The Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) is hosting its 118th Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE 2025) on “Collaborating for an Equitable, Resilient Environment”, June 9-12 in Raleigh, NC.
The Call for Abstracts is currently open – abstracts are due by November 25, 2024. Click for the ACE 2025 Author Resource Center to get started on your presentation now.
A&WMA’s Annual Conference is recognized as the premier international conference for the latest information on air, environmental justice, climate change, emerging contaminants such as PFAS, energy, sustainability, resource conservation, and waste management issues. With 200+ platform and poster presentations, 30+ panels, and up to 10 concurrent tracks each day, ACE is the perfect opportunity to share new ideas and develop solutions to current and emerging environmental issues.
Raleigh is a city renowned for its leadership in environmental research and technological innovation; its proximity to the US EPA, the research triangle, and leading universities makes it the ideal venue to foster collaboration between industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers, advancing innovative solutions that promote both equity and resilience.
If you are planning to attend ACE 2025, please consider applying to present.
SCS Engineers is excited to participate in the 2024 Professional Development Day, hosted by the San Diego State University Student Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Join us on Wednesday, October 9th, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at Montezuma Hall in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. This event recognizes the achievements of students from the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Department and connects them with top engineering firms across San Diego.
Professional Development Day is a valuable opportunity to network with aspiring engineers, explore internship and employment opportunities. Each year, this event draws over 500 CCEE students and 60 professional engineering companies, making it a prime recruitment event. We look forward to engaging with future industry leaders and discussing potential career pathways. Stop by our booth to learn more about SCS and how you can join our team!
We are looking forward to attending the Landfill Methane Measurement Meeting. It was take place on October 29-30, 2024, at the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Campus in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
This 2-day meeting is sponsored by the USEPA and will focus on the development of (and benefits associated with) advanced methane monitoring technologies as applied to landfill monitoring.
In recent years, investment in novel sensing technology for the location and remediation of methane leaks in the landfill sector has grown exponentially with the help of significant funding from the private and public sectors, including research conducted by academic institutions. The meeting is designed to highlight the state of these advancing technologies including their ability to detect and quantify methane and to discuss if/how these technologies might fit into a regulatory framework.
Technology developers, regulating agencies, researchers, regulated communities and other stakeholders interested in learning more about emerging methane detection technologies used to monitor and detect landfill methane emissions are encouraged to participate.
Registration is closed.
If you would like to attend this event and were not able to registered before the deadline, please contact, Nan Albaladejo by email () or by phone (703-705-4438) to be registered manually.
All times are in Eastern Time
Day 1 – October 29, 2024
7:30 – 8:30 Check-in with security
8:30 – 9:00 Opening Remarks – Tomás Carbonell, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Stationary Sources, Office of Air and Radiation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Session 1: Setting the Stage
9:00 – 9:30 Landfill Challenges and Update on Recent Research and Findings – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development
9:30-10:15 Method Development – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Measurement Technology Group
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-12:00 Industry Panel Discussion
Research and Experiences with New Technologies
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break – Lunch will not be provided, but EPA’s campus does have an onsite cafeteria.
Session 2: Ground Based Approaches
1:00 – 2:45 Technology Panel Discussion
Ground Based Leak Detection – Method 21 and Beyond
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:45 Technology Panel Discussion with Phil Carrillo and Melissa Russo of SCS RMC
Gas Collection and Well Tuning
4:45 Day 1 Closing Remarks – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Day 2 – October 30, 2024
8:00 – 8:30 Check-in with security
Session 3: Aerial Leak Detection and Quantification
8:30 – 9:45 Technology Panel Discussion
Aerial Methods Part 1
9:45 – 10:00 Break
10:00 – 11:00 Technology Panel Discussion
Aerial Methods Part 2
11:00 – 12:00 Discussion following morning panels
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break – Lunch will not be provided, but EPA’s campus does have an onsite cafeteria.
Session 4: Aerial Methods (Aircrafts and satellites) & Policy Discussion
1:00 – 2:45 Technology Panel Discussion
Aerial Methods – Aircraft and Satellites
2:45 – 3:00 Break
3:00 – 4:30 Discussion on Regulation of Municipal Solid Waste Landfills, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Natural Resources Group
4:30 Adjourning Remarks – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Get ready to be part of critical conversations shaping the future of landfill methane monitoring!
Join SCS Engineers at MetroWire Media KC’s 2024 Industrial Summit October 30th from 8-10 am at JCCC. We are thrilled to announce that Mike Dustman will be a featured panelist! This event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for networking, learning, and staying ahead of industry trends.
This panel of experts will present on rental growth, market optimism, interest rates, and prop-tech innovations in the industrial sector of commercial real estate. This is an excellent chance to connect with fellow industry professionals and gain valuable knowledge. Register today!
On Tuesday, September 25, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued two enforcement alerts addressing regulatory requirements and associated compliance issues at municipal solid waste landfills (MSW landfills). The alerts address Clean Air Act requirements that control the release of landfill gases (LFG), particularly methane, from MSW landfills.
These reminders represent compliance issues that EPA has flagged during enforcement actions. EPA thought they were important enough to publish these alerts for the benefit of landfill OM&M; expect state and local agencies to focus on these during their regulatory inspections.
The alerts provide an overview of the Clean Air Act regulatory requirements related to landfill air emissions and aim to help landfill owners, operators, and contractors comply with the law and take the necessary steps to avoid potential EPA enforcement actions.
The first enforcement alert, “EPA Investigations Find Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Operators are Failing to Properly Conduct Compliant Monitoring and Maintenance of Gas Collection and Control System,” is intended to remind MSW landfill owners, operators, and their consultants to conduct routine monitoring and maintenance of gas collection systems to ensure all landfill emissions are being properly captured and controlled.
The second enforcement alert, “MSW Landfill Operators Fail to Include Wastes from Total Degradable Waste-in-Place and Properly Sample Landfill Gas, Resulting in Underreported Emissions,” is intended to remind MSW landfill operators, owners, and their consultants to identify and document nondegradable wastes excluded in calculations properly and to collect representative LFG samples for non-methane organic compounds analysis and emission calculations.
If you are operating a landfill that gets an EPA Section 114 request for data, is having or has had an EPA inspection, or has received an EPA NOV, you may want to contact the compliance experts at SCS Engineers to seek advice on EPA’s perspective on rule history, interpretation, and assist how best to prevent or defend against enforcement actions.
Additional Resources
SCS Engineers is excited to announce that Vice President Sowmya Bulusu, who currently runs our Atlanta, Georgia office, is replacing Dan Cooper as the Solid Waste Director for the Southeast US as Dan takes on his new role leading the firm’s Solid Waste Management practice.
Sowmya Bulusu, PE, is a registered professional and geo-environmental engineer with two decades of experience as a project manager and design engineer for numerous landfills, environmental and civil engineering projects. Her work focuses on waste disposal facilities, landfill gas collection operations, and utilization systems, including siting, design, permitting, construction, and monitoring and maintenance. Sowmya’s expertise includes air permitting and compliance, renewable energy projects, and construction quality management to provide successful turn-key solutions.
When asked about her promotion, Sowmya says, “My career in solid waste management has provided me with valuable experience in addressing complex challenges. I am grateful for the mentorship I have received at SCS, which has contributed significantly to my professional development. As a leader in this role, I am eager to mentor, guide, and inspire my team to achieve new levels of excellence.”
Sowmya also serves on the SCS Sustainability Steering Committee – to help make us all operate cleaner and greener and as the Director of the SWANA Georgia Chapter. She earned her Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering and her Master of Science in Geo-environmental Engineering.
She is a disciplined leader who shares what she learns with her colleagues and others, including her culture as a professional Kuchipudi dancer. This major classical dance involves extensive stage movements and exacting footwork. From age 7, she practiced five days a week for up to three hours daily. Sowmya says the regimen and dance tours throughout India and the US taught her valuable skills that she uses today: time management, discipline, responsibility, and cooperation.
Business Unit Director Carlo Lebron says, “I am very excited for Sowmya to take the reins of the solid waste program and build upon Dan Cooper’s legacy. We have full confidence in her ability to lead and look forward to the new levels to which she will take our program.”
Related Resources:
Environmental professionals work to create more sustainable solutions, prevent pollution and accidents, and mitigate former unusable resources. As long as the world continues to consume, environmental consultants and engineers are going to be very valuable for a wide range of industries. Be at the heart of this industry working at SCS Engineers.
Join SCS for an unforgettable experience as we delve into the solid waste industry’s latest trends, technologies, and best practices. Network with industry experts, discover innovative solutions and gain valuable insights to enhance your professional growth.
We’re excited to have you here and look forward to a successful and inspiring conference. Join SCS’s Jeff Leadford, PE, for his session covering “Landfill Odor Analysis With Monitored Data.” Jeff puts his years of experience in the air quality field, focusing on air dispersion modeling, air permitting, and GIS, to work with advanced technologies to provide new analytical modeling and methods showing realistic proof that landfills are not always a major contributor to odors and emissions. Why? Because contrary to allegations and citizen complaints in case studies:
When the modeling and data show differently, landfill owners and operators can more efficiently put controls and solutions in place.
The Rocky Mountain Chapter has reserved hotel rooms to ensure you enjoy a comfortable and memorable experience. These rooms are available at exclusive rates, providing you with both luxury and value. Book now and guarantee your spot. Phone: 1-888-525-1787, or go to www.breckresorts.com.
This Air & Waste Management Association specialty conference is the perfect event to provide an important basis for future development and advancements in the air quality modeling field. It will also provide in-person opportunities for stakeholders and regulators to discuss the challenges and techniques to model ever-tightening air quality standards.
The technical program will include an opening plenary session devoted to invited presentations by EPA’s Office Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) Air Quality Modeling Group (AQMG). Multiple sessions will cover key modeling topics, and the popular Town Hall Meeting will include an interactive Q&A format with high-level regulators and stakeholders.
Determining actual fugitive landfill gas/methane emissions from the landfill surface is hard to quantify. Drone methane and surface emission monitoring conducted on the landfill surface can determine methane concentrations at receptor points around the landfill surface. These receptor concentrations can be used to run an air dispersion model in reverse to solve for the emission rate of the entire landfill surface. This method also allows you to determine a more accurate control efficiency of the gas collection and control system at the landfill based on landfill gas/methane flow to the combustion device. Want to know more?
Jeff Leadford, PE, of SCS Engineers, is presenting “Modeling Fugitive Methane Emissions With Drones” – a not to miss session! Jeff puts his years of experience in the air quality field, with a focus on air dispersion modeling, air permitting and GIS together with advanced drone technology and modeling techniques demonstrating the effectiveness of combining them, especially for landfill owners and operators.
Other session topics include:
Join SCS Engineers on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, from 1:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. for the latest webinar in a series designed to help Wisconsin printers stay informed and compliant with WIDNR regulations.
This session will provide an overview of the key regulatory requirements for printing operations, including air permitting, hazardous and universal waste management, stormwater discharge permits, Community Right-to-Know reporting, and Toxic Release Inventory reporting. Plus, attendees will get a partial tour of the Printer Portal, a tool designed to make compliance easier.
Cheryl Moran, Senior Project Manager at SCS Engineers, brings over 25 years of experience in the printing industry. A Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Cheryl specializes in air, water, and waste management, environmental audits, and sustainability programs.
You don’t want to miss this: register today to secure your spot!
The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) National Members elected James Law, PE, BCEE, and vice president of SCS Engineers, as ISWA’s new president. The election occurred as part of the ISWA General Assembly conducted before the 2024 ISWA World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. Law will serve a 2-year term as ISWA President and be eligible for re-election for one additional term.
Law’s successful campaign platform resonated with ISWA’s National Members because he offers a vision for addressing the international implementation of circular economy principles, closure of open dumpsites and transition into sanitary landfills, and other relevant policy and technical initiatives in the broader solid waste management industry.
As Chair of the ISWA Landfill Working Group (WGL) and the Task Force on Closing Dumpsites Initiative, many countries learn about the key steps and economics of closing dumpsites, the climate benefits, and the pros and cons of biomining.
Law explains that since the operation of a dumpsite does not include the application of daily cover or waste compaction and also it does not have a bottom liner or gas and leachate collection system, the most common risks are groundwater contamination, fire hazards that could generate black carbon fume and toxic gases to impact the air quality and thus affect the public health in the immediate area or areas miles away in downwind direction.
The gas emissions from open dumpsites have a direct impact on climate change. Then, there are odor issues, either from the decomposed waste mass itself or from the leachate seep outbreaks located on the side slopes of a dumpsite. The leachate seeps will impact the surface water bodies, such as rivers and lakes nearby in the downstream direction, as well as the groundwater below the dumpsite.
Says Bob Dick, SCS Senior Vice President, and long-time ISWA Landfill Working Group Member, “I believe James’ election to President of ISWA is recognition of his passion for promoting a healthy environment and as an advocate for ISWA’s leadership in the field of global waste management and his demonstration of a high level of commitment for enhancing ISWA’s contributions in promoting the best waste management practices in all aspects of the solid waste industry.”
Doug Doerr, SCS Engineers CEO, states,
As SCS Engineers employee-owners, we are extremely proud of James’s contributions and accomplishments within the global waste management community and his dedication to ISWA for the past 16 years. His professionalism in serving as the Chair of ISWA’s Working Group on Landfills, his tenure as an ISWA Board Member representing Organizations, and the recognition he achieved upon being designated as an honorary member of ISWA during the 2023 World Congress in Muscat, Oman, point to his remarkable leadership capabilities.
About the International Solid Waste Association
ISWA’s governance and organizational structure is based on countries and National Member Organizations representing each country. For example, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) serves as the National Member of the United States within the association. ISWA Working Groups are the best opportunity for getting involved as ISWA Members benefit from the association’s global expert exchange with waste management experts worldwide.
