One textbook definition of pollution is, “A substance present in greater than natural concentration as a result of human activity that has a net detrimental effect upon its environment or upon something of value in that environment” (Environmental Chemistry, Ninth Edition). Not bad, but even this definition is loaded with qualifiers. For those of us who have environmental management responsibilities, we need to clearly understand not only the textbook definition of...
Read MoreFive Environmental Resolutions for 2015
It’s that time of year again, time to make some resolutions for the New Year. Here are some potential environmental resolutions for you to consider as you begin to plan your 2015. Resolve to Reassess Long-Term Remediation We begin here because, for many companies, this can be a major expense and headache. The operations and maintenance on your groundwater remediation system and the quarterly or semi-annual monitoring costs add up pretty fast. A good starting point is to...
Read MoreDragun Associates Earn Professional Designations
Congratulations to Dragun Associates, Katherine Rey, Andrew Tymec, and Khaled Chekiri, who have earned professional designations in 2014. Environmental Professional Katherine Rey was recently awarded the “Environmental Professional” Certification from the Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board (CECAB). The CECAB is responsible for overseeing the administration, evaluation, and approval of the Environmental Careers Organization (ECO), Canada’s certification...
Read MoreWater Discharge Results in Significant Fine
Here’s a riddle: You can drink it, you can bathe in it, and you can brew your coffee or tea in it – but if you discharge it to a river, you can get fined – a lot! Answer: Water Here’s the background: Environment Canada fined Norellco Contractors $185,000 after it pleaded guilty to one count under the Fisheries Act. There were two separate releases of “chlorinated water” that resulted in the fine. Discharge Events The first record of a release was on June 26, 2012, when...
Read MoreVapour Intrusion from TCE – The Politics and the Science
One of my colleagues in our US office recently completed presenting a series of five environmental seminars that spanned several months. The seminars were part of continuing education classes for a group of real estate professionals. His role was to provide an update on some of the more recent environmental regulatory developments. One of the main points he focused on was vapour intrusion (VI). My colleague said, “The group had some lively dialogue at these seminars about...
Read MoreEnvironmental Site Assessment Essentials for Remediation Success
As a geologist with more than two decades of environmental experience, I am admittedly biased, but I will tell you, without hesitation, that if you have any hope of succeeding in your environmental remediation efforts, you must spend the necessary time up front in assessing your site. In fact, if you have ever been to any of our seminars or webinars or have read any of our articles, you know that the Dragun culture is one based on being very meticulous. While it may seem...
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