Engineering Practice weekly Analysis

James Skrabak is head of corporate health and safety at CDM Smith. He is a certified industrial hygienist, his job is but not limited to assessing physical and chemical hazards to people in the workplace, as well as analyzing the business issues which come from industrial accidents, and the upside of minimizing them.

Direct and Indirect Costs:

Industrial accidents have two cost to the company they are categorized as direct and indirect. Direct costs to a business include medical cost since most expenses are paid out of pocket to avoid having to pay the high deductible may come from an insurance claim. Next is lost work, once an accident occurs a site may be closed for a substantial time while the accident is investigated or cleaned up. Lastly is equipment loss, in some cases equipment failure leads to an industrial accident, such as crane failure and the direct loss of equipment falls upon the business.

The next category of cost in accidents is the indirect cost which in most cases is 4-5 times greater than the direct costs. They include accident investigation which occurs to see where and how the accident occurred and whether OSHA standards are being upheld at the site, next is production delay since the whole schedule will be pushed back after an accident. Next, is training a replacement if a employee cannot return to work after an accident another must take their place this includes training and the cost of time lost doing this. Finally could be insurance premium which will undoubtedly rise if a claim has to be made after an accident.

The Indirect cost of an industrial accident are those which are not covered by insurance, they must be paid out of pocket and most often come out of the profit a project would be producing.

Why is Safety so important to businesses:

First of all you have to understand that firms are hired to solve problems not to cause them, a firm which has a strong safety record is desirable to an prospective client because it will most likely have the project occur smoothly without incident. Next is the EMR rating which is given to firms and is a rating of their safety history by insurer. Firms which have a lower more desirable EMR rating are often able to place lower bids because of lower insurance cost and in turn they become more competitive in the marketplace. Knowing this you can see that maintain a safe work site can be beneficial in the present and the future.

Responsibilities:

At worksite there are normally 4 major parties, they include: The construction manager, designers, contractor, and client, each have responsibilities during the extent of the project which are as follows.

CM:

• Stay on schedule and within budget
• Avoid “schedule pressuring”
• Meet quality goals
• don’t get anyone hurt

Design:

• Know and meet codes
• use proper material
• provide proper security
• Consider using prefab materials
• Safety Designed into project (tie off points)

Contractor;

• Proper training of employees
• using proper equipment

Client:

• Setting the tone for the project
• Informing all others of hazards
• monitoring performance

Conclusion
After this discussion understanding the importance of safety for not only human safety but for business and economics purposes can be understood. By following simple standards set out by OSHA and fulfilling simple responsibilities of the role you are playing at a work site the cost and time of a project can be reduced. The most important thing is to teach people is to work smart, 9 in 10 accidents are caused by human error not because of lack of standards. If we can reduce these mistakes in the businesses we work at in the future we can increase safety for our fellow employees and increase the ability of company to compete in the marketplace.

A little background…..the Superfund was set up by The 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response Cleanup, and Liability act. It gave the United States in particular the EPA the broad authority to clean-up hazardous material sites, and threaten sites which may present a danger to the public or environment. It also gave the EPA power to find the person/s responsible for the contamination and get them to clean up the site. If no party could be found responsible the EPA would clean up the site using funds from the Superfund (a tax on hazard producing companies for the protection of the public, and environment).

The Wells G&H Superfund site is located in Woburn, MA and was added to the Superfund list of necessary cleanups in 1982. The site was formerly occupied by a manufacturer of food processing equipment, a tannery, as well as an industrial dry-cleaning plant .The site includes three major aspect the water of the Aberjona River, groundwater beneath the site, and contaminated soil located where the former building where located. Soils at the site contained VOCs, polycyclic aromatic  hydrocarbons (PAHs), poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and  high concentrations of lead, chromium, zinc, mercury, and arsenic (U.S.  EPA 1993).

The case against former occupants…. In 1982 eight families in woburn filed a class action suit against the two parent companies that operated the facilities stating that they had mishandled and disposed of chemically improperly . These chemicals entered the groundwater  and then Wells G & H where they were ingested by local citizens and caused severe health effects include some cases of leukemia . Due to a strong legal defense the companies got away with the civil suit and settled out of court with the families for an estimated 8 million dollars.

In 1991 after nearly a decade of battling, the EPA settled with four companies which were at fault in the case for 70 million dollars. 60 million for cleanup which continues to occur on the site, 6 million for observation by the EPA during cleanup and 4 million for investigative studies carried out by the EPA. A fifth party continues to negotiate with the EPA to over a settlement. The settlement was a great show of the power CERCLA had given the US government to hold companies accountable for frivolous actions concerning hazardous chemical disposal and effects on the environment and citizens.

John Guswa provided key testimony in the cases against all parties held accountable in the wells G&H case, and is actively involved in the remediation which is still taking place at the site. He is hydro geologist and groundwater scientist. His expertise include analysis and remediation system for groundwater testing and restoration, and has provided expert testimony on numerous other trials concerning groundwater contamination.

Conclusion

The G & H Superfund site is a example of the ability and struggles of the government to find and hold liable parties which choose to knowingly or unknowingly dispose of hazardous material improperly and cause damage to the environment or citizens of this country. Although CERCLA (1980) gave the EPA power, companies will fight tooth and nail in court to avoid such charges as those present in this case. The EPA, as well as people like Mr. Guswa fight tirelessly to ensure people like this are held accountable and that proper technique are used when cleaning up and restoring the environment.

Intro:
The deer island water treatment facility is located on deer island on Boston harbor. The facility is a 3.8 billion dollar project to protect Boston harbor and the local wildlife from sewage pollution. The facility services the sewage in fluent from 43 communities around the greater Boston area.

The Process
The facility pumps in water thru four large tunnel the tunnels are equipped with ten 3500 hp pumps in addition to six 600hp pumps, and is equipped to handle 910 mgd per day.

After pumping the first part of the removal process begins. The influent is pumped thru a grit removal system which removes sand, gravel, and any other large debris which is shipped to a landfill.

Primary Treatment then occurs to clarify (50-60%) of the solid suspended particulate which are found in the influent, as well as 50% of the pathogens and toxins. This is done by gravity using 48, 186 ft tall 41 ft wide by 24 ft deep clarifiers.

Secondary Treatment occurs thru a series of mixers reactors clarifiers. This system removes non-settle able materials by a biological and other gravity processes. The processes use aerobic bacteria which naturally remove certain pathogens and other unwanted material . This process boosts removal to up to 85%

The next step in the process is sludge treatment which takes place on sludge which is built up from the first two processes in treatment. This process occurs in a process much like the stomach where natural bacteria eat the sludge. This process occurs in the 14, 130 ft tall 90 ft wide egg shaped digesters which are the most prominent feature of the island. The process produces methane and solid matter, the methane is used in boilers which burn to heat the facility as well as provide heat for the processes which occur throughout the facility. The remaining solid is moved off the island to a facility which is turns it into fertilizer which can be used for a variety of things.

Once the processes are complete the treated effluent is pumped out 9.5 miles thru a 24 ft wide pipe into massachussetts bay.

Conclusion

The deer island water treatment facility is a state of the art facility which protects the fragile water of boston harbor from the pollution of the large population which lives around its waters.  The facility performs an essential task for the commonwealth and is a great example of a facility which other metropolitan areas could employ.

On Tuesday November 6th we were lucky enough to take a tour of the John W. McCormack building in downtown Boston. The building was completed in 1933 and became the replacement for an overcrowded post-office and treasury building which had stood in its place in budding metropolitan Boston, it was funded by a $165 million dollar public buildings act passed in 1926. The building was rededicated to John McCormack who served as Speaker of the house for almost a decade in 1972.

In 2004 after decades of use the building was slated for refurbishment and renovation under a federal grant. The process took five years and upon completion the building was deemed a green building and is still functioning in full capacity as courthouse, post office, and federal offices. The building largest occupant is the EPA, including our tour guide Cynthia Greene.

The buildings renovation which began in 2004 wanted to modernize the building as well as preserve its historical side. The building was first constructed using as much local material as possible including granite from cities as close as Quincy (2 miles to the south). Almost all the materials which were taken down during renovation were restored and returned to use in the building keeping its historical heritage, and being sure to be as environmental responsible as possible. Upon completion the building was not only brought into the 21st century but it was done so responsibly and without giving up the historical feel of the building.

As i have previously said the building was defined by the federal government as a green building upon its completion, now what exactly does that mean. Being a green building means having a building which uses processes that are environmental responsible and resource efficient. This may include using energy, water or other resources efficiently, and also reducing waste and the buildings environmental footprint. The building construction surely was in the green state of mind, and so are the following processes which occur in the building on a daily basis. The lights in almost all the offices point toward the ceiling and use energy efficient bulbs, the light reflects off the ceiling, and spread more efficient then downward facing bulbs reducing energy usage. The building windows themselves serve two functions, they allow more like in so like usage is reduced as well as are very high in insulation ability. The next and probably most luxurious aspect of the build was the fourth and fifth floor roof gardens. The gardens are home to entirely native New England species and actually insulate the building as well. The garden also has become home to local species of small birds which nest there annually. Lastly, the roof has several water collectors which store rain water, and use it water the garden during the summer months when the sun can be brutal.t

The McCormack building is a great example of how modernization, and respect for both history and the environmental are attainable in building and restoration. Growing metropolitan areas can become environmentally responsible and reduce footprints by following some of the simple steps which the people who built the McCormack building took. If small steps like this can be taken and become the norm this will undoubtable help preserve precious resources.

Erin Margolius came to visit us and to discuss her work at CDM Smith. Margolius has had work as a civil engineer, environmental engineer and construction manager in her years in the construction division at CDM Smith. She has managed many construction  projects and discussed with us traditional and alternative methods of project delivery.

Margolius first discussed traditional delivery this usually occurs in the steps that follow; an owner will have a need for a new building or other type of design project. The owner will higher an engineer or engineering firm to design this project or building for him. The engineer designs the whole project to completion and is liable for any flaws in the design. After the completion of the design an owner will then have to go about finding a general contractor for the project. The job can either be private or public where it is bid upon by various company’s one of which will win the bid. Once this happen the project begins to be constructed and normal is completed in about 32 weeks (from design to completion). This process can be more complicated than alternative because it involves cooperation between three parties both of which have to be hired and contracted by the owner. In environmental engineering most of the funds provided and the owner become the state or municipality. In MA there are a very particular set of rules governing project delivery and if there is a desire to use alternative delivery legislative approval is required making it a difficult process which can often me held up by various political issues.

Now alternative project delivery of construction project is fundamental different than traditional in one major way that is the project is given to a firm which designs and building the project from beginning to end. This makes the owners life easier because it only requires one contract oppossed to work with an engineer and contractor in traditional. Alternative project delivery can also me known as a design build since one company is in charge of both of these project. The alternative delivery is a more desirable form of construction because it can short the entire process by up to 10 months, saving the owner money. This process allows the building process to begin before the design is finished and allows for changes an owner might suggest while the building process is occuring. This process is very good for an owner because it creates one point of responsibility which is the design/build team, and place the risk on them as well. This process takes the owner off the ropes for any design flaws and a compressed schedule reduces cost across the board.

Alternative Construction delivery has several advantages compared to its traditional counterpart; its only a relationship and contract between two parties simplifying communcation along the entirety of the build. This process also takes significantly less time and saves lots of funds. Finally this process allows the owner to make changes during the construction since the design and construction process overlap. In conclusion alternative delivery method seems to be a method which municipality should consider in the future since it will save public funds and creates a single point of responsibility should there be any issues with the project upon completion.

On October 17th Mr. Jay WeatherBee joined for a discussion on his 20 years of work in the wasterwater management field and his currently job at Veolia water. Mr. weatherbee currently works at a wastewater treatment facility where he is in charge of day to day activities which include mechanical upkeep and dealing with municipal politics. Mr. Weatherbee was kind enough to give us valuable information on the Treatment process which occurs in the typical plant.

Pre-treatment

The process begins when water from sink, toilets, sewers, and many other sources enters the head works building. In the head works building the first process to occur is screening, this removes roots, rags, cans and large debris from the inflow. These items are hauled to a landfill or if possible ground down and returned to the plants flow. The next step is known as grit removal, this removes sand and gravel from the flow and helps to decrease wear on machinery. The Next step is pre-aeration it is used primarily to remove grease and other oils from  the waster water, as well as to further freshen the water. The last pretreatment step is flow meter, this process is essential to effective and economical use of the station in treatment.

Primary Treatment

The only step in the primary treatment is Sedimentation and Flotation, this process includes wastewater being pumped into tanks where the solids are allowed to settle.  On the bottom of the tank there are usually special mechanism which push this sludge into a collection unit for further treatment, while oil and grease are allowed to rise and are skimmed off.

Secondary Treatment

The first step in secondary treatment is also the last in primary treatment its is the handling of waste solids in the tanks. In order to dispose of this solid aerobic bacteria and microbes are called into action these two combine to eat the solid and do most of the work. In order to promote bacteria production many tanks have air pumps which guarentees a plentiful oxygen supply for the bacteria. Some anaerobic digestion processes are also used these produce methane which is then pumped into boilers and used to produce electricity. This process is also known as activated sludge which refers to the activated bacteria in the sludge eating away and disposing of the solids and disolved solids thru natural processes.  The last step is disinfection this step is used to kill pathogens which cause disease which may have escaped the previous processes, they include typhoy, cholera, and dissentary. There are two methods of disinfection mainly in use today they are ultraviolet light, and sodium hypochlorite. Both have advantages and disadvantages which have to be weighed before they can be choosen for use. Ultraviolet light is very effective but requires a huge amount of energy use and can be very costly, which causes many political and social issues because of its use. Sodium hypochlorite is a cheaper solution when disinfecting but can cause residual effects in recieving stream so sodium bisulfite must be added to the waste waste to neutralize any residuals. The last step in this process is the outflow of effluent into a recieving stream or out through disfusers. These release points are regulated by the EPA/DEM and each plant has to remove different things from influent based upon location of release. The level are regulated by state and federal departments.

Conclusion th

Mr. Weatherbees discussion discussed some very interesting point in the process of wastewater treatment from beginning to end. His discussion on the use of biological process was especially interesting, showing us how understanding and taking advantage of chemical reaction can be very beneficial. The next point i found very interesting was Mr. Weatherbees discussion of the politics behind building a waste water treatment facility to its function and its discharge. Throughout the process the issue of money hinders activity and the bureaucracy of dealing with organizations at the state and federal levels can cause some real troubles. Lastly Jay’s discussion of Permitting was very interesting but did make a lot of sense, each station had to remove certain compounds, or materials this was based on their location and was very important based on where the outflow was being released so it would as little effect on the environment there as possible.

Mr. Stephan Parker was nice enough to join us for our next lecture. For the beginning of the lecture Mr. Parker discussed Career path one will take when entering the field. In the field it is important to be dynamic, because what you are doing at the start of your career most often is not what your doing at the end of it. This is the result of change over time in the following fields: politics, society, natural resources, and technology. Changes in any of these field change the demand for work and may result in job loss or change, being dynamic assures you can succeed in any change you may need to make. In order to stay at the top of your game and keep moving up the ladder Mr. Stephans suggested the following:

• Be flexible
• Maintain and Showcase your core strengths
• Improve upon your weaknesses
• Continue Education after graduation- this may include getting an MBA, PE Certification, or Toxin Use Reduction Certificate

Career Opps at Tetra
As a Large environmental consulting firm for profit Tetratech employs people in a variety of fields to fit the everyday needs of the work they are doing. Expertise in following fields can may make you desirable to employers such as TetraTech:

• Geology
• Hydro-Geology
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Construction Management
• Waster Water Management
• Business Management
• Regulatory Permitting

Using any of these field a person may be lucky enought to take part in one of the following career opportunities: Flood management, Groundwater treatment, Ports and Harbors, Site analysis, Restoration and Water management, Mines and Minerals, marketing, Monitoring and Compliance, Sustainabilty, Law and Policy, or International Aid.

The day to day work at a tetra tech work site in some of these fields can be divided in three categories:

• Daily Operation: This includes the peoples who come to the work site everyday and their jobs these include:
  • Team Leader: In charge of safety, and on site decisions
  • Chemists: in charge of sampling and testing
  • Field Scientists: In charge of Data Gathering
  • Project Managers: In charge of overseeing all these individials
• Logistics: equipment and travel which occurs on a daily base as well as:
  • Sampling
  • Quality Assurance
  • Subcontracting
  • Equipment
  • Training
• Organization: Probably most important because without this data means nothing, parts of this include:
  • Tagging Samples
  • Knowing what your recording
  • Knowing why your recording it
  • Knowing the instruments

These three important fields ensure that work at each of Tetra Techs worksites goes on safely and productively.

Military Installation Restoration:

The last subject Mr Stephans discussed was one of Tetra Techs largest contracts which is with the united states military to restore, revitalize, and re-purpose military site no longer in use.

Between 1920-1970 the united states decimated countless acres of landscape while building military bases of various size and purpose, throughout the united states. This was caused by the World Wars, and The arms race caused by the Cold War. After 1960 however when the sites where less needed the sites suffered from lack of career and became very run down. This created a major environmental issue because prior to the 1980’s united states military bases did not have to abide by environmental law. With the passing of the “Right to now act” and CERCLA, programs to find and fix military bases and disposal sites and return the land to the public where started. Fortunately for Tetra Tech the placed a win bid for te contract. They are now in charged of cleaning up, restoring, and re purposing various sites in the new England area. These include:

• The Brunswick Naval Air Station
• NCBC Davisville
• Weymouth Naval AirBase
• Cutler Maine Antenna Array
• Newport Naval Station

Each one of these sites has its own issues to be dealt with some where weapons research facilities,  some chemical testing facilities, and where sites of large PCB use. Mr. Stephans expertise was at the Newport Naval Station in Newport, former home of the the Atlantic Destoyer Fleet. This sites main issues include a water tower which for decades had been painted with PCB heavy paint and created a contamination area at its base. As well as a collection of 2 million gallon oil tanks, which where used to hold fuel for the naval ships which would come into port. TetraTech had the job of Demoing the tanks, Removing excess petroleum, and treating contaminated water. After which TertaTech was able to establish proper land use.

Conclusion: Mr. Stephans talk was very informative it brought to light that environmental sciences include a variety of professional expertise, which must work together to get work done everyday. It definitely highlighted the need for organization to ensure that work efforts of many can be analyzed, mean something, and be useful. Lastly the military installation restoration project highlighted the fact that in the past century the way we used, changed, and treated land was barely considered and as a result it did a lot of damage which still needs to be repaired. Furthermore, seeing the mistakes of the past environmental science will be used to avoid such mistakes in the future.

Mr. Mark Johnson was kind enough to join our class to discuss his work in Haiti after the terrible earthquake where he was able to assist in providing the people with basic necessities like homes, drinking water, and try to restore any sort of normality to their lives. The earthquake which took place in January of  2010 was not the strongest but to due overcrowding and lack of any type of reasonable building code structure after structure failed as the earth began to shake and these structures came down on unsuspecting Haitians injuring countless and killing so many that bodies couldn’t be counted only estimated by the truck load. A true human tradgedy but a chance for other to try and help show their humanity and to try by any means to get these people back on their feet.

The Haiti earthquake of 2010 only measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, and occurred along the Enrique-plantain garden fault, off the island of Hispaniola. The island was colonized for the growth of sugar cane by the Spanish in the 1700’s and was a major port in the slave trade up until it being made illegal in the 1820’s. The country is really deprived of natural resources which causes it to be the poorest on earth. As a result a earthquake of this magnitude in a country with such limited resources, poor disaster planning, and poor structural standards caused chaos. Days after the earthquake countries from around the world were trying to fly in assistance in any way possible, but due to poor logistics and major damaged to the airport it was almost impossible. Thankfully German engineering were able to repair the airfield and help began flooding from U.N. , US, and various countries.

The major issue was removing collapsed buildings, many of which still had bodies of the deceased inside the logistics of this were gigantic, hiring workers, moving debris, and removing bodies in a sanitary and respectful way. The large population of Haiti provide the workers many of whom were more than happy to help serve their country at its darkest hour. Bodies were first buried one by one it graves and numbers were recorded but when it became evident that the number who had deceased the grueling decision to bury people in mass graves was made. Debris was moved by large equipment and moved out of the towns and cities at a very slow pace because of its volume. It was a slow painful time.

The first major issues to arrive for the engineering was providing water and homes to the people who were currently deprived of both. The major issue with providing clean water to the population and restoring the flow was that the previous water system had thousands of taps off of it which where illegal and unrecorded in public records. This was due to a practice of dividing up a piece of land and subletting them to multiple familys. So basically they were building a new water system for a city which was already in place, and currently in ruins. As for home the solution can from another source, thousands of quick build homes where brought in and built under strict regulation, however they were very small and were suppose to hold large families.

The next aspect of the recovery operation was finding water for everyday use this came from a great idea; Rain water collection. The rainwater collection systems were attached to the gutters on the quick build home and collected enough water for familys to wash and for other general uses, but not for consumption. The water system was simple but effective and after analyzing data which included consumption, collection area, harvest collection, rainfall data, and volume they were able to streamline the collection process and analyze a family’s need. The systems were simple but effective and could be used in the everyday lives of other countries to reduce water use.

The tragedy that occurred in Haiti was the cause of a large population boom which occured after the tapping of deep water wells and the ability to get water to Port o prince. After a governmental change and deregulation of tons of things in the country this tragedy began to build for decades.

Using Rainwater in our own lives

the systems being used to collect rainwater could be used by any one in the U.S. . They could be used on farm in large scale to water plants and provide irrigation to crops this would reduce the need to abuse municipal water systems, and the need to produce large sums of energy need to pump that water to farms and homes. The rain water can also be used for the same purpose in a smaller scale at home were it can be collected treated and pressurized for use throughout the home. Removing dependence on the municipal water system again.