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Our Ongoing Commitment to You
By
Brian J. Beahan, P.G., President
 With
this e-newsletter, which will have several informative articles
for your benefit, we roll out a slightly revised company
"tag line". It is designed to convey our ongoing
commitment to you, our clients, and the solutions we endeavor to
offer each of you. Over the past twelve and a half years, we
have matured into a diverse company with professionals,
partners and associates of varied and diverse backgrounds and
career experiences - all working together to provide whatever
environmental solution our clients need. In a recent strategy
session, our leadership concluded that it isn't often that a
client or prospect calls with an environmental challenge that
we don't have the capability to solve. We made it a point to
build a company that mirrors this vision - namely one of total
environmental solutions. Although we are never truly there,
rather we're on a continuous journey of ongoing improvement, we
feel our firm, which includes partners and associates with whom
we enjoy long-lasting relationships, has developed to a point
that it is time to market ourselves as follows:
Alternative Environmental Solutions, Inc. (AES) - "Your
source for client-centered environmental solutions." Please
let us know how we may serve you, and enjoy the September issue
of Common Ground.
Warmly,
Brian J. Beahan, P.G.
President
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Hello and Welcome Back
-By Jude
Horton
"Life is a progress, and not a station." -
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Alternative Environmental Solutions has seen a great deal of
progress this past year. We continue to strive to build upon
our reputation of intelligent, quality solutions while keeping
our client's needs and wants in the forefront.
We have had the opportunity to bring on board two new additions
to our staff, (Matthew Kichman, Senior Environmental Sales
Associate, and Kerk Halberg, Scientist I) and to welcome back a
familiar friendly face (Bill Gable, Accounting Manager.)
AES would like to introduce these gentlemen in their own words:
Matthew C. Kichman recently joined Alternative
Environmental Solutions as Senior Sales Associate. He is
responsible for the business development for the Lancaster, PA
office. Prior to joining AES, Kichman, a degreed environmental
scientist, was employed with ETS as their National Accounts
Manager. In that position, he successfully negotiated national
agreements with several large corporations and generated $8.5
million in sales in one year. Matt is also a recognized expert on
solid and hazardous waste transportation and disposal issues,
and is working with the AES team on a number of site
remediation projects.
 Kerk Halberg has
a Bachelors of Science degree from Kutztown University in
Geology. His environmental experience includes retail petroleum
work in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Additionally, he has also
worked on Manufactured Gas Plants and performed Phase I and II
site remediation work. Kerk currently holds a New Jersey
Subsurface Evaluators License. His goals are to take the
Pennsylvania Professional Geologist exam in 2010 and become a
licensed Pennsylvania Professional Geologist. In his spare
time, Kerk enjoys playing golf when the weather allows and
watching Philadelphia sports.
 Bill Gable is
pleased to return to AES after a three year hiatus. His areas
of expertise include corporate finance, the development and
implementation of policies and procedures, technology, and the
creation of reports to assist in the effective management of
the business. Outside of AES Bill is actively involved in the
life of his church family, sings in a barbershop quartet, and
enjoys spending time with his daughters. Bill is a stylish
dresser, owning a stunning array of breath-taking Hawaiian
shirts.
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The Maryland Stormwater Management Act
of 2007
-By
Philip Donmoyer, P.G.
 During
the early 1980's the Maryland general Assembly noted that
"the management of stormwater runoff is necessary to
reduce stream channel erosion, pollution, siltation and
sedimentation, and local flooding, all of which have adverse
impacts on the water and land resources of Maryland." The
program designed in the early 1980's to address the General
Assembly's finding concentrated mostly on controlling runoff
increases and mitigating water quality degradation related with
new development.
The counties and municipalities in Maryland were tasked with
the responsibility for overseeing the stormwater management
programs that "maintain after development, as nearly as
possible the predevelopment characteristics" These
counties and municipalities performed remarkably well in
establishing Maryland as a national leader in stormwater
management technology. Over the past several years, tens of
thousands of best management practices (BMPs) have been
constructed in an attempt to meet program directives. However,
the knowledge obtained since Maryland's stormwater statute was
enacted has identified necessary improvements and also the need
to refocus the approach to fulfill the original intent of this
very important water pollution control program. Based on this,
the "2000 Maryland Stormwater Design Manual" was
created and incorporated the knowledge gained by the State's stormwater
community and provided much needed improvements for managing
urban runoff.
On October 1, 2007, the Maryland Stormwater Management Act of
2007 (Act) became effective. The Act requires that the Maryland
Department of the Environment (MDE) adopt rules and regulations
which establish criteria and measures for stormwater management
that that utilizes environmental site design (ESD) to the
maximum extent practicable (MEP). The goal, as before, is to
maintain predevelopment stormwater runoff characteristics after
development has been completed. The MDE recognizes that more
guidance will be needed to effectively implement the changes in
the 2007 Act. Therefore, the MDE is developing design examples
that utilize real world examples to demonstrate and illustrate
how ESD may be applied to residential, commercial, and linear
roadway projects. Many of these ESD techniques will require the
assistance of an architect or landscape architect in the final
design.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you need assistance, or
you can obtain additional information from MDE's
website and search for stormwater regulations.
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Proposed Rulemaking: PA Chapter 245
Storage Tanks - Operator Training
-By Matthew C. Kichman
Below is a summary of the upcoming changes to current PA
storage tank regulations.
The rulemaking contains the Comprehensive Underground Storage
Tank (UST) Operator Training Proposal required under federal
Energy Policy Act of 2005. A few highlights of this are:
- Aug. 8, 2009
deadline for development of program (Rulemaking).
- Aug. 8 2012
deadline to have all operators designated and trained
- Affects
approximately 3,500 tank owners and 8,700 UST facilities
There are three distinct classes of UST Operators, however, one
person may be designated for more than one class of operator
with no limit on how many operators a facility owner may
designate. The classes are as follows.
- Class A
Operator - Primary
responsibility for UST facility, includes managing
resources and assigning personnel. (Owner, Environmental
Manager must be able to get to site in 24 hours)
- Class B
Operator - Daily on-site
responsibility for UST operations, monitoring equipment, maintenance
and record keeping. (Site Manager must be able to be on
site in 24 hours)
- Class C
Operator - Daily on site
responsibility for addressing emergencies, such as spills
or releases. Routinely monitors retail sale and dispensing
of product (regulated substance). (First responder )
It is a requirement that Classes A and B receive formal,
DEP-approved training - the training approval process is
already contained in the current regulations. This would rely
on industry trainers, as opposed to DEP staff, for formal
training and testing. there will be reciprocity for other
state's (EPA approved) training teams. current training course
rates vary nationally from approximately $200 to $500.
Owners may contract with a DEP certified tank installer or
inspection company to serve as the Class A or Class B operator
for their facility.
Within six months after the final ruling, written emergency
procedures will be required for Class C operators.
A few additional pertinent facts:
- Training
documentation should be retained by the owner and readily
available.
- A list of
facility operators and emergency procedures should also be
available on-site.
- There should be
a compliance check during a facility inspection by a third
party or DEP staff.
For more details, please contact Alternative
Environmental Solutions. We can be reached by email or toll-
free at (888) 844-2371.
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Just in
Time - Energy Reducing Lighting Solutions - Federal Tax
Incentives (EPACT 2005)
- By Dereck Garner
 Alternative
Environmental Solutions (AES) has made significant strides to
provide energy reducing solutions to help combat recent and
continued concerns of energy rate deregulation, which in many
States have and/or will increase energy rates greater than 35%.
Many are becoming aware that the deregulation of energy rates
will significantly affect commercial operation expenses and
have sought AES' professional staff for energy conservation
solutions. Our commercial lighting solutions reduce energy
consumption significantly, therefore offsetting electrical rate
increases. We have not only found lighting solutions that ease
the nuisance of energy rate increases, but provide reduced
environmental hazards including a reduction of hazardous
mercury content, and a reduced carbon footprint to the
environment.
Energy efficient lighting has recently become an excellent
solution for today's commercial lighting energy concerns. The
US federal government has recognized the large impact to the
environment by reducing energy and has therefore enacted tax
incentives for technologies that reduce energy consumption. On
August 8th 2005 the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005) was
signed into law to encourage the purchase of energy efficient
technologies by providing tax credits that ease the cost of
initial energy technology expenditures. Lighting has been
emphasized and encouraged because of the ease of upgrading and
the dramatic energy savings from readily available new
technologies, although heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning (HVAC), hot water systems, and building envelope
designs can additionally qualify. According to EPACT 2005,
those who reduce energy consumption by greater than 25% up to
50% that exceeds the ASHRAE 90.1-2001 standards for lighting
are eligible for tax credits of $0.30 to $0.60, respectively,
per square foot of illuminated area. This tax incentive has in
most cases covered a large and significant portion of energy
efficient lighting installation project costs, and has
therefore had a significant impact to the return of lighting
investments.
The EPACT 2005 tax credit for non-government buildings is
available to the owner or the entity that has paid for energy
reducing renovations. Qualifying projects made by a government
entity may allow the allocation of deductions to the person
primarily responsible for designing the property renovation in
lieu of the owner of the property. Compliance for such energy
reducing projects is determined by third party inspectors who
review the plans of energy reducing renovations utilizing
software that is certified by the Department of Energy.
The EPACT 2005 tax incentive initially was due to expire in
2009; however the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 had extended this tax credit until 2013. Persons or
companies pursuing this deduction or energy efficient lighting
solutions are encouraged to consult a tax expert, and/or AES
for further details.
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Seeking
Employment?
-By Brian J. Beahan, P.G., President
We are always interested in speaking with qualified
professionals to join our team. We appreciate your referrals of
business and now are seeking your referrals for qualified
environmental and geologic consulting professionals. If you
know of anyone who is seeking a change and a challenging new
direction in their career, where creativity and
solutions-oriented thinking really make a difference, please
pass on our contact information.
Find out more....
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Our customers have approached us with problems,
we've understood what needed to be done and we've provided
appropriate solutions. Our mission statement, indeed our company
as a whole, is centered on meeting this objective. May we put our
quality, client-centered environmental solutions to work for you
too?
On behalf of the staff of Alternative Environmental
Solutions, Inc., I invite you to experience the value we add to
your business.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Beahan
Alternative Environmental Solutions
email: aes1@altenv.com
phone: 717-517-5000
fax: 717-517-5004
web: http://www.altenv.com
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