Click on image to see larger view - CEI cleaned up contamination and obtained all environmental permits for this marina site.

CEI cleaned up contamination and obtained all environmental permits for this marina site to move forward with an expansion project.

CEI works for a variety of clients in industries and agencies who have manufacturing or maintenance facilities that require environmental permitting or design.

The photo above shows a site where CEI did hazardous waste remediation and permitting for all environmental permits triggered by the site's coastal location and work within waterways. Work included sampling and analysis; remediation of contamination; permits including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Chapter 91 and 404 Permits; State Water Quality Certification (401); local wetlands permits; and point source discharge permits. Other typical industrial services include:

Air quality modeling and permitting
Wastewater treatment design and permitting
Waste stream analysis and process modification to meet permitting limits
ISO 14001 consulting services and pre-audit reviews
RCRA and other environmental permitting
Pollution prevention or TURA reporting
SPCC Plans
EPCRA reporting
Employee training

Understanding

CEI's approach to each project is to first understand how the project fits within the regulatory framework. The second step is to identify the most expedient method(s) for getting the project through the regulatory process, and presenting these alternatives to our client. We have found this approach to be both cost-effective and expedient.

Reducing Costs

Although each project may go all the way through the steps of characterization and remediation, CEI has found that there are often more expedient and less costly routes to the same end. By understanding the regulations intimately, we often can reduce the scope of work significantly.

Saving Time

CEI has developed many methods for reducing overall cleanup schedules on hazardous waste sites. Some relate to regulatory approaches, as highlighted above, while others focus on making sure the site is evaluated only to the level needed - eliminating excessive monitoring well installations, borings and sampling - and instead focusing on meeting appropriate cleanup goals. In this way both cost and schedule are often considerably reduced.

Air Quality Permitting

Our work areas within this category include many types of projects done for a variety of industries in Massachusetts, including:

Stack Monitoring
Compliance Audits
Stack Design and Modification
Scrubber System Design
Gas Monitoring

Understanding

CEI's approach to each project is to understand our client's processes and objectives thoroughly before beginning. An in-depth understanding of the processes combined with our extensive regulatory knowledge often leads to reduced costs and permitting requirements.

Reducing Costs

Although it is easier and allowable to calculate emission rates by assuming 100% volatility, we have found that usually there are some other emissions that can be subtracted. By eliminating this "double counting" from the total emissions, we can often save money and preserve the client's future expansion options.

Saving Time

CEI has developed a streamlined permit procedure that can cut permit time significantly. As a result, we have finished air permits that normally take three to six months in 30 days.

Environmental Auditing

CEI's environmental auditing services range from simple audits for certain processes to full scale ISO 14000 audits. The firm has worked for many New England manufacturers, in some cases doing multi-facility, multi-state audits for environmental compliance, including the development of Environmental Compliance Manuals and Training Programs for individual facilities to limit the owner's personal liability for compliance issues. CEI's wide array of services include:

ISO 14000 Audits & EMS Development
Development of Compliance Manuals
Training Programs
Periodic or Regular Inspection Services
Toxics Use Reduction Filings

Understanding

CEI's approach to each permitting project is to identify the permits and agencies involved, and how they are related to this schedule. Our in-depth knowledge of the regulatory processes involved helps in avoiding conflicts.

Reducing Costs

As the client advocate, CEI works hard to assure that permitting efforts do not turn into excessive study efforts. In many cases, study efforts can be minimized by making compromises with agencies in terms of their need for new data.

Saving Time

Since many permits are related, it is important that they be filed in the correct order and on time. By working directly with regulatory agencies, CEI can often reduce the time involved to gain environmental permits for projects.

Wastewater

CEI has worked extensively in sanitary and process wastewater treatment for industries. Our services have ranged from troubleshooting processes that aren't meeting permit limits to full design and construction services related to new wastewater package units and custom built units. Services include:

Process Troubleshooting
Package Specification and Design
Treatment Additions & Modifications
NPDES Filings

Stormwater

CEI has been doing stormwater permitting and drainage design for industrial facilities since the firm's inception in 1987. CEI did a number of individual stormwater permits as well as general Phase II stormwater permits since that time, and has also done extensive work in the development of new and innovative stormwater best management practices (BMPs) that fit into today's regulatory picture.

CEI's areas of expertise include:

BMP Modeling
Drainage Evaluation & Design
Hydraulic Evaluation
Phase II Stormwater Plans/Filings
Pollution Prevention Planning

Understanding

Storm water handling can be complex for industries, with the potential for spills creating special issues around loading docks, hazardous waste storage areas and dumpsters among others. Monitoring, if required, can be expensive.

Wastewater issues can also be difficult depending on the waste stream characteristics. Companies need reliable, inexpensive treatment that will dependably meet permit limits.

Reducing Costs

Industrial waste streams are our specialty, and we have designed many effective wastewater systems for industries such as platers, semiconductors and laundries. We understand how to design an effective system.

Our knowledge of the accepted BMPs and regulations related to storm water often allows us to save our clients money. In the long-term, designs that are appropriate for each site's peculiarities also save maintenance costs. We are also quite familiar with several methods to reduce monitoring and study costs through composing and modeling.