The Guardian Building
500 Griswold Street, Suite 1650
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(877) 963-8870

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Energy



Air Quality Services

bullet We developed and negotiated an Air-Permit application for a new 65 million gallon per year ethanol plant in Ohio. This permit was challanged by a group that didn't want to see the plant built by the proposed construction manager. The application successfully withstood the challange.

bullet We developed and negotiated an Air-Permit application for a new, clean 500-megawatt power plant for prevention of significant deterioration and non-attainment review. After significant review and comment by both the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the US Environmental Protection Agency, the permit was issued. Unfortunately, partly because of the added expense dictated by the agencies to control oxides of nitrogen (an attainment pollutant) to a process that is magnitudes cleaner than its competitors, construction has not yet started on this facility.
bullet We performed a strategic review for developing 60-megawatt combined-cycle power plant on West Side of Michigan in terms of air quality permitting issues. We reviewed two siting options and outlined permitting issues. There were significant regulatory differences between the sites and our review was used to help determine the most cost-effective site. One site would have required a Federal New Source Review air permit and the other site could have been permitted through the state permitting system without the special federal add-on equipment requirements.
bullet As part of a competitive bidding process, we assisted a major gas development company by performing a dispersion modeling study to determine maximum ambient impacts and appropriate stack heights for a carbon dioxide removal plant with reciprocating engines. Through this process, the company had a much better understanding of the potential risks that they would encounter through the air permitting process.
bullet We developed a synthetic-minor air-permit application and negotiated the permit for reciprocating engines to serve a natural gas storage system. We developed an innovative procedure to monitor continuous compliance based on a pre-approved stack testing protocol, thereby saving the customer from the uncertainty associated with a Best Available Control Technology review for the compressor station.
bullet We prepared a synthetic-minor air-permit application for gas turbine addition at a natural gas compression station. In this case, the synthetic minor status saved the company from the uncertainties of performing dispersion modeling on existing nearby sources. This permit was issued within 3 weeks of application submittal.

Environmental Management Systems

bullet Remote facilities pose challenges for environmental management. We developed and performed multi-media "mock inspections" for a number of utility field stations. In addition to testing the level of robustness of the environmental-management system at the stations, this work resulted in a much better understanding by the station operators of the environmental aspects of their operation. This program was designed to minimize fear and maximize learning. Each participant was able to use the system to successfully deal with an inspector. Each participant saw the process as valuable to his or her understanding of the issues.
bullet Fast access to environmental information is critical for large and small operations. We worked with a software company for corporate wide installation of material safety data sheets and SARA right to know modules for a gas transmission company.

Environmental Services

bullet When a chronic oil leak threatened the property at a compressor station, we managed the investigation and remediation and then prepared the Closure Report for this voluntary remediation.
bullet We prepared FERC Air and Noise reports for a number of complex projects. We have also developed data for facilities to present to the public concerning the noise impact from their operations. Our public relations and community consensus building skills added value.
bullet We developed a successful strategy to mitigate community-noise impacts due to directional drilling. This project was to construct a new pipeline across a major river that is also an international border. Single-family residences, condominiums and medical offices were directly adjacent to the site. After measuring background ambient-noise levels, we developed an innovative system of partial enclosures, barriers and attenuation equipment to keep noise impacts below guidelines. During the construction process, we monitored the noise, and fine-tuned the mitigation to minimize noise impacts at the sensitive receptors.
bullet We prepared a checklist-based process to perform the required weekly environmental inspection services for construction at a natural gas compressor station. We also developed a training procedure that the construction manager implements at the site. The process we use provides additional detail than required by the FERC inspection process and we take the responsibility to perform the inspections each and every week during the construction, thereby outsourcing this process and leaving the Company’s people to manage other important tasks.