Finding a remedy for difficult and complex sites is only one part of the site strategy equation.
To address the needs of the demanding environmental framework in which our clients operate, GHD has developed an integrated approach to strategically managing complex environmental sites. We asked Roy Thun, a senior environmental specialist with over 30 years of experience as both an environmental consultant and large sites portfolio manager for a Fortune 100 energy company, and who has recently joined GHD to help lead this new service, about how this approach is different, and why it can help solve some of the most seemingly intractable remediation problems on challenging sites.
Q: Can you tell us what the thinking is behind offering Environmental Strategy Consultation as a new service, what is unique about it, and in what situations (and to who) you see it being really beneficial?
A: Regardless of the industry, addressing complex sites is a resource intensive and expensive proposition. Unfortunately there isn't a silver bullet to make these sites go away. We see all too often sites that fail to make significant progress because the team is too narrowly focused on the technical challenges. What is unique about the Environmental Strategy Consultation is we look at a site not just from the technical challenges, but also the non-technical challenges that can influence a sites path, for example: Community concerns, regulatory drivers and the client's internal constraints. Our team's breadth of experience allows us to recognize near term and long term areas of concern which in turn provides clients with the best holistic strategic recommendations to meet their goals.
Q: What is it about the senior leaders at GHD who will be leading this service that enables GHD to take this comprehensive approach?
A: Our team has a phenomenal amount of experience with complex sites. We bring a combination of business, technical, and stakeholder engagement knowledge that provides clients with a unique perspective to addressing their environmental sites and issues.
For the majority of my career I worked as an environmental manager for a Fortune 100 energy company. During that time I held primary liaison roles with impacted communities, elected officials, tribal nations and NGO groups. I know first-hand the internal and external challenges that industry faces at contaminated sites. I have used this knowledge to develop and implement successful life cycle site strategies at some of the Nation's largest Superfund mining sites, as well as former refineries, nuclear and chemical waste sites, hundreds of service station sites, and operating distribution terminal facilities. In addition, I've overseen every aspect of environmental site management from assessment through remediation to closure, and have led or supported interdisciplinary teams and potentially responsible party groups in developing site strategies, natural resource damages cooperative assessment approaches, term sheets, guaranteed fixed price remedy contracts, Superfund site delisting pathways, and consent decree settlements.
Ian Richardson has been involved in site strategy reviews for some of GHDs major clients involving dozens of different consultants since the mid 1990's. Ian's work history spans 30 years of environmental site assessments and investigations, as well as the negotiation and implementation of remedial programs under various provincial, state, and federal regulatory programs across Canada and the United States. As a Principal of the firm, Ian is often responsible for managing large project teams. Ian has a knack of simplifying complex issues into understandable elements that can be communicated and shared with all stakeholders.
Colleen Costello is a Principal of the firm with over 25 years of diverse experience working for consulting and industry. Colleen is also a member of Pennsylvania's Science Advisory Board and was asked by the EPA to be part of the team that developed RCRA FIRST to assist in streamlining the RCRA process. This diverse background showcases Colleen's ability to see issues from multiple perspectives, whether it be technical, management or regulatory to provide creative solutions to complex issues. Colleen's career has been focused on creating clear exit strategies with stakeholder consensus for large challenging sites.
We also have a global team of environmental experts, including database, 3D visualizations and modeling, human health and ecological risk assessment, hydrogeology, and innovative technology/treatability to call on. All of these specialists work together through our network to provide support for each Environmental Strategy Consultation, as well as assist in the implementation of the chosen strategy.
Q:Can you tell us about any sites where you've been able to apply this approach, and what the outcomes were? Is it only site owners who should be interested?
A: Many sites come to mind. One in particular was a former mine site. This site sat in environmental hell for well over a decade. The site had multiple potentially responsible parties or PRPs. The PRPs had very strong views about each other's contributions to the contamination. They basically could only agree on one thing: limit spending and defer as much work as possible. It was clear that this strategy was not going to be sustainable. Pressure was mounting from the state, EPA and local tribes to select and implement a final remedy. After my team and I considered all of the remedial alternatives, habitat restoration requirements and agency jurisdictions, I was able to approach the parties with a viable path to a site wide consent decree. In the end the consent decree we obtained substantially reduced the environmental remediation and potential litigation costs, resolved NRD and secured a CERCLA covenant not to sue.
The Environmental Strategy Consultation is designed to help anyone with a large environmental obligation. This could be a site owner, operator, bank, insurance company or even municipality.
Q: At what stage should someone reach out to you for help with a challenging site? Is there a point where it is too late?
A: Really the sooner the better. With complex sites the challenges only increase with time. Rarely will it be too late for us to provide some level of meaningful assistance for a complex site. I know there are a lot of portfolio managers out there that have sites that seem to continue in the wrong direction despite logic or data. We can help them find the right path for those sites. If you would like to learn more about the Environmental Strategy Consultation program or want to discuss your site feel free to contact me by email roy.thun@ghd.com or phone +1 661 287 3855.
To find out more about GHD's Environmental Strategy Consultation services.