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Preparing For a Rainy Day

November 1, 2006By Matthew Van Patten, PE, CHMM, Michael E. Yost

A guide to stormwater maintenance, inspection, and regulatory compliance

When we think of pollution, most of us conjure up images of smokestacks or drums of hazardous waste. But one of the most significant sources of water pollution in the United States today is stormwater runoff, and it merits the full attention of industrial and commercial facilities alike.

ESA Rules: Plain English Version (Part 1)

October 1, 2006By Nick Albergo, PE

An explanation of the new standards related to Phase 1 environmental site assessments and the necessity for an opinion regarding additional investigations

The following is the first of a two-part series that analyzes new Phase 1 ESA requirements and their impact on consultants and their clients. The second part is scheduled to be published in the November/December 2006 issue of Environmental Protection.

Wildcatting In Wastewater

October 1, 2006By Tom Hobson

Record high oil prices are causing manufacturers to seek profitable ways to extract oil from their wastewater

Since last year, when crude oil prices soared and gasoline topped $3 per gallon, requests for skimmers to be used for recycling oil from plant wash water, municipal wastewater, machine shop coolant, and contaminated groundwater have increased 25 percent according to one major supplier of oil skimming equipment.

Resurrecting the Dead Zone

September 1, 2006By Erica Pincus

Reducing U.S. agribusiness' nitrogen runoff could reverse past damage to the Gulf of Mexico

The Dead Zone -- sounds creepy doesn't it? But what is it? It's a crisis that's attacking oceans and bays throughout the world, and a reality more frightening than current governmental policies and actions have led the public to believe.

What's Driving Reuse

September 1, 2006By Glen Sundstrom

Growing demand and deteriorating water quality is pushing the advancement of reuse technologies

Benjamin Franklin is frequently quoted as having said: "We will never know the true value of water until the well runs dry." Although conservation was the first attempt at preserving and maintaining limited fresh water supplies, the idea of "reclaim, recycle, and reuse" was the next push for managing them.

A Membrane for All Seasons

July 1, 2006By Diane Rapaport

Flexible design allows membrane treatment systems to fit almost any wastewater application

Flexible design allows membrane treatment systems to fit almost any wastewater application

A Shock to the System

June 1, 2006By Darin St. Germain

A new, stricter arsenic rule is starting to affect small and large water supplies

On Jan. 23, 2006, the arsenic rule was implemented with a new limit of 10 parts per billion (ppb) (the old standard was 50 ppb). The new rule has a broad reach; it affects large and small drinking water treatment systems, including non-community water supplies.

Oxidants on the Job

June 1, 2006By Jason Muessig

Chemical oxidation is proving successful in degrading soil and groundwater contaminants

The need for removal and destruction of contaminants of concern (COC), like petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated organics, in soil and groundwater has led to the development of a wide range of technologies for both in ground (in-situ) and above ground (ex-situ) treatment of these contaminants.

Speeding Up Meth Lab Remediation

May 1, 2006By Lynn D. Dewees

As the pace of methamphetamine production accelerates, environmental professionals are overcoming difficult cleanup challenges

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez has called it "a unique and deadly threat to our nation -- which destroys lives far beyond those of just the addicts and the users."

Weathering the Storm

May 1, 2006By Dianne P. Crocker

A critical look at the promising future of the Phase I ESA market in a hurricane-ravaged New Orleans

Aug. 25, 2005: Hurricane Katrina, the 11th named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the season, makes landfall north of Miami, Fla., killing dozens. Four days later, the slightly weakened system touches down on the Central Gulf Coast of Louisiana.

A Watershed Year Ahead?

January 1, 2006By Jason V. Turner, Sarah Klahn

The top water-quality issues in 2006

While the sitting U.S. Congress might be characterized as attempting to expand federal spending abroad and restrict spending at home without regard to the impacts on domestic programs, including water quality-related programs, Hurricane Katrina and a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on infrastructure maintenance may have been "watershed events" that will result in some re-examination of federal spending priorities in the public sector.

Battling the Blue

November 1, 2005By Joseph F. Lorenz, Ronald E. Hutchens

Dense non-aqueous phase liquids can present a unique problem for cleanup operations

What's bright blue, heavier than water and mostly insoluble? In the case of a brownfield site in the Midwest, the answer is a daunting remediation challenge.

Reuse, Reclaim, Recycle

November 1, 2005By Ed Jordan

Membrane bioreactor technology is helping treatment facilities find usable water in some unlikely places

Water reuse has gone from being a positive environmental alternative to a growing necessity. Reusing wastewater saves money and the environment, but it can be expensive to pipe treated water through miles of distribution lines from a centralized reclamation facility to where it is needed.

Water Quality Management 101

October 1, 2005By W. Wesley Eckenfelder, William Ney Hansard

A basic overview of the key concepts related to treating municipal and industrial wastewater

Over the past few decades there has been an increased awareness of the importance of water quality. Many municipalities and industrial facilities have upgraded or installed new technologies to meet the demand for clean water. Advances in water quality science show that further improvements are needed to ensure a plentiful water supply and to protect the natural environment.

Tips: Disposing Of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products

September 1, 2005