SCI Engineering FYI

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has proposed new regulations that pertain to underground storage tanks (USTs), which are registered as “out of use.” An out of use UST is a tank that has been emptied, but remains in the ground. The new regulations, which are slated to go into effect January 1, 2012, will require UST owners to perform a site assessment to sample soil and groundwater at their site for potential impact.

The new regulations also require an out of use UST be permanently closed (by filling in-place or removal) within five years of last service. Permanent closure of the UST would also include sampling soil and/or groundwater to determine if impact is present. Should permanent closure of the out of use UST be performed initially, the UST owner may be able avoid the need to do the site assessment.

Please be aware that the length of time a UST has been out of use may require the tank owner to take action immediately, with intial compliance deadlines as early as June 30, 2012.

For more information regarding these upcoming regulations, please contact Jeff Langston, R.G. at 636-949-8200 or jlangston@sciengineering.com.

Click image to download a copy of the guide.

Quantifying the economic value of green infrastructure’s benefits is the key to helping municipalities adopt this innovative and cost-effective stormwater management approach, according to a new report by the Center for aneighborhood Technology (CNT) and American Rivers. “The Value of Green Infrastructure: A Guide to Recognizing Its Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits” is a broad analysis that is the first to place an economic value on the numerous benefits provided by green infrastructure.

The guide fills an information gap that has hampered widespread deployment of green infrastructure – the practice of managing stormwater with natural system. “The Value of Green Infrastructure” brings together current research on green infrastructure performance and presents methods for calculating related benefits in water management, energy, air quality, climate, and community livability.

“When you can assign economic value to the wide array of green infrastructure benefits, planners, builders, and city officials can accurately evaluate the advantages of these approaches for managing stormwater in their communities,” said Danielle Gallet, infrastructure strategist at CNT and one of the principal authors of the guide. “Establishing a framework for calculating the benefits of green infrastructure is a fist key step to making it a mainstream practice.”

Green infrastructure is a network of decentralized stormwater management practices – such as green roofs, trees, rain gardens, and permeable pavement – that can capture and infiltrate rain where it falls, reducing stormwater runoff and improving the health of surrounding waterways. The practices provide multiple environmental, economic, and social benefits, including, but not limited to:

• less polluted stormwater runoff
• improved air quality
• energy savings
• increased property values; and
• reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Municipalities have often struggled to quantify green infrastructure’s monetary benefits. However, any cost-benefit analysis comparing grey infrastructure with green infrastructure is incomplete if it fails to factor in the multiple benefits that only green infrastructure uniquely delivers. These benefits are above and beyond the basic stormwater control benefits, which are assumed to be equal to similar investment in grey infrastructure.

The values presented in this guide are not the final word. More research is needed to put more accurate dollar figures on the full range of green infrastrucutre’s benefits. Based on the existing research data, many of the estimates in this guide likely undervalue the true worth of green infrastructure benefits, but it is an important step in the right direction.

Portions of this article have been reprinted from a Dispatch Marketing, Inc. website: Sustainable A/E/C

SCI Engineering, Inc. (SCI) is proud to announce that William J. Guerdan, P.E., Senior Vice President, has been appointed to the St. Charles County Road Board. As a member of the Board, Guerdan will help provide recommendations to the County Executive and County Council for road improvements to be funded by the county’s 1/2 cent transportation sales tax which will enhance St. Charles communities and make it easier to travel throughout the County.

“I am grateful for Bill’s willingness to dedicate his energies and talents to this important position, and know that he will make valuable contributions to the work of the Board,” said Steve Ehlmann, St. Charles County Executive. “Bill’s service to St. Charles County is a testimony to his civic commitment and community conscience,” he said.

Guerdan is a Senior Vice President and Partner of SCI. He is a Registered Professional Engineer with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He has 30 years of experience in the engineering and construction fields, and has served on the Roads and Bridges Task Force for the County’s 2010 Master Plan Committee. He is also Past President of the American Concrete Institute Missouri Chapter, and was inducted into the St. Louis Concrete Council Hall of Fame in 2006.

August 10, 2011 – Ordinances awarding construction and material testing contracts for the new Whitecliff Park Service Bridge were approved recently by the Crestwood Board of Aldermen.

The board voted 6-1 on July 26 to award a contract to R.V. Wagner Inc. not to exceed $434,187.65 to replace the Whitecliff Park Service Bridge over Gravois Creek.

Aldermen also voted 6-1 to award a $22,289.61 contract to SCI Engineering Inc. for material testing, which is required by the Missouri Department of Transportation because the project is partially funded with federal dollars.

Ward 3 Alderman Paul Duchild voted against both measures, and Ward 2 Alderman Chris Pickel was absent.

R.V. Wagner Inc. was the apparent low bidder out of eight companies that submitted proposals. Bids were opened July 14.

The low bid for construction came in “substantially below” both the $494,679 engineer estimate and the $600,000 budgeted amount, according to Jim Eckrich, acting city administrator/director of public services.

The construction contract allows change orders not to exceed $45,000.

City staff selected SCI Engineering as the most-qualified to perform the testing out of seven companies that responded to a request for qualifications.

Staff negotiated the $22,289.61 material testing service fee with SCI, which performed similar services during the Pardee Road Bridge and Grant Road reconstruction projects “exceptionally well and within budget,” Eckrich wrote in a memo to the board and Mayor Jeff Schlink.

The material testing agreement provides for up to $2,500 in change orders.

The Whitecliff Park Service Bridge was closed to vehicular traffic in November 2007 after a MoDOT inspection. The following month, the city’s Department of Public Works received a Federal Highway Administration grant — funded through MoDOT — that will offset 80 percent of the new bridge’s construction costs.

With the grant, the city will be responsible for $100,795.45 for construction and material testing — 20 percent of the $503,977.26 for both contracts.

Aldermen in September 2009 awarded a $108,850 contract to CDG Engineers for project design, 80 percent of which also was reimbursed through the grant.

Duchild, who has contended the proposed bridge is not the most cost-effective option for the city, stressed last week his opposition was not a reflection on the contractors.

“It’s solely based on using a common-sense approach and using our tax dollars wisely and making good decisions, which I do not agree with this decision,” Duchild said. “I believe a pedestrian bridge is the best fit for this project, but for various reasons that was not chosen up front going into the project.”

Duchild voted against the CDG contract in 2009 along with Schlink, who at the time was a Ward 2 alderman.

SCI maintains four laboratories in Missouri and Illinois to support the engineering and scientific services we provide – geotechnical, environmental, construction, natural resources, and cultural resources. Our labs are certified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the American Association of Safety Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), among others. As part of the USACE’s and AASHTO’s validation and accreditation process, SCI periodically runs concrete mix design proficiency tests supplied by the Cement and Concrete Reference Laboratory (CCRL). In June 2011, SCI received the highest rating on ALL tests including: temperature of concrete, slump, density, percent air (by pressure meter), percent air (by volumetric meter), and strength (7-day breaks).

On May 25, 2011, Scott Harding, Vice President of SCI Engineering, spoke to RCGA Green Challenge members about SCI’s internal and external Green business practices. The presentation focused on how SCI shares our Green mission with employees and clients. Scott’s presentation, as well as presentations from other participating companies can be viewed in the latest edition of the RCGAdvocate: http://www.stlrcga.org/documents/RCGAdvocate/June01_2011.html.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ 2011 grant cycle for the Recreational Trails Program is currently underway and accepting applications. Federal, state, county, municipal, business and not-for-profit entities are all eligible to apply. Projects focused on new trail construction, trail renovation and trail maintenance for either motorized use or non-motorized use trails are applicable.

The Recreational Trails Program is a federal-aid assistance program which allows the State of Missouri to provide money for both the creation and maintenance of trails for recreational use. Applicants can be awarded up to $100,000, matching funds by at least 20 percent. Applications must be signed and postmarked by June 13, 2011. Visit the Missouri State Parks website at http://mostateparks.com/page/55065/outdoor-recreation-grants for more details and to download an application.

You may also contact:

Jennifer Porcelli, Field Scientist
jporcelli@sciengineering.com
636-949-8200

SCI’s Environmental Sustainability Mission Statement:
SCI is committed to corporate social responsibility by promoting a culture which encourages sustainable practices, decisions, and recommendations and incorporates them into daily operation.  We believe sound encironmental stewardship will benefit our communities, our employees, our clients and our company.

In honor of Earth Day 2011, which will be officially recognized on April 22, we thought it would be appropriate to share infomation about SCI’s contributions to the sustainability of the environment.

Many of you have likely experienced projects that emphasize “green” or sustainable site design and construction.  Often, this challenge can be overcome by assembling a team with both experience and a culture of implementing sustainable practices.  The various service groups at SCI have been incorporating sustainability into our recommendations for many years.  Below, you will find some examples of our sustainable culture and practices tha my benefit you during site design and construction. 

Internal Supporting Objective:  We accomplish internal sustainability by incorporating programs to conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact, while increasing employee awareness.

Internally, several employees are active members of SCI’s Green Team, which was formed in 2007.  Among many other activities, the Green Team works to maintain SCI’s WasteWise Partner certification with the Us. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPS).  SCI reports waste prevention and recycling data annually to the EPA to maintain this certification. 

SCI is also continuing to participate in the 2011 RCGA Green Business Challenge.  For the second consecutive yar, the RCGA has presented the challenge to companies in St. Louis to help improve the sustainability of their business operations.  Sustainability actions include energy, indoor environmental quality, waste, water and transportation.

External Supporting Objective:  We accomplish external sustainability by providing recommendations to our clients that include options for the use of environmentally mindful and low-impact procedures or products on their projects.

Most likely you are familiar with services SCI provides, but how these services translate into sustainability practices is not as readily evident.  These services include:

• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) development, which is a requirement for almost any construction site to safeguard water quality.
• Stream channel design and biostabilization services to reduce the potential for bank failures, excessive erosion, or channel migration.
• Geotechnical recommendations that promote re-use and minimization of material removed from a site, providing alternative foundation recommendations, use by-product additives to soil, and re-use of crushed concrete in place of crushed rock.
• Wetland delineation activities for project compliance with Section 404 of th Clean Water Act.  By identifying the location of wetlands and waterbodies, projects are often designed to avoid and minimize impacts to these natural features.
• Phase One and Phase Two environmental investigations for the redevelopment of Brownfields properties.  When Brownfields are redeveloped and put to use, everyone benefits.  Cleanups address environmental issues and redevelopment can bring new jobs and higher tax revenues.  Revitalizing Brownfields can breathe new life into neighborhoods. 
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) services which include a site evaluation for wetlands and other water bodies, noise and air quality, prime farmland, threatened and endangered species, floodplains, cultural resources, and special and hazardous waste.
• Air quality assessments and environmental assessments to invesgitate the presence of petroleum, toxic or hazardous materials.  These assessments can ensure the safety of workers and the public. 
•  Indoor air quality monitoring, asbestos surveys and lead-based paint surveys to assure hazardous materials are identified and properly removed prior to building renovation and demolition.

If you have any questions or would like more information about SCI’s green pactices please contact:

Scott Harding, CPSS/SC
Vice President/Head of SCI’s Green Team
618-206-3041 (direct line)
sharding@sciengineering.com

Shawnna Erter, P.E.

SCI is pleased to announce that Shawnna Erter, P.E., has recently been promoted to Senior Engineer.

Erter joined SCI in 2001 and has more than 11 years of experience preparing reports and proposals for subsurface explorations and foundation design recommendations. Her duties include Project Management for the Geotechnical as well as the Construction Services groups at SCI and management of the geotechnical staff in the St. Charles, Missouri office.

Erter served as Project Manager for the Patients First Health Care Additions project  in Washington, Missouri, which received a Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Missouri and National Finalist status in ACEC’s national competition.

Erter serves as Treasurer on the American Council of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Board of Directors and also serves as the Secretary for the ASCE Geotechnical Committee. She serves nationally on the Site Characterization and Ground Modification Committees for the Geo Institute of ASCE. She is on multiple committees for the Home Builders Association, and serves on a committee for the Women In Transportation. Additional associations include the Association of Engineering Geologists and the American Public Works Association.

Typical Floodplain

On October 1, 2010 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began to require documentation of compliance with the Endangered Species Act prior to issuance of Conditional Letters of Map Revision based on Fill (CLOMR-F) and Conditional Letters of Map Revision (CLOMR).

To civil engineers, this means that you may be required to get U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documentation stating that your proposed fill area will not impact any threatened or endangered species or critical habitat.

SCI performs many threatened and endangered species consultations, and it has been our experience that getting approvals at the Federal level can lead to delays for your project. A formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be necessary to submit the required information for review. The turn-around time for the review can be slow depending on their workload, sometimes taking up to several months. It is important for you to incorporate adequate lead time during your project to allow for this process to occur. Submittal of a comprehensive site and project description package can advance turn-around time for the review process.

A copy of FEMA’s “Procedure Memorandum 64 – Compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for Letter of Map Change” may be viewed at: http://www.fema.gov/library/viewRecord.do?id=4312. For more information on the ESA you may also visit: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

SCI’s Natural Resource group has an excellent reputation and working relationship with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. If you have any questions regarding this new mandatory requirement or if you have upcoming projects you would like to discuss, please contact me.

Mike Hartoin, Senior Project Scientist, 618-206-3026 or mhartoin@sciengineering.com