Environmental Health & Safety

BIOTECH FIRM

Following a non-compliance citation, a biotech firm hired GEC to help negotiate with the EPA, resulting in an 87% reduction of proposed penalties, from $155K down to $20K.  Further, GEC conducted an EHS compliance audit, identified regulatory deficiencies, prioritized tasks, trained employees on hazardous waste, IATA, DOT, and wrote environmental procedures to get our client into compliance.  In addition, GEC wrote and certified our client’s Toxics Use Reduction Plan, filed Form R & S reports, and introduced them to OSHA’s VPP program for free safety consulting services. 

PLASTICS MANUFACTURER

Our client, a plastics manufacturer, was concerned about its workers’ exposure to airborne contaminants inside the facility. GEC was hired to assist in evaluating all indoor air quality issues. GEC collected samples, inspected ventilation and exhaust systems, and discussed recommendations for improvement.  Gaining full appreciation of the air issues, our client asked GEC to prepare a revised air quality permit application as the company was expanding and had outgrown its original permit.  GEC also continued to perform site assessments of new buildings acquired during the expansion, and later assisted during DEP regulatory inspections and enforcement proceedings to settle on a mutually agreeable resolution to all outstanding issues.

HOSPITALS

GEC, as subcontractor for two Massachusetts hospitals, filed periodic air quality emission reports (SSEIS) with DEP, as well as Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know annual Tier II Reports.  GEC was also consulted on asbestos permit questions during a building demolition and renovation project.  Further, GEC audited the hospital’s autoclaving of infectious waste and tested their cooling towers for Legionella bacteria.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIRM

Our client, a large property management firm, asked us to help prepare emission reports for its large facility boilers. Before submission, GEC discovered overcharges levied by DEP for a system previously closed and applied for a rebate, resulting in $13,000 returned to the client from DEP.  GEC also advised this client on hazardous materials compliance issues with tenant companies who did not have required permits or had outgrown their initial permits.  In performing site assessments, GEC oversaw regulatory closure of a former printed circuit manufacturing company that was successfully converted to multi-use commercial spaces.

MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURER

GEC designed a wastewater pretreatment system, including a mercury trap, for our client’s laboratory wastewater to assure capture of heavy metals.  Subsequently, when the company expanded and moved to a new building, GEC handled the wastewater permitting for the new site and regulatory closure at the old site.   When our client’s success put the company in the category of Large Quantity Generator, GEC handled reclassifying their status with DEP and trained their employees in the proper handling and management of hazardous waste.

AIR QUALITY PERMITTING

Our client needed a new air permit for its large cement storage and transfer terminal.  The challenge was new barge unloading and distribution equipment, including dust collectors sized for barge unloading of dry cement at a rate of up to 600 tons per hour.  GEC successfully worked with DEP during permit review to allow some construction activities to proceed in order to keep the project on track.  Our team coordinated regulatory site inspections, wrote the performance test protocol, and coordinated standard operating and maintenance procedures for our client.

PAINT & COATINGS COMPANY

Compliance requirements are not always obvious. Formal management systems, such as ISO14001, often go beyond regulatory requirements. Our client, a paint and coatings company, hired GEC’s multidisciplinary team to assure its requirements were met.   Services included permitting, hazardous waste training, response to regulatory inquiries, audits, TUR Plan and certification, required Form R & S toxics report filing, as well as preparation of Safety Data Sheets, and periodic wastewater sampling and reporting.  The company continued to meet their recertification under ISO and never received a Notice of Non-Compliance during GEC’s responsibility for outsourced services.

CHEMICAL COMPANY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS CERTIFICATION

GEC staff provided training and support as our client, a chemical company, achieved ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) certification.  Using GEC’s “toolbox”, the company satisfied state regulators that its EMS actually reduced the likelihood of serious events.  As anticipated, with ISO 14001 in place, subsequent compliance incidents resulted in reduced penalties and the facility received expedited permit modifications.

MARINE PORT SUSTAINABILITY

GEC responded to a major marine port’s desire to document its “beyond compliance efforts” using GEC’s “Stages of Sustainability” approach to drive toward its goal of becoming the “greenest port” in the world.  The GEC team analyzed the port’s EMS and participation in U.S. EPA’s Performance Track and comparable state program to provide a roadmap for future excellence.

LAW FIRM’s & REAL ESTATE COMPANY’s GREENING EFFORTS

Operation and maintenance costs of office space can be significant whether you are the lessor or the lessee. Using an “opportunities” approach, GEC surveyed both occupied space and support systems and revealed a wide range of actions that would result in a greener path, providing significant payback for the firms.  The greening process was challenging since both small and large tenants coexisted in the same buildings that the firm occupies. GEC interfaced with building management and janitorial services to improve overall building performance and sustainability.