EA Honored with Environmental Excellence Award for Michigan Sediment Remediation Project

Hunt Valley, Maryland (9 July 2019)—EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC (EA), a leading provider of interdisciplinary environmental services, announced today that it was honored with the 2019 Environmental Excellence Award for Environmental Dredging by the Western Environmental Dredging Association (WEDA) for its environmental restoration design of the Former Zephyr Refinery Fire Suppression Ditch project located in Muskegon, Michigan.  The award was presented on 5 June at WEDA’s 2019 Dredging Summit and Exposition held in Chicago, Illinois.

This project restored a 13.6-acre wetland, removed 48,870 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, and successfully treated another 1,370 cubic yards of sediment onsite.  EA’s efforts began with intensive site investigative activities, including spatial modeling, to accurately identify the extent of sediment requiring remediation.  Using the resulting data, as well as data from a habitat evaluation, EA’s design team prepared construction plans and specifications, cost estimates, and secured permits for the project remedy, which included a cofferdam, water treatment system, dewatering pad, haul road, petroleum pipeline protection, staging areas, and water supply pipelines.  Employing innovative methods and technologies, EA engineers developed an adaptive design approach that provided the flexibility necessary to successfully address site challenges, which included limited site access, dewatering, and unforeseen site conditions.

“EA is honored to win this prestigious award,” stated Jeff Boltz, Ph.D., Senior Vice President.  “Our design team continued to meet ever-changing project demands with progressive approaches and it is their dedication that kept the project on time and on budget.  The success of this project is one more example of EA’s engineering and project management expertise in the field of contaminated sediment remediation.”

Other project partners recognized for their contributions included Sevenson Environmental Services, Inc., dredging contractor; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, project owners; and Illinois Indiana Sea Grant, West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission, and Muskegon Lake Watershed Partnership, for providing community outreach and local support.  The project team put into action the project partnership model of the Great Lakes Legacy Act and worked collaboratively to build a better environment, improve recreation, and positively impact the community.

About EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC
EA is a 100% employee-owned public benefit corporation that provides environmental, compliance, natural resources, and infrastructure engineering and management solutions to a wide range of public and private sector clients.  Headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, EA employs more than 500 professionals through a network of 26 commercial offices across the continental United States, as well as Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam.  In business for more than 45 years, EA has earned an outstanding reputation for technical expertise, responsive service, and judicious use of client resources.  For more information about EA, visit www.eaest.com.

CONTACT:
Melissa Smith
EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Inc., PBC
225 Schilling Circle, Suite 400
Hunt Valley, Maryland 21031
410-329-5116
masmith@eaest.com
www.eaest.com