The findings of the studies reviewed in this report are encouraging concerning the ability of today’s U.S. WTE facilities to effectively treat solid waste that contains PFAS and not emit detectable levels of PFOA in the process. For the formation of PICs, the pilot-scale investigation conducted at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is encouraging in its findings that the combustion of PTFE did not create any of the 31 types of PFAS suspected of being potential PICs produced during the combustion process.
In conclusion, based on this research, SWANA is cautiously optimistic regarding the role of WTE facilities in the destruction of PFAS in MSW. The thermal destruction of PFAS in high-temperature combustion systems such as WTE facilities may represent one of the few commercially proven options available to society to destroy these problematic, forever chemicals.
The full report, PFAS Fate and Transport in Waste-to-Energy Facilities, is currently only available to SWANA ARF subscribers. SWANA members receive free access to ARF industry reports one year after publication; the abstract is available online and worth reading.
SCS periodically prepares Technical Bulletins to highlight items of interest to our clients and friends. We publish these on our website.
Our most recent Bulletin summarizes and updates the TCEQ’S New Rules Implementing Compliance and Registration Requirements for Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Management. In addition, this Bulletin covers TCEQ’s development of a program for implementing the Federal rules governing CCR facilities in Texas. While TCEQ’s CCR program needs to be at least as protective as the federal CCR rules, there are important distinctions in Chapter 352.
SCS’ Texas-based professionals are experts on TCEQ’s new program for registering coal combustion residue (CCR) sites. We are currently working to support multiple sites needing to meet the December application deadline. Our engineers and geologists know how to use site-specific design and related technical documents to complete TCEQ’s detailed application for a registration consistent with TCEQ’s new regulatory program.
For additional information on the updated regulations, deadlines, and compliance requirements, contact:
If you thrive in a friendly, collaborative, and client-focused company, SCS Engineers is the place for you. We’re looking for field technicians to work collaboratively on our Field Services teams nationwide. Specific information is posted for each open position. Use our job search to find your desired location.
Under general supervision, our technicians operate, monitor, and maintain gas migration control and recovery systems, including gas well monitoring and adjustment, troubleshooting, and system repairs.
Become one of the engineers, consultants, scientists, and technicians that help private and public entities run cleaner and more efficiently. A very rewarding place to have a career!
Staff, family, and friends of SCS Engineers Miami and Boca Raton offices braved the intermittent scorching heat and torrential downpours to reign supreme at the 8th Annual Kick CF Celebrity Kickball Tournament in Palmetto Bay, Florida. After three previous showings that fell short, SCS Ballbarians Team Captain Troy Schick shared that “the timing of the win was a perfect way to safely reconnect as an office after 14 months of remote working. We were able to focus on having fun, which was our key to success!”
Highlights included a strong defensive performance by Marc “The Pride of Buffalo” Lefebvre and dazzling base running by Troy Schick who made the highlight reel by stealing second base on UM gridiron standout and 14-year NFL veteran wide receiver Santana Moss.
Emily Vasquez organized the event with support from Claudia Pineda and Natasha Wylie. The team and cheering section included Aidan Gallagher, Dustin Philipp, Evan Darpini, Tim Tedesco, Marc Lefebvre, Daniel Dietch, Daniella Dobrowolski, Anabel Rodriguez-Garcia, Thiago Vega, Emily Vasquez, Claudia Pineda, Natasha Wylie, Rebecca Wylie, and our ringers, Miguel Ponce, Elan Bustamante, Alex Saavedra, Eric Saavedra, and Rick Sanders and Judah Dietch.
SCS Engineers was proud to sponsor the event to benefit the Cure Cystic Fibrosis Miami, a local family foundation, to raise awareness and funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to fulfill its mission to cure cystic fibrosis and to provide all people with the disease the opportunity to lead full, productive lives by funding research and drug development, promoting individualized treatment, and ensuring access to high quality, specialized care.
California’s AB 32 legislation has proven to be one of the most successful legislation in the U.S. regarding statewide efforts to reduce GHG emissions. This has been started with the implementation of the early action measures stated in the Scoping Plan, which included early regulations to reduce GHG emissions in many different industry sectors, and then moved to the establishment of the MRP and C&T programs, which have created incentives for facilities to reduce their GHG emissions. The nine early action measures have been documented to reduce California’s GHG emissions with an estimated reduction of 13.16 percent from 1990 emissions in the year 201813. As a result of these programs’ implementations, California has met its goal to reach 1990 emissions levels by 2020 and had done so by 2016, four years before its proposed target year.
With the continued implementation of new programs at the state, local, and federal level, growing economic incentives to reduce emissions, and drive that led to the success of the emissions reduction goals of AB32, California is on a very promising path to achieving its latest goals to combat climate change.
Opportunities to Learn More
Here at SCS, we work for developers, industry, and manufacturers to help them run cleaner, safer, and more efficiently. This PBS video provides insight into how SCS brings value to the waste industry, our clients, and, most importantly, our communities.
You may ask yourself, don’t pig farms create pollution? Yes, but even that waste is reusable!
Did you know the food you buy in the grocery is supported by our environmental experts? Learn more about SCS’s environmental engineers and consultants who bring contaminated properties back to life, lower and capture greenhouse gases for fuels and renewable energy, and make possible a brighter future.
If you are interested in becoming an SCS Engineers employee-owner, watch our comprehensive video to see the breadth of services our teams offer.
The main thoroughfare in Madison, Wisconsin, leading to the state capitol, is going through a major renaissance. Once an idle brownfield, and before that an active industrial-commercial area, the entire block has now been converted to residential, commercial, and office spaces, as well as a youth art center. After extensive due diligence to assess, then successfully remediate significant adverse environmental conditions from past uses, the property’s new mixed-use buildings are open for occupancy. The community art center opens in 2021.
The block formerly housed a dairy operation, gas station, auto maintenance shops, a print shop, and a dry cleaner. These past uses and the historic fill placed on the property resulted in chlorinated solvents, petroleum, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metal contamination.
Remediating and mitigating environmental contamination and redeveloping brownfields like this one into vibrant, revenue-generating community assets takes pooled expertise from multiple disciplines, including hydrogeology and environmental engineering.
While these projects can provide high value for communities long into the future, they are complex and require large investments up front, explains Ray Tierney, an SCS vice president. Having a team that gets a full picture of the property’s environmental condition, knows regulators’ expectations, and can identify technically sound, cost-effective remediation and mitigation approaches can translate to substantial money savings.
In this case, a solid knowledge base and vetting key details resulted in seven-digit figure savings and facilitated prized redevelopments.
“We identified the amount of soil and groundwater contamination, evaluated strategies to best address the issues, and came up with a cost estimate for remediation. Based on the estimate, along with documentation validating the scientific rationale for our recommendations, the seller reduced their price to account for the legacy environmental liabilities which the purchaser agreed to accept and address as part of the property’s redevelopment.”
SCS Engineers assessed for contamination; oversaw the management of contaminated soil and groundwater during construction according to the materials management plan; supported the client in securing grants, permits and documented compliance with the approved planning documents.
For this project, as is often true in historic urban areas, the greatest expense was dealing with widespread contamination found in the historic fill soils and with groundwater issues.
“Our client is obligated to handle contaminated materials properly. We plan and permit the proper procedures, work with contractors to facilitate the work, documenting that procedures and plans are followed while making sure they only invest what is necessary to be judicious in protecting the environment and public health,” says the SCS Project Manager and Geologist Dr. Betty Socha.
During construction, Socha’s team was onsite to assist contractors in complying with environmental plans and permits, documenting that activities were completed safely and in compliance with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) expectations. The team oversaw soil removal and management during site demolition and construction of the foundation, including piles and a structural slab. This support system reduces the geotechnical requirement of the underlying soils to reuse more onsite soil safely. But knowing what soil is acceptable and orchestrating the separation of contaminated and non-contaminated materials takes specialized expertise and skill.
“During construction, we evaluate soil conditions, so contaminated soil is safely disposed of at a landfill. But landfilling large volumes of soil is a considerable expense, so it’s important to determine what is safe to be segregated as clean soils for reuse elsewhere. Knowing how to do this efficiently will minimize disposal costs and maximize the use of valued resources,” Socha says.
Getting a handle on groundwater conditions and identifying the best management strategy requires equal attention.
“This property sits on a strip of land (an Isthmus) between two large and prized lakes, with a shallow water table. We thoroughly assessed the groundwater (aka, hydrogeologic) site conditions and managed groundwater generated during construction and dewatering activities,” says Tierney.
“We documented the extent of contamination, and the WDNR confirmed our evaluation that no additional remedial groundwater treatment systems were needed. We could show the contamination was contained enough to pose no risk to municipal wells, private wells, surface water, or other sensitive environments. However, the client still needed a permit to dispose of the contaminated groundwater generated during dewatering for construction of the building foundation and underground utilities,” says Tierney.
Major brownfield redevelopment projects are involved with multistep processes. They begin with a Phase I Environmental Assessment entailing an inspection of the property and a historical review.
That’s where SCS initially identifies potential or existing environmental liabilities from contamination. Then the team confirms the presence of multiple soil and groundwater contaminants through a Phase II Assessment, involving collecting and analyzing soil and groundwater samples.
Next comes a site investigation, a robust testing program to see exactly what is going on. This is where the team further defines contamination, locations, how far it spread, and concentrations. That information lays the groundwork for developing the remedial action plan to file with the WDNR. The team then works with the redevelopment contractors to seamlessly and concurrently manage both the property’s remediation and the buildings’ construction.
In Madison, Socha, Tierney, and their team also helped the developer apply for and win a $500,000 brownfield grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, a practice that is as much an art as a science. Additional public support for the project was also received through tax incremental financing (TIF) and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) tax credits for low‐income housing.
“We merge our technical backgrounds to show the land has the potential to be turned into a strong asset that addresses the legacy environmental contamination, promotes public health, and delivers a high-value property that pays taxes and supports important city services,” says Tierney.
It takes technical horsepower to show regulators just how you are addressing contamination. You need to show the economic development group awarding the grant that the project will create well-paid jobs and tax revenue. Equally important, it must be shown that the redevelopment helps address a community need for affordable workforce housing and additional market-based housing,” Tierney says.
Tenants have already moved into the two 11-story mixed-use buildings. In addition, The Madison Youth Arts Center (MYAC) is slated to open in early summer, with a grand opening ceremony this fall. The MYAC includes classrooms, offices, rehearsal spaces, and a 300-seat auditorium.
The final project showcases the heartbeat of this popular downtown space situated between two large lakes, with features such as a rooftop terrace, plazas with seating and green space, and soon to come are 3D urban art installations and murals that tell the story of this long-lived community.
“The redevelopment of brownfields and the creation of projects like the Lyric and the Arden align with the City of Madison’s Performance Excellence Framework Vision of Our Madison – Inclusive, Innovate, and Thriving. These types of redevelopment projects help the City act as a responsible steward of our natural, economic, and fiscal resources. While making efficient use of land and cleaning up brownfields, the City is able to provide workforce housing, job opportunities, and cultural venues, all while enhancing the City’s tax base,” says Dan Rolfs, the Community Development Project Manager for the City of Madison’s Office of Real Estate Services – Economic Development Division.
It takes a village, or in this case – a City, to revitalize an urban brownfield!
Brownfields Resources to Organize, Educate, and Implement Plans in Your Community
If you thrive in a friendly, collaborative, and client-focused company, SCS Engineers is the place for you. We’re looking for field technicians to work collaboratively on our Field Services teams nationwide. Specific information is posted for each open position. Use our job search to find your desired location.
Under general supervision, our technicians operate, monitor, and maintain gas migration control and recovery systems, including gas well monitoring and adjustment, troubleshooting, and system repairs.
Become one of the engineers, consultants, scientists, and technicians that help private and public entities run cleaner and more efficiently. A very rewarding place to have a career!
A Nebraska city earned an $800,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The City of Lincoln plans to use the grant to assess and clean up brownfield sites, including up to 10 acres of land city officials hope to use for self-sustaining urban agriculture projects.
Officials plan to create a self-sustaining urban agricultural area in two adjacent 5-acre parcels for lease by local farmers. Lincoln can begin moving local food production into commercial use by local businesses.
In a recent Journal Star article, Tim Rinne, chairman of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Food Policy Council, said, “Rather than continuing to rely exclusively on drought-stricken and wildfire-plagued California to produce the bulk of our produce, or waiting for the next breakdown of our national food distribution network like we saw with the COVID-19 crisis, Lincoln’s city government leadership is taking the visionary and cautionary step of building a resilient local food system.”
The planned agricultural use also helps protect surrounding developments. The five-year grant will help the city assess four other sites in the area and could support cleanup plans at two more sites.
Brownfields Resources to Organize, Educate, and Implement Plans in Your Community
Among the extensive list of landfill operating costs are those incurred for landscaping to keep the slopes trimmed. While regularly mowing large spaces is expensive, keeping sites well-groomed is essential for protecting landfill covers and providing other safeguards. Putting sheep and other grazing livestock to work eliminating invasive plants and other vegetation from properties difficult to traverse for two-legged workers could be a good alternative. Grazing is an often useful technique for maintaining traditional native plants while reducing weeds and unwanted vegetation, mitigating risk for growth to dry out and possibly catch fire or intrude on a site’s pipelines and infrastructure.
In municipal solid waste landfills near urban areas, such as in Pennsylvania, Arizona, and California, grazing animals are helping with slope management. These locations also reap environmental benefits of reduced soil erosion; improved air and water quality; better plant diversity, vigor and production; and improved wildlife habitat.
As with all landfill operations, planning is everything. The choice of grazing animal (i.e., sheep, goats, cattle, or horses) and the number of animals necessary is site-specific. To determine the best choices, SCS Engineers looks at site characteristics such as the age of the plants and the proportion of grass species present, the local climate, and wildlife species present.
A landfill operator in California using sheep to groom landfill slopes is pleased with the results after three months and plans to continue the grazing method in the upcoming years. “We use 400 sheep per acre, per day, and have 600 on-site.”
“We talked about it for years before we implemented this method,” he says. “We needed time to research the feasibility and the costs, but that isn’t a challenge for SCS; their environmental scientists have landfill expertise in gauging air, soil, water, inorganic and organic content. These are all conditions requiring careful consideration before bringing in sheep to graze.”
The operator was sold on grazing, seeing the environmental, economic, and safety benefits of this alternative to herbicides and staff maneuvering trimming equipment on steep slopes. Finding a shepherd was the next step. With all its benefits, the method does require human oversight.
Luis lives at the landfill in a trailer home, his base of operations. He grew up in Peru, herding sheep. The landfill operations staff trained him on landfill safety, and Luis, in turn, teaches landfill staff what to expect from the 600 sheep.
The herd grazes during daylight hours, clearing patches of mustard grass and weeds. “Sheep are a better choice than goats here; they are more selective and won’t eat native plants or damage the infrastructure by trying to eat it too,” says the landfill operator.
As the sheep graze on invasive grasses, they are preventing tumbleweeds and destroying the seeds while chewing. A further benefit is the fertilizer they leave behind supports the growth of native plants that require minimal grooming, are tolerant of dry conditions, and facilitate the protection of the landfill cover.
“Around here, where the climate is very dry, preventing tumbleweeds and flammable conditions is a priority. The herd is packing the groundcover down while they’re eating, providing a great alternative to mowing while helping control runoff,” says the operator.
The herd is low maintenance, thriving outdoors without shelter and needing only to have their water troughs filled. The shepherd has two helpers, a border collie for herding the sheep to new locations and another larger dog to help protect the sheep from coyotes. Both the dogs and the wildlife help cut down the number of burrowing animals, which for obvious reasons are not landfill-friendly.
Occasionally, the landfill operation staff helps Luis move the herd. He sets up new locations across the landfill as the sheep are grazing in another area. Then the dogs help move the herd to the new location. Keeping the sheep going in the right direction is hard work, explains SCS’s Regional Manager. “If one sheep breaks off, twenty more will follow. Depending on where we’re moving them, Luis may need extra hands.”
This natural “landscaping” alternative with all its landfill-specific benefits is working well. The sheep can do some damage, they sometimes rub along exposed pipelines scratching themselves, but the staff is quickly alerted to anything broken. Luis uses a lightweight grid fence to corral the animals. The battery-powered fencing helps protect the sheep at night from coyotes with a light “shocking” deterrent, similar to static electricity. It’s enough to keep the carnivores at bay along with the dogs’ help.
The SCS landfill operations team has adopted the two dogs. Their Field Services Regional Manager points out, “We didn’t plan on adopting them, but we just couldn’t help ourselves. These are hardworking animals, and Guardian, the dog protecting the sheep at night, can get Foxtail, a grass-like weed, caught in his fur. The seeds can injure dogs, so we inspect and brush them, and we watch to ensure they stay healthy. These dogs, like the sheep, are part of the team and important to helping maintain the landfill − not to mention they’re special to us.”
The sheep, dogs, and Luis are doing an exemplary job. The operator expects in two or three seasons to see a significant improvement in maintenance; each consecutive year, there is less undesirable vegetation. “It’s working well; next year, we will start grazing in January to help prevent more invasive new growth earlier in the season,” he says.
“Environmentally, I like to think we’re helping our client be a good neighbor,” he continues. “And we save the landfill 66 percent of their landscaping budget every year; that helps us all sleep better.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends ecological restoration and revegetation of landfills, abandoned dumps, mines, and other site containment systems designed to protect people and the environment from exposure and prevent contaminant migration. Grazing is one cost-effective and efficient option to consider supporting these priorities.
Find more landfill engineering and operations information.
