entering the stage of remedy selection.

If groundwater monitoring shows that pollutants exceed groundwater protection standards (GWPS), then a response is required unless it can be shown that a source other than the CCR unit is responsible for the impacts, as documented in an Alternate Source Demonstration (ASD). The determination of what is best for a particular site is based on several factors and begins with what is known as an Assessment of Corrective Measures (ACM). The ACM is the first step in developing a long-term corrective action plan designed to address problems with pollutants in groundwater near areas of ash disposal. The ACM is pursuant to the EPA’s CCR rule.

“Obviously people are still looking at what things cost, but in our experience, working with utilities, the concern for the surrounding community and the environment is uppermost,” says Tom Karwoski, a vice president with SCS Engineers. Karwoski has 30 years of experience as a hydrogeologist and project manager, designing and managing investigations and remediations at existing and proposed landfills, as well as clean-ups of industrial, military, petroleum, and Superfund sites. Karwoski says his group has “no preconceived notions about what is best for all sites.”

Utilities working to satisfy requirements of the CCR rule have performed ACM and ASD projects, and several are moving into the “Remedy Selection” phase of the process. SCS Engineers is working with these utilities to determine the best remedies for CCR disposal, drawing on the company’s experience in providing solutions across the spectrum of waste management. SCS designs solutions for municipal solid waste (MSW)—in effect, trash and garbage, or what the EPA calls “everyday items such as product packaging, yard trimmings, furniture, clothing, bottles and cans, food, newspapers, appliances, electronics and batteries”—and also develops management programs for electric utility (EU) waste, such as CCR, which is far different in terms of scope and pollutants.

Eric Nelson, a vice president with SCS Engineers, one of the company’s national experts for electric utilities, and an experienced engineer and hydrogeologist, knows the challenges of establishing a successful program for managing CCRs. “The CCR rule quite literally borrows language from MSW rules; word for word in some instances. The stark difference, in my view, is the varied participation by regulators. In general, the states have not picked up the ball to oversee the rule as EPA has suggested they do, which is no small burden. However, many states had existing CCR management rules or have since enacted their own rules adding layers of regulation.” The EPA in June of this year supported a Georgia plan for CCR disposal, with EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler saying, “EPA encourages other states to follow Georgia’s lead and assume oversight of coal ash management within their borders. EPA is committed to working with the states as they establish coal ash programs tailored to their unique circumstances that are protective of human health and the environment.”

Said Nelson: “My understanding was that when similar rules were introduced for MSW sites, the owner, their consultant, and a regulator [state or EPA] worked through the remedy selection process. There is no real-time regulatory feedback in many cases with the requirements in the federal CCR rule.”

Nelson is familiar with the process of establishing a program to manage CCRs. “The groundwater monitoring and corrective action portion of the CCR rule allows for specific timeframes for establishing a monitoring system, obtaining background samples, identifying statistically significant increases [SSI] in groundwater concentrations, assessing alternative sources of those SSI, completing assessment monitoring, and then assessing corrective measures for groundwater impacts above groundwater protection standards,” he says. “Stacking all of those timeframes onto one another has us where we are today [sites recently completing ACMs and working on remedy selection]. We are about to repeat this same cycle, starting with identifying SSIs, with groundwater monitoring of inactive surface impoundments that were previously exempt from groundwater monitoring under [rule section] 257.100, an exemption removed with previous rule revisions.”

At the moment, remedies for CCR units that have not already undergone closure will include some form of source control. The most likely controls include closure-in-place, sometimes called cap-in-place, or closure-by-removal of coal ash. Closure-in-place involves dewatering the impoundment—or converting wet storage to dry storage—stabilizing the waste, and installing a cover system to prevent additional water or other material from entering the impoundment. Closure-by-removal involves dewatering and excavating the CCR, then transporting it to a lined landfill.

In addition to these source control and closure strategies, remedies for groundwater impacts from CCR units might also include approaches from two other categories of corrective measure – active restoration and plume containment. The options available and those appropriate will depend on many site-specific factors including the size of the source, the groundwater constituents and concentrations, and the receptors at risk.

These factors, more remedies, and the selection process will be discussed in more detail as this blog series continues.

CCR and Electric Utilities

 

Tom Karwoski

Mr. Karwoski has 30 years of experience as a hydrogeologist and project manager. He has designed and managed investigations and remediations at landfills and for industrial, superfund, military, and energy firms.

 

Eric NelsonEric J. Nelson, PE, is a Vice President of SCS Engineers and one of our National Experts for Electric Utilities. He is an engineer and hydrogeologist with over 20 years of experience. His diverse experience includes solid waste landfill development, soil and groundwater remediation, and brownfield redevelopment. He is a Professional Engineer licensed in Wisconsin and Iowa.

 

Mark Huber

Mark Huber is a Vice President and Director of SCS’s Upper Midwest Busines Unit. He is also one of our National Experts in Electric Utilities. Mark has nearly 25 years of consulting experience in civil and environmental engineering.  His experience working on a variety of complex challenges for utilities allows him to quickly identify key issues and develop smart, practical solutions. He also has expertise in urban redevelopment projects with technical expertise in brownfield redevelopment, civil site design, and stormwater management.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

November 26, 2019

SCS Engineers is pleased to announce the opening of our newest location in Oakdale, Minnesota. Located approximately 15 miles from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, this SCS office also boasts a training facility dedicated to specialized compliance training related to risk and process safety-based EPA and OSHA regulations. The new location is:

SCS Engineers
7300 Hudson Boulevard North, Suite 135
Oakdale, MN  55128
1 (800) 767-4727

SCS  Tracer Environmental, a specialty practice of SCS Engineers, will continue to offer custom onsite training and nationwide training sessions, in addition to ammonia refrigeration operator training, CIRO review classes, CARO review classes, and Process Safety Management and Risk Management Plan (PSM/RMP) training in our new classroom.

To better serve the unique needs of their clients, SCS employs experienced staff with backgrounds in oil, petrochemical/chemical industries, aerospace, and manufacturing companies. Tracer’s service professionals are strategically located across the nation to meet the environmental needs in a wide range of industries using ammonia refrigeration  such as dairy, food, and beverages; ice arenas and ice manufacturing; cold storage warehouses; and for facilities using ammonia for metal/tooling heat treating, and fossil fuel plants with NOx systems.

As an added service, SCS provides consultation on ammonia detection systems based on the IIAR 2-2014 Standard and Recognized and Generally Accepted Good Engineering Practices (RAGAGEP).

Click here for more details regarding training.

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 1:39 pm

November 20, 2019

Welcome to the SCS Advice from the Field blog series.

landfill airspace

Airspace is a golden egg, the equivalent to cash that a waste operating company will have overtime in its account. With each ton or cubic yard of waste received at the landfill, the non-monetary asset of airspace converts positively to the bottom line of the waste operating company’s books.

The larger the airspace, the larger the non-monetary asset, and the larger future cash potential in the account.

Therefore, it is extremely important to design landfill footprints optimally in consideration of planned operations at the site, and design landfill features maximizing airspace within the selected landfill footprint.

Optimization takes into consideration the land available for development, including the various facilities and systems necessary for operations. The type of design, depth of landfill, base slopes, leachate collection pipe slope, perimeter berm geometry and size, slopes of landfill side slopes, terraces on slopes, and many other parameters determine the airspace volume available to the landfill operator. The designer’s goal is to provide the most volume to the landfill operator.

How does the operator know that a proposed design is maximizing airspace?

If SCS is the site designer, the maximization of airspace is inherent in proposed designs for permitting. On numerous occasions, when SCS is not the site engineer, our designers have proposed a re-design of landfill features to maximize the airspace within its permitted footprint. Under these circumstances, it is not easy to convince a landfill operator of the benefits of SCS’s proposal. Naturally, one assumes a designer would not propose a lesser design on paper and carry it through the high cost of permitting, so it is common for the landfill operator to express doubts about our proposed changes. Once the operator and SCS review the technical design changes in detail, the demonstrated value becomes apparent. It is not a simple process, but on every occasion, we have successfully increased the airspace for the client, increasing potential revenue for millions of dollars beyond the originally permitted amounts.

Driven by the success of our clients, it is our culture to serve our clients completely as trusted professionals making your challenges our own. SCS is proud to say that at the date of this publication, our designers have created over $400,000,000 of additional financial benefit out of thin air for clients at a dozen landfills with more efficient landfill base grades that maximize airspace and cost less to construct.

As we move toward our 50th year, we hope to continually improve, evolve, and strive to maximize airspace at more landfills, adding value to our clients’ bottom line. Contact our nearest office if you are interested in a landfill evaluation for maximizing airspace and reducing construction costs. As always, our SCS authors are available to answer your questions or comments.

Landfill Design

 



Ali KhatamiAbout the Author:  Ali Khatami, Ph.D., PE, LEP, CGC, is a Project Director and a Vice President of SCS Engineers. He is also our National Expert for Landfill Design and Construction Quality Assurance. He has nearly 40 years of research and professional experience in mechanical, structural, and civil engineering.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

November 19, 2019

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are receiving increasing attention from regulators and the media. Within this large group of compounds, much of the focus has been on two long-chain compounds that are non-biodegradable in the environment: PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid).

Long detected in most people’s bodies, research now shows how “forever chemicals” like PFAS accumulate and can take years to leave. Scientists have even tracked them in biosolids and leafy greens like kale. Recent studies have linked widely used PFAS, including the varieties called PFOA and PFOS, to reduced immune response and cancer. PFAS have been used in coatings for textiles, paper products, cookware, to create some firefighting foams and in many other applications.

Testing of large public water systems across the country in 2013 through 2015 found PFAS detected in approximately 4 percent of the water systems, with concentrations above the USEPA drinking water health advisory level (70 parts per trillion) in approximately 1 percent (from ITRC Fact Sheet). Sources of higher concentrations have included industrial sites and locations were aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) containing PFAS has been repeatedly used for fire fighting or training. Source identification is more difficult for more widespread low-level PFAS levels.

With the EPA positioned to take serious action on PFAS in 2020 and beyond, regulators in many states have already started to implement their own measures, while state and federal courts are beginning to address legal issues surrounding this emerging contaminant. State actions have resulted in a variety of state groundwater standards for specific PFAS compounds, including some that are significantly lower than the USEPA advisory levels. These changes mean new potential liabilities and consequences for organizations that manufacture, use, or sell PFAS or PFAS-containing products, and also for the current owners of properties affected by historic PFAS use. If you operate a landfill or own a site with PFAS history this may be something you need to discuss and plan now.

Questions for property owners, property purchasers, and manufacturers include:

  • Should we test for PFAS? If so, where and how?
  • To what standards should we compare our results?
  • What will we do if we find PFAS?

If PFAS treatment or remediation is required, a number of established options to remove PFAS from contaminated soil and groundwater are available, including activated carbon, ion exchange or high-pressure membrane systems. On-site treatment options, including in-situ or ex-situ alternatives, the management of reject streams with concentrated PFAS waste where applicable, are also available.

Do You Need Help?
Need assistance with PFAS or have an idea that you would like to discuss? Contact , or find the SCS Engineers location nearest you.

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 9:57 am

November 18, 2019

According to Sean Bothwell, the executive director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, “There are … thousands of facilities that have failed to enroll in the industrial stormwater permit, creating an economic disadvantage for those facilities that are doing their job to be compliant with their permit. SB-205 will level the playing field for the regulated community and help California achieve their mission of attaining swimmable, fishable, and drinkable California waters.”

California’s Stormwater Multiple Application and Report Tracking System (SMARTs) currently shows approximately 13,000+ active industrial stormwater sites/dischargers (Notice of Intent and No Exposure Sites). For these current General Stormwater Permit (IGP) enrollee’s vs. non-filers, the playing field has not been level across industrial sectors. There is a cost, sometimes substantial, for being in, and maintaining compliance under the IGP. The Permit is fee-based; water quality regulatory programs and the programs and resources supporting those programs are funded directly with the fees collected by these regulated entities under those programs.

The additional late-permittees and associated fees will help with the challenge of staffing at the State and Regional Boards, for processing and enforcement. As of today, there is not a direct additional fee/fine for the potential late filers; the message being that potential dischargers (or SIC code-based Facilities with a condition of No Exposure) not covered under the IGP should enroll as soon as possible, to avoid potential initial fines and future costly penalties.

Future penalties could also include “de facto” regulatory compliance penalties through non-government organizations (NGOs) and environmental group citizen lawsuits and 60-day notice-of-intents under Section 505 of the Clean Water Act.  SCS Engineers advises businesses to check the Regional Board to see if they need coverage.

If unsure or unfamiliar with stormwater compliance, seek help from a Qualified Industrial Stormwater Practioner (QISP) or begin by using the resources linked to helpful sites from our blog. Although not a comprehensive list, these types of facilities do need stormwater compliance, as follows:

      • Asphalt Batch Plants,
      • Breweries
      • Concrete and Rebar Manufacturers,
      • Construction Material Facilities,
      • Deep Ocean Ports,
      • Haulers and Transportation Facilities,
      • Landfill Gas-to-Energy Plants,
      • Landfills (including Subchapter N/ELG Facilities),
      • Lumber Facilities,
      • Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs),
      • Petroleum Bulk Plants,
      • Quarries,
      • Recycling (Metal and Scrap),
      • Wineries

 

Jonathan Meronek
Jonathan J. Meronek
QISP-ToR, ENV SP, CPESC, QSP/D
Project Manager, SCS Engineers

About the Author: Jonathan Meronek is a State of California Industrial General Permit (IGP) Qualified Industrial Storm Water Practitioner (QISP), QISP Trainer-of-Record (QISP-ToR) and an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV-SP). With an eye to clients’ operational needs combined with long-term sustainable solutions, Jonathan has performed Site BMP and Pollutant Source Assessments, written Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), and implemented Monitoring Implementation Plans (MIPs); for over one-hundred facilities throughout California.

He continues to provide National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater services for state, municipal, and private clients across a vast cross-section of industrial sectors. Jonathan works with LRPs, facility managers, and attorneys to re-evaluate facilities comprehensively for NPDES compliance using technology-based BPT/BCT/BAT/NSPS levels of control to reduce and eliminate pollutants of concern in stormwater discharge.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

November 13, 2019

Enviro-Check, a new program at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR), limits environmental liability for organizations that are making a good-faith effort to investigate and correct violations. Enviro-Check empowers businesses and facilities to verify proactively that they are meeting environmental requirements with a third-party assessment. Many states have similar programs; for our blog, we use Enviro-Check as an example.

There are four steps to participate in the Enviro-Check program:
Step 1 – Notify WDNR 30 days before an audit
Step 2 – Conduct Audit within 365 days of application submittal
Step 3 – Submit Report within 45 days of completing the audit
Step 4 – Take Corrective Action within 90 days of a report

Enviro-Check and guidance in other states are beneficial anytime but are especially useful when there are changes at a facility, such as staff or management turnover, replacing equipment or expanding the operations, buying or selling a business, or when new federal or state rules or regulations are announced.

Benefits to your business can include:

  • Limited liability with low or no fines for self-reported and corrected violations
  • Ceilings on the maximum cost per violation
  • Department has more flexibility to waive penalties if violations are corrected
  • Reduced risks, costs, and environmental impacts
  • Increased efficiencies and improved environmental performance
  • Increased confidence for lenders, buyers, customers, shareholders, or certification bodies

SCS Engineers’ environmental compliance teams have experience in air, stormwater, wastewater, solid waste, hazardous waste, spill prevention programs, and emergency response plans. Our auditors and engineers participate in a range of auditing scenarios from single program gap analyses to full environmental compliance audits. Our staff of environmental professionals can help you:

  • File the Notice of Intent Form
  • Conduct the audit
  • Recommend and implement corrective actions
  • Provide tools and procedures to help you stay in compliance
  • File the final audit report

To learn more about how you can have SCS as your third party assessor for WDNR’s Enviro-Check or a program in your state, contact

SCS Engineers Locations

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 11:06 am

November 8, 2019

 

Happy Veteran’s Day to all of our Veterans here at SCS and across our nation. 

Army National Guard Platoon Leader Wesley Pate deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait
Army National Guard Platoon Leader Wesley Pate deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait.

On Veterans Day 2019, we decided to interview one of our very own Veterans at SCS! Wesley Pate joined SCS Engineers in August 2018, as a Senior Technician in our Field Services OM&M Business Unit. Wesley graduated from Auburn University where he studied Agriculture and Soils, which is what sparked his interested in getting into environmental services. He joined the Army National Guard in 2013, as a Platoon Leader where he was deployed to Afghanistan and Kuwait. As a Platoon Leader, he was responsible for the rating and professional development of 38 soldiers.  He returned home safely in July 2018, and started his search for a career in Environmental services and found his home at SCS Engineers! As a Senior Technician, he supports our Landfill Gas Collection Systems by conducting monthly well field monitoring on 5 of our landfills in Alabama where he performs maintenance and repairs on the blower and skid as well as troubleshooting the systems.

What is it that attracted you to SCS?

The position was close to what I did before I was deployed. Just the comfort of coming in and already knowing people working here was great. I was familiar with SCS from my prior experience with my previous employer, and it just seemed like a better environment. I liked the way things run at SCS – they did things the way I wanted to do them. Before, if I had a problem, I would have to call someone else to fix it instead of doing it myself. Now I have the freedom to do the monitoring, the troubleshooting, and the repairs all myself as needed. And if I need help, they have the resources to assist. I appreciate the structure in landfill gas with SCS because it’s very professional. And I like that!

What is your favorite part of working at SCS?

The flexibility! Every day it seems like I’m learning something new! When I work with guys from another region, I always learn something from them. I’m constantly learning something new! It never gets boring. There’s always something new coming up, always a new challenge. It tests my brain to figure things out. It’s very rewarding once you do fix something, and it works out. It’s a feeling like “Hey! This actually works, and we found the issue to fix it.” If the clients are happy, then I’m happy with myself.

What would you say is your biggest contribution to SCS?

Wesley Pate
Wesley, a Senior Technician at SCS out in the field with his team.

That’s a tough one! I guess anytime I feel I’m helping the team. If someone needs help, and I’m able to assist them, and I’m contributing to the team rather than being a burden or a headache. If my project manager needs something and I’m able to help him out and take a load off of him, that makes me feel better about my place on the team. If the boss is happy, then everyone’s happy!

Why do you think you’ve been so successful at SCS?

I’ve been set up for success! We have good management and work with great clients. I like that SCS is more of a team environment, and everyone makes an effort, rather than any one company or contractor carrying the weight of the work. Everyone approaches it as a team, and we brainstorm and determine the best way to come up with the solution. 

What advice would you give a prospective employee at SCS?

For someone coming into OM&M, stay open-minded, as in, don’t be set in your ways. Be willing to work hard and keep your head down and push through it. The work will get easier as you go on. You will learn every day, and the more you learn, the easier it gets! You will get to spend time with the more experienced SCS employees and learn from them that tasks you thought were challenging, don’t have to be. You will observe an employee who has to do the same thing 100 times, and they will teach you the easiest way to do it! 

What do you like to do outside of SCS? Any favorite hobbies?

I love to go bow hunting for whitetail deer in Alabama. I also love doing anything on the water! I have a Bloodhound dog named Reggie, and I love spending time with him.

 

Thank you for your service!

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 2:23 pm
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