Environmental Engineering And Compliance Blog

4 Ways to Improve Fleet Performance With A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 10:00:00 GMT

There’s no doubt a fuel management system can improve fleet performance. But perhaps you still aren’t sure if it’s right for you. Consider for a minute whether your operation could use a boost in any of these four areas:

Maintenance.

Adopting the right fuel management system means you can capture more detailed information about each of your vehicles, more consistently and more accurately. Armed with better data, you can realize better mileage and ensure regularly-scheduled maintenance happens as planned, reducing unnecessary wear-and-tear on your fleet. You can even receive alerts that provide earliest detection of impending problems.

You’ll get longer fleet life, for a better return on your capital investment. And you can stretch out future capital needs for replacement vehicles.

Tangential cost savings and productivity benefits: The data you gather can help identify needed improvements in route planning or driving techniques, to further reduce mileage and potential vehicle problems.

Record keeping.

A fuel management system gives you more information, in real time. Because everything is automated, it eliminates human error such as mis-reading data or transcription errors. That reduces incidence of mis-allocation due to missing or incorrect information.

Greater accuracy better supports compliance reporting, too. You’ll have correct, complete data at your fingertips, so you can quickly and easily generate reports or forms needed for regulatory filings or other submissions. Obtaining information immediately means billing and other accounting can be completed sooner, too.

Tangential cost savings and productivity benefits: Eliminating duplication of effort and time-wasting data entry enables drivers and administrative staff to re-focus on revenue-producing activities.

Security.

Maybe you have this under control, but for many firms fuel losses can represent a tremendous expense. Better record keeping eliminates “paper” losses, but a fuel management system also enables you to meticulously track and control assets from the day you purchase fuel until the day it’s dispensed into a vehicle. You always know how much fuel you have and where it is.

A fuel management system can help eliminate outright theft as well as wasteful mis-allocation that occurs when fuel is inadvertently dispensed into the wrong vehicle.

Tangential cost savings and productivity benefits: Employees can’t “sidetrack” fuel for personal use or waste vehicle time and fuel for unauthorized trips. No one wants to think their employees may be dishonest, but occasionally that’s a problem for some companies. A fuel management system, used properly, helps you avoid even having to think about such things.

Decision making.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have all the information you need to make truly knowledge-based decisions? Sure, you’re experienced enough to make good quality “best guesses.” And you’ve accumulated plenty of anecdotal information to guide you in the right direction. But a fuel management system can ensure you get far more information, without waiting around for someone to compile it, so you make smart, sound decisions at every step.

That means you’re covered for daily operations – things like driver and vehicle scheduling or responding quickly to unexpected repair or performance issues. You’re better armed for forecasting and planning. You suffer fewer surprises, because you’re capturing consistent, thorough, reliable data on a regular basis.

A fuel management system will pay for itself, often within the first year. How often can you say that?

Tangential cost savings and productivity benefits: There’s nothing “tangential” about lower total cost of ownership and higher profitability. You’ll get closer to both by using a fuel management system.

And here’s the thing: a fuel management system is equally valuable for any size or type of fleet operation. Are you a:

Municipality or government agency with utility, fire-fighting, law enforcement or motor pool vehicles?
Fixed-base operator providing third-party fueling but also managing the fleet you use to do the work?
Trucking or transportation company, utility or delivery company that owns your own fueling operation?

If so, a fuel management system could significantly improve your fleet performance.

Photo Credit: Dok1

3 Secrets To Increasing Diesel Fuel Performance with A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 10:00:00 GMT

It used to be that the simple ability to choose diesel fuel over gasoline was a cost-benefit, but that’s no longer the case. Now you’re getting hammered, and fuel costs just keep rising. No wonder uncovering ways to increase diesel fuel performance has become a major concern for fleet operators.

Whether your fleet includes heavy-duty trucks, buses and other transportation vehicles, construction equipment or lighter vehicles using diesel, using an automated fuel management system can help you capture extensive data about how your vehicles are functioning and where your fuel is going. You can use that information to evaluate every aspect of your fleet operation.

And that means you can maximize diesel fuel performance for a more profitable bottom line.

Resist the urge to idle.

The State of Connecticut prohibits idle times over three minutes except in certain unavoidable circumstances. And they’re not alone. Idling has become something of a “poster child” for excessive vehicle emissions, with resulting legislative action across the country. But getting idle time under control can significantly boost your company’s bottom line, too.

What’s your average mileage now? And what’s your average daily idle time per vehicle? Industry statistics show that a “typical” diesel-powered vehicle burns about one gallon for every hour at idle. If you could cut that by just 25%, how much would you save over a year?

Shutting down engines when they aren’t actually working or using auxiliary power to run air conditioning or heaters during stops and breaks can tremendously improve diesel fuel performance and save considerable money. It also reduces unproductive-but-costly engine hours. That means you’ll be able to stretch out your routine maintenance schedule. Lower total engine hours will increase the vehicle’s resale or trade-in value or simply extend its lifespan, and can extend the value of your warranty, too.

Diesel fuel performance is easily monitored with a fuel management system. You get reliable, accurate, complete data – exactly the information you need to plan projects, manage daily operations, support long-term planning and capital investment strategy.

Take advantage of diesel fuel performance technologies.

In some cases, specialized equipment can help your engines produce top diesel fuel performance. You might consider:

Electronic chips can increase efficiency and performance.
High-performance air intakes and filters can keep systems clean and cooler, for better fuel burn.
High-performance exhaust systems with a larger diameter after the emission control device can improve mileage.
Fuel injectors, even mileage-boosters such as diesel propane or water-methanol injection, are universally applicable and can help improve diesel fuel performance by burning slower, longer and more completely.

Enhance driver training.

Even the best drivers can get into a routine that may not be the most economical.

Power take-offs not only waste fuel, over time they can cause soot build-up that further reduces mileage and can cause expensive equipment failure. Speeding increases aerodynamic drag which in turn reduces mileage. For heavy-duty trucks, simply reducing speed from 56 to 50 miles-per-hour can reduce fuel consumption by as much as 22 percent.

Your fuel management system can monitor diesel fuel performance with detailed vehicle statistics but also with information that pinpoints where drivers could be more thoughtful or more conservative. Instituting specialized training or refresher courses can make drivers more aware of the effects of their actions. Get them actively involved in working to save fuel by rewarding them – hold a contest for the greatest improvement, or offer awards for the best quarterly record, etc.

Ultimately, getting top diesel fuel performance depends on knowing what you have and putting it to the most cost-effective use. Investing in an electronic fuel management system can help you track, monitor and manage fuel assets, dispensing details, accounting and compliance reporting. It can eliminate human error and greatly enhance fuel security. And all that adds up to short-term and long-term savings.

Photo Credit: Sean MacEntee

5 Ways To Reduce Fuel Consumption with a Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:00:00 GMT

There are lots of ways to “consume” fuel once you’ve purchased it. Noticeable losses drive you crazy – is someone actually stealing from your fuel inventory? Is fuel being used inappropriately for poorly planned or personal trips, or dispensed into the wrong vehicles? Maybe you just think it’s disappearing because your record-keeping isn’t quite what it should be.

A fuel management system can help you keep better track of your assets so you can realistically monitor consumption. And while that’s good news, there are a number of practices you can embrace to directly increase on-the-road mileage. Your automated system supports those efforts, too. Here are just five ways it can help you reduce fuel consumption:

Improve record-keeping.

FleetFinancials.com says the national average theft rate is 3% of annual fuel budget. Whether your experience is better or worse, gaining full control of your fuel assets eliminates needless losses that erode profits. An automated fuel management system replaces human error and inconsistent data gathering with reliable, accurate, timely and detailed information you can use to monitor, evaluate and improve every aspect of your fueling operation, from purchasing to dispensing to accounting and compliance reporting.

Improve vehicle maintenance and performance.

A well-tuned, in-repair fleet performs at peak levels, and that includes the lowest possible fuel consumption. Because a fuel management system can provide real-time, ongoing information about vehicle usage, you can easily sustain a regular maintenance schedule. Better yet, your automated system can alert you to anomalies that may indicate impending problems, so you can fix them before they become more costly or cause total vehicle breakdown.

Reduce expensive, wasteful idle time.

Emissions caused by excessive idling have become such a political issue that states and municipalities are mandating reductions to improve health and air quality. But idling is affecting your financial health, too. Do you even know how many hours your vehicles spend each year, burning up fuel while doing nothing productive? It could be staggering. A fuel management system can collect the information you need to tackle this very controllable problem.

Reduce speeding and other fuel-wasting driver behaviors.

Speeding, power take-offs, last-minute or excessive braking and unnecessary gear changing or clutching all reduce mileage and cause additional engine wear and tear. But even the most experienced driver can get in a hurry or become lax, and that lack of attention can dramatically affecting fuel consumption. A fuel management system enables you to track both vehicle and driving details to identify areas where you can improve.

Streamline routing and vehicle scheduling.

Your fuel management system can support and monitor route planning, to shorten trips and alert you to unauthorized side excursions. If your fleet includes different types of vehicles, choosing the most economical one for each job can save on fuel, too. You could even wind up reducing your fleet size without sacrificing productivity, saving on capital investment, ongoing upkeep and other costs.

There are so many factors you can’t control – vehicle age, loads, long-haul trips versus short stop-and-go associated with city driving or delivery services, road conditions, weather. But without a doubt the most significant factor you can’t control is the rising price of fuel.

The truth is, you can’t manage without measurement and you can’t make smart, effective business decisions without complete, accurate data. Adopting a comprehensive fuel management system gives you the power and the resources to control what you can, effectively tracking and managing every drop of the fuel you buy.

Instituting an automated fuel management system and making the most of it can make the difference between watching your profits leak out the exhaust pipe or sharpening your operation to be stronger and more competitive.

Photo Credit: Dennis Redfield

How to Minimize Engine Idle Time With A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The federal Environmental Protection Agency says we waste more than 6 billion gallons of diesel and gasoline annually due to excessive idling of cars, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. With fuel costs continuing to rise and retaining a prominent position in your budget, using a fuel management system to minimize engine idle time is more than just a good idea.

What’s the problem?

Vehicles sit at idle for lots of reasons. Frequent stops for deliveries or congested traffic. Routine traffic stops or emergency scene response. The general course of business activity for construction workers, utility techs, meter readers or any delivery, distribution or transportation industry fleet. Drivers who are in and out of the cab want to keep the interior comfortably warm or cool.

Legislative bodies around the country have begun to mandate reductions in vehicle emissions in an effort to improve air quality and public health. New York City has specifically targeted engine idle time, so now it’s a compliance issue, not just an economic issue. The good news is that complying with these regulations will save you money, something you can rarely say about government intervention. And it makes you a good neighbor, too.

Using an automated fuel management system to shorten idle times can be a valuable tactic for reducing overall fuel consumption. Every little bit of savings adds up tremendously over a year, resulting in longer vehicle life and more efficient, reliable fleet performance. That means more effective ROI on your capital investment and less frequent replacement of expensive assets.

Do the math.

You already know your bottom line is suffering, but do you know how badly? Consider these statistics:

On average, every hour of idling wastes one gallon of gas.
Ford reports that for the Crown Victoria, commonly used by police departments, one hours of idling equals 33 hours of drive time.
The American Trucking Association says that one hour of idle time each day totals about 64,000 miles of needless engine wear each year. At that rate, if your fleet has just four vehicles and you’re paying $4 per gallon for gas, you’re wasting $7200 per year.
With a fleet of 25 vehicles you can save almost 600 gallons a year by reducing each vehicle’s idle time just 15 minutes a day.

Premature engine aging further exacerbates your fuel consumption problems.

A fuel management system helps identify specific problems so you can solve them.

GPS vehicle tracking technology is typically part of a fuel management system. You can monitor and track vehicles to see when the engine is turned on and off and when it’s moving, so you can easily calculate accurate idle times per vehicle.

Some systems allow monitoring of the vehicle’s battery and on-board electronics such as radios, computers or emergency lights. The system can automatically turn the engine on and off, keeping the battery strong enough to maintain adequate function without running the engine unnecessarily.

You can monitor driver behaviors. Eliminating speeding, “rabbit” starts and quick-stops will improve mileage and also encourage your people to become part of the solution.

Your fuel management system will help you monitor route compliance, too. You can optimize routes to drive fewer miles, and with the right technology you can even communicate changes to drivers in the field for maximum efficiency.

No matter what size your operation, you must be able to accurately and completely track fuel usage in order to identify where improvements can be made and get them done soonest. Putting a fuel management system in play ensures you can gather more data, in real time, and evaluate it more effectively.

You can avoid potentially costly fines or penalties, save money by using less fuel and increase driver productivity. Getting more done, more efficiently, means you can generate more revenue. That’s ROI you can measure – tangible benefits based on reduced fuel consumption, thanks to your fuel management system.

Photo Credit: Walmart Corporation

Above Ground Storage Tanks vs Underground Storage Tanks

Joe Heaney — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:43:00 GMT

If you plan to store petroleum products or certain types of hazardous substances, you can count on detailed regulation whether you choose underground or above ground storage tanks. Stringent standards are aimed at overall public health and environmental protection, but primarily ensuring that our groundwater remains safe, because half the nation’s drinking water comes from this source.

An underground storage tank (UST) is defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency as any tank and connecting underground piping that holds at least ten percent of its combined volume underground. The EPA regulates all USTs used to store specified hazardous substances or petroleum.

Above ground storage tanks (ASTs) also have to meet EPA Spill, Prevention, Control and Countermeasure standards, regulations that cover tank design, construction and installation as well as ongoing monitoring and inspection, and clean-up if a spill occurs.

Who regulates underground and above ground storage tanks?

New York and New Jersey are part of EPA Region 2. Compliance monitoring is handled by each state – the New York Department of Environmental Conservation Petroleum Bulk Storage Program or the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection UST or LUST (leaking UST) Programs.

In addition, your county, municipality and/or fire department may modify or add to the EPA’s requirements. Fire codes usually indicate whether ASTs are allowed, and they typically define the type of equipment you need, maximum capacity, fire resistance level and minimum distance needed to separate tanks from one another, buildings, property lines, public areas and dispensing equipment.

ASTs are gaining official acceptance. Whether they will be approved for your location depends on what you plan to store, the location and size of your tanks and whether your product is being sold at retail or used only for private motor-vehicle fueling.

Above ground storage tanks are often preferred for bulk storage of chemicals and fuels.

It’s less costly to install an AST. You can place the tank on a pad or footing, so you’ll need far less excavation and the corresponding backfill and paving. You can easily perform a visual check for leaks because ASTs are situated in a diked environment or above grade.

Under some circumstances, ASTs don’t necessarily have to be fire-rated. And they’re comparatively easy to move, especially the smaller sizes.

New ASTs are now required to be constructed of steel. Underground storage tanks may be constructed of steel or fiberglass, and tanks are also available in a composite design where the steel is coated with fiberglass or corrosion-resistant urethane.

What’s trending with storage tanks?

Larger size, for one thing, to facilitate future expansion if your fuel storage needs increase. Planning ahead saves money in the long run.

Secondary containment is becoming more widely required. These tanks cost more up front but provide better protection against environmental contamination in the event of a leak. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) require secondary containment for some hazardous substances.

Compartmentalized USTs are growing in popularity. They are less expensive to install because you need less excavation, backfill and paving for just one rather than several tanks and because they enable onsite blending of different fuel grades.

Not sure whether underground or above ground storage tanks are right for your application?

If you can answer “yes” to all these questions, above ground storage tanks probably make good sense for your installation:

Permitted by zoning regulations, or a variance might be possible?
Sufficient land available to accommodate tanks now and for future needs?
Aesthetically appropriate?
Can meet required environmental protection and secondary containment?
Spill control sufficient to avoid fire explosions?
Adequate protection from vandals or other tampering?
Design can efficiently support product storage and transfer?
Financially feasible?

If one of more of these key factors doesn’t work, you’ll likely need to install underground storage tanks instead.

The Secret To Successfully Using an EDMS for Site Contamination Analysis

Joe Heaney — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 19:59:00 GMT

If you’re using your electronic database management system (EDMS) primarily as a high-capacity file cabinet, you’re missing out on the most valuable aspects of this versatile technology, especially when it comes to site contamination analysis. Your EDMS can support and augment both functional and analytical processes.

Put it to use in all the obvious ways.

Automatic data capture and upload or retrieval eliminates time-wasters like manual data entry, transcription, filing, searching for specific documents, interrupting someone else to get information and waiting around while they transport records to you. And it virtually eliminates human error along the way. You can get down to work, faster and more accurately.

Freeing geologists, hydrologists, engineers and lab associates from non-skilled tasks means they can concentrate on the investigation itself, especially the analytical aspects.

Because your EDMS does allow storage of massive data volumes, you can gather more field data, more quickly, and instantly transmit it to your central database. You can immediately retrieve relevant historical data and previously-produced analyses to build on past work, facilitating current project progress and devising better solutions.

The central database provides 24/7 access to everyone on your project team, including the non-scientists. Each person can pull the information they need, when they need it, in whatever customized format works best for them. You can immediately share information of all types with the entire analytical team or get specialized input if necessary from another “outside” colleague.

Used properly, your EDMS creates a true collaborative environment, where you can work simultaneously with others to discuss and evaluate site contamination factors without having to travel to meetings.

And that’s where your electronic database management system really starts to shine.

It can provide broad-based interpretive support, too, allowing you to do your best possible scientific work. EDMS-assisted analysis lets you:

Capture site photos or access photos, maps, etc. while in the field without carting around bulky reference materials.
Draw 2D, 3D, GIS, contour maps and other surface and subsurface visualizations that clearly show the exact nature and extent of existing contamination including whether there’s been migration to or from adjacent property. That allows the most thorough analysis and helps you develop the most effective clean-up options.
Investigate alternative remediation scenarios and identify best choices, by posing queries and getting immediate answers no matter how complex the question.
Perform calculations, estimates, etc. for more accurate cost determination and cost-benefit analysis.
Automatically convert inconsistent formats and metrics for easy comparison. Your EDMS will even detect and alert you to variances or other anomalies in your data.
Ensure final reports and submittals and any necessary compliance filings are complete. And completely accurate. You can identify who collected data, where and when. Your EDMS automatically quality-checks the information as it’s uploaded and can add GIS references, too, all of which assures a thorough audit trail.
Make the most of each person’s skills and expertise, with greater productivity and scientific creativity.

An electronic database management system can make your entire operation more efficient so you can be more effective. It helps streamline processes and boost everyone’s ability to focus on their most important tasks. Site contamination analysis differs with every job, and every solution you develop has to fit that unique situation.

When you take full advantage of your EDMS as it’s intended to function, your work will be systematically organized right from the start, regardless of project size or scope or how many projects you’re managing simultaneously. Faster, more accurate results mean clean-up can happen soonest, the ultimate goal for those directly involved as well as the community at large.

And that’s the bottom line of success.

Can An Above Ground Storage Tank Allow You to Avoid Regulations?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:03:00 GMT

If you’ve been thinking that your above ground storage tanks aren’t regulated, that’s not true. Just because you can see the tanks doesn’t mean you can see how well they’re doing their job. And that’s the important part, to protect your inventory and equipment but also public health and the environment in case of a spill or other emergency.

Official requirements for above ground storage tanks cover registration, monitoring, reporting and of course fees associated with these requirements. InNew York, the Hazardous Substance Bulk Storage Act is the primary law that regulates chemical bulk storage, and petroleum is separately regulated.

So for instance, if you have above ground storage tanks that hold a total of 1100 gallons or more, you’re subject to state regulations and, depending on your location, county regulations, too. The New York State Petroleum Bulk Storage Regulations have newly-increased registration fees for both underground and above ground storage tanks. Those fees are now:

$100 for each storage facility with capacity between 1100-2000 gallons.
$300 for each storage facility with capacity between 2000-5000 gallons.
$500 for each storage facility with capacity between 5000-40,000 gallons.

Capacity is defined as the total of a grouping of tanks, if there is more than one. These fees do not apply to oil production facilities or those regulated by the Natural Gas Act or licensed under the Navigation Act.

Owners are required to register storage facilities with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. You have to renew the registration every five years and notify DEC within 30 days if you’re planning to make any substantial modifications to your above ground storage tanks. New tanks cannot be used until they are registered.

In addition to state regulations, several counties (Cortland,Nassau,Rockland,SuffolkandWestchester) manage their own storage tank registrations and have the ability to establish additional rules. Related entities such as the New York City Fire Department are often involved in the process as well, because they require up-to-date information about chemicals, quantities and location to protect first responders in case of a fire, a spill or a natural disaster.

You must follow specific handling and storage requirements.

There is a uniform color-coding system for above ground storage tanks that you must use for shutoff valves and check valves, fill ports and gauges. This is designed to avoid accidental chemical mixtures which could cause problems ranging from inventory loss to extreme danger.

You must also establish soil berms or another type of “secondary containment” device to help protect the surrounding area if a spill occurs.

You must visually inspect your above ground storage tanks monthly. And at least every ten years, you have to clean out any tanks that are resting on grade. That means removing sludge, inspecting each tank for structural integrity and testing it for tightness.

If you take a tank out of service temporarily -- at least 30 days – you must drain the product to the lowest draw-off point, then cap or plug fill lines and gauge openings. If you permanently remove tanks from service, they must be entirely emptied of sludge, liquid and vapors.

New above ground storage tanks must be constructed of steel. If they will sit on the ground, you must provide cathodic protection as well as an impermeable barrier underneath the tank. You’ll need to monitor the space between the barrier and the bottom of the tank on an ongoing basis.

It all comes down to this: as an operator you’re responsible for ensuring your above ground storage tanks meet appropriate design and performance standards. And you’re responsible for ongoing monitoring, record keeping and reporting, providing any necessary remediation in case of a spill and taking the proper final steps when it’s time to retire a tank.

5 Myths About Electronic Database Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 10:00:00 GMT

An electronic database management system is the single-most valuable tool you can invest in, if you’re working in environmental engineering or related services. That’s true for private firms and public agencies that collect and analyze data to create solutions, labs and others who provide scientific support services, or property and facility managers responsible for ongoing stewardship.

Just as the name implies, an EDMS is an automated technology solution that enables your team to complete work in greater detail, faster and more accurately. Yet some organizations are still leery of adopting a comprehensive database management program. Fortunately, the vast majority of concerns are actually myths. Let’s dispel a few.

1. You have to be a big operation to reap the benefits.

An electronic database management system is entirely scalable to fit any size company or agency, any size project, any number of projects in any number of locations. It can handle a virtually unlimited amount of data.

Every science-based business or public entity needs to maximize efficiency and effectiveness in the field as well as in the office. And smaller firms need to do everything they can to level the playing field with larger competitors. An electronic database management system can help you do that.

2. We don’t need one.

How much time do you spend on redundant clerical tasks such as transcribing data from the field, filing and searching for files or performing endless calculations and conversions? How many mistakes are made along the way? Do your engineers and geologists have to travel back and forth from field to office just to consult documents, or drag around cumbersome maps and binders?

How easy is it for you to prepare submittals or comply with regulatory reporting requirements?

If you answered “ouch” to any of these questions, you need an electronic database management system. You’ll get more than another tool, you’ll get an automated partner that supports every aspect of your work and streamlines project management from beginning to end. You’ll get efficient, real-time electronic capture of unlimited volumes of data, immediately uploaded to a central database.

Your electronic partner eliminates manual entry and conversions, so you can work faster and more accurately. It even supports “thinking” with instant mapping, quick query response, performing complex calculations and alerting you to variances or other data anomalies.

3. Our team is too spread out.

An EDMS is the ultimate collaboration tool. Every team member has 24/7 access to information, regardless where they’re located. That speeds workflow and enables people to actually work together smoothly and effectively. No traveling to meetings, no delays waiting for files to be transported, no interrupting someone else to get what you need.

4. Some of our colleagues are not engineers.

It doesn’t matter. Non-scientists such as attorneys, property owners or managers and regulatory officials also have complete access to the information they need, in a format that works for them. That’s helpful for pulling raw data and preparing reports, but it’s especially valuable when it comes to visualizations.

An electronic database management system lets you create 2D, 3D and numerous other visual depictions of your project’s property, so anyone can easily understand your surface and subsurface findings as well as the ramifications.

5. It’s expensive.

An electronic database management system is remarkably cost-efficient, whether you install an in-house system or choose outsourcing. You’ll save time and increase productivity, working faster and using skilled personnel to best advantage. You could increase revenue because you’ll be able to take on more work.

What’s the cost of confidence? Knowing you have all the information at your fingertips to properly submit proposals and readily comply with reporting requirements. Knowing your crew has the best tool to work with so they can produce the most thorough, most accurate and most timely results for clients.

That kind of confidence is priceless.

How Fuel Management Systems are Increasing Accountability

Joe Heaney — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

When we talk about fuel accountability, we’re usually referring to theft and other more mysterious losses that cause us to wonder what’s really going on with our fuel inventory. That’s a serious concern for any public or private entity that purchases large quantities of fuel, especially with prices as high as they are. There’s no question that an automated fuel management system can help increase accountability within your operation.

Incorporating a comprehensive fuel management system such as FuelMaster ProKeys has been proven to significantly reduce losses. The City of Tallahassee, for example, reduced their fuel losses by 97%. Operations that go one step further and incorporate vehicle-mounted Automotive Information Modules (AIM) with their fuel management system are seeing even broader and deeper benefits.

A fuel management system lets you take control of fuel handling and disposition. Real-time, consistent tracking of basic vehicle and fuel dispensing data ensures you always know where your fuel is, when and how it’s being dispensed. Automated data gathering also reduces “paper losses” and confusion that result from simple mistakes or misallocated information.

If you’re a fixed-based operator, using a fuel management system supports complete, accurate invoicing that assures accountability with your customers, too.

Total resource management.

But a fuel management system can provide across-the-board efficiencies that allow you to do much more than simply gain control over your fuel assets. You can see better accountability all the way up to the CEO’s office.

AIM enables you to capture detailed vehicle-specific data. You can track vehicle mileage and usage patterns to detect over-idling, “rabbit starts” or other fuel-wasting behaviors. With better driver training and alertness to these issues you can improve fuel efficiency in small increments that add up nicely.

You can use the data you gather to make more timely and better-informed decisions about every aspect of your business, from daily operations to billing, forecasting, budgeting and long-range planning.

A fuel management system helps you efficiently use all your resources, not just fuel itself. The ability to improve performance and increase the lifespan of your fleet vehicles can have a major impact on overall profitability as well as operations efficiency.

A fuel management system will certainly improve accountability within your organization. Choosing the right system and optimizing the ways in which you use it will help you prevent losses and save money through streamlined processes and increased productivity.

Photo Credit: Moyan Brenn

What To Look For In Automated Fuel System Software

Joe Heaney — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

There’s no question that an automated fuel system can streamline your operation and help you gain control over valuable fuel assets. With no end in sight to rising fuel costs, investing in fuel management software makes more sense than ever. A top quality automated fuel system should offer a comprehensive list of features, but exactly how you’ll benefit depends on the specifics of your business.

The most important features will address your most urgent needs. However, as you investigate systems you should consider what additional benefits the software can provide down the road, because in the end, the broader the scope of efficiencies gained, the greater your savings will be.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a transportation company managing both fleets and fueling, a government entity doing essentially the same thing, or a fixed-base operator that’s more focused on the fueling side. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a small, local operation or large regional enterprise with lots of vehicles and fueling locations. You need complete, accurate and timely records that put you in control.

Automation takes human error out of the picture, both mistakes and inconsistencies. Instead, with the right fuel management system you can:

Significantly reduce or even eliminating theft and dispensing errors.
Systematically collect vital vehicle and fueling maintenance data without misallocation or other record-keeping breakdown.
Capture additional information about vehicle performance, maintenance needs and fuel usage.
Record and access data in real time.

An automated fuel system helps you secure and track your fuel assets, to virtually eliminate losses and squeeze every mile from the fuel you buy. It frees up drivers, fueling crews, office staff and managers to direct their time toward more productive activities.

Simply gaining better control over your inventory can make an impressive difference. But your automated fuel system will really shine when it enables you to obtain more – and more detailed – information than you can capture now. With more information, you can make smarter daily operations decisions. You can comprehensively manage your fleet, ensuring longer vehicle life with on-time scheduled maintenance and fewer costly repairs.

When you choose an automated fuel system that will do all that, you’ll have the tools you need to fully analyze data and forecast more accurately, for more strategic long-term planning. You can readily comply with regulatory or internal reporting requirements. And you’ll be able to direct your savings toward other important needs.

Photo Credit: Dok1

Marcellus Shale: It is Like Night (NY) and Day (PA)

Joe Heaney — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 23:46:00 GMT

I recently attended a public meeting in central Pennsylvania focusing on the issuance of a water withdrawal permit from the Tioga River. My interest in this subject aimed at understanding how my company, Walden Associates, could help energy companies plan and drill safely in New York’s Southern Tier, where they will face similar permit requests. The river water was to be used to support shale gas drilling in the area. Shale gas drilling uses horizontal well installation coupled with High Volume Hydrofracking (HVHF) methods, and requires a large volume of water to provide the hydro part of HVHF. The permit application was requesting the ability to remove water from the Tioga River, fill a standing column of tanker trucks with fresh water, haul the water to the drilling pad, and then return to the withdrawal point with production water, or flowback water, derived from the fracking process for treatment by either blending it with freshwater to decrease its total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations, or boil it to reduce it to a solid waste. The flowback water is the stuff folks in New York do not want in their state, and is the primary reason for denouncing Marcellus shale drilling.

While on this trip I drove through Williamsport, PA and was amazed at the volume of business occurring in the area. There were a lot of people on the road and local businesses were thriving. Help wanted signs were everywhere and every store front was filled. I became curious to see if there was a noticeable difference between central Pennsylvania and New York’s southern tier, so I returned home to Long Island by way of a detour on route US-15 North. I came upon Mansfield, PA and got off on the business bypass. I was immediately surprised to see countless billboards from Chesapeake Energy claiming: "Shale gas drilling is good for America" and "Shale gas drilling creates jobs". From that point on I saw full equipment yards, help wanted signs, and no vacancy signs at every hotel and motel along the road.

As I drove north and crossed the state line on route 15, I immediately noticed the road shifted from a four lane highway filled with truck traffic to a rural two lane unimproved road with few cars and fewer trucks. My speed dropped from 65 mph down to 35 mph. It was night and day different compared to what I saw only 15 miles down the road in PA. Stores were shuttered, roads were vacant, motels had plenty of vacancy; the area was depressed and lay dying. I heard that NY trucking companies and southern tier residents regularly travel south to Pennsylvania’s high paying jobs ranging from oil field rough necks to design engineers, land planners and real estate development. Do New Yorkers move to Pennsylvania for work? I am sure they do. Is this really good for New York?

On the national scene politicians claim America will be a better place when we are energy independent from the Middle East and free of its wars, unrest and terrorists. Do New Yorkers really want to remain tied to Middle Eastern energy by stopping HVHF? Wouldn’t natural gas derived from Marcellus Shale, and the economic boon that comes from drilling for it, better serve our State? The Marcellus Shale in New York can be safely exploited while providing an invaluable economic opportunity for job creation and state revenue, but our state government must take action. Otherwise we simply face the continuation of the night and day difference between the gleaming neighboring Pennsylvania and the depressed southern tier. Will dawn come to our State soon?

Photo: Shuttered stores near Jasper, New York (southern tier west of Corning, NY)

What Are The Components of a Phase 1 Environmental Audit?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The purpose of a Phase 1 environmental audit is to establish yourself as an “innocent landowner” before you actually become the legal landowner. Therefore the investigation is structured to discover whether the property you’re considering purchasing is or could be contaminated with petroleum products or other hazardous substances.

The Phase 1 environmental audit is designed to identify all past uses of the property and to uncover formal evidence or personal knowledge, documented or anecdotal, of existing contamination. It includes these components:

Records research and review.

This includes tracking down and studying public records that may be filed with local, regional, state, federal or tribal agencies, looking in particular for documents that specifically mention storage or handling of hazardous substances at the site.

It also includes studying publicly-accessible or private databases, fire insurance maps, aerial maps or photos, reverse directories and so on to learn more about how the property has been used. Hazardous substances are most likely to be present if previous uses include manufacturing or other industrial activities or businesses such as automotive shops, gas stations, photo shops or dry cleaners that typically handle dangerous chemicals.

Interviews.

Talking with current or past landowners and tenants can shed additional light on the property’s history. You may even have first-hand knowledge about the property, or your professional background might lead you to believe contamination exists. Or maybe you’re suspicious because the seller’s asking price seems unusually affordable.

On-site visual inspection.

The Phase 1 environmental audit also involves an up-close look around the property, to inspect the land and any buildings on it. Your inspector will check out the neighboring property, too. They’re looking for evidence of spills as well as building materials-based problems such as asbestos or lead-based paint.

Surveys and tests.

To understand surface and subsurface geophysical conditions, it may be necessary to conduct some simple soil or ground water sampling or other tests. Your investigator is looking for underground storage tanks as well as evidence that contaminants may have migrated around the property or may have migrated to or from adjoining land.

Written report.

After completing the audit, your investigator will provide you a written report of their findings as well as specific recommendations based on whether you property appears to be clean, has minor problems or has more severe issues which warrant further study.

The next step is up to you.

Fuel Management Systems Suppliers: What To Look For

Joe Heaney — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

More and more businesses that manage fuel – and public entities, too – are discovering the tremendous efficiencies that can be gained by instituting a fuel management system. But it’s a major investment, one that has to make both practical and financial sense. Choosing among fuel management systems suppliers can be confusing. Who to pick?

The best fuel management system suppliers aren’t just there to sell you something, because it’s not just about buying a tool. Effective fuel management is about the bigger picture -- integrating fuel inventory control and fueling processes with your entire operation. That’s how you’ll get the broadest benefits so you can maximize the value of your investment.

Top quality fuel management systems suppliers know that. So pick one that has an obvious interest in helping you make a wise investment. The right supplier will:

Possess experience working with a variety of public and private organizations, because every fueling operation is a little different. And yours is the only one that counts when you’re making an important buying decision.
Include environmental engineering experts, because fuel storage and handling regulations and related issues should be part of your fuel management plan.
Help you thoroughly analyze your current situation – your most serious problems as well as the types of vehicles you fuel, how many, how often and where -- to understand your most immediate needs. They’ll ask about your long-term business and financial goals. And they’ll give you sound advice based on your unique situation, because knowing a fuel management system helped others is great, but you need to know exactly how it will help you.
Sell the highest quality products like FuelMaster Prokees and AIM. You want proven success, not something that may not be up to the job.
Stay with you after your purchase, to ensure your system is functioning properly and you’re using it fully. That way you’ll get the fastest return on your investment and you’ll always have the information you need to easily comply with internal and regulatory reporting requirements.

Choosing fuel management system suppliers shouldn’t give you a headache, it should cure the ones you already have. At least some of them. With the right research and planning you can make a smart decision that will be outstandingly productive and profitable, too.

Marcellus Shale: DEC Shale Gas Drilling Regulations Long Overdue

Joe Heaney — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:00:00 GMT

I recently attended a New York State GIS User conference in Oswego, NY run by the Southern Tier Users Group. I was interested in gauging support for High Volume Hydrofracking (HVHF) among the members, and to see if anyone was presenting GIS topics on this divisive subject. I also wanted to see if anyone was using Environmental Database Management Systems (EDMS).

Walden performs GIS work and implements Environmental Data Management Systems (EDMS) in New York, and we established an EDMS User Group in partnership with Earthsoft’s EQuIS and NYSDEC to support new users of EDMS.

EDMS will be very useful when the NYSDEC shale gas drilling regulations become final, because energy companies will use EDMS to store and analyze soil and groundwater conditions within their planned drilling areas. This is regularly done in neighboring Pennsylvania and surely will be done in New York when Governor Cuomo reestablishes his pro-industry/energy stance and directs NYSDEC to finalize its extensive Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) on HVHF.

HVHF is a polarizing topic in the press with 78% of media coverage focusing on the supposed negative environmental impact. People in the industry understand how to drill for shale gas utilizing horizontal drilling coupled with HVHF to tap into deep shale reserves in the least environmentally impactful way. I think many people misunderstand what specific aspect of HVHF is environmentally impactful, which is the handling and processing of the flowback water. NYSDEC has been studying the problems associated with careless handling of flowback water drawing on examples in other states, and NYSDEC has written its draft regulation to mandate proper management of these waters. For example, NYSDEC will require all flowback water and process water to be contained on the drilling pad and within steel tanks, which is a large step up from open unlined lagoons as is done in some states, or even lined lagoons as is done in Pennsylvania.

While at the GIS meeting, which took place within the target area of potential Marcellus Shale drilling New York State, attendees I spoke with represented a cross-section of the professionals who could assist with shale gas drilling, and were very much in support of getting the drilling going. I began wondering what political reason is delaying the Governor from moving forward with establishing NYSDEC regulations. When will the failing economic recovery, and the potential for the economy to slide back into recession, mean enough to the Governor to take the bold step and authorize the DEC to approve the HVHF regulations? Will it have to wait until the Governor draws all the political capital from the opposition? My guess is yes, as this issue has clearly become more political than economic and what is good for New York State. I too am waiting with the other professionals on the sideline when I want to get into the game and help revive New York’s economy. I am ready and willing to work with energy companies to wade through the proposed HVHF regulations, and I set an engineering challenge to prepare the permit for New York State’s first Marcellus Shale gas production well.

Governor Cuomo, do right by working New Yorkers and direct the NYSDEC to release its well designed regulation now.

Photo: Drill Rig Outside Wellsboro, PA

Walden Answers Frequently Asked Questions on Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

Joe Heaney — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 22:42:00 GMT

It’s becoming a lot more common for people considering buying property in New York or New Jersey to order a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment before finalizing their purchase. In fact, many lenders now require this report before making their own final funding decision.

Here at Walden, we’re experts at conducting the Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment, so we’re often asked about it. These are the questions we’re most frequently asked:

What is it?

The Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment reviews the history of a particular parcel of land and any structures on it to determine if hazardous substances or petroleum products are present. It’s part of federal and state efforts to identify and clean up lingering contamination.

How does it work?

It’s primarily a research project that includes examining maps, business directories, etc. and public records that relate to the property. Research can also include personal interviews with current or past owners or tenants, on-site visual inspection and sometimes collecting a few samples or minor testing.

The goal is to gather information that dates to when the property was first used commercially, because certain types of businesses such as automotive enterprises, dry cleaners, photo shops or manufacturing are more likely to handle and store hazardous chemicals.

Who does the work?

It’s important to hire an environmental engineering professional to conduct your Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment. They know exactly what to look for, especially the more subtle indications that problems could exist. And depending on what they find, they can give you the most complete and accurate advice regarding your options.

What does it cost?

Not as much as ignoring it and discovering too late that your newly-purchased property is contaminated. Actually, a Phase 1 ESA is not particularly costly because it’s designed to be an overview, not an in-depth scientific study.

What happens next?

Your investigator will provide you with a full report of their research and findings, including recommendations for next steps, if any. The report is just for you and your lender, not for any regulatory agency. You could learn the property is contamination-free, or it could have relatively minor pre-existing problems. It could be seriously contaminated or suspicious enough to warrant a far more detailed Phase II environmental site assessment.

Regardless of the outcome, you’ll know a lot more about the property than when you started.

Let us know if you have more questions.

Checklist For Choosing A Fleet Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:00:00 GMT

There are many ways in which a fleet fuel management system can benefit your operation. Better security and saving money usually come to mind first, but the right system can bring you other significant advantages as well. But how do you choose the right system?

In order to thoroughly research fleet fuel management systems, start by evaluating your current situation, because the right system is one that will meet all your needs. Use this checklist to contemplate what’s working well now and what’s missing. Even if something seems OK, could it be better?

Security

Percentage of loss – are you having problems with theft, misallocation?
Do you always know how much fuel inventory you have and where it is?

Record-keeping

Amount of “apparent loss” due to human error recording fueling or vehicle information.
Availability of information regarding fuel purchasing, allocation, vehicle maintenance, etc. to make daily and long-term decisions.
Is data complete?
Accurate?
Consistently gathered and recorded?
Is the information sufficient, or could you be more effective with more detailed data?

Personnel

Amount of time spent by drivers, crew members and office staff recording information and shuffling paperwork that could be automated.
Amount of time spent by managers hunting for information or files and creating reports.

Fleet maintenance

Early detection of repair needs.
Consistent maintenance scheduling and performance.

Vehicle mileage tracking.
Fuel efficiency.
Routing and scheduling efficiency.

Operations

Fleet size.
Number and location of fueling sites.
Age and condition of current fueling equipment.
Public or private.

A fleet fuel management system will pay for itself in relatively short order, with operation-wide savings that include better security, better fuel efficiency, reduced maintenance and labor.

Don’t inadvertently settle for “pretty good.” Just because a fleet fuel management system will make things better doesn’t mean it’s the best one for you. To ensure you’ve covered all the bases, get professional assistance from a firm that’s knowledgeable about fuel management systems but also other environmental, storage, handling and regulatory aspects of fuel management.

Consulting with a pro will help you thoroughly evaluate your situation and carefully explore the options. You’ll be able to find the fleet fuel management system that fully addresses all your needs, and you’ll be fully equipped to get the most from the system you choose.

Is There A Phase 2 ESA? What Does It Cover That Is Not In A Phase 1 ESA?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Indeed there is a Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment. It comes into play if your Phase 1 ESA indicates lingering concerns about whether or not the property you’re considering for purchase is contaminated with hazardous substances or petroleum products. Phase 2 is the next step in determining the extent of contamination and – most important for you – assessing liability for remediation.

Whereas the Phase 1 ESA focuses on historical research, visual inspection and perhaps some basic scientific testing, Phase 2 focuses on the science -- chemistry and environmental engineering issues. The point is to identify overall and, in particular, leachable contaminants such as volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds and inorganic compounds on the Resource Conservation & Recovery (RCRA) or other pertinent metals lists.

If your Phase 1 report indicates the need for further Phase 2 study, it will be more important than ever to hire a professionally qualified and experienced environmental engineering team to do the work.

Phase 2 testing will look for the presence of asbestos or lead-based paint, and it will include flow studies to understand migration of contamination. These studies could include:

Surface or subsurface soil sampling.
Surface water sampling.
Monitoring wells or using a Geoprobe vehicle-mounted hydraulic probing system to sample groundwater.
Vapor sampling.
Dust sampling.
Using underground injection well sampling to test leaching pools.
Geophysical surveying using ground penetrating radar to discover if there are buried tanks or drums or other subsurface physical issues.
Additional tests required byNew York’s State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES).

Phase 2 costs more.

The Phase 1 ESA is relatively inexpensive. Cost to conduct a Phase 2 ESA generally ranges between $5000-$20,000, but it could go as high as a half-million dollars. It all depends on the Phase 1 findings – the number of conditions identified and their scope -- and how extensive the follow-up testing needs to be.

Phase 2 is sometimes referred to as the “testing phase” since its role is to more clearly determine whether subsurface problems exist in the soil or groundwater. Additional testing may show that no problems exist that would create liability for you as the new property owner. But if contamination is confirmed, that could result in a large escrow requirement or it could cause your lender to decline funding for your purchase. And it might also result ongoing regulatory reporting.

Photo Credit: Question Mark? by libertygrace0

3 Benefits of a Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Anyone in the fueling or fleet operations business is well aware of the big bite fuel costs are taking from your bottom line. Since that’s not likely to change, savvy operators are turning to a fuel management system to boost efficiency and cut fuel-related costs.

A fuel management system is a technology-based tool that works with any pump-able liquid or gaseous fuel for attended or unattended fueling sites. The system provides real-time visibility of all aspects of fuel management and fueling activities, using automation to free up drivers and capture information that’s instantly available to any staff who may need it.

A fuel management system can provide broad-scale benefits for:

Fixed-base or mobile fueling operators.
Fleet operators such as smaller transportation companies that handle fueling internally.
Municipalities managing vehicles for utility crews, police, fire or the general motor pool.

It can even function entirely hands-free, allowing you to fully capitalize on security measures and gather comprehensive data to identify additional time and money savings. Here are three key benefits:

1. Better security.

Fuel losses are frustrating and costly. With a fuel management system, you always know what you have and where it’s going. And you can keep it from going astray.

2. Better tracking, operation-wide, in real time.

Automation can generate across-the-board efficiencies. It virtually eliminates human error, assuring timely, accurate and detailed information capture for each vehicle and each fueling session.

The ability to track details such as run and idle time can pinpoint opportunities for improved driver training, eliminating wasted fuel. You’ll get the most from the fuel you have and reduce unnecessary wear-and-tear on your fleet.

Automatic record-keeping ensures consistent regular maintenance, and real-time information allows early response to potential problems. You’ll improve vehicle performance and keep your fleet on the road longer.

You’ll always have complete data at your fingertips for reporting and financial purposes and for management review, analysis and decision-making.

3. You’re in control, at last.

Streamlining processes and ensuring accuracy and timeliness of record-keeping. Capturing valuable data to assess and refine operations. Curbing fuel losses and identifying potential problems before they get out of hand. It all adds up to bottom line savings, year in and year out.

The bottom line: your fuel management system can quickly pay for itself.

Photo Credit: !eberhard

How Much Does A Phase 1 ESA Cost in NY or NJ?

Joe Heaney — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:42:00 GMT

When you hire an investigator to conduct a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), you’re buying assurance, confidence and peace of mind. It’s hard to put a price tag on that.

It’s always prudent to watch your budget, but if you’re considering purchasing property in New York or New Jersey, skipping or skimping on a Phase 1 ESA may not be a cost-effective plan. You can spend a little now and know where you stand, or you can take your chances as to whether your prospective property is contaminated.

Are you sure you want to take that risk?

It’s a cost of doing business.

A Phase 1 ESA is a smart investment. You – and your lender – need to make a competent, informed decision. If you rely on the seller for this critical data, how do you know you’re getting the full story?

A Phase 1 ESA protects you.

The purpose of the study is to determine the presence – or possible presence – of hazardous substances or petroleum products in the property’s soil, ground water or structures. It’s like insurance, cloaking you with an “innocent landowner” designation that can relieve you of responsibility for remediation procedures, potential fines and ongoing oversight if contamination is discovered later.

A Phase 1 ESA protects you before you finalize your purchase and also down the road, as owner and when you decide to sell the property.

You get what you pay for.

You might save money by hiring an under-qualified investigator to conduct your Phase 1 ESA. But your report may not be 100% complete or accurate. Are you sure you want to take that risk?

Pick a environmental engineering firm that’s well-established and well-experienced with Phase 1 ESA and other aspects of hazardous contamination discovery and remediation. They know the science, and they understand the nuances of “all appropriate inquiry,” to elicit all necessary information about your property’s history and present condition.

You’ll get a comprehensive report with professional analysis, insight and recommendations, a report without errors or omissions that could cause problems later on.

A Phase 1 ESA isn’t an in-depth scientific study but it defines your potential future liability. In that light, the cost is low compared to the fundamental importance of what you’re getting. Besides, it only takes two or three weeks to complete. That’s time well spent and an investment well worth making.

When to Use a Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

If the rising cost of fuel isn’t keeping you awake at night, you probably don’t need to use a fuel management system. But most fueling operation managers find themselves wide awake, worrying about costs and then some. Like where their fuel is going.

The reality is, you can’t afford not to use a fuel management system, because doing things by hand doesn’t makes sense any more. You can’t stay mired in the past and expect to stay competitive, especially if you can’t confidently manage your fuel assets.

If any of these five situations seem all-too-familiar, it’s time for a fuel management system.

1. You need more control.

Reliable asset management means tracking fuel from purchase through usage, knowing what you have, where it is, when and how it’s used. No fueling or record-keeping mistakes.

2. You need better fuel economy.

A fuel management system can’t make your vehicles run more efficiently but it can make your operation more efficient. Fuel goes only into intended vehicles, in the right amount, because careful monitoring curbs cheating as well as errors. Incorporating AIM RFID devices allows tracking of miles driven, too, for better trip planning and fewer off-route excursions.

3. You need better security.

Especially with AIM hands-free, you can eliminate unauthorized fueling or mistaken allocations. The City of Tallahassee reduced fuel losses from 10% to 2.5% by installing FuelMaster ProKeys; integrating AIM took them to zero.

4. You need better accountability.

You can’t analyze data that’s out-of-date, incomplete, wrong or missing. Sketchy record-keeping can put you on the radar of regulatory agencies. Yet more to worry about. A fuel management system automatically gathers data accurately, every time, so compliance and other reporting is a snap.

5. You need better fleet maintenance.

AIM takes fuel management system automation to the next level, entirely eliminating human interaction and therefore human error, whether inadvertent or deliberate. The system speaks directly to each vehicle, recording odometer readings, run and idle times and error codes with every fueling event. Immediate, detailed information lets you quickly identify and respond to problems, saving time and money and averting potentially more-costly repairs. And consistently maintained vehicles last longer.

A fuel management system can help you solve any of these problems. What would that mean to your operation? A fuel management system can help you solve all these problems. What would that mean to your operation?

Photo Credit: Nathan E Photography

How Long Does A Phase 1 Site Assessment Take To Complete?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Typically it takes two or three weeks to complete a Phase 1 site assessment. It’s an overview process, so there’s no need to allow time for in-depth scientific study. Nonetheless, the environmental professional your hire to perform the work will need to conduct several different types of research to meet the Phase 1 “all available inquiry” requirement.

The goal of Phase 1 site assessment is to determine whether a particular parcel of property is contaminated or there is reason to believe contamination might be present. To adequately address that question, even in the big picture, requires investigating historic uses of the property, going back as far as possible. Sometimes a few tests are necessary, too.

Your environmental professional will acquire information from various sources, then evaluate that information to make a determination and recommendations about your property. Investigative sources include:

Visual inspection of the property, an on-site visit to check out the land and structures and also take a look at adjacent parcels. This part of the work may also include review of aerial maps and pertinent geological information and possibly performing some specific tests to identify the property’s existing soil or other sub-surface conditions.

Library research. Your investigator will look at old maps, business and phone directories and other publicly or privately available resources, and they’ll review official regulatory or related records on file with local, regional, state, federal or tribal agencies, looking for documentation of known contamination.

Personal interviews with past or current owners and/or tenants

You’re a potential source, too. You’ll want to tell your environmental professional if you have any personal knowledge about the property or your background qualifies you to help gauge the potential presence of hazardous substances. And you should consider whether the offered purchase price matches fair market value or indicates problems could exist.

If results of the Phase 1 site assessment indicate a Phase 2 study should be conducted, that can be far more time-consuming, as it’s much more detailed.

Photo Credit: Roy Luck

How to Choose A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Preparation is the key to choosing a fuel management system that will give you the strongest performance, both right away and long term. It’s wise to bring in a fuel management expert right from the start, so you don’t miss any hidden opportunities.

A company knowledgeable about all aspects of fuel handling – and experienced in working with operations like yours – can guide you through the decision-making process. They’ll make sure you ask all the right questions and fully understand the options available, as well as costs and benefits associated with each.

For instance, incorporating FuelMaster Automotive Information Modules (AIM) will generate the most extensive, broad-based savings because AIM makes your fuel management system entirely hands-free. But the AIM modules add cost, too. If you can’t afford the additional initial investment, you can plan to phase in AIMs later, using the savings produced by initially installing the standard FuelMaster ProKees fuel management system.

Those savings will mount up quickly, as the City of Tallahassee discovered, reducing their fuel losses by 97%. Municipalities like Tallahassee are often able to use their bonding capacity to fund capital costs, including contractors and consultants as well as the equipment itself, using their fuel-related savings to pay down bond debt.

Your operation is unique.

The right fuel management system depends on your fleet size, number and location of fueling sites, the age of your current equipment and whether you’re managing a public entity or private enterprise.

Conduct a gap analysis, including a location-by-location assessment, to determine your current status and needs. Include key personnel in the discussion, especially if you have multiple departments or agencies that manage fleets and/or fuel. Consider your overall business and financial goals, because a fuel management system can do wonders reducing directly fuel-related costs but it can do much more, helping you realize efficiencies that save on maintenance, labor and other ancillary costs, too.

Undoubtedly reducing fuel losses is an important goal. But choosing the right fuel management system will provide you with broad, ongoing savings to pay for the system and free up resources to direct to other important areas of your operation.

Photo Credit: Valerie Everett

What Standards Are There For A Phase 1 ESA in NY and NJ?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is designed to produce a reasonable picture of potential environmental conditions relating to a particular property. Performing this work isn’t always technically necessary, but it can significantly improve a new landowner’s liability position if contamination exists or is discovered in the future.

Phase 1 ESA isn’t meant to be an in-depth scientific study. Instead it calls for broad-based research known formally as “all appropriate inquiry” into past usages of the property. The purpose of this over-arching investigation is to meet specific standards of discovery.

The investigation must be conducted by a qualified environmental professional. That’s a somewhat imprecise definition, but the more knowledgeable and experienced your engineering team, the more likely you are to get the most valuable results and recommendations. Your environmental professional will be required to:

Visually inspect the property and buildings, along with a cursory look at adjacent properties.
Interview current and/or former property owners and tenants.
Review historical sources such as directories, maps or public documents.
Review official records at the local, regional, state, federal or tribal level.
Specifically consider any gaps in information available about the property.

You or your environmental professional will need to:

Conduct a search for any existing environmental clean-up liens.
Identify whether you, as the prospective purchaser, have any personal or specialized knowledge about the property itself or businesses formerly operating on the site.
Determine whether the price offered for the property reflects fair market value or is suspiciously low, which might indicate the existence of contamination or other problems.

You and your investigative team will want to discuss any pertinent common knowledge or other easily-obtainable information about the property as well as the “degree of obviousness of contamination.”

Hiring a strong team of environmental engineering professionals to perform your Phase 1 ESA will ensure the work is done thoroughly and properly to meet required standards. You’ll get a report of findings and recommendations, which will identify whether the property appears to be clean, contains minimal contamination, contains more substantial previously-documented contamination, or should be subjected to a more detailed Phase 2 ESA.

Photo Credit: Hoboken Condo

Choosing An Automated Fuel System Vendor

Joe Heaney — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Acquiring an automated fuel system is a significant investment, and proper implementation of your new system is critical for top performance. Choosing the right vendor can give you confidence, knowing you’re taking this step with a highly qualified professional at your side.

The right automated fuel system vendor will help you explore your options and carefully evaluate all the factors relevant to your potential project, so you’re prepared to make the best purchasing decisions. They can streamline the entire process from start to finish, with solid recommendations and consistent communication.

Choose a vendor that meets these specifications:

Broad expertise, not just with fuel management systems but with comprehensive best practices regarding fuel storage and handling, regulations, compliance and reporting.

A thoroughly knowledgeable vendor will ensure your project design takes full advantage of all the benefits available from using an automated fuel system. Further, they’ll be able to help identify other potential efficiencies throughout your fuel inventory and usage program, so you can uncover and capture additional savings for vehicles and drivers as well as fuel itself.

An environmental engineering firm will have the site assessment and design skills to help you plan the most functional and cost-effective installation of your automated fuel system.

Experience working with your type of business and industry or with municipalities and other government agencies, so there’s no learning curve needed to understand special details that affect your operations or financial decision-making processes.

An outstanding reputation so you know you’re getting reliable advice and recommendations.

Well-established in business so they’ll be there when you need them now but also down the road to help troubleshoot any issues that might arise, answer questions and keep you informed about new developments that could further benefit your automated fuel system operations.

Extensive, positive experience working with regulatory officials, to serve as your liaison and ensure your implementation project meets all necessary standards and goes off without a hitch, with no unforeseen setbacks.

Partnering with the right automated fuel system vendor will help you get your project completed as quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, and they’ll be there to help assure your system continues to function smoothly as you move forward.

Photo Credit: RDECOM

Myths About Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

Joe Heaney — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Phase 1 environmental site assessment. It’s becoming more frequently required to complete real estate purchases, especially for commercial property. Perhaps not surprisingly, myths have developed surrounding Phase 1 site assessment.

Let’s explore some of the common myths.

Phase 1 environmental site assessment is expensive.

Actually, it’s not. And the return on your investment in this process can be significant, especially if you can obtain “innocent landowner” status. Regardless of the outcome, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes from knowing the facts.

Phase 1 environmental site assessment is time-consuming.

Typically the investigation takes two or three weeks. That may seem like a long time if you’re anxious to move forward with your purchase, but it’s nothing compared to the length of time you’ll probably own the property.

And if you wind up inadvertently purchasing not just real estate but liability for cleaning up hazardous substances, that could take years.

Phase 1 environmental site assessment is unnecessary.

It’s important enough that some lenders include it as one of their pre-funding due diligence requirements. Aside from that, the risks of acquiring responsibility for a contaminated site are so high you can’t afford to not know in advance what you’re purchasing.

The investigation will also uncover additional information about the site’s history that could benefit you in other ways as the new owner.

Anyone can conduct a Phase 1 environmental site assessment.

This is essentially true but not the best plan. Although the assessment includes a great deal of “paperwork” research – of past documents and other records, discovering past uses, talking to owners or tenants – the fact is that much of it is technical in nature.

An experienced professional that works every day with environmental engineering issues is best qualified to conduct a thorough investigation. And isn’t that what you want?

Phase 1 site assessment is becoming a necessity, so you may have no choice. But the bottom line is that it’s in your best interests if you’re considering a real estate purchase.

Photo Credit: Eggrole

How To Implement An Automated Fuel System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The first step toward implementing an automated fuel system is self-assessment. Ask yourself:

Can we easily and quickly account for all fuel assets?
Do we gather information manually or automatically?
Are we able to obtain enough data to operate efficiently and plan effectively?
What are our current system’s weaknesses that could be costing us in time, money, productivity or inconsistent vehicle maintenance that results in problems, etc.?

What do you need that your current fuel system doesn’t deliver?

Your needs and the level of investment that’s comfortable for you will drive your choice of automated fuel system.

FuelMaster ProKees can make a tremendous difference – the City of Tallahassee realized a 97% reduction in fuel loss – but it’s not entirely automated in terms of operation or data capture. FuelMaster AIM is completely hands-free, provides virtually 100% fuel security and electronically gathers information that can assure on-time vehicle maintenance and help identify over-the-road efficiencies, too.

What will your new automated fuel system include?

Consider:

The number of vehicles being fueled.
The number of fueling locations and how many will be included in your new system.
Whether you’ll have to replace aging dispensers during retrofitting.

Municipalities or companies with multiple departments should involve everyone in the discussion about needs and expectations, to ensure the right choices are made and coordination of implementation goes smoothly and as expected.

Talk to an expert.

A professional can help evaluate your situation, making sure you’re asking the right questions and considering options in detail. You’ll get an implementation quote customized for your operation’s unique requirements. And if you need to substantiate the need for an automated fuel system to others, your consultant can help build that case with supporting data and case histories.

Municipalities may be able to issue a capital outlay bond to pay for consultants, contractors, equipment and retrofit work, using savings generated by the new automated fuel system to help retire bond debt.

You’ve made a decision and you’re ready to proceed.

Hire a fuel management implementer, perhaps your initial consultant. Survey each location to determine the exact improvements needed, to determine costs per site and create a guide for your retrofit contractor to follow.

Once the retrofit is complete, your implementer will work with you to ensure your software and electronic components are working properly, so your automated fuel system can start generating improvements right away.

Photo Credit: Clinton Little

What Is Covered By A Phase 1 ESA?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

The Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is a broad-based inspection and discovery process designed to determine whether a particular property is or is likely to be contaminated, based on past usage. If you’re considering buying the property, conducting a Phase 1 ESA can provide important future protection.

Toward that end, the Phase 1 ESA includes:

Historical research, as far back as possible, preferably to the time when the property was first used for commercial purposes. This includes review of maps, directories, etc. as well as public or corporate documents and official records from local, regional, state, federal or tribal agencies.
Personal interviews with current or past landowners and/or tenants. Research and interviews are designed to uncover any formal confirmation that the property is known to be contaminated or that past uses involved storage or handling of hazardous substances. “Red flag” usage typically includes things like dry cleaning, auto repair or gas stations, dental or X-ray offices, manufacturing or other industrial activities.
On-the-ground visual evaluation of the property itself and any buildings, especially the interior. This can include review of aerial photographs and inspection of plumbing and building materials, and sometimes also involves limited scope surveying to detect the presence of lead-containing paint or asbestos.
At least a brief look at surrounding properties.
A report of findings based on information gathered during the Phase 1 ESA process. This lets you know the property is free from environmental liability or that contamination exists or appears to exist, in which case a Phase 2 assessment is recommended to determine the scope of the problem through in-depth study and analysis.

A professional environmental engineering firm can perform your Phase 1 ESA and help you put the findings in perspective. Ideally, you want to establish yourself as an “innocent landowner,” with a supportable claim you had no reason to know the property was contaminated when you purchased it. Phase 1 ESA findings can help you obtain this valuable designation that can restrict or entirely eliminate any liability for future remediation if hazardous substances are indeed present.

Photo Credit: Bryan Alexander

Why Would I Need To Perform A Phase 1 Site Assessment In New York?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

You may not need to perform a Phase 1 site assessment if you’re considering purchasing real estate in New York. But why would you not want to?

Sure, there’s some time and cost associated with conducting this investigation, but they aren’t onerous and you’ll get information and gain insight that can help you be a smarter buyer and a smarter property owner going forward.

Learn more about the property.

The Phase 1 site assessment is the chemical version of a conventional property inspection. Whereas the usual inspection looks at whether buildings are physically safe, potential insect damage, etc., the Phase 1 site assessment looks for hazardous waste or other contamination that could become your clean-up responsibility if you purchase the property.

This evaluation is the most valuable when you hire a professional environmental engineering team to perform the study. They have the engineers, geologists and hydrologists needed to expertly examine the property and any existing structures and help you evaluate results. They’re specifically looking for contamination, but they could uncover other undisclosed problems you’ll want to know about.

Learn about the property’s history.

Phase 1 site assessment includes research into past records and other documents and interviews with owners and tenants, etc. that wouldn’t normally be conducted as part of a title search or standard due diligence process. This could also uncover information directly pertinent to your purchase, or at the very least interesting to know.

Double-check that seemingly low purchase price.

If you’ve been offered a tempting price, don’t assume it’s due merely to the still-weak real estate market. It could reflect known problems that could cost you later on.

The ultimate goal is protecting yourself from future liability.

Information gleaned through a Phase 1 site assessment can help you secure “innocent landowner” status. That spares you responsibility for clean-up of contamination discovered later on by confirming you had no reason to know the property was contaminated when you bought it. You get legal protection and confidence in knowing what you’re buying.

Phase 1 site assessment gives your more information and protects you. If there are significant risks associated with purchasing this particular property, you want to know before you buy.

Photo Credit: USACE

How The Town of Hempstead Increased Its Fleet Fuel Efficiency

Joe Heaney — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Like communities all across the country, the Town of Hempstead has struggled with skyrocketing fuel costs and other inefficiencies associated with managing their vehicle fleets and fueling facilities. But true fleet fuel efficiency results from more than just getting the best possible miles-per-gallon.

For Hempstead, the ability to scrupulously manage their fuel assets from purchase through dispensing is helping improve efficiency and also control operating expenses. Hempstead’s automated fuel centralization program is being phased in over several years, but the Town expects to see even short-term benefits.

Automated fuel management is helping Hempstead streamline fueling and fleet operations by:

Monitoring purchasing, inventory and storage.
Evaluating and improving fueling procedures.
Capturing site and vehicle ID codes, authorized fuel type and quantity limits. Consistently-collected and more accurate data improves record-keeping and makes reporting easier and faster.
Tracking vehicle-specific information like service hours and mileage, to ensure on-schedule regular service and also quickly note problems. Timely maintenance ensures longer fleet life, reduced repair costs and better on-the-road fleet fuel efficiency.

It could get even better.

By choosing to upgrade their system with Automotive Information Modules (AIM2), the Town of Hempstead can further improve tracking and control over fueling operations, realizing even greater fleet fuel efficiency and overall savings.

AIM2 is a weatherproof remote data collection device that communicates directly with fueling equipment and the vehicle’s on-board computer. It’s an entirely passive system that eliminates human error and enhances driver productivity by:

Capturing information from an RFID tag on the fuel nozzle to begin fueling, automatically stopping if communication is disrupted. This eliminates theft and mistakenly dispensing the wrong fuel into a vehicle.
Uploading and storing additional data about vehicle run and idle times and other details. This helps managers analyze driver actions and enhance training to reduce quick-starts and over-long idling, and travel-related data can also support more efficient route planning.

Ongoing fuel and maintenance cost savings, more efficient overall vehicle function, longer vehicle life, more productive drivers and fewer “losses” associated with erroneous reporting -- it’s easy to see why the Town of Hempstead is already enjoying increased fleet fuel efficiency.

Even better, they’re getting more and more detailed information about their fueling processes and vehicles that can improve forecasting and planning as well as daily decision-making.

Photo Credit: didbygraham

Do I Really Need A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment In New York?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

You’re considering purchasing real estate somewhere in New York. You’ve been told you need to conduct a Phase 1 environmental site assessment (ESA) before moving forward. That’s just great, another rule that requires you to spend money and waste time. Is this really necessary?

In a word, yes.

Before you enter any property purchase transaction, you want to know you’ll be designated an “innocent landowner,” meaning you had no reason to believe your property was contaminated. This alleviates liability for corrective measures, potential fines, ongoing regulation.

Innocent landowner status protects you from what could turn into a very expensive and time-consuming investigation and remediation process that will involve oversight and participation from several state and federal, perhaps even local, agencies. If this happens, it will essentially put you in business with the government. And your public reputation will undoubtedly suffer.

It’s likely your lender will require a Phase 1 environmental site assessment anyway, because it can also protect them.

The investigation represents time well spent.

It takes just two or three weeks, the cost isn’t onerous, and you don’t even have to hire a certified investigator.

However, the results matter significantly. Your decision to buy could turn on what’s found, and you certainly don’t want to miss something that could cost you later on. So it makes sense to hire a professional engineering firm experienced in working with environmental issues.

They’ll cover all the necessary bases to discover known or probable concerns, including contaminated fill material which is a special concern in New York City. They will:

Visually inspect both the property and any structures, and look at surrounding areas.
Research records and other relevant documentation as well as past uses.
Interview owners and/or tenants.
Examine the property’s geological and hydrogeological characteristics.

They’ll report back to you. At this point the information is private, to help you make an informed buying decision. You may get an “all clear,” you may want to leverage problems to negotiate a lower price or other considerations, or you may decide to simply drop it and move on.

When it comes to possible contamination, risk management should be your foremost consideration, so it’s just not prudent to skip a Phase 1 environmental site assessment. Besides, the investigation will tell you far more about the property than you normally would have learned in a typical real estate transaction. And that can only benefit you.

Photo Credit: Paragon Properties

4 Reasons To Do A Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

Joe Heaney — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Buying property is a key business or personal investment. You don’t want to be caught off-guard, especially discovering too late that your new property is contaminated with some type of hazardous waste. A Phase 1 environmental site assessment can help ensure you are fully informed before putting your signature on that purchase.

Here are just four reasons to conduct a Phase 1 environmental site assessment.

Protect yourself from liability.

The Phase 1 environmental site assessment can help you obtain an “innocent landowner” designation, meaning you won’t be liable for any ramifications of contamination because you had no reason to know the property was contaminated when you bought it.

Avoid inadvertently making a poor purchase.

It’s one thing to buy property knowing there are problems. It may still be a good investment, even considering the cost of resolving contamination-related issues. But you want to be in a position to make that decision armed with all the facts.

Peace of mind.

It’s important to maintain a healthful environment for anyone who will be using your property, whether it’s your family or hundreds of employees or visitors. Knowing your new property is clean and safe -- or knowing there are problems you have the means to resolve -- will keep you comfortable and confident moving forward.

You might have to do it anyway.

These days the potential risks associated with discovering and cleaning up hazardous waste are so high that many lenders require a Phase 1 environmental site assessment before they’ll approve financing. In some cases, this is because they can also be held liable. But the bottom line is, if they’re that concerned you should be, too.

One or more past uses of the property you’re considering could have left contamination behind. Sometimes the presence of contamination is already documented but no one has done anything about resolving the problem. If contamination exists, you’ll be buying the problem – and liability for remediation – along with the property.

Partner with a professional to ensure your Phase 1 environmental site assessment is performed thoroughly and accurately, so nothing gets missed. The findings and expert recommendations from your engineering team will enable you to make an intelligent assessment of the situation and understand your level of risk.

It’s your call, but at least you’ll be able to make a fully-informed decision whether or not to purchase the property in question.

Photo Credit: USACE

Phase 1 Environmental Audit: Is Your Property Safe?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Surely anyone would want to know if the property they were about to purchase – perhaps for millions of dollars – is contaminated in some way. A Phase 1 environmental audit can tell you if it is, and to what extent.

As a potential buyer, you want to know if problems can be corrected relatively inexpensively and quickly, or if they will require extensive site investigation and in-depth study by engineers, geologists and hydrogeologists before an appropriate remediation plan can even be developed.

Cleaning up contamination can take years, and you could remain under governmental scrutiny even after that.

Now the value of a Phase 1 environmental audit comes into focus.

It’s an up-front study to help you determine if your prospective property is safe, relative to any existing or potential problems resulting from the presence of hazardous substances. The audit process isn’t costly, and it takes just a couple of weeks – not much to pay for assurance that can protect you well down the road.

Contamination isn’t something you can readily see. Your audit team will search for problems that have already been identified but not corrected as well as previously-undiscovered problems. If found, contamination could range from minimal to massive. It could be simple to clean up or tremendously costly and time-consuming.

It’s easy to understand why you should hire professional environmental engineers to do conduct your Phase 1 audit. They’ll perform a visual inspection of the land and surrounding property. And they’ll inspect any buildings, indoors and out, especially heating and plumbing systems, sewers and drains, cesspools and building materials looking for chemical-related problems as well as asbestos, lead paint, water or mold.

Your team will research past history of ownership and usage, looking for indications of hazardous substance storage or handling. In particular, certain past uses could have resulted in lingering contamination.

Your team will review public records and other documents and interview owners and tenants. They may perform some limited scope geological or hydrogeological surveys to fully understand both surface and subsurface conditions.

It’s always smart to do everything you can to mitigate risk, especially if you’re about to make a major investment. A Phase 1 environmental audit puts you in the know before you buy to be sure the property is safe from contamination and that you’ll be safe from liability is previously-existing contamination is ever discovered in the future.

Photo Credit: Paragon Apartments

Phase 1 Site Assessment: 4 Consideration Before Buying Real Estate In New Jersey

Joe Heaney — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

If you’re considering purchasing commercial real estate anywhere in New Jersey, you should learn as much as possible about the site before making that final decision to buy. These days it’s especially important to understand whether there’s any possibility your prospective land or buildings are contaminated with one or more hazardous substances.

Conducting a Phase 1 site assessment can help ensure you’re fully informed and well protected against liability if contamination is found. It’s the first stage of what’s considered “all appropriate inquiry” into your property’s environmental history.

Your lender might even require this assessment before approving your financing package.

A Phase 1 site assessment is designed to protect you.

The information this research uncovers will help you make a wise purchasing decision, based on the following four considerations. Hiring a professional expert will ensure your assessment covers all the bases.

Past ownership and uses of the property.

Your investigator will look for indications contamination may be present. They’ll use historical data such as maps and directories and they may personally interview past or current owners and tenants. They’ll pay particular attention to past uses such as gas stations, auto repair, dental or X-ray offices, dry cleaning, printing, photo processing or manufacturing.

They’ll review local, county, state, federal and tribal regulatory agency records to uncover any known problems that have been deemed not entirely the user’s responsibility.

The “lay of the land.”

Your investigator will look for geographical and hydro geographical indications of surface or subsurface contamination, using visual inspection, background data and limited scope surveys.

They’ll check heat sources, plumbing and fixtures relating to sewer or cesspools, building condition and construction materials including roofing, siding, flooring and insulation. They’ll look for asbestos, lead paint, water or mold damage. And they’ll look at adjacent property, too.

Whether or not problems exist.

Phase 1 site assessment may discover no problems. If concerns do exist, they could be minimal or serious enough to warrant an in-depth Phase 2 site investigation. There may be contamination which has been previously identified but not corrected.

How much risk you’re willing to accept.

This is your ultimate consideration. If the property is clean, you’re good to go. If there are problems, you may still want the property, but you’ll have all the facts at your disposal to negotiate a price or other purchase details that make sense under the circumstances.

Why A Phase 1 Site Assessment Before You Purchase Property

Joe Heaney — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

Phase 1 site assessment is all about self-protection.

It’s a straight-forward but essential risk management tool that should be completed as part of your due diligence before purchasing commercial or even residential real estate. It’s important enough that Phase 1 site assessments are now frequently required by lenders.

The point is to establish yourself as an “innocent landowner.”

This designation protects you from liability after purchase by demonstrating you had no reason to know the property was contaminated. Failure to achieve this determination puts you at risk for what could be years of very expensive detailed site investigation and remediation involving one or perhaps several federal, state and local environmental protection and public health agencies.

Why set yourself up for all that?

Phase 1 site assessment isn’t particularly costly, but it can take two or three weeks to complete. The research involved is designed to uncover:

Historical Recognized Environmental Conditions that are already known but which have not been addressed.
De minimis Conditions, the existence of contamination considered less critical, such as lead paint, asbestos or mold.
Recognized Environmental Conditions, serious problems that indicate the need for a more extensive Phase 2 site investigation.

Your smartest approach is to hire a professional engineering firm to conduct the Phase 1 site assessment. They know what to do and which details matter, so you can be assured your assessment is complete and accurate, and their recommendations are tailored with your best interests in mind.

What’s involved?

Your team will visually inspect the property to look for actual or potential problems regarding storage, handling or disposal of hazardous substances. They’ll research historical ownership and uses of the property, going back as far as possible to uncover any known issues relating to hazardous substances. They’ll also examine the property’s geology and hydrogeology, to identify any surface or subsurface conditions that may indicate contamination of some kind.

Finally, you’ll receive a report of findings and recommendations based on your Phase 1 site assessment. You don’t have to share this information with any official agency, but you can use it to move forward with your real estate purchase, confident you’ll qualify as an innocent landowner.

Or, if contamination is found, you can choose to skip the purchase or negotiate a fair price that reflects the existence of problems and the probable costs of remediation.

Fuel Management System: 5 Questions To Ask Before Purchasing

Joe Heaney — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:00:00 GMT

A fuel management system is just what the name implies -- a comprehensive technology tool that can help you track and control all your fuel inventory, purchasing and dispensing transactions.

Whether you’re a private enterprise or public agency, under intense scrutiny or simply trying to manage your operations as cost-effectively as possible, you cannot afford to let already-high fuel costs get out of hand. A fuel management system can dramatically streamline your processes so you can realize considerable savings.

That’s true for fleet operators such as local or regional trucking fleets that own their own tanks, marinas, bus companies, etc. It’s true for Fixed Based Operators and other types of mobile fueling operations. And it’s true for municipalities or other public entities that manage fleets of police, fire, utility or general-use motor pool vehicles.

If you’re considering a fuel management system, ask yourself these five questions:

Am I completely satisfied with my current level of control over fuel assets?

Am I getting all the information my staff and I need to make timely, well-informed decisions about vehicle maintenance as well as fuel purchases and allocations?

Are our record-keeping processes as efficient and accurate as they could be?

Am I making the best use of staff time? Are drivers, fuelers and other crew members spending time on data-recording that could more profitably be spent elsewhere? Is my office staff spending an inordinate amount of time looking for information, fixing mistakes and preparing reports?

Have I thoroughly investigated the multiple cost-efficiencies we might obtain by installing an automated fuel management system?

A fuel management system represents automation at its best, helping greatly reduce or eliminate human time-wasters as well as mistakes. Instead, you can count on reliable, consistent fuel dispensing and allocation while minimizing all types of potential losses.

A fuel management system supports vigilant oversight and a healthier fleet. Real-time information facilitates early intervention with potential maintenance or other problems, and that usually means a lower-cost fix. With the right system, you can manage more than your fuel, usually with surprisingly short cost recovery period.

So maybe the most important question you should ask yourself is: how can I afford not to invest in a fuel management system?

Phase 1 Site Assessment Checklist For Real Estate

Joe Heaney — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:30:00 GMT

There’s no surprise worse than discovering the property you just purchased is contaminated with some sort of hazardous waste. Conducting a Phase I site assessment can help warn you of unpleasant and potentially very costly problems before you purchase commercial real estate, protect you as the property owner and mitigate your liability when you’re ready to sell.

At first glance this investigation process may seem like just another painful governmental intrusion. But in fact it’s a smart business investment if you’re considering purchasing property that could even conceivably be contaminated. A Phase 1 site assessment also helps protect lenders or anyone else that must meet “All Appropriate Inquiry” requirements.

Here’s a checklist of factors your Phase 1 site assessment should cover.

Historical search includes:

Checking maps and directories as far back far as feasible, ideally to when the “property first contained structures or was used for residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial or governmental purposes.”
Interviews with current and/or past owners and tenants.
Additional efforts to uncover special knowledge about the property and identify whether the purchase price reflects existence of known contamination.

Regulatory agency review is aimed at discovering any indication of known problems that are deemed not solely the user’s responsibility. This search looks at documents from all relevant jurisdictions including local, county, state, federal or tribal.

Site inspection identifies possible contamination on the property or proximate to it. This review looks at:

Heating sources such as oil, electric, natural gas or propane.
Underground and aboveground storage tanks, including fill ports, vent pipes, feed and return lines.
Plumbing, including sewer, cesspools,leaching fields, drywells and on-site water production wells, roof drainage, sump pumps, floor drains and fixtures.
Building construction, materials and condition, especially asbestos-containing pipe wrap, floor tiles, roofing, siding and insulation.
Lead paint.
Water or mold damage.
Existing structures, particularly for engineering concerns.
Fill materials -- a common concern throughout New York City.
Former uses including dry cleaning, dental or X-ray office, gas station or auto repair, manufacturing, printing or photograph processing, etc.
At least a cursory review of surrounding property.

Findings and recommendations sum up Phase 1 site assessment results. You are not required to formally report these results to any regulatory agency. But if it turns out the real estate you’re considering is indeed contaminated, you’ll be able to make an intelligent, fully-informed decision about whether to go forward, and at what purchase price.

How To Increase Fuel Efficiency With A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:43:00 GMT

With the cost of fuel products climbing again, who wouldn’t want to get the most out of every drop? Certainly anyone who operates or manages fuel supplies understands painfully well the economic impacts of fuel costs. For most operations, instituting an automated fuel management system opens the door to numerous opportunities to improve fuel efficiency.

Even seemingly small reductions, multiplied over the number of vehicles in your fleet, can increase exponentially over time, resulting in significant savings. With a fuel management system, the economies of scale are definitely in your favor.

How can a fuel management system help you achieve better mileage?

A well-maintained vehicle will always perform more efficiently than one that’s in need of a tune-up or other service. Consistent and accurate odometer and chronometer readings ensure your carefully-planned regular maintenance stays on schedule. Equally important, a fuel management system can alert you to engine trouble codes to help avert impending -- and potentially expensive -- problems.

Monitoring details of vehicle usage and driver behavior can pinpoint opportunities to improve training or alter specific practices. A fuel management system enables you to monitor each vehicle’s performance and provides a composite picture of overall fleet health. You can monitor each driver’s performance as it relates to fuel efficiency, too.

When you have the information you need to thoroughly analyze your current status, you’ll know if you’re wasting fuel through power take-offs or unnecessarily long idle times. You’ll even be able to trim up daily route planning to minimize travel time and, therefore, fuel consumption.

With a fuel management system in place, you can be confident the right fuel is always dispensed into the right vehicle, eliminating waste. You can improve record-keeping to eliminate human error and increase accuracy and timeliness -- avoiding accounting problems such as misallocation. After all, if your data is inaccurate, how can you know for certain if you’re using fuel efficiently or not?

The ability to fully control fuel assets contributes substantially to fuel efficiency. A fuel management system provides improved overall tracking that eliminates related “inefficiencies” such as spillage or theft, so you know every drop of fuel is correctly accounted for and working hard for you.

Ultimately, increasing fuel efficiency is just one of the practical advantages you can enjoy by implementing a fuel management system.

Photo Credit: Mark Halloway

Marcellus Shale: Governor Cuomo its Time to Approve!!

Joe Heaney & Michael J. McEachern — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:20:00 GMT

Friday June 15, 2012

The Marcellus Shale is in the news again as NY State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his support for natural gas drilling in upstate Counties subject to local approvals by municipalities (NY Times June 13, 2012). The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released a document called Revised Draft SGEIS on the Oil, Gas and Solution Mining Regulatory Program (September 2011) SGEIS which sets forth the standards of care and regulation of Marcellus Shale gas exploration and development.

Marcellus Shale wells are several thousand feet deep and can be drilled at angles or even horizontal by directional drilling technology. This enables a gas well to intercept a maximum length of gas-producing rock, greatly increasing gas production per well. Gas production id further increased by “hydrofracing” which involves pumping a liquid-sand slurry into the well at very high pressure to open tiny rock fractures. These fractured remain open due to the sand grains that are pumped in during the process.

Opponents of gas drilling and particularly hydrofracing to increase gas extraction from directionally drilled wells are concerned that water resources, especially groundwater, may be contaminated by wastewater used in the drilling and hydrofracing operations. Much of the opposition comes from parts of NY State, such as Long Island that would not be affected by gas drilling and development, whereas impoverished upstate areas look to this as a potential boon to land values, job creation and cheap energy. Recent studies by the USEPA and others indicate that gas development using horizontally-drilled and hydrofraced wells can be done safely without risk to surface water or groundwater supplies. Containing, recycling and treatment of wastewater must be properly managed and proposed regulations would require strict regulatory compliance.

The electric power industry right in New York State, is faced with many aged, inefficient coal fired plants that are scheduled to be de-commissioned in the face of stricter air regulations, and there is a pent-up demand for natural gas supplies for new plants and repowering of old plants.

Walden has been investigating and pursuing the Marcellus Shale gas development initiative to assist energy companies in all aspects of environmental investigation and compliance with a broad range of regulatory-mandated programs. These programs include site selection, stormwater, spill control, wastewater containment, treatment, environmental impact assessment (traffic, wetlands, habitat preservation, etc.). The firm is committed to support development of this resource in New York and other states while applying the needed professional expertise to prevent environmental degradation as feared by the opponents. Walden believes drilling can be done safely and protective the Waters of the State of New York, it is time to act.

The status of Marcellus Shale gas development in New York has been virtually stalled by slow approval of regulatory guidelines, “red-lining” of areas controlled by some communities and by the New York City watershed, and possibly most of all by the depressed natural gas prices. Walden is confident that pent-up demand will catch up with the means of production and that Marcellus Shale gas will bring new prosperity and energy alternatives to New York. Mr. Governor its time to act – approve Shale Gas drilling, even limited Shale gas drilling in New York State now!!

Photo Credit: Marcellus

How To Cut Fuel Losses With A Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:58:00 GMT

Keeping track of your fuel assets is nothing short of critical. If you’re like most operations, fuel costs represent your single-highest expense other than payroll, and fuel costs are skyrocketing again. A fuel management system can help you make every dollar count, by helping you regain control over your fuel assets.

Automation is the key. With the right fuel management system, you can put an end to direct fuel losses such as:

Incorrect dispensing. Once the wrong type of fuel is moved into a vehicle, it’s lost. You can’t exactly retrieve it, and it could cause problems for the vehicle.
Theft. No one likes to believe it could happen, but leaving yourself open to unintentional or deliberate theft is simply not worth the potential cost.

A fuel management system can help you put an end to indirect fuel losses, too – those seemingly unexplainable disappearances. No more:

Misallocation that confuses accounting, making it hard to balance your books or accurately analyze expenditures.
Wastage due to inefficient record-keeping. Say goodbye to less-than-optimum fuel mileage, failure to meet regularly-scheduled maintenance needs and missed engine error codes that could indicate serious problems likely to escalate if left unaddressed.
Wastage through inefficient driver behaviors such as unthinkingly long idle times, snappy power take-offs or other driving techniques, even poorly planned travel plotting that zigs and zags, wasting both time and fuel.

Incorporating an automated fuel management system enables you to capture the data necessary to closely monitor and control your fuel from the get-go, so you always know where your assets are and can carefully track their disposition. It works for any liquid, gaseous or alternative pump-able fuel. Adding Syn-Tech's FuelMaster Automotive Information Modules (AIM2) to an existing FuelMaster system can further streamline operations and significantly boost savings long-term.

You get more accurate information in real time. That means you can quickly identify and correct potential problems to keep your operation running more smoothly, improve driver and crew training and also make better forecasts and planning decisions. The ability to reduce or eliminate every type of fuel loss gives you more confidence in your numbers, more peace of mind about your operation and a stronger bottom line.

What would you be able to do with the money you save from cutting fuel losses?

Photo Credit: Heidi Elliott

Increase Your Fleet’s Fuel Efficiency with a Fuel Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 14:21:00 GMT

Anyone whose business includes operating a fleet of vehicles knows it can be tricky, and often frustrating, to properly manage fuel assets. A fuel management system may not be strictly necessary, but incorporating this type of automation can make your operation far more efficient and cost-effective.

A big part of that is improving fuel efficiency. But there’s a lot more to it than simply getting the best mileage possible from every vehicle.

A fuel management system puts automation to work at every step, reducing human interaction while enabling reliable and consistent information-gathering. If you choose to enhance your system by adding Syn-Tech's FuelMaster Automotive Information Modules (AIM2) your fueling processes can become entirely hands-free.

Taking the human factor out of the equation leads to even greater efficiencies. And since you can capture and store much more detailed information about your fueling process and each of your vehicles, you’re in a position to better analyze that data to identify further potential savings.

You can increase efficiency by reducing loss.

Minimize or eliminate “apparent“ loss – and the accompanying accounting confusion – that comes from misallocation.

Minimize or eliminate actual loss as well as potential additional problems that come from improperly dispensed fuel type, spillage or outright theft by dispensing into containers or unauthorized vehicles. AIM2’s additional safeguards render these mistakes virtually impossible.

Reducing human participation in the process, especially recording odometer and chronometer readings, greatly reduces or eliminates simple mistakes, too – things like transposed numbers, forgetting to record everything every time or overlooked engine trouble codes.

These errors can significantly undermine your efforts to follow a careful and timely maintenance schedule. And if problems go unnoticed or regular preventive maintenance gets skipped, you can easily be facing expensive problems, not the least of which is inefficient mileage.

Use your fuel management system to monitor and improve driver behaviors that affect fuel efficiency, such as idle time, PTO and travel direction. Better training that results in tiny changes can have a significant impact on conserving fuel.

When you’re able to monitor every step from purchase through storage and dispensing, you never have to wonder where fuel assets are going, let alone whether they’re being used to your best economic advantage.

It’s worth your time to investigate all the benefits you could gain beyond improved fuel efficiency.

Photo Credit: Flightlog

Phase 1 Site Assessment: What to Consider Before Buying Real Estate in New York

Joe Heaney — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:30:00 GMT

If you’re considering purchasing real property, caveat emptor. A Phase 1 site assessment can help protect you.

The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 and 2002 “Brownfields Amendments” significantly changed landowner liability with regard to real property transactions. The “innocent landowner defense” protects from liability owners that can show they had no reason to believe their property was contaminated.

The rules apply to commercial and industrial property, but also residential real estate. Performing a professional assessment up front can minimize risk of acquiring liability along with the property. In fact, most lenders require at least the Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) portion of an “all appropriate inquiry.”

The point of a Phase 1 site assessment is to determine existence of:

Recognized Environmental Conditions (REC), indicating Phase II investigation is needed.
De minimis Conditions, minor issues such as asbestos, lead paint or mold.
Historical Recognized Environmental Conditions (HREC), previously known but not addressed.

A Phase I site assessment follows this process:

Site investigation, a visual inspection performed by a qualified individual or firm to determine actual or potential concerns relating to hazardous substance storage, handling or disposal.

Historical search of public and private databases including local, state, federal agency records, reverse phone directories, fire insurance maps, etc., interviews with property owners or representatives and tenants and review of federal, state, county and municipal documentation regarding known existence or problems with hazardous substances at the property.

Geological examination, to determine the property’s expected ambient conditions based on aerial photos, private databases, subsurface or hydrogeological background data and limited scope surveys for lead-containing paint or possible friable asbestos-containing materials.

Review and evaluation of information gathered with recommendations that either identify additional needed research such as a Phase II ESA or indicate the property is free of environmental liability, in which case the pending real estate transaction is protected under SARA.

Phase I site assessments are relatively low-cost to perform, they provide early identification of potentially expensive problems such as underground storage tanks or prior usage concerns, and you don’t have to report findings to any regulatory authority. However the process can take two or three weeks and it’s not designed to cover every possible contingency.

Most important, although Phase 1 work can be performed by an uncertified investigator, hiring an experienced professional engineering firm will ensure your Phase 1 results are beyond question. Anything less could leave you at risk.

Using A Fuel Management System to Record Fueling Transactions

Joe Heaney — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:30:00 GMT

With the right fuel management system, you can record and track virtually every action and transaction that relates to your fuel. You get detailed, accurate and up-to-date information to monitor fuel assets, identify and assess opportunities to improve your fueling procedures.

A fuel management system will help you follow all key types of transactions. When you augment it with FuelMaster's Automotive Information Modules (AIM2), you can track even more information, on a per-vehicle basis.

Purchases, inventory and storage.

Many fuel management systems work directly with your tank monitoring units so you always know exactly what types and amounts of fuel you have on hand.

Fuel dispensing.

The system records vehicle and site identification codes, authorized fuel type and quantity limit, service hours as well as hours and miles until next service is needed. With AIM2, fueling automatically stops if the wrong fuel is dispensed or the electronic connection between fueling nozzle and vehicle is interrupted, eliminating the possibility of theft.

Vehicle usage details.

Capture mileage and service hour information to stay on schedule with regularly-planned maintenance. The system will also alert you to engine error codes that could indicate problems between regular service, so you can address them right away. You can keep your fleet healthier and on the road longer, stretching those always-limited budget dollars.

Driver actions.

Automation significantly reduces -- or in the case of AIM2, eliminates -- driver and crew time spent on record-keeping. And capturing information about things like run and idle times, maintenance needs, and odometer readings can help you streamline procedures and reporting.

A fuel management system can materially benefit any size operation that uses any type of liquid or gaseous pump-able fuel, even alternative fuels. That includes:

Fleet operators from huge national firms to locally owned and operated trucking or bus companies
Marinas
Municipal or other government entities with police, fire or utility departments that maintain fleets
Fleet leasing companies whose leases include fuel
Mobile fueling systems

If you’re fueling for a third party, such as Fixed Based Operations at a smaller airport, you can track all those transaction details as well as your internal data. You can prepare invoices faster and more easily, confident they are entirely accurate.

Anyone who has an interest in controlling inventory and costs associated with managing fuel and fleets can benefit from using a fuel management system to record their transactions. That amounts to positive results every way you look at it.

Photo Credit: Samuel Howzit

How To Use An Automated Fuel System To Reconcile Fuel Usage

Joe Heaney — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:28:00 GMT

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or in modern terms, a few dollars now can save thousands of dollars tomorrow. Installing and implementing an automated fuel system provides that ounce of prevention for what is likely one of your largest operating expenses - fuel. How many times have you wondered where did all of our fuel go, why can't I track it, or there must be a better way to manage this. A automated fueling system can significantly improve monitoring, tracking and overall control of your fuel-related operations, from purchasing through dispensing transactions. You get accurate tracking every step of the way to help reconcile fuel usage and avert problems.

Use your automated fuel system to:

Consistently gather data, including odometer and chronometer readings. Regular record-keeping enables earlier detection of potential problems, giving you an opportunity to address them before they grow into large expensive repairs or continue to waste fuel.
Ensure the data you’re recording is complete, and completely accurate. That reduces simple mistakes due to human error as well as misallocation of information that can skew usage data. By studying the data, you’ll see additional ways to streamline operations so you always know where inventory is, where it’s going, how your individual vehicles and overall fleet are performing.
Identify additional ways to save labor and money. Once you’re able to clearly see costs and other impacts of fuel usage, you can better evaluate your maintenance cycle and improve your ability to predict future purchasing and maintenance needs. Automation also significantly reduces time spent recording information and creating and producing reports.
Increase fuel security, virtually eliminating costly losses from theft as well as inadvertent dispensing restriction errors.

Using a hands-free, RFID-based, nozzle to vehicle communication device like Syn-Tech's FuelMaster Automotive Information Modules (AIM2) can automatically initiate fueling, evaluate vehicle trouble codes, and upload data in real time for easy reporting. You can track information like:

Vehicle ID.
Authorized fuel type.
Quantity limit.
Run and idle times.
Engine trouble codes.
Service hours and hours/miles remaining till next service.
Travel direction.
Site ID.

An automated fuel system helps you do more than reconcile fuel usage. It’s a highly cost-effective program that provides broad-scale opportunities to generate savings by streamlining operations and giving you far more control over your fuel supply.

Because important information is always updated regularly, you can use what you learn to make better-informed decisions about all your fuel-related operations, and you’ll be better prepared for reporting or audits or other scrutiny that comes your way.

Photo Credit: Derrick Coetzee

How A Fuel Management System Can Keep Your Fuel Secure

Joe Heaney — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 19:38:00 GMT

With the price of fuel rising again, it’s more important than ever to closely control your fuel inventory and see clearly where it’s going. A fuel management system can be your best ally to help keep track of fuel assets, every step of the way.

If you manage fleets, tanker trucks or other fueling operations -- including general use company vehicles, locally-focused bus and trucking companies that own their own fuel tanks, marinas, mobile fueling services, municipal fire, police and utility departments – or if you’re an airport Fixed Based Operator, you can improve fuel security by investing in a fuel management system.

In a typical not-so-secure setting, you can lose track of your inventory via:

Intentional theft or inadvertent dispensing.
Misallocation – fueling multiple vehicles without separately recording the information.
Inaccurate record-keeping for tax and vehicle maintenance.
Mistaken gas vs. diesel fuel dispensing.

A fuel management system can work with any type of pump-able fuel – liquid, gaseous, alternative fuels, so it can work for your organization.

Count on stronger accountability.

The right system, especially one equipped with FuelMaster's Automotive Information Modules (AIM2), can help you eliminate these security problems. Detailed, real-time automated information capture lets you track fuel usage far more effectively, too. You’ll always know your fuel and your vehicles are being used properly and efficiently.

A fuel management system with AIMs sidesteps human error with hands-free operation. No longer will you have to wonder if your records are correct or up to date, whether fuel is mysteriously disappearing and why.

You’ll be able to maintain your regular vehicle maintenance schedule and also know right away if unusual problems crop up. That’s security of a different nature -- the confidence that you’re doing everything possible to protect and prolong the life of your expensive fleet of vehicles. Budget security, if you will.

At Walden, we recommend the FuelMaster fuel management system. It’s good enough for the US military – used at more than 500 installations by all military branches worldwide under some of the most unfriendly conditions you can imagine. It’s also become an essential operations tool for municipal departments and regional and state agencies that operate under tightly controlled budget conditions.

It might be the right fuel management system for you, too.

Securing your fuel assets protects one of your biggest expense line items. What could be more valuable than that?

Photo Credit: Tate Nation

Top 5 Reasons You Need A Fuel Management System

Christian Mostert — Thu, 31 May 2012 16:57:00 GMT

A fuel management system provides high-tech electronic monitoring that can streamline your operations, no matter how large or small your business, how many locations you manage, or whether you use liquid or gaseous fuel. Particularly when used in conjunction with FuelMaster's Automotive Information Module (AIM2) or similar device, a fuel management system can provide truly outstanding functional improvements.

Any operation that manages fleets or tanks should seriously investigate the benefits, as they can accrue quickly and provide substantial year-in-and-year-out savings. Here are the top five reasons you need a fuel management system:

(Re)gain control over your fuel assets.

Mysterious losses are expensive, which means security is critical. The right fuel management system virtually eliminates waste, misallocation, incorrect dispensing and outright theft. You can confidently stay in compliance with government regulations or public oversight.

Increase productivity.

You can achieve human efficiencies using a fuel management system, with drivers, fuelers and other crew members spending less time on fueling activities. And you can achieve fleet-related efficiencies, too. More timely maintenance improves performance and extends vehicle life, and the additional driver and vehicle performance data available will help you detect opportunities to reduce wasteful behaviors such as prolonged idle time.

Increase accuracy.

You’ll get reliable and consistent odometer readings, thanks to automated information capture that eliminates human error and miscommunication. Systems with AIM2 provide an entirely hands-free function.

Make more intelligent decisions.

Real-time data gathering and storage enables broader and more precise tracking and analysis. That means you can make better-informed decisions for budgeting and planning, reporting and tax accounting.

Save money.

All these benefits can add up to tremendous savings, from lower labor costs to reduced overall waste. And typically, a fuel management system will pay for itself in surprisingly short time.

If you’re like most fleet operators – public or private -- fuel costs represent a major portion of your expenses. Investing in a fuel management system can generate savings per vehicle, per year, that are sure to bring a smile of relief to your bottom line.

Photo Credit: 5 by squidish

Addressing Contamination With Environmental Database Management Systems

Joe Heaney — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

The goal of addressing contamination is to achieve the maximum clean-up or containment possible, as soon as possible given available resources. An environmental database management system gives you the latest digital technology -- right at hand 24/7 -- to streamline and enhance your contamination investigation and remediation process.

Clearly see the nature and extent of each problem.

An environmental database management system makes it easier for everyone involved in your project to see and understand the big picture. You can electronically capture any amount of data, from any number of sources. Information is available in real time, from the field or any other location. You can quickly produce customized reports and visualizations in 2D, 3D, GIS or other formats to help visualize the site and areas of contamination.

Facilitate and improve collaboration.

An environmental database management system is entirely centralized, so streamline and enhance workflow at every step. Access and sharing information is easy, so everyone is always in the loop and no one ever has to wait on someone else to get the data they need. Team members can specifically-tailor reports.

More thoroughly evaluate options.

An environmental database management system guarantees greater accuracy, eliminating human error from data entry and conversion. It automatically identifies variances or other anomalies. You can pose complex queries and get immediate answers, to study and compare potential effectiveness of proposed contamination remediation options as well as cost-effectiveness of each one.

Complete work faster.

Shorter project turnaround ensures earliest clean-up implementation, critical when it comes to addressing contamination. An environmental database management system performs lightning-fast calculations to analyze performance and estimate costs of different resolution scenarios, eliminating time-wasting tasks like data entry and conversion.

Addressing contamination is successful only if solutions are as broad and effective as current science allows. With an environmental database management system you can save time and money every step of the way and still derive the best possible solutions.

Using An EDMS To Facilitate Groundwater Remediation

Joe Heaney — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

The key to designing any successful groundwater remediation plan is obtaining maximum information through all stages of the project, from the initial investigation to assembly and evaluation of potential remediation alternatives. An environmental database management system facilitates the entire process and even helps you assess your options.

Results are only as good as your data.

With an EDMS, everything is digital. You can gather, upload and store any amount of project-specific data for even the largest, most complex projects. Beyond that, you can access historical data and past remedial resolution details, using previously-determined findings to avoid duplication of effort and ensure you’re able to identify and fully consider every possible groundwater remediation alternative.

An EDMS brings intelligent capabilities to your efforts. It takes tedious data entry out of human hands to assure greater speed and accuracy. Better yet, it automatically converts data as necessary for consistency and performs calculations to help evaluate prospective groundwater remediation solutions and estimate costs.

It will alert you when data exceeds specified parameters. And you can pose detailed queries and get instant results, enabling the most in-depth study of corrective options.

Understanding the character and extent of groundwater contamination is the essential first step in developing a remediation plan that works. One of the most valuable features of an EDMS is its ability to provide visualizations in a wide variety of dimensional and modeling formats. Everyone associated with a groundwater remediation project can easily and clearly see the problems, above or below the surface, on-site or on adjacent property.

Work gets done more efficiently.

Let’s face it – groundwater remediation is a highly detailed process that brings together lots of players, both science-based and non-technical. Collaboration is critical, and time is money, so efficiency is doubly important. With an EDMS, everything is available to everyone, at any time, regardless of their location. Each team member can quickly locate and retrieve information they need, in a format that works for them.

An EDMS strengthens and streamlines processes from beginning to end. That ensures you’ll be able to develop the strongest groundwater remediation solutions and implementation plans that can be completed as quickly as possible.

Who Can Benefit From Environmental Database Management Systems?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

An environmental database management system is a comprehensive technology platform specifically designed to support the work of environmental scientists and managers, in all the ways you need to work. So the real question is who cannot benefit from using an EDMS?

Perhaps you’re a geologist, hydrogeologist or environmental engineer who relies on gathering and evaluating detailed data to devise solutions for a variety of clients and colleagues. Or perhaps you’re focused on regulatory, legal or property and facilities management challenges.

An EDMS can benefit anyone involved with discovery or remediation of environmental concerns, including those who:

Represent a private company or public agency that needs to compile, retrieve and analyze vast quantities of historical data and related information.
Work with widely dispersed project team members, all of whom need ready access to information and the ability to pull custom reports relevant to their part of the work.
Provide scientific support services.
Need to create and submit periodic reports regarding environmentally-based project progress or ongoing storage of fuel oils or other regulated chemicals.

An environmental database management system helps:

Establish and maintain centralized data storage that keeps information at everyone’s fingertips.
Organize data as needed, and retrieve it in myriad formats. You can quickly assemble and analyze details, produce scenarios and do what-if calculations, estimate costs, and apply previous data or solutions to new work to avoid duplication of effort.
Save time and make better use of resources, with automated intelligence that handles data entry chores and calculations, freeing up your personnel to focus their knowledge and experience on creative thinking.
Facilitate collaboration throughout your team, with 24/7 access to information and reports, in real time, from anywhere.
Produce better results.
Produce faster results.
Save money.

An environmental database management system can be a surprisingly budget-conscious investment, whether you establish an in-house EDMS or choose outsourcing, which delivers all the same benefits without the associated purchase and maintenance costs.

If you’re working in any aspect of environmental health and stewardship, your work is always complex. An environmental database management system provides the comprehensive interface that brings all your data together, houses it and delivers it as needed to make the most effective day-to-day decisions, long-term planning and projections. You’ll be confident in the accuracy of your work and the quality of the results.

3 Ways EDMS Can Help Groundwater Soil Investigation

Joe Heaney — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The purpose of any groundwater soil investigation is to determine if contaminants have been released to subsurface areas, and if so, the nature and extent of those releases. The investigative process involves gathering and evaluating data – sometimes tremendous quantities – to consider the feasibility and ultimate value of remedial alternatives.

Phase I and especially Phase II ESA investigations can involve surveys, sampling, and testing in order to identify and classify soil and groundwater impacts. Using an environmental database management system (EDMS) can greatly improve the groundwater soil investigation process, both in the field and in the lab.

Your investigation can be:

More thorough.

An EDMS combines comprehensive data storage capability with an astounding array of reporting and even analytical options. Project data and archived information are easily accessible, by any team member, any time, from anywhere. Data can be uploaded right from the field or, conversely, quickly retrieved while in the field.

Since an EDMS is entirely technology-based, it can handle any amount of data. So it’s equally valuable for a single, localized groundwater soil investigation or for managing numerous far-flung projects simultaneously.

More accurate.

An EDMS automatically uploads data, converts measurement units, and performs calculations. That eliminates human error. An EDMS can provide any number of visualization and modeling options, making it easier to see and understand the big picture and also very small nuances.

Completed faster.

An EDMS enables you to pose detailed queries and receive virtually immediate responses. It can facilitate data analysis and help conduct “what if” testing of various proposed treatment options, if needed. It streamlines work every step of the way, enabling scientists and other professional staff to concentrate their efforts on skilled thinking rather than delaying the investigation with tedious data entry.

Whether you choose to establish an electronic database management system in-house or outsource EDMS services from a professional provider, you’ll get better results to support better decision-making for property owners, lawyers, public officials, and consulting teams.

5 Ways EDMS Helps Soil Contamination Clean Up

Joe Heaney — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

The goal of soil contamination clean up is to create the most comprehensive, effective, long-lasting remedial treatment possible to protect the future health of people and our environment. Engineers, hydrogeologists and usually a host of other professionals work together to create the best possible remedial design.

Often there are multiple methods or technologies that can be used to mitigate impacts of soil contamination. Using an environmental database management system can significantly improve the evaluation process, enabling better decision-making to arrive at a final plan that truly works, based on time and resources available.

An EDMS exemplifies technology at its best, giving your team an electronic working partner that can help in numerous ways. Here are five:

Faster investigative and study process. An EDMS streamlines workflow. It can take on tedious clerical work such as data entry and provide assistance with formula-based work such as conversions and calculations. Visuals and other reports are instantly available to help evaluate possible choices by making it easy for everyone to understand what they’re seeing.
More thorough and more accurate evaluation of alternatives. An EDMS provides 24/7 accessibility, which supports a more inclusive and collaborative work process. Team members can quickly reference historical data instead of performing redundant work, and automatic data upload and calculations help eliminate human error. An EDMS also facilitates access to existing best practices and proven soil contamination clean up alternatives, to ensure consideration of the broadest possible scope of options.
Strongest clean up plan development. An EDMS allows detailed customization of queries, reports, etc. to ensure all potential alternatives – including leading-edge and lesser-known possibilities -- are not only considered but completely analyzed. This ensures every soil contamination plan reflects the strongest available option.
Most cost-effective clean up plan development. An EDMS makes it faster and easier to estimate and compare all the costs surrounding clean up alternatives, to arrive at the choice that best serves all parties involved.
Compliance confidence. Using an EDMS ensures you always have all the information you need, right at your fingertips, to assure compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and procedures. You can easily prepare and submit correct, timely reports.

In short, an environmental database management system can assist and improve soil contamination clean up every step of the way, from planning and investigation through implementation and project oversight to any necessary follow-up monitoring.

Top 5 Values of Environmental Database Management Systems

Joe Heaney — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:07:00 GMT

An environmental database management system is an investment in technology that can bring untold ROI for anyone working publicly or privately in environmental health and protection. Here are five ways an EDMS can bring real value to your operation:

Efficiency.

You can get more done faster using an environmental database management system. Sort and evaluate tremendous volumes of data, pose detailed queries and get immediate results. An EDMS can automatically detect anomalies or unusual variances in data sets. And it’s entirely customizable to suit specific needs of any firm, agency or project.

Access.

24/7 access to information, reports, etc. -- from anywhere, by anyone on your team – facilitates better collaboration. You’ll get better results. You can automatically upload and retrieve data from the field and get reports anyone can understand, especially when it comes to visualizations, mapping, etc.

Project management.

Stay organized, no matter how many projects you’re juggling or how widespread they are. An electronic database management system stores project data and also helps you build archives for future reference.

Using an EDMS eliminates wasting skilled staff time on ponderous, tedious clerical tasks and simple math, instead giving you a technology partner to help with clerical work and analysis, too. Your highly trained professional staff can focus on using their training, experience and insight to generate top results.

Accuracy.

An EDMS helps eliminate human error typically associated with work such as data entry. Because an EDMS can house virtually unlimited amounts of records and other information, you’ll always have everything you need to quickly and confidently meet regulatory requirements and reporting criteria.

Savings.

Incorporating an electronic database management system can actually save you money as well as time and human resources. All-around ROI is something any manager can appreciate.

Acquiring an environmental database management system could well be the smartest business decision your company or agency makes this year. Your workflow will be streamlined and more productive, and you’ll be equipped to make better decisions. Once you start using your EDMS, you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.

What Is An Environmental Database Management System?

Joe Heaney — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Regardless what role you play in the environmental health field, your work involves acquiring, sorting and evaluating vast quantities of data. You also work with a wide variety of colleagues on various projects, some of whom are professional engineers and scientists and some of whom are not. It’s an extremely complex process, especially when team members and field locations are widely dispersed.

An environmental database management system is exactly the organizational tool you need. Adopting this innovative technology can help coordinate and expedite your work every step of the way, so you can work more efficiently and effectively than ever. With an EDMS, it’s simply easier to successfully manage projects and the information and people associated with them.

An EDMS can support and streamline your work, whether you’re a:

Large company or public agency managing multiple environmental oversight and/or remedial projects.
Smaller operation or consulting firm.
Laboratory or very small consultancy.

Everyone in the environmental health arena has to work smoothly together, perform at peak levels and produce reliable, quality results. All the time, often under very difficult circumstances. An environmental database management system allows you to get more done, sooner and better.

You work may focus on site assessment, soil or groundwater investigations, fuel oil or chemical storage. Or perhaps you provide scientific support to other environmental or public health professionals. Efficient access to data is essential. An EDMS can help capture and store data, track each project’s progress, identify trends and potential problems, and analyze data and response alternatives, so your team can make better-informed decisions.

Better yet, you can tailor reporting and visual data representations in numerous ways, to fit the goals of each project and the individual needs of those working on it. An EDMS even makes it easier to comply accurately and on time when it comes to annual status reporting.

Perhaps best of all, an environmental database management system can be very budget-conscious. If you’re a smaller firm with more limited resources, you need to be especially resourceful to accomplish the same objectives as larger firms and remain competitive. Outsourcing can put EDMS technology at your fingertips, without the costs of purchasing, maintenance and physical housing.

5 Benefits of Environmental Remediation Services

Joe Heaney — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Hazardous waste is not something to consider lightly. It’s surrounded with tremendous public and private concerns, and there’s a lot of regulation and risk both above and below ground.

Whether you’re in an industrial or auto-related industry, a financial institution, legal or insurance representative, municipality or government agency, environmental remediation services can help you deal with the complex challenges at hand to achieve desired short- and long-term results.

1. Make better-informed decisions.

Environmental remediation services include full-service consulting that covers all the scientific bases. You’ll fully understand your situation and options, so you can participate intelligently and effectively in the remediation process. This is critical if the site belongs to you.

2. Protect your interests.

Just like hazardous waste itself, the remediation process can have health, safety, legal, financial, and public relations ramifications. Environmental remediation services can help reduce your risk by identifying and assessing potential problems and needs and recommending the best solutions.

3. Enjoy better regulatory relationships.

Professional environmental remediation services consultants are well-equipped to represent you with regulatory agencies. They know the details of federal, state and local environmental regulations. They understand required procedures and expected outcomes. They already have good rapport with responsible officials.

4. Achieve better results.

Thorough, comprehensive work produces the broadest and most reliable results. Whether you need an overall site evaluation, soil or groundwater investigation or you’re dealing with fuel oils or chemical storage issues, environmental remediation services can assure you get the right work done, and done right.

Consultants will provide initial field inspection, testing, thorough study and analysis of the results. They’ll recommend the most timely, permanent and cost-effective solution. And they can see you through the implementation process.

5. Get ongoing assistance.

Once your project is completed, you can still benefit from environmental remediation services, getting assistance with periodic testing and analysis as well as recommendations for changes. And you can obtain ongoing assistance with compliance, regulatory reporting, submittals, etc. to ensure completeness and reliable accuracy.

Any way you look at it, taking corrective measure to address hazardous waste contamination is highly scientific. Professional environmental remediation services provide the chemical engineers, geologists, hydrogeologists and other consultants that have the extensive knowledge and experience necessary to ensure your project is well-thought-out and completed smoothly.

Taking advantage of environmental remediation services can help increase your property value, improve your public image, reduce your risk of potential of legal problems and save you money.

What is a Record of Decision?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:30:00 GMT

Once remedial investigation and the feasibility study (RI/FS) have been completed relative to a particular Superfund site, a Record of Decision (ROD) is produced. The ROD recaps the RI/FS process, documenting and presenting a rationale for the final treatment remedy selected for this particular site.

The ROD explains how clean-up will be addressed and which alternatives will be used. It covers all of the following information:

Site history.
Site description.
Site characteristics.
Community participation in the investigative process.
Enforcement activities.
Past and present activities.
Identification of contaminated media.
Specific contaminants present.
The range and role of response actions.
Remedial technologies and methodologies selected.

The Record of Decision is a public document and serves as an overarching compendium of each Superfund site’s clean-up process from the beginning. Therefore, in an effort to draw attention to the importance of documentation quality, an ROD of the Year Contest is held annually. Samples of well-written RODs can be found on the contest website.

Once the Record of Decision is completed, the remedial design and remedial action (RD/RA) phase begins, beginning implementation of the clean-up process.

You can access the Environmental Protection Agency’s Record of Decision System to learn about any Superfund site in the US. This searchable library contains a complete text version of each Record of Decision plus an abstract, any Record of Decision Amendments (AMDs) and Explanations of Significant Differences (ESDs).

The 9 Criteria in a Detailed Remedial Investigation Analysis

Joe Heaney — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Every Superfund site is unique. For that reason, remedial investigation analysis includes a detailed feasibility study (FS), which identifies and evaluates potential treatment technologies and methods to determine which solution best fits the site’s physical and chemical conditions.

Detailed Analysis of Alternatives is key to determining the most appropriate remedy. Up to this point in the remedial investigation process, possible clean-up alternatives have been identified and an initial assessment has been conducted to weed out those less likely to perform well. Conducting a more stringent and specific analysis of the remaining alternatives leads to final selection of the best choice.

Remedial investigation analysis consists of evaluating each alternative against these nine criteria:

Overall protection of human health and the environment.
Compliance with applicable and relevant appropriate requirements (ARARs).
Long-term effectiveness and permanence.
Reduction in toxicity, mobility and volume through treatment.
Short-term effectiveness and potential impacts during the remediation process.
Implementation and technical reliability.
Cost.
Regulatory agency acceptance.
Community acceptance.

Ramifications of feasibility study results, particularly the Detailed Analysis of Alternatives step, are comprehensive and permanent. Therefore, site owners or other key responsible parties should actively participate in remedial investigation analysis, to ensure their voice is heard and their concerns are addressed. This is particularly important when it comes to potential clean-up operations and costs.

Consulting engineers can serve as the ideal liaison between owners and public officials, as they fully understand the science as well as physical and financial constraints involved.

Remedial Investigation: 4 Development of Alternatives Requirements

Joe Heaney — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Deciding exactly how to go about cleaning up a particular Superfund site is a detailed scientific process that follows many steps before a final plan is established and can be implemented. However, the ultimate goal is always the same: to protect human health and our environment.

The remedial investigation process strives to identify practical hazardous waste management options that:

Meet location- and chemical-specific applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs), including water and air quality.
Provide permanent solutions and treatment technologies to the maximum extent possible.
Are cost-efficient. Considering response actions previously used for sites with similar characteristics can sometimes save time and money by avoiding duplication of testing and evaluation for which results already exist.

To accomplish this, remedial investigation involves listing multiple possible corrective measures, then evaluating them against specific standards to arrive at the most promising solution.

There are four alternatives for controlling contaminant sources:

Methods that eliminate or minimize to the fullest extent possible any ongoing site management requirements. This typically involves excavating and treating all contaminated soil or all soil at or above a specific depth.
Treatment that focuses key threats. This typically involves excavating and treating localized “hot spots” contaminated with liquids, highly toxic and/or highly mobile waste.
Innovative technologies, where applicable.
Containment options accompanied by little or no treatment. This most often applies when contamination is of lower level or direct treatment isn’t a viable option.

A “no action” alternative serves as a baseline against which to compare the other four options, although “no action” may also recommend ongoing environmental monitoring.

The development of alternatives process includes:

Defining remedial action objectives (RAOs).
Establishing general response actions for containment, treatment or removal of contaminated media.
Identifying volumes or areas to which general response actions can be applied, based on exposure routes, type and extent of contamination, initial remedial goals and a preliminary list of action-specific ARARs.
Identifying and evaluating technologies. Although innovative technologies are sometimes more difficult to assess because they have less performance history, they are seriously considered if they could provide equal or better results than traditional options, create fewer or lesser adverse impacts or cost less.
Evaluating process options to determine probable effectiveness, feasibility of implementation and comparable cost.
Grouping media-specific technologies and further assessing each option.

Once agency personnel and contractors agree on remedial investigation results, the development process is documented within the overall Feasibility Study report.

Remedial Investigation: What is the Purpose of Treatability Investigations

Joe Heaney — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Treatability investigation helps identify whether a proposed technology is well-suited to meet remedial goals set out in the Superfund site’s Record of Decision, based on site-specific conditions. Ideally, initial site scoping should indicate whether treatability testing is needed, so that further study becomes part of the remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) process.

It’s purpose is to streamline the remedial investigation process, but the primary goal is to ensure the final clean-up plan meets SARA standards for maximizing the value of chosen treatment options. Those standards include:

Reduced uncertainty regarding both cost and performance.
Consolidating the RI/FS timeframe by determining early on whether treatability study is necessary.

Overall, a treatability testing program will include:

Creation of work plan (WP), sampling and analysis plan (SAP) and health and safety plan (HSP).
Gathering any necessary field samples.
Actual testing.
Analyzing and interpreting results.
Documentation of findings in a report.

A literature survey is conducted first, to review existing information about the proposed treatment technology’s applicability, potential efficacy and comparative cost. If enough information is not available, actual testing will need to be performed to evaluate the technology. This can be done concurrent with other remedial investigation field work, to save time.

Which Testing Method to Use?

Bench testing is the most cost-effective way to determine if a particular technology offers suitable chemical parameters. It’s useful in a variety of operating conditions, it's fast, less expensive and produces low volumes of waste. However, it can be difficult to predict actual performance levels using bench testing. Choosing this method depends on:

Whether the candidate technology is well-developed.
The site’s waste composition.
Data type and “representativeness.”

Pilot testing simulates the physical and chemical parameters of a full-scale treatment process. It’s more time-consuming and costly, but it provides a better estimation of performance. Pilot testing is the best choice when:

Only limited information is available regarding probable full-scale treatment conditions.
It’s important to study secondary effects of the treatment process.
Site waste composition is complex or unique.

Later, during the Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) phase, treatability investigation is used to confirm that the chosen technology can accomplish site clean-up as specified, to refine the clean-up plan including outlining operating conditions and to make more accurate cost estimates.

How EDMS Can Help Speed Up Environmental Consulting Process

Joe Heaney — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Time is money, especially if you’re functioning in a dynamic industry like environmental consulting. Anything you can introduce into your workplace that helps your team perform more accurately and more efficiently is a move in the right direction. You need an environmental database management system (EDMS).

With an EDMS, you’re literally bringing on the latest innovative technology as a working partner. All your data is 100% digital and immediately accessible, so you can strengthen and streamline project management from start to finish, even if you have multiple and widely-dispersed points of contact.

Environmental consulting should focus on data gathering, review and analysis – the kind of professional expertise and insight your clients expect. With an EDMS, you can off-load cumbersome and routine activities such as data entry, mapping, calculations and conversions so your technical team can concentrate on their most important work.

An EDMS provides a wide range of functional efficiencies, including:

Virtually unlimited data collection and storage capacity -- no hunting around for files or historical records.
Easy data additions or revisions, from the field or from your office.
Strengthened collaboration, with 24/7 data capture and retrieval and concurrent file sharing and usage.
Instant mapping and quick revisions.
Automatic identification of variances or other concerns.
Automatically conversion of metrics.
Easy trend plotting to establish definitive baselines.
Assistance developing cost estimates.
Consistent deliverables, including a wide range of visualization options, that make comparison easier for technical professionals as well as your non-technical colleagues.
No-hassle compliance for reporting or other submittals.
Streamlined work flow for more effective time management.
Reduced labor costs, as well as other time and money savings.

Successful and profitable environmental consulting depends on your ability to expedite the work at hand. And if you’re better organized you can be more efficient. With an EDMS, you can simply get more done sooner, with even greater confidence in the results.

Using an environmental database management system can assure faster and cost-effective solutions as well as investigations. That means earlier implementation of remedial actions or long-term management programs. And isn’t one purpose of environmental consulting to develop better ways to address human and environmental health challenges?

What is the Primary Benefit of Environmental Database Management System?

Joe Heaney — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:22:00 GMT

Digital technology has established itself as essential for effective business management, especially for data-driven organizations dealing with high volumes of detailed information on a daily basis. For environmental engineers, hydrogeologists, geologists and their non-technical colleagues, investing in an environmental database management system (EDMS) can provide profound, broad-scale benefits.

The primary benefit of an environmental database management system is really two companion pieces that are inseparable for any high-functioning work environment: capacity and accessibility.

An EDMS keeps you organized, regardless of your volume of work or project size.

And it’s upgradeable as new innovations come online. You can:

Consistently collect and store virtually unlimited data, especially valuable for establishing historical context.
Instantly map and revise data.
Pose detailed queries.
Ensures consistent, proper formatting for submittals, etc.
Automatically spot variances or other anomalies.
Automatically convert metrics for consistency.
Perform calculations faster and more accurately.
Plot trends and establish definitive baselines.
Obtain standardized deliverables – with detailed customization options -- that are easy to compare and ensure you’re properly meeting compliance requirements
Create visualizations in contouring, GIS, 2D or 3D formats for modeling or presentations, allowing everyone to understand issues and options at their level of scientific expertise.
Easily add or revise data to update possible alternative solutions and refine cost estimates.

Eliminating tedious, time-consuming clerical work frees up professional staff to concentrate on their core competencies.

An environmental database management system provides 24/7 access to data.

You get:

Data at your fingertips.
Real-time access that accelerates workflow.
Simultaneous file use and sharing among team members to facilitate collaboration.
Streamlined project management, even off-site.
Quick, easy report generation.

Data that’s more available is more useful.

The result?

An EDMS can help strengthen your work product from initial field sampling to final recommendations and implementation. You’ll get:

More effective use of highly-trained personnel.
Significantly reduced risk of human error.
Faster, more reliably accurate results.
Better-informed decision-making.
Stronger solutions.
Shorter turnaround time.
Significant savings.

Whether you’re public or private, conducting site assessments or investigations, working to meet contaminant storage compliance requirements or managing the big picture, your success depends on accurate and well-organized data that’s easy to retrieve. An environmental database management system can keep you working smarter and more efficiently.

Photo Credit: Gniz

Conducting Site Characterization with Remedial Investigation

Joe Heaney — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Determining the best way to clean up each Superfund site follows an established process. Following initial scoping, the remedial investigation expands to provide a more in-depth understanding of the site and the sources and extent of contamination, so as to begin developing an appropriate plan to eliminate or contain contamination.

Site characterization augments initial findings through additional field data collection and analysis.

Data Gathering

Remedial investigation uses a wide variety of scientific evidence, surveys, photos and other data to study the site’s:

Physical characteristics, especially possible migration pathways and receptor populations.
Contamination sources, including locations, quantities contained or released, physical and chemical characteristics.
Nature and extent of contamination, particularly the spread and volume of migration and changes to the contaminant's physical or chemical characteristics.

Although it’s not always possible to precisely understand the full nature and extent of the problem, site characterization is designed to acquire data that:

Meets the EPA’s Data Quality Objectives (DQOs).
Identifies potential risks posed by the site.
Documents whether or not there is a need for remediation.
Provides enough information to credibly develop and evaluate remedial action options.

Data Analysis

Remedial investigation may use mobile labs, contracted labs or other facilities to analyze data, depending on the volume of work, timing and specific services needed. The results form a baseline risk assessment that identifies the type and level of current or future risks posed by the site that could affect human or environmental health.

A data management system tracks both the quality and the validity of data collected during the investigative process, using field logs, laboratory and quality assurance/control reports.

Finally, site characterization identifies whether additional information is needed to meet the four established criteria noted above.

Following these steps, a preliminary site characterization is prepared. This is a short summary which could be as brief as a list of contaminants and affected media or could be more extensive.

This report provides the supervisory agency with information about potential applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) and helps begin the process of identifying possible remedial actions. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry also uses this information to conduct a health assessment of the site. Ultimately, the final clean-up plan will need to balance the most effective technologies and methodologies with available time and resources.

Remedial Investigation: What is Scoping?

Joe Heaney — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:00:00 GMT

To clean up a Superfund site, remedial investigations and feasibility studies (RI/FS) provide an officially-mandated process that reflects each specific situation. Scoping is the preliminary planning step that outlines how remedial investigation and analysis will flow.

Scoping takes place before remedial investigation begins, but remains a flexible and integral part of RI/FS to ensure focus, completeness and efficiency. Representatives from lead and support agencies, consultants and responsible parties work together to determine the work to be done and most efficient sequence.

They also decide whether remediation will be most effectively conducted as a single project or several discrete “operable units” that address specific geographic areas or site issues. Time and resources are important considerations along with the science in determining final site remedy solutions.

Scoping establishes a customized site cleanup process.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) overall goal for each contaminated site is “to select remedial actions that are protective of human health and the environment, that maintain protection over time, and that minimize untreated waste.”

Toward that end, scoping includes a series of activities designed to ensure an efficient, effective and cost-effective outcome. These steps include:

Conducting site kickoff meetings that include lead and support agencies, contractors and other technical experts, enforcement staff and people knowledgeable about the particular site or similar ones.
Evaluating existing data.
Conducting a site visit.
Developing a conceptual site model.
Identify remedial action objectives (RAOs) and potential remedial alternatives
Determining applicable or relevant and appropriate requirements (ARARs) to assist in setting project goals and analyzing remedial alternatives, particularly to identify contaminant- and location-specific requirements and determine presence of Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulated hazardous waste. ARARs must meet both federal and New York State requirements.
Determine initial data needs and data quality objectives.

Scoping results in preparation of several project plans which outline how the remedial investigation and feasibility study will move forward. These project plans include a:

Work plan (WP) which describes analysis and decisions resulting from the scoping process, including specific tasks required to conduct the remedial investigation and feasibility study.
Sampling and analysis plan (SAP) to ensure technically acceptable protocols are followed and to help estimate final project costs.
Health and safety plan (HSP) to ensure onsite workers, the community and environment are protected against potentially hazardous operations or exposure during the cleanup process.
Community relations plan (CRP) to ensure the public is informed about and included in remedial decision-making.

Photo Credit: USACEpublicaffairs

What Happens During a Remedial Investigation?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Remedial Investigation (RI) is the first of a two-part process designed to produce an in-depth understanding of the problems and possible repair for properties throughout the country that are contaminated with hazardous waste substances and therefore seriously threaten public and/or environmental health.

In New York, the Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Health (DOH) and Law (DOL) are jointly responsible for ensuring that inactive hazardous waste disposal sites are appropriately cleaned up. The overall process follows these prescribed steps:

Initial site investigation.
Remedial investigation.
Feasibility study.
Remedial plan construction.
Cleanup work.
Monitoring.

Initial site investigation is conducted by the DEC or DOH to determine if, in fact, hazardous substances are present at a given site and whether they’re present in sufficient quantities to represent a significant (class 2) threat to public or environmental health. Sites that receive a class 2 designation are eligible for inclusion on the National Priorities List, to become an EPA Superfund site.

The initial investigation can also be completed by potentially responsible parties (PRPs) such as site owners, in partnership with consulting engineers, chemists and geologists. Often public and private entities work together.

Remedial investigation starts when the presence of hazardous waste contamination is confirmed.

The goal of this step is to gather additional information to more clearly define current site conditions as well as current or potential level of threat from contamination. This information is then analyzed to identify which methods and technologies may be most effective in eliminating site-specific threats and to design an appropriate remediation plan.

Remedial investigation involves additional, more extensive field sampling and lab analysis to learn as much as possible about extent and exact nature of contamination at the site, to determine:

Three-dimensional physical area involved.
Migration pathways.
Contamination level in soils, groundwater, surface water, air, plants or animals.

Although the DEC’s Division of Environmental Remediation takes the lead, the remedial investigation and resulting cleanup process can also include municipalities as well as private citizens. The Health Department participates to ensure human health issues are considered at every step.

Remedial investigation can take up to two years. The work is critical, because developing a complete, detailed picture of the problem serves as the basis for identifying the best solution.

Photo Credit: New York District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

What is the Purpose of Environmental Feasibility Study?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:38:00 GMT

An Environmental Feasibility Study (FS) uses information gathered and analyzed during the Remedial Investigation phase to design and then evaluate potential remediation alternatives for listed Superfund sites. The goal is to find the most effective option, preferably one that permanently eliminates or reduces contamination.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation staff and responsible parties work together whenever possible. If you’re a site owner, it’s important that you participate in this decision-making process because the eventual corrective plan will affect you directly, especially when it comes to site operations and remedial costs.

The environmental feasibility study considers both human and environmental health factors.

The FS is a comparative process that looks at all potential solutions, then evaluates them against specific criteria to ultimately find the best choice. The process follows these officially-mandated steps:

Establish Remedial Action Objectives (RAOs).
Develop General Response Actions (GRAs) to meet the objectives.
Identify and evaluate potential remedial technologies based on GRAs. Sometimes this requires collecting additional field data or testing alternatives to determine usefulness for this particular site.
Develop a range of viable alternatives that meet the objectives, including:

Treatment to address principal threats.

Engineering controls.

Institutional controls.

Limited action.

A “no action” option to assess other alternatives against.

Eliminate alternatives less likely to produce desired results.
Further analyze remaining alternatives to determine:

Overall protection of public and environmental health.

Effective reduction of hazardous waste toxicity, mobility and volume.

Long-term and short-term effectiveness.

Potential consequences of the remediation process itself.

Implementation and technical reliability.

Statutory compliance.

Public opinion.

Cost.

By analyzing all these factors, officials, scientists and responsible parties can identify the alternative that is most likely to provide a comprehensive remedial solution. Based on this decision, the NYSDEC creates a Proposed Remedial Action Plan and offers it as a recommendation for public comment.

Photo Credit: Gailf548

How does the Superfund Sites New York Program work?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The New York State Superfund program is formally known as the Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Site (IHWDS) Program. Its purpose is to identify, investigate and clean up sites that contain “consequential” levels of hazardous waste.

Prospective State Superfund sites come to light when responsible parties notify officials of problems or through citizen complaints and other means. At that point, IHWDS mandates a specific process for investigation, assessment, clean up and monitoring of each site.

First, a Site Characterization (SC) is performed.

The SC determines whether the site actually meets the State’s superfund listing criteria by confirming the presence of hazardous substance(s) and determining the threat level to public and/or environmental health. The SC is often performed by the responsible party, but it can also be completed by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Division of Environmental Remediation (DER).

Sites deemed to be a threat are formally listed.

Once hazardous waste is confirmed at a site, it is added to the State’s official list and assigned a classification code. A classification code of 2 indicates a significant danger requiring action. This triggers a more in-depth remedial investigation to determine corrective options. The responsible party often pays for and performs this work as well. If they can’t be identified or won’t participate, the state performs the work and may attempt to recover costs.

A project manager from the regional IHWDS office or DEC is assigned to each class 2 site. This individual reviews and approves cleanup plans and monitors the process. For state-paid jobs, the project manager is directly in charge or supervises a consultant hired to perform the work. Project managers also coordinate with the Department of Health to ensure cleanup fully addresses public health concerns.

DEC fees help pay for Superfund Sites cleanup.

Regulatory program fees can be charged to hazardous waste generators and any facility required to have an air, water, hazardous waste or waste transporter permit. Annual fees are collected from:

Generators of hazardous waste and hazardous wastewater.
Treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.

Fees depend on facility type and the amount of hazardous waste being handled. Most of the money goes to the Industrial Fee Transfer Account to pay down bond debt incurred to create the Hazardous Waste Remedial Fund. The rest of the money helps support other environmental quality programs around the state.

Special assessment taxes are levied on all state facilities which generate hazardous waste, based on the method and amount of material. All of these taxes support the Industrial Fee Transfer Account.

Photo Credit: Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection

What are the Steps in an EPA Superfund Site Cleanup Process?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980 and subsequent amendments outline federal response options for the remediation of pollutants, contaminants and hazardous substances, via the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site program. Sites become eligible for the Superfund program after being placed on the National Priorities List (NPL).

Getting on the NPL.

The EPA Superfund NPL process follows a series of science-based steps to determine the extent of contamination at a given site and the current or potential level of threat to human and/or environmental health.

Sites can be listed on the NPL in three ways:

The Hazard Ranking System (HRS).
Each state or territory can assign one top-priority site with any HRS ranking.
The US Department of Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the EPA can formally agree that the site poses a significant public health threat and that using the EPA’s remedial authority represents the most expedient response.

The HRS is the primary tool and follows these steps:

A limited site inspection is conducted to assess potential threats from migration of groundwater, surface water or air or direct contact.
The site is ranked numerically based on actual or potential threat level. Sites with scores of at least 28.5 on a scale of 1-100 are eligible for listing, depending on further risk assessment.
Eligible sites also undergo public comment before being officially listed as EPA Superfund sites.
Placement on the NPL triggers a formal remedial process, including more in-depth site investigation and a feasibility study to further evaluate site conditions, define response alternatives and create a cleanup plan.
Work begins after the selected remedy is noted in the official Record of Decision. Upon completion, the State or potentially responsible parties (PRPs) may remain responsible for any ongoing remedial activities or monitoring.
EPA deletes the site from the list when cleanup goals are attained.

There is also a “non-time-critical” contamination removal process designed to move some sites faster through the Superfund process. This is a significantly less costly approach to assessment and cleanup.

Site owners or PRPs should protect their interests by participating in the EPA Superfund sites process, especially regarding remediation-related site operations and costs. An experienced engineering consultant can help you navigate this process using their scientific expertise and detailed understanding of the Superfund process.

Photo Credit: Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection

EDMS – What is it; What is it not?

Christian Mostert — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

Here at Walden we use EQuIS as our environmental database management system (EDMS). EQuIS is an EDMS created by Earthsoft, Inc. I know what you are thinking. “Yeah, that’s great, but what is an environmental database management system?”

To answer that question, let’s first pretend it is 1990 and you are going on a business trip. You will be gone for a week and meeting clients daily. Besides the clothes you’ll need, think about all of the things you would have needed to pack in 1990 to be prepared and entertained during your week away. A paper airline ticket. Books and magazines to read on the plane and in your hotel room at night An address book with all of the names and phone numbers you may need to call while away. An organizer with a calendar listing the days and times of your client meetings. A long distance calling card for calling the home office from the hotel and from pay phones while out on the road. Paper maps to get around. A typed itinerary of the places and people you are scheduled to meet. Paper and pens for taking notes. A calculator for making quick calculations while meeting with clients. Folders or binders stuffed with paper project notes and information. Maybe a Zagats restaurant guide so you can make informed decisions on where to eat in the strange city and have a way to call the restaurant and get directions to their location. A Sony Walkman to listen to the latest CD released by Pearl Jam. Finally, maybe you were fortunate enough to have a Nintendo Gameboy to play the latest video game should the book or magazine get boring.

Now let’s return to the present. If you have an iPhone or Android device take it out and look at it. There is nothing from our 1990 list above that cannot be stored or performed on that device in your hand. In fact, you also can take photos, videos, look at the street level view of the restaurant you chose, and perform a whole host of functions not even conceived in 1990. You just went from an extra large suitcase plus one heavy carry-on to something that fits in your pocket.

An EDMS does for environmental data what the iPhone did for business trips.

Endless cabinets filled with project folders, analytical data, well logs, location maps, water level charts, and all of the other project related data just got shrunk down to one small database stored on some computer server that may or may not be located in the same state where you find yourself sitting.

But like the iPhone and the incredible world of Apps available for these devices, the EDMS doesn’t stop at miniaturizing 1990; it blows the doors off of what was conceivable with environmental data investigations. In other words, EDMS became the central brain of the environmental world.

Let’s say you want to estimate and represent the volume of a contamination plume. Previously you would have to visit those endless filing cabinets, find the data you needed to determine the x,y,and z coordinates of the contamination, and put together a rocking spreadsheet. That spreadsheet would have to be printed out and handed to a cartographer or drafter. They would then take the data and pull survey plots of the area in question, mark out the wells, make some interpolation calculations between points, and then literally draw the boundaries on the paper maps. Oh…wait…you want that in 3D? Well you better go down the hall and talk to the graphical artist about rendering that for you.

Today, you sit at your computer, run a quick report pulling in the dates and wells within your study area, open an environmental visualization tool like GIS or EVS, connect the GIS or EVS to the EDMS, and a few clicks later you are staring at a visually pleasing 3D image of your plume, complete with volume calculations.

Thanks to EDMS you went from rifling through dusty warehouses of filing cabinets and endless staff meetings where you attempt to communicate your needs in another technical language to the drafters and artists to sitting in your cushy office chair with your laptop, large mug of coffee and your bobblehead doll cheering you on.

EDMS is powerful, well thought out, and built with the inquisitive scientist in mind. Its purpose is to organize your data so that you can spend your time analyzing that data. It then simplifies the process of communicating that analysis by directly conversing with other computer programs that handle the sexy graphical parts.

An EDMS is not, however, smarter than you are. It’s a computer program. The age old adage of garbage in, garbage out is as true, if not more so, with EDMS than with any other computer program. Care, patience, and diligence must be taken when setting up an EDMS, loading data into an EDMS, and reporting from an EDMS.

Think back to 1990. How many millions of dollars did companies spend developing and maintaining their intricate project naming conventions and filing systems? How frustrating was it trying to find that one piece of data that wasn’t named properly under the naming convention or that got misplaced in the wrong file folder? How many endless hours did you spend looking for that data that was going to make the difference in your report? Why do you think companies hired corporate librarians and developed those intricate naming and filing systems?

An EDMS should not be treated or thought of any differently. It must be well thought out, well managed, well funded, and well cared for. Luckily, the data is digital and problems can be fixed rather quickly, but isn’t it better to never have the problem in the first place? Take your time, think it out, plan it out, try it out, plan it out again, and then roll it out with the right controls in place. If you do, you will be up and running before you know it and the smile on that bobblehead doll will look less mocking and more encouraging.

Photo Credit: Colin_K via Flickr

EPA Superfund Sites: Getting Named as a Potential Responsible Parties

Joe Heaney — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:00:00 GMT

You want to do everything you can to avoid being named one of the “potentially responsible parties” (PRPs) for an EPA Superfund site. And if you are identified as a PRP, you should immediately seek professional help -- not just legal counsel but environmental engineering counsel to help you fully understand the magnitude of the problem and your response options.

Under rules pertaining to EPA Superfund sites, you can be considered a PRP if you are an individual, company or agency that:

Is the current or former property owner or operator of a site containing hazardous waste.
Arranged for a hazardous substance to be treated, disposed or transported at the site.
Transported a hazardous substance to a site selected by you.

You can be a PRP even if you didn’t dispose of hazardous substances yourself or you were unaware others were using your property to do so.

Understand your options.

You may believe you’re not responsible because your company or actions didn’t cause the problem. If neighboring property is involved, maybe your neighbor is at fault or should be responsible for resolving the problem. Arming yourself with facts from an independent third-party expert can help make your case.

A consulting engineer brings expertise in hands-on field work and scientific analysis geared toward identifying the best solutions. They’re able to comfortably liaise with regulators, representing you in negotiations during the investigative or remedial stages.

If possible, you want to demonstrate your level of responsibility is minimal compared to the overall level of contamination of the EPA Superfund site, because you could be eligible for a de minimis out-of-court settlement which would save substantial time and money.

An experienced consultant can team up with your attorney, providing site investigation, results and analysis and other technical support. Their knowledge and expertise, along with a reputation for credibility, can help assure the best outcome for you.

Avoid becoming an EPA Superfund site PRP.

If you own environmentally impaired property, a professional consultant can also help clean up your site before it attracts official attention as a hazardous waste dump, or to prepare it for sale. They will define an appropriate cleanup approach, perform remedial investigations, design and implement an effective – and cost-effective – plan of action. And they’ll ensure your cleanup work strictly complies with the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan (NCP).

Proactive action may be your smartest remedial plan.

Photo Credit: Massachusetts Dept. of Environmental Protection

What is a Superfund Site?

Joe Heaney — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:35:00 GMT

Following widely-publicized discovery of extensive toxic waste dumps such as Love Canal in the 1970s, Congress created the Superfund by enacting the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The name Superfund refers both to the program itself and to the fund established to pay for cleaning up hazardous waste sites.

This legislation enabled the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to identify what is a Superfund site, establish plans for cleanup and force responsible parties to pay for or reimburse costs of the work.

What is a Superfund site? The EPA uses a sometimes-lengthy process to determine whether a particular hazardous waste site fits Superfund criteria. The steps are:

Site assessment to determine the extent and exact nature of contamination.
Placement on the National Priorities List, determined by specific site characteristics and the EPA’s rationale for listing the site.
Development and implementation of a site-specific cleanup plan, which could take anywhere from a few hours to decades depending on the urgency and size of the cleanup.

Potential Superfund sites can be identified through:

Notification by the responsible party.
State, tribal or local government investigation.
Ongoing government agency hazardous materials inventory and reporting efforts.
Review of state or Federal records.
Formal citizen complaints.
Informal local discovery and notification.

CERCLA regulations allow the EPA go beyond determining what is a Superfund site, by:

Conducting immediate removal activities in case of emergencies.
Taking legal action against responsible parties.
Working to include local communities, through discussion, collaboration and direct participation in cleanup activities.
Coordinating with related state agencies
Working to assure cleanup efforts provide long-term public and environmental health protection, even after the work is completed.
Ensuring cleanup plans provide maximum effectiveness as well as cost-effectiveness, without sacrificing protection.

The EPA makes every effort to discover potential responsible parties (PRP) for each Superfund site, to make them pay for cleanup work. But sometimes they cannot find the PRP, the PRP isn’t a viable source of funds or other assistance or the PRP refuses cooperate. In those cases, the EPA or state or tribal government will pay to remove the hazardous waste, but the EPA can use legal means to try to recover the costs from the PRP.

Photo Credit: Massachusetts Dept. of Environment Protection

Marcellus Shale: Is It Good For New York?

Joe Heaney — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Last summer I was in Pinedale, Wyoming preparing for a climb of the state high point Gannet Peak which would mark my 38 state high point (Currently I am sitting on 41 completed toward my goal of all 50 state high points by the time I turn 50 August 31, 2013). While there, I struck up a conversation with a fellow sitting next to me. I opened with, "So what do folks do around here for work?" and he responded, “Drill for gas” (natural gas). I asked "Gas?,” “Yeah, shale gas” he remarked “and we can hardly find able body workers to help with all the work we have.” He further told me that unemployment in Sublette County was less than one (1%) percent.

Wow I said to myself, with the nation struggling through the great recession shale gas drilling was producing jobs and lots of them. I vowed to look into this further when I returned to New York. I further learned that New York state sits on the Northern end of the largest Shale gas deposits in the United States called the Marcellus Shale and that this shale is underlain by the deeper Utica shale. Why is this Shale not being accessed as it is in Pennsylvania and other states when the Marcellus Shale represents 62% of all known shale reserves in the United States?

Since my random Wyoming encounter, I have traveled across New York State’s southern tier and much of Pennsylvania. I have read NYSDEC's extensive Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) covering proposed regulations governing shale gas drilling that utilizes the controversial technique. This technique combines horizontal drilling and high volume hydrofracturing (HVHF). I have compared these proposed regulations to neighboring state’s regulations and attended numerous public meeting on the topic along with industry trade shows.

I have found the regulations to be comprehensive and frankly overly restrictive, although ultimately workable and good for New York. In this blog I all examine the regulations in detail and compare them to other states where "problems" have been identified. I will point out how the proposed regulations crafted by DEC address and eliminate problem areas and practices.

Recently (2/15/12) the University of Texas at Austin released a extensive report titled Fact Based Regulations for Environmental Protection in Shale Gas Development, which sheds additional light on the economic benefits of shale gas drilling and points out media misrepresentation of facts and risks associated with Shale Gas drilling. I highly recommend readers review this document.

As I sit in Bath New York, Steuben County and see truck after truck headed south to Pennsylvania I wonder when will Governor Cuomo take a positive stance on this issue and direct DEC to release its regulations and let the drilling in New York begin? I ask, when will the Governor and our elected officials stop pandering to the "Not in my backyard" (NIMBs) from the cities and let the positive economic benefits of drilling in the economically depressed southern tier start?

The time is now and my firm is poised to aid in this effort while educating our clients and friends on how to drill balancing gas development and protecting the waters of the state of New York. Drilling for gas in New York is good for the state and will help lower the unemployment rate as it has done in Pinedale, Wyoming.

Photo Credit: Marcellus Protest

Right To Know Filing: Extended Deadline for Online Filing!

Joe Heaney — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:15:00 GMT

You thought it was great news when you learned you could submit your New York City Community Right-to-Know filing online. Now there’s additional great news for everyone who hasn’t finished submitting their report: the electronic filing deadline has been extended to April 1.

What a relief, because you could face costly fines for not reporting on time. Now you can use the extension to complete your Right-to-Know filing, and you’ll also be best prepared when it’s time to file next year. That’s because the electronic system is significantly streamlined and offers several advantages, including:

It’s easier and faster, with step-by-step instructions and drop-down lists you can simply click instead of tediously typing information. Less typing ensures greater accuracy, too.
All your information is retained so next year you won’t have to re-enter everything again. You’ll only need to make additions or changes.
It’s less expensive, because you can skip the $20 fee for a hard copy of the filing package.

With online Right-to-Know filing, you can:

View, modify or even print each Facility Inventory Form (FIF), when you’re finished or page-by-page as you go.
Easily search the Online MSDS Library or Department of Environmental Protection Library to pull each MSDS you need to attach.
Attach site plans or other documents.
Use a single username and password for all your reporting, even if you have multiple facilities and therefore multiple submissions.
Pay online, by credit or debit card. For multiple submissions, the system will calculate a single total payment.

Electronic filing is easier, faster, more accurate and cheaper. And with the extended deadline, you can avoid submitting your Right-to-Know filing late after all.

Right To Know Filing: What To Do If You’re Filing Late

Joe Heaney — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

So now it appears you’re going to be late submitting your annual Community Right-to-Know filing. That’s not the best tactic, but filing late is far better than failure to comply. And if you act fast, you may still be able to sneak in under the newly-extended online filing deadline of April 1.

First, assess your situation:

Do you have someone -- you or another designated representative -- who is specifically assigned to getting this done? No matter how you cut it, the Right-to-Know filing will take time and requires concentration, so someone has to set aside the time necessary to complete the questionnaire and assemble the attachments.
The actual filing process is one thing, but to get it done you have to be prepared to answer the questions. Do you have everything you actually need to submit your Facility Inventory Form (FIF)? Among other things, you’ll need an MSDS for each chemical substance or mixture you’ve had on hand throughout the filing year.
Many answers require performing specific math calculations to determine the answers. Depending on how many reportable substances you have dealt with during the past year (and it only takes one instance at or above the Threshold Reporting Quantity), you may be facing quite a lot of work. If you have all the information you need at your finger-tips, you’ll be able to proceed much more efficiently.

Take responsibility for your tardiness.

Consider contacting officials at the Department of Environmental Protection to let them know your Right-to-Know filing will be late. Sure, they may not notice at first, but you don’t want them to think you aren’t going to file at all. If they know your paperwork is on the way, they may be less inclined to take action against you. Especially if you get it done soon.

Get professional help.

An experienced consultant is used to working with all the details associated with a Right-to-Know filing. They are also used to working with local officials, so they may be in the best position to smooth the way if you’re filing late, providing added assurance that you are, in fact, in the process of completing your filing

Hiring a professional brings you the expertise to finish your filing as quickly as possible, minimizing stress and allowing you to concentrate on managing your business. You may be filing late, but you know it will be done right.

Right To Know Filing: Better Late Than Never

Joe Heaney — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Did you miss the annual Community Right-to-Know filing deadline? Submitting your filing late is far better than simply ignoring it. Compliance is mandatory and failure to file will eventually catch up with you. Besides, if you get busy right now, you may still be able to meet the extended online filing deadline of April 1.

At this point, the longer you wait the worse it might be. It’s certainly distracting you from the core activities of managing your business, and you can’t afford to let that slide indefinitely.

Get some help to get it done.

Bringing in a professional consultant to help finalize your Right-to-Know filing is a smart, prudent business decision. Your filing might be late, but you’ll know it’s exactly right and entirely complete, so it shouldn’t raise any additional red flags.

There are lots of possible reasons for late filing. Are you stuck on something, not sure how to proceed? The filing instructions are pretty clear but everyone’s situation is a little different and not everyone is technically-oriented. It can be tough and very time-consuming to do all the math and make sure you’re using the formulas correctly. You definitely have other things to do.

Getting help will get you over the filing hump. An outside expert is familiar with the chemicals, the math and the Right-to-Know filing procedures. They can help you:

get the work done faster
get the work done more accurately
get this deadline off your calendar
stop worrying about it
sleep better
get back to focusing on the productive work of managing your business.

Partnering with a professional consultant can establish a solid Right-to-Know filing foundation you won’t have to repeat next year, and they can help train you or your staff on how to prepare filing updates for next time. Or you can enlist their ongoing assistance to be sure your compliance planning and implementation practices are thorough and appropriate for your business, and help you stay on top of any changes to rules or other information.

“Better late than never” is good advice when it comes to your Right-to-Know filing, Hiring a professional consultant can help you get it done as soon as possible with confidence and peace of mind.

Right To Know Filing: Consequences of Filing Late

Joe Heaney — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:53:00 GMT

Failure to submit your Community Right-to-Know (RTK) filing -- on time -- could get you into hot water. Expensive hot water.

Within New York City, penalties look like this:

If it’s your first violation, you could be fined $250-$2500.
If it’s your second violation, you could be fined $1750-$5000.
Each subsequent violation could cost you $ $3750-$10,000.

If government officials have reason to believe you’re in violation of RTK regulations, they can inspect your premises without giving you any prior notice. If you refuse to let them inspect when they show up, you could face costly penalties for that, too.

Aside from possible fines, you could suffer other disturbing consequences for submitting your Right-to-Know filing late, or not at all, including:

It sends up a red flag to others, including employees or customers, who could wonder if you’re even in compliance. If people are worried about the safety of your workplace, it could seriously damage your internal and public image.
Anyone can bring legal action against you for failure to submit your Right-to-Know filing. Anyone.
You could put yourself on the City’s radar for more stringent monitoring including inspections or other distractions that could take you away from productive work.

Why aren’t you filing?

Not in compliance to begin with?
New to your position and don’t know what to do?
Procrastination?
Short-handed or overloaded with “real” work just now?
Missing essential information?

The potential consequences of filing late or failing to file simply are not worth the risk.

Why take a chance? You can get help from a professional consultant to complete your filing and help ensure you’re fully in compliance moving forward.

In fact, if your filing contains misstatements or misrepresentations you could be fined up to $1000, a year in jail, or both -- one more reason to get professional help to ensure your filing, even if it’s late, is accurate and complete.

You could also hire a professional consultant to handle these details for you on an ongoing basis. Outsourcing important-but-not-core responsibilities is increasingly popular because it makes excellent business sense. You can save time, money, headaches and potential heartache. You and your staff can concentrate on the essential work of growing your business.

And next time, your Right-to-Know filing will be less intimidating. It’ll go faster and easier, and you’ll get it done on time.

Waste Management Best Practices For Facilities

Joe Heaney — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Let’s face it: waste management and disposal regulations can lead to a mine field of confusion. Determining whether wastes you generate are hazardous, knowing what regulations apply to your facility, and being prepared to manage your wastes can help you avoid potentially costly regulatory violations and fines.

There are different categories of wastes, and you have to know if your facility generates wastes that are considered hazardous. If you do have hazardous waste, understanding the regulations governing how you deal with that waste can seem overwhelming. Getting help from a knowledgeable consultant could be your smartest move.

Whether or not you choose to obtain professional help, you can help yourself by practicing good housekeeping to minimize costs associated with your hazardous waste. Here are some suggestions for waste management best practices:

Avoid mixing hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste, which can create an even more hazardous “cocktail” and lead to more expensive disposal.
Use alternative non-hazardous chemicals where possible. Substitute cleaning solvents with less toxic cleaning agents.
Clearly label and regularly monitor chemical and waste storage containers, such as drums and tanks. Check for leaks, overfill and spills. It’s better to identify and correct small problems promptly before they become large and costly.

Adopting recycling practices in the work place can also save you money. Some waste chemicals, such as used anti-freeze, can be filtered, re-processed and re-used. Other waste products, such as used oil and oil filters, can be contained and collected for recycling. Recycling can also improve your company’s ethical image with your employees and the outside observer. Who knows? It may even increase sales!

Finally, why spend money on waste disposal at all if you can prevent waste generation at the source and reduce your monthly output? Generating fewer wastes also means you’ll have to deal with fewer regulations.

Understanding and adopting waste management best practices can prevent wastes from becoming a liability and a financial money pit for your business.

Photo Credit: Lisa Yarost

Above Ground Storage Tank Inspection: Be Prepared

Joe Heaney — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Above ground storage tank (AST) inspection is an inevitable part of life if you’re maintaining large supplies of regulated chemicals. Taking some simple steps will ensure you’re fully prepared when it’s time for your next inspection.

Local regulatory agencies require proper registration of tanks and they routinely conduct above ground storage tank inspections to check for compliance with County and State rules. If they discover you’re not in compliance, they can issue you a Notice of Violations that includes fines and other penalties. Fines can be as much as $1000 per day for non-registered tanks, or $10,000 per tank for other infractions.

Clearly it’s worth your while to ensure everything is in order before someone appears to conduct your above ground storage tank inspection.

Just follow these simple guidelines:

Register each tank with the appropriate agency. If you’re within New York City, that’s the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC); otherwise it’s your County health department.
Properly label every container.
Color code every fill port.
Conduct your own monthly, quarterly and annual above ground storage tank inspection, and maintain thorough records of your inspections.
Post your operating permit in a prominent place.

Note that some automotive fluids distributors will provide ASTs at no charge, including installation, as long as you purchase the products stored inside exclusively from them. Be aware, though, that you are still responsible for obtaining the proper permits and registrations required for those tanks.

Advance preparation ensures you’re doing the right thing. It’s not only smarter, it’s usually cheaper and ensures fewer surprises or problems, so you have one less thing to worry about.

Photo Credit: Al Pavangkanan

How To Maximize Environmental Data Collection Efforts With An EDMS

Joe Heaney — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:38:00 GMT

In our fast-paced digital world remediation project success depends on effective environmental data management. For site managers, environmental consultants, field crews, and clients alike, success hinges on thorough and accurate environmental data collection at the outset of the project.

An environmental database management system (EDMS) can ensure every project gets off to the right start. It can especially useful to help your geologists, hydrogeologists and engineers significantly improve the speed and accuracy of their soil and groundwater data collection. Using an EDMS can streamline every step of your work process.

Specifically, an EDMS can help your team make the most of your environmental data collection in these ways:

An EDMS helps manage environmental data collection workflow. Allowing team members to work independently or together supports more efficient time management and speeds up the overall process.
You can collect and import data much faster, from a variety of sources, directly to a central database. Mobile devices eliminate the need for maps and hand-written notes, instead using the latest technology to provide web-based data collection and management. You can record and transmit data immediately, or store it for later upload if internet access is unavailable in the field.
You can increase data accuracy by eliminating hand-entry, duplicate input and potential transcription errors. This can also provide considerable labor savings.
You can use your database to build a legacy reference library. It’s easy to upload or enter existing historical data, then add new data as it’s collected.
Data is easy to access, even remotely, at any time. With immediate access to reports, you can view historical data in the field.
The system performs data checks and quality assurance right at the point of collection, and it maintains a complete and permanent audit trail, including GIS references, indicating specifically who collected what data, where and when.
GIS interface also works in tandem with an EDMS. This enables engineers and other technical staff as well as non-technical users to clearly see events, geographic features and changes to remedial conditions, all in a visual format.
You can use your data to create inventories, landowner records, visualizations, reports and other documents, charts and graphs.
You can easily track ongoing monitoring efforts or investigations, regardless of size or complexity. Collecting large quantities of separate data groupings, even in inconsistent formats or metrics, is no longer a problem, because the system automatically converts the data as necessary to assure straightforward, consistent comparison.

An environmental database management system provides a level of flexibility and an ability to integrate work processes previously unheard of. It can greatly enhance environmental data collection, by reducing collection time and field costs, increasing data quality, and maximizing how -- and how quickly -- data can be used.

Photo Credit: US Fish and Wildlife Service

NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing: Sara Title III Requirements

Joe Heaney — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

To help ensure employee, public and environmental safety, NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing and SARA Title III requires that certain commercial, industrial and even public facilities fulfill these obligations:

Annual Inventory.

Your facility must file an annual Tier II or Facility Inventory Form (FIF) if you:

Maintain on-site during the year 10,000 pounds or more of any EPA-designated hazardous chemical that also requires a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) according to the OSHA hazardous chemicals list, or
Operate a retail service station that sells gasoline and/or diesel primarily to the public for motor vehicle use and also stores at least 75,000 gallons of gasoline or 100,000 gallons of diesel (total of all grades) on-site. You may qualify for a new threshold if you meet Underground Storage Tank standards continuously during the entire year.

Note that the more stringent NYC Community Right-to-Know law also requires annual filing if you have hazardous substances or Extremely Hazardous Substances (EHSs) in amounts that meet or exceed their specific Threshold Reporting Quantitys (TRQs) at any one time during the entire reporting year.

What to do? Submit a Tier II or NYC FIF by March 1^st of each year and also submit an MSDS for each reportable chemical or substance to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the NYC FD by March 1^st.

Emergency Planning.

If any EHS at your facility is at or above the Threshold Planning Quantity (TPQ) at any time during the reporting year, you must participate in community emergency planning.

What to do? Send a letter to the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC), stating you are in compliance with relevant requirements. Designate a Facility Emergency Coordinator to participate in emergency planning and provide their name to the NYC DEP or Local Emergency Planning Committee.

Emergency Release Notification.

Should your facility have a spill or release of any Reportable Quantity, of an Extremely Hazardous Substance at or above TRQ, or of a hazardous substance listed in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), you must report the accident right away.

What to do? Call 311 immediately. You must also provide a letter to the DEP and SERC.

Toxic Chemical Release Inventory.

You must comply with this requirement if:

Your facility falls within SIC codes 20-39, and
You employ at least 10 people, and
You used at least 10,000 pounds of a reportable toxic chemical or you manufactured or processed at least 25,000 pounds of a reportable toxic chemical during the year.

What to do? Submit Form R to both SERC and the EPA by July 1^st.

If you’re uncertain about compliance or filing requirements, an environmental consultant can help with specific details or developing a comprehensive compliance program.

NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing: Do You Need To File?

Joe Heaney — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:24:00 GMT

The NYC Community Right-to-Know Program is a comprehensive effort to protect the public, employees and emergency responders from potentially harmful effects in the case of an accident. But lots of businesses use chemicals, and it can be confusing to know whether your business has to file a Community Right-to-Know Facility Inventory Form (FIF) each year.

If you fall into one of these business categories, it’s a good bet you are required to file:

Utilities, industrial or commercial enterprises must report electrical equipment that contains dielectric fluids.
Commercial buildings, businesses, hotels and nursing homes must report paints, solvents or other cleaning products that contain regulated substances.
Auto body shops and automobile service stations must report regulated substances if you handle, use, process or store them on site.
Material supply stores must report regulated substances only if they are sold in non-consumer packaging.
Dry cleaners must report DF2000, perchloroethylene and spot remover.
Funeral homes must report any flammable or carcinogenic substances.

Note that in all cases reporting is mandated only if a substance is present at or above official Threshold Reporting Quantity (TRQ) levels. The substance need only be present at that level one time during the year to require reporting.

To confirm you’re a candidate for Community Right-to-Know filing, consider these additional criteria:

To be reportable, substances must appear on the NYC hazardous substances list or the physical and health hazards special list. Be sure to check both lists before deciding a substance does not have to be reported.
The “at or above TRQ levels” standard applies to both pure substances and those present as an ingredient in mixtures.
To report mixtures, you must include the mixture name and chemical abstract services (CAS) number, if there is one, plus the names, CAS numbers and concentrations (by weight %) of each hazardous substance within the mixture. You only need to include the hazardous ingredients that meet or exceed TRQs for that mixture. To determine whether your ingredient meets this standard, multiply the concentration weight percentage by the weight of the total mixture, then compare your number with the TRQ list.

NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing Compliance Guide

Joe Heaney — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:01:00 GMT

Even if you’ve filed Community Right-to-Know reports in previous years, it pays to review the requirements, to ensure you understand the nuances and are properly prepared to report this year.

Before you start:

Know the difference between a pure substance, solution and mixture. Each has to be properly reported.
Know the correct format. You must use the entire name as it appears on the container label or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), no abbreviations, and include the chemical abstract services (CAS) number.
Know how to fill out the Facility Inventory Form (FIF). For pure substances, the chemical name goes on the first line, and the CAS number goes in the top box. For mixtures, put the name on the first line, then write “see attached” on the next line and use a separate Mixture Component Form. Write the substance name and list each reportable ingredient by percentage and CAS number. Put as many as you can in each section, rather than listing each ingredient in a separate section.
Refer to the container label to find manufacturer name and address, trade or chemical name and CAS number, concentration (whether pure or for each hazardous ingredient) and physical or health hazards.
The MSDS will tell you chemical name and CAS number, ingredient concentrations if it’s a mixture, physical state and physical or health hazards.

Community Right-to-Know reports must include:

Each substance stored or used at your facility that appears on the NYC Hazardous Substance List or the physical and health hazards special list. It doesn’t matter if the substance is pure or in a mixture.
Substances must be reported if they’re present at or above the Threshold Reporting Quantity (TRQ) any time during the reporting year. For mixtures, you must list the name and CAS number (if any) and also each hazardous ingredient’s name, CAS number, and concentration if it’s at or above the TRQ within the mixture.
If you aren’t sure, multiply the ingredient concentration (weight %) by the entire mixture weight, then compare your result to TRQ requirements.
For ingredients not on the Hazardous Substance list, you can identify the TRQ for that mixture by checking the physical and health hazards special list.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, discussing your situation with an environmental consulting professional can alleviate uncertainty and ensure your annual reporting and year-round compliance are being handled correctly.

NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing: Who Must Comply?

Joe Heaney — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

If you own or manage any industrial, commercial or public facility within New York City that stores, processes, uses or handles hazardous or extremely hazardous substances, you are required by law to comply with the NYC Community Right-to-Know Program. That includes filing an annual report.

Community Right-to-Know reporting is necessary if the hazardous substance(s) is at your facility in amounts at or above the established Threshold Reporting Quantity (TRQ) even once during the reporting year.

There are four major compliance categories:

Annual Facilities Inventory.

Every facility as described above has to file a Facility Inventory Form (FIF) by March 1 of each year. You’re also required to file a Material Data Safety Sheet (MSDS) for each chemical or substance, with both the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and the Fire Department.

Labeling.

Any facility that is required to file a FIF is also required to label all hazardous substance containers, including mobile containers, with the chemical or substance name and chemical abstract service (CAS) number. If the substance is a mixture, the label must contain the same information about each reportable ingredient.

Filing Fee.

All facilities must pay the appropriate fee at the time of filing, with a check or money order. You can file online and pay with credit or debit card, which can save time and eliminate the $20 fee for a hard copy reporting packet.

Risk Management Plan.

All facilities that work with hazardous or extremely hazardous substances in quantities that meet or exceed established guidelines are also required to prepare and submit a Risk Management Plan. This rule includes facilities that use regulated toxic substances. The plan must include detailed Risk Assessment, Risk Reduction Plan and Emergency Response Program information.

If you own or manage multiple facilities that meet Community Right-to-Know reporting requirements, you must file a report for each location.

You can find a comprehensive Hazardous Substances List, information about filing fees and Risk Management Plans in the NYC Community Right-to-Know Laws and Regulations booklet.

NYC Community Right-to-Know Filing: 6 More Reasons To File Online

Joe Heaney — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

If you own or manage an NYC-based industrial, commercial or public facility that processes, handles, uses or stores certain hazardous substances, the NYC Community Right-to-Know Program requires you to file certain reports each year. You have to file a Facility Inventory Form (FIF) for each location if you have multiple facilities.

It’s your responsibility to know the regulations and meet the March 1 filing deadline if your facility deals with substances defined as toxic, hazardous or extremely hazardous, or mixtures of potentially dangerous chemicals. For some chemicals, the Threshold Reporting Quantities (TRQs) are quite low.

Good news! You can submit your annual, revised or updated reports electronically.

The NYC Community Right-to-Know Program has streamlined their online reporting system so it’s more straight-forward and user-friendly. Government reporting is never fun, but online filing offers distinct benefits, such as these:

It’s easy. The system walks you through the process step by step.
It’s faster. The system offers drop-down lists for key information such as storage codes and inventory quantities, so you can just select and click rather than spending hours tediously typing the information into a form.
It’s more accurate. Using the drop-down lists eliminates the possibility of data entry typos.
It’ll be even easier next year. The system retains your previous reports, so you don’t need to re-enter the same information over and over. You can simply update your records.
It’s cheaper. You won’t have to pay the $20 fee for a hard copy filing package.
You can even pay online. The system calculates your filing fee and produces an invoice you can pay with a credit or debit card or e-check.

You may also choose to submit a computer-generated report instead of the official FIF, as long as it contains all the required information and follows the FIF format.

First-time users need to register with the system, to acquire a unique username and create a password. From then on, any authorized user can tap into the system at any time to review information that’s been submitted in the past and to file new reports. “Authorized” users can be owners, operators, managers or corporate officers.

Is the NYC Community Right-to-Know filing deadline on your calendar? Online filing is certainly easier, but you still don’t want to wait till the last minute.

NYC Community Right-to-Know Filing: 6 Reasons To File Online

Joe Heaney — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:55:00 GMT

Good news! You can submit your annual, revised or updated reports electronically.

It’s easy. The system walks you through the process step by step.
It’s faster. The system offers drop-down lists for key information such as storage codes and inventory quantities, so you can just select and click rather than spending hours tediously typing the information into a form.
It’s more accurate. Using the drop-down lists eliminates the possibility of data entry typos.
It’ll be even easier next year. The system retains your previous reports, so you don’t need to re-enter the same information over and over. You can simply update your records.
It’s cheaper. You won’t have to pay the $20 fee for a hard copy filing package.
You can even pay online. The system calculates your filing fee and produces an invoice you can pay with a credit or debit card or e-check.

You may also choose to submit a computer-generated report instead of the official FIF, as long as it contains all the required information and follows the FIF format.

Is the NYC Community Right-to-Know filing deadline on your calendar? Online filing is certainly easier, but you still don’t want to wait till the last minute.

NYC Right-to-Know Filing: Hazardous Substances That Must Be Reported

Joe Heaney — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:30:00 GMT

The New York City Right-To-Know Program is all about hazardous substances. The point of the program is to ensure the best possible protection of employees, public health, the environment and emergency responders in the case of a spill, fire or other crisis.

Toward that end, industrial, commercial and public facilities that process, use, handle or store hazardous substances must file an annual report with the NYC Department of Environment Protection. There are several parts to the Community Right-to-Know report, but the key consideration is understanding which substances are considered hazardous. For reporting purposes, those are described in the compliance literature as:

Gasoline stored at retail gasoline stations in excess of 75,000 gallons.

Diesel fuel stored in retail gasoline stations in excess of 100,000 gallons.

Substances present in research laboratories, hospitals and other health care facilities which are not regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration. This is a New York City Law.

Substances contained in mobile storage tanks.

Hazardous substances must be reported whether they are pure or present as an ingredient in a mixture, as long as they meet or exceed the specific Threshold Reporting Quantity (TRQ) for that substance. The TRQ level only has to be reached once during the entire reporting year to meet the reporting requirement.

A search of the NYC Hazardous Substances List, which is part of the Community Right-to-Know Laws & Regulations booklet, will help identify which substances must be reported. The NYC physical and health hazards list also identifies hazardous substances.

5 Community Right-to-Know Filing Guidelines for New York City

Joe Heaney — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:30:00 GMT

Every year on March 1^st, facilities within New York City that store or use hazardous substances are required to file reports with the City’s Department of Environmental Protection. These Community Right-to-Know (RTK) filings are designed to facilitate accumulation and rapid access to detailed information necessary to protect the public and emergency responders.

Community Right-to-Know filing is mandatory, and all industrial, commercial and public facilities must participate.

RTK guidelines stipulate five filing requirements:

Reporting hazardous substances stored or used at the facility, if amounts meet or exceed Threshold Reporting Quantities (TRQs) any time during the reporting year. A comprehensive NYC Hazardous Substances List can be found within the Community Right-to-Know Laws & Regulations packet. Hazardous substances are categorized as toxic, hazardous or extremely hazardous.

Listing any mixture containing hazardous substances. You must note the type and quantity of each hazardous component. More information on this is available in the Laws & Regulations packet, chapter 41-05.

Providing a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each hazardous substance or mixture reported on the Facility Inventory Form (FIF). These have to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Protection, the NYC Fire Department and the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC). MSDSs only need to be provided to the SERC once.

Labeling hazardous materials containers. Labels must show the chemical abstract service (CAS) number and chemical name. If it’s a mixture, all ingredients must be identified by name and CAS number.

Maintaining MSDS copies on-site. This facilitates employee access for safety education and reference, ensures documents are readily available if an inspection occurs, and makes it easier to submit required updates.

Community Right-to-Know filing guidelines are reasonably straight-forward. However, facility owners and managers often find it useful to obtain professional assistance with this process, to ensure all requirements are fully understood and help guide gathering and organization of information required to complete the filing.

NYC Community Right-To-Know Filing Instructions

Joe Heaney — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:58:00 GMT

Filing a NYC Community Right-to-Know annual report is the same under both Federal and City law. For multiple facilities, you must file a separate report for each location.

The Facility Inventory Form (FIF) requires you to provide the following Community Right-to-Know information:

Owner/ operator name and contact information.
Emergency contacts, including a 24/7 phone number. This is critical.
Chemical description – list different states (solid, liquid, gas) separately.
Chemical abstract services (CAS) number.
You may claim a “trade secret” if you need to withhold the identify of a substance, but for “proprietary” information, you must get the formulation from the manufacturer.
Physical and health hazards – you’ll find this information on the container label or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for that chemical. Hazards include fire, sudden release of pressure or reactivity and may cause acute (immediate) or chronic (delayed) response.
Inventory – you have to report all amounts in pounds. Multiply the volume by the density to get weight for liquids or gases. For each substance, you must also indicate estimated maximum and average amounts present at your facility during the year, number of days on site (for the entire year use 365), storage location(s), storage code(s), container type(s), pressure and temperature.
Certification – the owner, operator or another officially designated person must personally sign the submission. Filings with stamped or photocopied signatures will not be accepted. If you use a consultant to prepare your filing, you still must sign it yourself.

You must pay a fee along with filing your report. Fees are determined by a matrix that takes into account the total number of hazardous substances you report, the highest maximum amount you report for any one substance, and whether any substances you report fall into the extremely hazardous category and were present at or above Threshold Reporting Quantity levels.

For many owners and facility managers, using a consultant to prepare Community Right-to-Know filings isn’t such a bad idea. You can get help from someone knowledgeable about chemicals, their coding and specific attributes. An environmental consultant is also very familiar with all the nuances of Community Right-to-Know and can help ensure your compliance procedures and filings are thorough.

Whether you hire a professional or do it yourself, if you haven’t started to prepare your 2012 RTK filing, now would be a good time to start. The deadline is March 1^st.

OSHA Inspection Process: What To Expect?

Joe Heaney — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The OSHA inspection process strikes fear into the hearts of business owners and managers. But if you know what to expect there’s no reason to cower.

The OSHA inspection process reflects five priorities, in this decreasing order of severity:

Imminent danger. OSHA can do a “wall-to-wall” inspection in this instance, and they can shut down your facility.
Catastrophes and fatal accidents. This is triggered by an occupational accident resulting in death or at least three employees being hospitalized. You have eight hours to report this.
Complaints and referrals. The most common, these are generated by employees, neighbors, doctors, police, even other agencies such as DOT or EPA. Inspections may only include the area where the violation is alleged to be occurring.
Programmed inspections. Inspectors visit workplaces reporting unusually high incidence of injury-related lost-work days.
Follow-up inspections. Previously cited workplaces are re-inspected to confirm compliance.

OSHA doesn’t usually announce their arrival. Be prepared by:

Knowing your responsibilities. You can conduct a mock audit yourself or have a consultant conduct one for you. Conducting a mock audit helps you detect problems and your mock audit cannot be used against you, now or later.
Making sure your employees fully understand required policies and procedures, especially about HAZCOM. You must maintain complete training records.

If they come:

Verify the inspector’s credentials, a DOL identification card.
You don’t have to let them in, but they can return with a search warrant.
They must state the inspection reason. Unless it’s imminent danger, their authority is limited to the specific area in question. Lead them directly there.
The OSHA inspection process allows them to talk to your employees and see your HAZCOM training records. Do not offer them anything else.
The inspector will discuss findings with you, but not potential fines. Correct problems immediately, if you can.

If there are violations, OSHA will mail you a citation letter explaining details and the fine. Post your citation in a prominent place for the length of time specified. Fine amounts vary, but willful violations, where you knew about but ignored problems, are the most costly.

The OSHA inspection process allows you to simply pay your fine, request an extension or appeal the fine, formally or informally. Since the point is to create a safe workplace, an informal appeal can sometimes underscore your desire to do the right thing by making corrections rather than arguing. In some cases, this may significantly reduce your fine.

Community Right-to-Know vs Hazardous Communication

Joe Heaney — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

The details of Community Right-to-Know (RTK) and Hazardous Communication (HAZCOM) both affect how your facility functions.

HAZCOM is one of OSHA’s most important compliance requirements. Its education, training, chemical labeling and safety programs are all designed to increase workers knowledge and understanding, to protect them from exposure to potentially dangerous substances.

HAZCOM compliance includes creating and maintaining a binder that contains a material data safety sheet (MSDS) for every chemical product processed, stored or used at the facility. MSDSs are used to educate workers about what protective clothing or other precautions are needed as well as how to quickly deal with accidental exposure.

For example, workers in an auto body shop may potentially be exposed to harmful spray paint vapors if the ventilation equipment fails or is insufficient. In this case, workers can refer to the appropriate MSDS to determine how to protect themselves using respirators, etc.

Community Right-to-Know takes a broader view.

Whereas HAZCOM focuses on the workplace, RTK focuses on the community at large. Its purpose is to protect people, property and the natural environment from exposure to toxic chemicals during emergency situations. To do that, RTK requires all commercial, public and industrial facilities to take certain ongoing inventory and safety steps.

As with HAZCOM, Community Right-to-Know requires facility managers to maintain an MSDS for each chemical product stored or used on site. In addition, managers must maintain a complete chemical inventory, and file a detailed report with the New York City Department of Environmental Projection and the NYC Fire Department every year on March 1. The chemical inventory should include:

Chemical name
Amount stored
Substance characteristics (delineated by MSDS)
Safe treatment and handling methods
Potential negative health effects

Community Right-to-Know is based on the belief that education, training and precautionary measures greatly lessen the chance of accidents. And it promotes a clear and complete knowledge of where chemical products are located and in what quantities, enabling emergency responders to know what to expect in advance so they can be best prepared to deal with whatever situation arises and remain safe themselves.

Photo Credit: Tatiana Gerus

Annual Community Right-to-Know Filing Made Easier

Joe Heaney — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

New York City’s Community Right-to-Know (RTK) Act requires all commercial, industrial and public facilities that store or handle certain types and amounts of hazardous substances to inventory and track those chemicals and file an annual report.

The Community Right-to-Know filing process can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some basic definitions to help you navigate the jargon:

MSDS: Material Safety Data Sheet – information about industrial chemical products including hazards, safety and emergency procedures.
FIF: Facility Inventory Form – one of the RTK reporting documents.
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service – they maintain a registry of chemicals and assign a unique ID number to each one.
TRQ: Threshold Reporting Quantity – these levels determine whether or not you need to track and report on specific chemicals or products.
DEP: Department of Environmental Protection.

Penalties for failure to report can be significant, up to $20,000. So here are some tips to help you file as painlessly as possible:

OSHA requires you to create and maintain an up-to-date MSDS binder that’s readily accessible within your facility. This supports your RTK filing, too, because needed chemical information is right at hand.
You also need to maintain a current inventory of all chemical products that enter your facility. Updating your inventory will be easier if you clearly label everything, including compressed gas canisters and storage tanks. Good labeling is also important for safety.
Store similar chemical products together. Better organization facilitates faster inventory, especially if you keep storage areas clear and dispose empty boxes or other containers.
Community Right-to-Know specifically requires reporting of any “especially hazardous substances” in your inventory that appear on the Threshold Reporting Quantity (TRQ) list. If you use any of these chemicals in quantities over the designated “threshold” level, you must also create and submit a Risk Management Plan that explains your risk assessment program, risk reduction program and emergency response program.

Here’s some great news. It’s easy to register and file online, even if you have multiple facilities (you file separately for each one) and whether you’re filing an annual, revised or updated. The system is designed to facilitate filing by using drop-down lists to eliminate typing, and it retains your information to make future submissions even faster and easier.

Photo Credit: Sean McGrath

NYC Community Right to Know Act: Why Do We Do It?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

In the 1970’s, the public began to express increasing concern about the health of our natural environment as well as potential dangers to human health resulting from exposure to hazardous wastes and other toxic chemicals released by catastrophic events.

These concerns generated significant changes in public policy, government regulation and related industry practices. By the late 1980’s, Congress had passed legislation called the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), to ensure better preparation for potential disasters and further protect human health and our environment.

Local regulatory agencies, such as the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP), followed with their own Community Right-to-Know (RTK) regulations. These were specifically aimed at better safeguarding the health and safety of people and property in NYC, along with the local environment, against exposure to hazardous substances from fire, hazardous chemical spills or other releases.

The importance and value of NYC’s Community Right-to-Know Act were underscored in a horrendous way when the now-infamous 9/11 attacks occurred. The resulting building collapses and fires released a number of hazardous substances into the environment, exposing hundreds of emergency response personnel.

The Community Right-to-Know Act requires all NYC public, commercial and industrial facilities that handle hazardous substances to file an annual report detailing what chemicals and related products they store or use at their facility, and in what quantities. This information is used for emergency planning, risk identification, and the prevention and control of fires, accidents and spills, to protect both response personnel and the general public in the case of fire, spill or accidental chemical release during or after any kind of emergency.

To busy facility managers, the annual RTK filing may seem like just one more time-consuming business regulation. But in fact we are protecting the health of both our community and our environment.

Photo Credit: Kevin Dooley

3 Reasons You May Need An Environmental Database Management System

Joe Heaney — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

You’ve probably heard or read about environmental database management systems (EDMS). But maybe you aren’t at all sure adopting this new technology makes sense for your operation.

Consider the following three scenarios:

You represent a large company or agency responsible for multiple environmental stewardship efforts and/or projects designed to establish, determine and manage remedial options.

You generate impressive amounts of hydrogeologic and chemistry data – measurements and observations as well as research. You need to “work” your data on a project-by-project basis, but it would be most helpful if you could also archive it for future reference.

The people you oversee and report to are geographically widespread, but everyone needs access to the data and analyses you’re developing. And different players need to extract different information in different formats.

You manage a smaller operation or consulting firm, but the work you do is much the same as the larger-scale scenario described above. You don’t have the resources or consistent need to justify in-house procurement of an extensive new database management system.

You operate a lab or small consultancy. Among other things, you’re responsible for reporting data regarding spills, remediation efforts and so on to NYSDEC. You must adhere to their strict electronic reporting format, but it takes time and can be frustrating to get things done right.

One of these scenarios probably describes your working environment. And as it turns out, whether you’re conducting site assessments or groundwater and soil investigations, striving to comply with regulations surrounding fuel oils or chemical storage, or providing scientific support to other environmental health professionals, you could benefit significantly by implementing an environmental database management system.

Here’s why.

Typically within the environmental industry, science-based consulting teams work alongside private enterprise or public administration-based owners and managers to identify problems and design effective solutions. Facilities and property managers need to analyze and condense findings into documents and graphics on which to base near-term decisions and long-term management planning.

Consultants need to keep clients, civic leaders or other decision-makers in the loop with documents they can readily understand. Sometimes you have to produce graphics in the form of 3D visualizations to support litigation, remediation plans or risk analysis. And you may have to meet a variety of regulations governing facility operations as well as reporting requirements.

Your work product has to be entirely accurate, completed as quickly and cost-effectively as possible. Reliable results are crucial, because your reputation depends on quality.

An environmental database management system provides a comprehensive interface that bridges potential communication gaps to smoothly coordinate and speed up your work process and produce better results.

Detailed customization makes handling even the most complex projects a snap compared to traditional methods, even when each project varies in scope and scientific details. An EDMS enables permanent data archiving to plot remediation progress or identify trends. You can upload and store historical data, too, building a truly useful resource library.

An EDMS eliminates the need for time-consuming “clerical” work such as data entry and conversion, and assists with calculations for cost estimates. And it can assure your reporting submittals are always correctly formatted.

Embracing an environmental database management system can be a budget-friendly business decision.

Whether in-house or outsourced, converting to an EDMS can provide substantial savings. Saving labor saves money. And allowing skilled personnel to focus on skilled tasks helps improve job satisfaction, reducing the risk of costly turnover.

Ultimately, an EDMS produces efficiencies that translate into shorter project turnaround. You’ll be able to take on more work and generate more revenue.

Photo Credit: Highways Agency

Environmental Database Management System: Do You Need One?

Joe Heaney — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:13:00 GMT

If you’re in the business of dealing with environmental concerns, you’re working with a stunning amount of data. And whether you’re responsible for determining if remediation is needed or using site investigation results to make property management or legal decisions, your success depends on accurate, thorough data analysis.

Using an environmental database management system (EDMS) can provide comprehensive efficiencies for every stage of your work, from data capture and long-term storage to retrieval, reporting and analysis.

Just as the name implies, environmental database management systems are specifically designed to handle the kinds of complex projects that engineers, geologists and hydrogeologists typically tackle, even projects of the greatest magnitude. But perhaps the most outstanding value of an EDMS is its ability to facilitate faster and more accurate data analysis.

Streamlined processes support better analysis in several ways:

With a centralized environmental database management system in place, everyone associated with each project can easily and immediately access exactly the information they need, in reporting formats that make the most sense for them, from virtually any location.
Field data is electronically uploaded and metrics are automatically converted as necessary for consistent comparison. This is a huge time-saver, eliminating the need for extensive, tedious and costly data entry. Instead, highly trained technical staff can concentrate on using their knowledge and experience to find creative or innovative solutions to the problem at hand.
Removing the possibility of human error also ensures greater accuracy.
Standardized reporting enables all project stakeholders to clearly understand the issues revealed by soil or groundwater investigations as well as more easily compare potential solutions.
Using an EDMS provides confidence that your firm is correctly adhering to variable reporting criteria and other compliance requirements.

An environmental database management system enhances data analysis by allowing you to:

Pose highly customizable, detailed queries to elicit precisely the information you need.
Quickly generate detailed reports.
Identify variances or other anomalies that may pinpoint problems or affect potential solutions.
Perform specific calculations to help you compare possible resolution options.

In particular, varied EDMS reporting formats enable:

Creation of charts, graphs or other two-dimensional presentations.
Generation of visualizations in a variety of GIS, contouring or 3D presentation formats. Modeling can be especially helpful for all project team members, from engineers and other technical professionals to site owners, project managers and regulatory officials, more easily grasp the problem at hand.
Immediate mapping of analytical results, taking the hassle out of making changes and illustrating revised results.

Anyone who works in a science-based field or uses hard data to formulate action plans can readily appreciate the value of innovative technology. The accelerated data processing and reporting provided by an environmental database management system can substantially shorten project turnaround while actually boosting analytical quality, ensuring better-informed decision making.

Better-informed decision makers enables best solutions. And completing the assessment process faster conserves money and other valuable resources.

Analyzing data is the keystone of every job that relates to discovery or remediation of environmental concerns. An environmental database management system is the best tool available to strengthen, streamline and expedite your work, from initial data collection in the field to development of each project’s final resolution.

Environmental Database Management System vs Traditional Records Storage

Joe Heaney — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:00:00 GMT

We work in an increasingly technology-based world, where people concerned with environmental stewardship or remediation are learning that an environmental database management system (EDMS) can make their work faster, more accurate and more productive.

In fact, an EDMS proves that innovative automation can provide myriad improvements over traditional environmental records storage and retrieval.

The traditional way is ponderous.

Generating lots of paper – documents, data, large maps, photos, etc. – requires lots of physical storage space and can make review unwieldy.
Only one person or co-located group at a time can view data, reports, etc.
Because data is usually quite complex, it’s not always clear to non-technical project stakeholders or decision makers. You often have to re-purpose technical reports for presentation to non-technical decision-makers or other stakeholders, or for use as courtroom testimony, etc.
Doing everything by hand devotes countless hours to clerical work and arithmetic calculations, driving up labor costs, inefficiently deploying highly skilled technical staff, and increasing risk of human error.
Often data isn’t retained except as needed for each project, frustrating potential opportunities for cross-program assessments, long-term tracking, identification of broader trends, etc.
Lengthy project turnaround time can cause considerable delay in completing remediation or other work. Time is money for everyone concerned, especially when work needed to resolve problems can cost millions.

An EDMS helps your team work smarter and faster.

An environmental database management system supports every stage of your work, including comprehensive permanent archiving.
Because everything is 100% digital, it’s easy to quickly capture and store even more field data, photos, etc. There’s no need for conventional mapping and logging because photos can be used to generate contouring and other dimensional visualizations. The ability to gather and retain more information also expands long-term learning opportunities.
An EDMS supports off-site project management by enabling multiple points of contact at every step. Everyone has nearly real-time access to field data and can easily generate customized reports, from anywhere, any time. And the wide range of 2D, 3D and GIS reporting and presentation alternatives allows all team members to clearly visualize site conditions.
Consistent collection and storage enables broader and more productive use of data, including establishment of a legacy data repository. Standardized deliverables make comparison of analytical results easier and help you meet important compliance requirements.
It’s easy to add new data, so you can easily identify and assess alternative potential resolutions and estimate costs.
EDMS-assisted conversions, calculations and analysis produce more reliable data, improving your ability to identify anomalies, plot trend analysis and establish more definitive baselines.
Accelerated data review and evaluation enables earlier decisions for remedial action. It shortens turnaround of data availability and lowers labor costs.

In essence, an environmental database management system combines the best of traditional methods with the latest technological advances. The EDMS helps conduct much of the factual analysis, so the humans on your project team can focus on “thoughtful” analysis using their specialized education, training and experienced insight.

An environmental database management system provides numerous significant benefits over traditional records storage. Working faster yet more accurately assures more cost-effective investigations as well as solutions.

Remedial actions can be completed sooner, and possibly more thoroughly, assuring better long-term care of the environment. And cost efficiencies enable all parties to operate in a more business-like manner, producing much stronger ROI for both private and public entities.

Using An Environmental Database Management System To Stay Organized

Joe Heaney — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:39:00 GMT

Engineers, geologists and hydrogeologists simply have to be well-organized. You’re handling massive amounts of data that has to be recorded, analyzed, compared and reported in any number of different formats. Everything has to be filed for easy access as well as long-term safe-keeping.

An environmental database management system (EDMS) is essentially a centrally located electronic file storage unit with virtually unlimited capacity for expansion. But unlike traditional physical filing systems, the electronic nature of an EDMS makes data immediately accessible by anyone who needs it, regardless of where they’re located.

And with an environmental database management system, storage is just the beginning. It also supports project management, data analysis and evaluation of solutions options. Here are some ways an EDMS can help you stay organized:

It functions as a storage and resource library that houses both historical and incoming data. Once historical data is entered it’s available to anyone, forever. And newly acquired field data can be automatically uploaded, electronically, so it’s available right away.
Chances are you’re juggling multiple projects and your colleagues are located at multiple (perhaps even far-flung) sites. And different users need different information for different purposes. An EDMS allows you to use and share files simultaneously. Anyone can instantly retrieve existing reports or create new ones.
Information is always right at your fingertips. An EDMS allows easy, quick access to information.
An environmental database management system streamlines work processes, helping you achieve more effective time management. You don’t have to hunt down what you need. You won’t inadvertently overlook or miss important data because it’s out of place or in someone else’s hands.
An uncluttered working environment helps you think more clearly and focus on the most important activities, so you can work more productively and get your work done faster.
Whether you’re working in a commercial or public agency environment, you’re better able to serve potential clients or your own constituents if you’re efficiently organized. You’ll be fully prepared and poised for action, regardless of the impending scope of work.
An EDMS even helps keep your budget organized, by reducing wasted time and making the best use of limited resources. And you won’t have to pay for hard-copy filing supplies or constantly-growing need for physical file cabinets and storage space.

Especially when you’re working with scientific data and the resulting complex reports, staying organized is critical. Effective organization helps you produce a better work product. And it can save you time, money and -- some days -- even your sanity.

An environmental database management system can help you create efficiencies and manage your work in ways you never thought possible.

Benefits of Analysis with an Environmental Database Management System

Joe Heaney — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:00 GMT

When you’re performing site assessments, groundwater or soil investigations, or working to meet regulatory remediation compliance requirements, each of your jobs is different. But they’re all highly complex. An environmental database management system (EDMS) can help you clearly see the character and extent of each problem and better evaluate your options, so you can design the most effective solutions.

Digital technology is becoming the norm for environmental analysis. An EDMS represents automation at its best, using innovative technology specifically tailored to your needs, to capture, store, query, analyze and visualize information.

An environmental database management system allows you to:

Save time. Import data in minutes, and free up engineering and other professional staff to focus on more productive activities.

Save money. An EDMS is affordable and cost-effective to maintain and manage.
Strengthen collaboration. Widely dispersed colleagues can easily retrieve, sort and analyze information in formats they can readily understand and use.
Produce better results. An EDMS can handle projects of any size or complexity, eliminating human error and offering extensive customization and flexibility.
Produce faster results. Produce lightning-fast analytical results you can rely on, to evaluate and compare potential solutions sooner and more effectively.

An EDMS is an intelligent and powerful working partner that provides:

Automated upload of field and lab data and efficient migration of historical data from varied sources in varied formats.
Storage and organization of voluminous data.
Easy information access.
Data conversion into consistent units.
Quick, easy visualizations in 2D, GIS or 3D.
Ability to design highly specific queries or generate customized reports in minutes.
Assistance with data review and interpretation and calculations.
Automatic detection of variances outside required guidelines.

Environmental database management systems are particularly valuable for geologists, hydrogeologists and environmental engineers whose responsibilities combine extensive field work with equally extensive data analysis and reporting, often to non-technical colleagues. That includes:

Entities with extensive historical information in differing formats that needs to be consolidated and/or multiple reporting sites whose data needs to be easily accessible by various decision-makers.
Environmental consultants that need centralized data storage and access but don’t have the resources to support an in-house system.
Labs or consultants who report to NYSDEC or other state and federal regulating agencies and need assistance producing submittals in required formats.

Implementing an environmental database management system makes good business sense.

The right EDMS stores and organizes data and helps you quickly and efficiently produce comprehensive analytical results that are reliably accurate and easy to understand.

It can create significant efficiencies, making far better use of staff resources and boosting your bottom line (or keeping you within budget constraints). Once you acquire an EDMS, you may well wish you’d converted sooner.