scs

February 8, 2024

Aerial view of the DIW with the landfill in the background.

 

Inside SCS Engineers, an award-winning environmental services firm, are practices that specialize in permitting, designing, implementing, and performing the operational maintenance and monitoring of modern solutions for essential public services that impact climate change.

Focusing their efforts and investment on solid waste management efficiencies for municipalities leads to better customer service and helps lower emissions that impact communities. For example, the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Division in Collier County, FL, uses SCS on a variety of progressive solid waste and resource management projects. These projects include sustainable materials management, facilities and operations planning, and landfill optimization.

The County also reaches out to SCS Engineers as a resource to answer questions that only an expert environmental engineer can safely answer. Think of searching Google but only getting advice from qualified professional engineers and scientists who know your specific geology, environmental systems, and regulations.

Environmental Expertise On-Demand

For example, the County’s Division Director called Daniel Dietch, its SCS Engineers client service manager, to inquire about a specific contractor’s plan to excavate stormwater ponds within 1,000 feet of the County’s new deep injection well (DIW). Dietch is not a DIW expert, but with a single call to his colleague, Monte Markley, he could address the Division Director’s question in detail.

The client learned about SCS’s DIW knowledge and expertise in the process.

Knowing SCS’s DIW capabilities, the County’s Division Director contacted SCS again with a different concern and need. The County planned a ribbon-cutting ceremony for their new DIW and asked if SCS could quickly prepare several informational boards to display at the public ceremony.

With SCS’s expertise, Dietch contacted SCS resources, engaging Marketing Manager Renee Roman and Carbon Sequestration and Injection Well Services Leader Stephanie Hill to develop simple yet informative images that helped the County “tell the story” of their DIW. You can view the infographics here!

Outreach with all stakeholders, including community organizations, regulatory agencies, the public, and local environmental advocacy groups, about well-installation plans and the science behind them leads to smoother-running projects. It helps everyone understand how safe DIW technology is and why the EPA and state regulatory agencies approve it.

The work was fast-paced and collaborative, and the finished product showcased how knowing the client, understanding the subject matter, and collaboratively working as OneSCS are successes.

The County’s Division Director shared this with the SCS Team: Thank you for your guidance along the way, offering experts and project management teams, as this project hit bumps along the path. Finally, the much-needed, resilient infrastructure is in place, and not without a team of professional and technical experts, even those that were able to offer support in times of uncertainty.

OneSCS helps drive client success!

 

SCS Educational Resources:

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

March 22, 2023

Environmental Due Diligence SCS Engineers

SCS Engineers periodically prepare SCS Technical Bulletins – short, clear summaries of rules, plans, and standards. In 2021, ASTM International published an updated consensus guidance document for evaluating environmental conditions at properties involved in commercial real estate transactions.

This SCS Technical Bulletin for the revised E1527-21, Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process addresses definitions and terminology, clarifies industry practice for the historical records review of the subject and adjoining properties, and provides for updates and additions to appendices, report outlines, and other collateral.

Our updated edition now includes the revised guidance speaks to the business risk associated with emerging contaminants, such as Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

Read, share, download the A New Standard Practice for Phase I Environmental Site Assessments Tech Bulletin here.

 

For more information about Environmental Due Diligence, please visit our website.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 3:37 pm

January 19, 2023

SCS Engineers Landfill Methane Capture

 

MDE Regulatory Alert: Maryland Landfill Air Regulation

On December 30, 2022, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) published a proposed regulation addressing the control of landfill gas (LFG) methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the state. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with a global warming potential of more than 25 times greater than carbon dioxide. The proposed regulation is modeled after similar rules in California and Oregon, incorporates provisions from the EPA’s federal landfill air regulations under NSPS & EG 40 CFR 60 Subparts Cf and XXX and NESHAP CFR 63 Subpart AAAA, and would become among the most stringent in the US.

The new regulation will be submitted to the EPA for approval as part of Maryland’s state plan for MSW landfills (state plan). The state plan will be equivalent to or more stringent than the EPA’s NSPS & EG 40 CFR 60 Subparts Cf and XXX and NESHAP CFR 63 Subpart AAAA, and will apply to smaller and mid-sized landfills not currently subject to the EPA’s federal rules.

MDE estimates that 32 active and closed MSW landfills in the state will be subject to the proposed regulation.

Some key provisions of the rule include:

  • The rule will apply to active and closed MSW landfills that have accepted waste after 11/8/1987 and that have a design capacity greater than or equal to 2,750,000 tons and 3,260,000 cubic yards, and active and closed MSW landfills that have accepted waste after 12/31/1993 that have less than 2,750,000 tons or 3,260,000 cubic yards of waste but greater than 450,000 tons of waste in place.
  • Closed or inactive landfills, or closed inactive areas of an active MSW landfill, that have commenced installation of solar panels or arrays on or before 1/1/2024 are exempt from the rule if they meet certain requirements.
  • MSW landfills with a calculated methane generation rate greater than 8,548 tons per year must install a gas collection and control system (GCCS).
  • MSW landfills with a calculated methane generation rate between 732 tons per year and 8,548 tons per year can either install a GCCS or evaluate surface methane emission rate, the results of which would determine if a GCCS is required.
  • If required, landfills must operate the GCCS for a minimum of 15 years and until the point that the methane generation rate has reduced to below 732 tons per year.
  • Specific requirements for the use of control devices such as enclosed or open flares. The use of open flares is permitted only until 1/1/2025. The rule includes minimum control requirements for devices and initial and annual source testing.
  • Evaluation of surface methane emission rates through both instantaneous (500 ppm) and integrated (25 ppm) monitoring requirements and standards.
  • Leak monitoring and standards (500 ppmv) for GCCS components that contain LFG and are under positive pressure.

This rulemaking has been several years in development and is consistent with Maryland’s GHG Reduction Act of 2009 and the recent Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 that requires Maryland to become “net zero” for GHG emissions by 2045, with an interim goal of achieving 60% GHG reductions by 2031 (over 2006 levels). MDE estimates that once implemented, this rule will achieve a 25-50% reduction in GHG emissions from affected landfills. MDE estimates the capital costs associated with rule compliance would range from $1 to $3 million, annual operating and maintenance costs range from $150k to $400k, and additional costs for monitoring (~ $60k annually), recordkeeping, and reporting.

MDE has scheduled a virtual public hearing on the proposed action at 10:00 am on February 1, 2023. Comments can be submitted by 5:00 pm (Eastern Time) on February 1, 2023, to Mr. Randy Mosier of MDE at .

 

For additional information on MSW regulations and GHG emission reductions, please visit scsengineers.com or one of SCS’s nationwide offices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am

January 16, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a proposed rulemaking (Federal Register, Vol. 87, No. 198, Friday, October 14, 2022) that would address a 2008 Fugitive Emissions Rule that was subsequently granted reconsideration based upon a petition from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC).  The key issue is how fugitive emissions are considered under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), as related to the definition of modification.

Modification means any physical change in, or change in the method of operation of, a stationary source which increases the amount of any air pollutant emitted by such source or which results in the emission of any air pollutant not previously emitted. 42 U.S. Code § 7411(a)(4).

In 2008, the Bush EPA published its Fugitive Emissions Rule that sought to “reconsider” the inclusion of fugitive emissions under this language.  Fugitive emissions are defined as:

Those emissions which could not reasonably pass through a stack, chimney, vent, or other functionally-equivalent opening. 

NRDC’s petition for reconsideration argued that the Bush EPA weakened the standard for determining major modifications by excluding fugitive emissions from major Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) and non-attainment New Source Review (NSR) applicability.

The proposed rulemaking would result in a formal reversion to the pre-2008 language.  EPA’s Director for its Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards (OAQPS) has indicated that the rule “would require fugitives to be counted in all new and modified major source determinations,” effectively ending the Bush-era limitations on counting of fugitive emissions.

The potential impact of EPA’s planned fugitive emissions rule may prove significant and is expected to affect a wide range of diverse industry sectors being impacted, such as power generation, oil & gas extraction, mining, paper mills, petroleum refining, chemical manufacturing, coatings operations, and solid waste facilities. In particular, both landfills and compost facilities can have significant fugitive emissions.

Based on our current understanding, the proposed rule will effectively eliminate the ability to exempt fugitive emissions under the current exemption in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 52.21(i)(vii).  This would mean that if a source is an existing major PSD or non-attainment NSR source for ANY pollutant, and modifies, then both non-fugitive AND fugitive emissions for ALL pollutants must be counted to see if the project is a major modification under PSD/NSR.  Triggering a major modification would also mean that fugitive emissions are included in the various compliance elements of PSD or NSR (e.g., best available control technology [BACT], lowest achievable emission rate [LAER], modeling, offsets. etc.).

To add more context for landfills, as an example, if an existing landfill, which is already deemed major due to carbon monoxide (CO) or sulfur dioxide (SOx) emissions from flares (Potential to Emit [PTE] >250 tons per year [tpy]), conducts an expansion that will result in 15 tpy of new particulate matter less than 10 microns(PM10) [and/or 10 tpy of PM2.5] fugitive emissions from windblown dust, this would be a major modification under PSD, requiring BACT and modeling for fugitive PM.  This could also include BACT and other requirements for fugitive methane as a regulated greenhouse gas (GHG) or volatile organic compounds (VOCs)/non-methane organic compounds (NMOCs) from the additional fugitive landfill gas (LFG) emitted from the expanded landfill. Compost facilities can also have significant VOC emissions, which could put them at risk from this rule change.

Public comment on the rulemaking ends on February 14, 2023, which is an extension of the previous deadline. The solid waste industry will provide comments through the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the National Waste and Recycling Association (NW&RA). This will be the last chance to have any effect on the rulemaking. Otherwise, landfills and possibly compost facilities could face more stringent requirements under the PSD and NSR programs when it comes to fugitive emissions.

 

Landfill and compost facility owners and operators may direct their questions pertaining to specific facilities to their Project Managers or .

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 9:21 am

December 8, 2022

SCS Engineers
SCS Founder, Executive Vice President, and Director Emeritus Tom Conrad

 

SCS Founder, Executive Vice President, and Director Emeritus Tom Conrad passed away on December 7, 2022. His enduring legacy is SCS Engineers, an environmental consulting and contracting firm formed by Tom, Bob Stearns, and Curt Schmidt on April 1, 1970, in Long Beach, California. This was eight months before the US Environmental Protection Agency was formed – Tom, Bob, and Curt recognized that responsible waste management was increasingly important and necessary to protect the environment and human health.

Over the ensuing years, Tom helped EPA develop solid and hazardous waste regulations that provided appropriate and protective environmental controls that were also practical. Tom’s work led to important federal landfill rules such as EPA’s Open Dump Inventory and Classification Criteria of 1978, which eventually led to the RCRA Subtitle D rules of 1991 – still in effect today. Other examples include guidance documents for land disposal of hazardous wastes in the 1980s and research in support of EPA’s Underground Storage Tank regulations in 1988.

Tom was involved in numerous important projects throughout his career, including developing the filling and phased closure plans for Fresh Kills Landfill in New York City, the world’s largest landfill at the time. The work included wetlands protection and shoreline improvements. Today, SCS is involved in redeveloping the closed landfill – brownfield into a premier park and recreational facility.

He pioneered landfill gas to energy (LFGE) generation, expanding it significantly as an industry. Today, SCS remains a national leader in biogas and renewable energy.

Tom was considered an “engineer’s engineer.” He employed rigorous analysis and evaluation of potential solutions, utilizing a solid, methodical engineering approach to his work and all of his projects, which remains part of SCS’s culture.

Tom felt that one of his greatest achievements was hiring and mentoring many good people, including SCS’s current leadership team, President Jim Walsh, and Senior Vice Presidents Mike McLaughlin and Bob Gardner, in whose capable hands Tom watched the company grow its environmental services and thrive. He was proud of SCS’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan, enabling SCS to share annual profits with every employee, giving everyone an ownership stake in the company.

Tom retired from SCS exactly 46 years after founding SCS. He stayed as Director Emeritus and continued providing counsel at company Board meetings. In November 2021, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) awarded Tom their highest honor, The Robert L. Lawrence Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his pioneering work and leadership in the solid waste industry.

Everyone who knew Tom Conrad over the years respected him for his integrity, hard work, and dedication to his family, friends, employees, and community. We at SCS still base our firm on the principles and values Tom used when founding the firm. As an early adopter of sustainability, we thank him for leading the way in designing environmentally sound solutions for business and society. There is more work to do, but the world is a much cleaner, safer place now than in 1970 when Tom started SCS.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 5:52 pm

November 18, 2022

The Young Professionals Planning Committee (YPPC) recently got together in Long Beach, California, for our annual meeting. During the meeting, we set goals for 2023, laid out the 2023’s calendar of events, elected new officers, and participated in team-building activities. Team building activities included reviewing our DiSC profiles, tower building focused on cooperation and communication, and a cooking class, whipping up So-Cal favorites with Mexican-themed dishes. The meeting kicked off the new YPPCs tenure, consisting of 13 members from 8 business units representing our Young Professionals across the nation.

The SCS Young Professionals Program was established years ago and includes all employees at SCS Engineers who are 40 years of age and under. The YP Planning Committee produces the Program content and acts as a liaison for the Program between SCS YPs, corporate leadership, and at Board of Directors meetings.
Our membership is spread across various regions of the country to represent the entire company.

We offer a variety of resources and activities for all YPs, including:

  • Monthly email blasts – where we share our goings-on and offer links to our resources
  • Technical and professional development webinars – Various SCSer’s throughout the company volunteer to present on topics that help YPs learn about what our company does and how we can develop professionally.
  • SCS Mentoring Program – Connecting SCSers with mentors and protégés to develop professional relationships, careers, and technical knowledge.
  • Sponsored social activities– It can’t be all work and no play! The YP Program sponsors social outings nationwide to help our YPs get to know each other.
  • Charitable events – The YP Program runs annual company-wide drives and encourages our offices to continue their charitable work locally.
  • Attend SCS internal conferences such as Environmental Services (ES) College and Gurus, where we meet in person to learn, socialize, and network.

For more information check out these pages:

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:04 am

November 10, 2022

SCS Engineers Environmental Consulting and Contracting
Glenn (far left) is a Geologist and Senior Project Professional with SCS’s Carbon Sequestration and Deep Well Injection practice. Pictured here with part of his class, he is graduating as a Third Class Petty Officer from the Coast Guard’s Marine Science Technician A-School. Congratulations to All! Glenn’s mates recognized him as a Master of Arms in his class for being inspirational. We are pretty darn proud of him and all who serve our nation.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 10:32 am

November 8, 2022

Compounded by rising labor and regulatory costs, the three major challenges for landfill owners and operators are mitigating toxins, liquids, and greenhouse gases. Gas collection and control systems, leachate management strategies, and treatment technologies all help create efficiencies.

In our two-part educational series, we use case studies to demonstrate combinations of integrated SCADA, IIoT, drones, satellites, and Geographical information systems (GIS) technologies. Using clear, straightforward language, our panelists explain which technology is best for what and when integrating these technologies better serves your landfill’s and composting operation’s challenges and budget.

Recorded in front of a live audience who send questions to our panelists specific to their operational needs we cover monitoring, liquids, and labor challenges – with an aim to introduce new technologies that solve some of your most expensive challenges. SCS’s forums are educational, non-commercial webinars with a Q&A forum throughout; they are free and open to all who want to learn more about landfill and composting technology. We recommend these discussions for landfill and organics management facility owners/operators, technicians, environmental engineers, municipalities, and environmental agency staff.

 

View Part I focused on drones, satellites, and GIS technologies which are valuable for landfill permitting, design, and monitoring liquids and gas well conditions.

 

View Part II focused on SCADA and remote monitoring & control systems – when and why using real-time data can create efficiencies and reduce risk at your landfill and are useful for compost operations, and anaerobic digestors.

 

If you would like to join our mailing list for these monthly forums, please contact us at – SCS never shares or sells your contact information.

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 4:15 pm

October 24, 2022

Environmental Learning Center
The SCS Engineers Environmental Learning Center is open 24/7.

 

Welcome to the SCS Engineers Environmental Learning Center. Every month we record a live session on an environmental hot topic! We invite everyone to these open forums where participants can ask questions throughout. The video recordings are available in our Learning Center to watch at your convenience. Best of all, we respect your privacy; these are educational videos not sales pitches followed by a mountain of spam email. Our videos are intended to share our experience in environmental fields with individuals to enhance problem-solving and innovation. Click below to visit.

 

SCS Engineers Environmental Learning Center

 

Whether reducing methane emissions at landfills, repurposing contaminated properties, producing alternative energy, or sequestering carbon, we have focused on finding smart climate solutions and improving the natural environment since our inception in 1970.

SCS Engineers supports many businesses and municipalities taking steps to address climate change, which many consider the most important challenge facing our planet. Every business is resource-intensive with most environmental issues occurring during the operational phase of business or production. The sustainable environmental solutions and testing we discuss in our videos we offer to the agricultural, construction, extraction, manufacturing sectors, and municipalities to help them attain their cleaner operating goals and often improve operating efficiency.

You’ll also find articles, papers, blogs and more videos on environmental topics from A-Z using our search and filter feature. Can’t find something – let us know at our professionals are ready to help.

Other Playlists Include:

  • Brownfields, Voluntary Remediation, Due Diligence
  • CCR and Electric Utilities
  • Clean Air and Greenhouse Gas Reduction
  • Industrial and Manufacturing
  • Landfill Engineering, Construction, Operations
  • Organics and Solid Waste Management
  • Renewable Energy
  • Risk Management Plans & Process Safety Management
  • SCSeTools®
  • SCS Remote Monitoring and Control®, SCS RMC®
  • Stormwater, Wastewater, Liquids Management or
  • Visit the U.S. EPA here.

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 12:00 pm

October 13, 2022

SCS Engineers Environmental Consulting and Contracting

NJ Organics Summit: Addressing a Changing Climate

 

Organics processors, composters, haulers, regulators, academics, organics waste management professionals, sustainable community organizations, and nonprofits will join the conversation about New Jersey’s organics management practices. The Summit will feature experienced industry professionals, academics and regulators on topics of:

  • State and city food waste initiatives and climate change programs
  • The role and how to work with compostable packaging
  • Compost facility management (economics, PFAS, new techniques)
  • Funding and operating climate friendly organics business

SCS Project Director Greg McCarron is speaking at the Funding and Operating Climate Friendly Organics Businesses Panel 4 (4:00 – 5:00 pm). Be sure to visit the exhibitors and learn about some great organics recycling businesses in New Jersey!

Greg McCarron, Vice President, SCS Engineers

 

 

 

Posted by Diane Samuels at 6:00 am