Leadership Training in the Built Environment: One Engineer’s Perspective

The built environment (i.e., the man-made environments we live and work in) is developed by interdisciplinary teams of planners, architects, engineers, permitting and construction experts, and other professions. Given the complexity of building in today’s urban world, setting aside time outside of project delivery to connect—and learn from—each other is challenging. The Urban Land Institute (ULI) is the world’s oldest and largest network of real estate and land use professionals and with over 1,000 member organizations. ULI’s Northwest chapter is a thriving network of 1,000 professional members and facilitates connection and professional development opportunities in the region.

Aspect’s Associate Engineer Adam Griffin recently completed ULI’s six-month Center for Leadership (CfL) program with a cohort of 36 fellow professionals. Adam shares some thoughts on this program and the value of trying something different to grow professionally.

Adam (center left, middle row in solid blue shirt) and his Center for Leadership Cohort

 What was the program like?

My cohort was the 5th of the CfL program, which consisted of 6 sessions culminating in a team deliverable and presentation to the Puget Sound Regional Council. The regional ULI staff have refined a program that weaves leadership development into the region’s built environment vision, projects, and challenges. The leadership element is founded on your DiSC® profile[1] in the first session and evolves to sessions and projects where teams are designed based on leadership profiles. Session themes ranged from “Urban/Rural Divide: Finding Common Ground” to “Resilience in the Age of Disruption” and were hosted at some of the region’s coolest spaces (i.e., the Amazon sphere)—my favorite spot was Taylor’s Shellfish Farms on West Samish Bay on a bluebird day!

What did you learn?

A lot! Awareness of my Steady leadership profile (from my DiSC® assessment)—tendencies, strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for growth—and how to apply this awareness to my own professional growth. This program was a departure in how I’ve historically used my professional development time and I learned that when you step outside of your comfort zone, growth and learning are inevitable. I re-learned that relationships are the best investment of professional time. I also learned about the vision and ambition of our region, and what a tremendous opportunity we currently have to shape it.

[1] DiSC is a non-judgmental communication tool that stands for Dominance, Influence, Conscientiousness, and Steadiness. It’s similar to a Myer Briggs approach but focused on describing someone’s communications style—including priorities, motivators, and stress triggers.

Meet Jill Van Hulle and Jennifer Lawson!

Jill Van Hulle and Jennifer Lawson recently joined Aspect, in our (new!) Olympia and Seattle office, respectively. Here are five questions we asked to get to know them better…

Jill Van Hulle, Associate Water Rights Specialist

  1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

    I’m an Alaskan Girl to my core—grew up on Kodiak Island and finished high school in Juneau. I came to Washington for college and never actually meant to leave Alaska, but a summer internship with the Washington State Department of Ecology morphed into a permanent job and I never escaped!

  2. What inspired you to pursue Water Resources? What made you curious about it?

    I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t even realize the field existed—I thought I was interviewing for a job in the water quality program. For my first job task, I was handed a GPS unit the size of a car battery (it WAS a long time ago), dropped off with my hip boots in the middle of the Salmon Creek watershed in Clark County, and told to look for illegal water diversions. I was hooked!

  3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

    I love the nexus between water management, water law, policy, and science. Water Resources is exciting—I enjoy the variety of projects and people I get to work with.

  4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

    I like to build big campfires on my Cle Elum property and settle in with some whiskey (on ice) and maybe a good book. I also love to hike, especially if there is a chance to find mushrooms and dig for razor clams out on the Washington coast.

  5. Where would you like to travel next?

    I have a weakness for Hawaii and love to snorkel, hike, and eat buckets of poke from the local grocery stores. Longer range, I have good friends that do water supply work in Cambodia, and they have been begging me to go with them.

Jennifer Lawson, Environmental Planner

Icicle Ridge, overlooking Leavenworth, Washington

  1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

    I’m a rare Seattle native. I grew up in northwest Seattle. I moved away a few times and found I missed the green, the trees, the water, the mountain views, and my family.

  2. What inspired you to pursue Environmental Planning? What made you curious about it?

    My academic background is in forestry, botany, and landscape ecology. I spent a handful of years chasing seasonal field assistant and data collection positions, then two things happened: (1) I started to crave some creature comforts (living out of a backpack, alone or with one or two other smelly humans and being perpetually cold and hungry often left me fantasizing about hot water on demand, grocery stores, and an expanded social circle), and (2) I had a lot of time to stare at the stars and wonder why I (and others) do what they do: why do scientists study what they study? What is the application? How do we weigh and measure natural resource demands and desires with protection, conservation, and restoration of the natural gifts and ecosystems that sustain us and all life?

    I looked toward some of my mentors and discovered yes, they were scientists by training and loved wandering in the woods, but moreover, they were writing papers, testifying before congress and working in multi-disciplinary groups to tackle big concerns and craft comprehensive resource management plans. I am inherently a detail-oriented person and saw environmental impact analysis and environmental planning as ways to expand my big-picture thinking skills and maybe do something that had a practical application and served people as well as plants and fish.

  3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

    Environmental planning is by nature collaborative, changing, a little bit messy, and ideally grounded in reason and science. It requires people to look up and talk to each other, to engage, consult and consider people, populations, and elements they may not otherwise. It requires compromise and adaptive management. There has been a growing buzz about social and environmental justice this past decade.

    I see humans—individuals, societies and cultures—as an integral and inseparable part of the physical, biological and chemical processes that sustain them. Environmental planning is a powerful tool that offers the opportunity for inclusiveness and stewardship. I value and appreciate bringing stakeholders and ideas to the table, giving them a voice, and translating all the voices into practical, feasible and necessary strategies for managing and interacting with the natural and built environment.

  4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

    I need a lot of time walking outdoors to maintain my sense of grounding and being human, so I take any chance I get to walk, hike, or somehow plot one foot in front of the other and look at the sky. I’m also a nutrition science nerd and a podcast junkie. I can tell you all the ins and outs of “keto” and the autoimmune paleo protocol; walk you through a tailored elimination diet and reintroduction; and write a love letter describing the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-axis) and all the things we do in modern life to drive stress overload and knock that axis off-kilter. I love learning about that stuff. I also scratch cook most everything—out of necessity and interest—and am a total foodie at heart thanks to my years of restaurant and catering work to pay for school. Hanging out with my two wildly energetic and crazy daughters deserves an honorable mention.

  5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

    Travel hasn’t been on my radar for many years due to a collection of circumstances. I’d love to go to northern England and Scotland and work with modern-day sheepherders for a stint, preferably in the spring and summer months.

Robyn Pepin and Spencer Ambauen Talk Fish Habitat Solutions at River Restoration Northwest

The 19th annual River Restoration Northwest symposium is this week in Stevenson, Washington. Representatives from Aspect’s Seattle, Wenatchee, and Portland offices are attending to cheer on presentations by two of our colleagues focused on removing fish passage barriers in the Pacific Northwest.

Senior GIS Analyst Robyn Pepin’s presentation “Data-Driven Decision Making: An Innovative Prioritization Tool for Restoration (and more!)” showcases the methodology behind the GIS-based tool she created in partnership with the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board that synthesizes and streamlines numerous data sets to prioritize what barriers are most need of removal in the Wenatchee Basin.

Spencer Ambauen is presenting his poster on the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS). This bridge construction system is made from alternates layers of compacted structural fill soils and a mesh-like geosynthetic reinforcement that can be used in many subsurface and seismic conditions. For public agencies looking to replace hundreds of aging, undersized culverts and other structures hindering riparian habitat, GRS-IBS bridges are a less expensive option that are easier to construct and maintain. These bridges becoming more common across the east coast, but so far there have been only two constructed in Washington state. Spencer is well familiar with the GRS-IBS system; masters thesis involved numerical modeling to evaluate how these bridges behave under surcharge loading, and he completed design for an GRS-IBS bridge for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to enhance fish passage at Tolmie State Park near Olympia.

Advancing Washington State Water Law for Fish, Housing, Farming, and Industry in 2020

In November 2019, the “Foster” Task Force (referencing the name of the 2015 water rights case it was charged with reviewing) delivered its Water Resource Mitigation Report (Report) to the Washington State Legislature. As the Legislature meets in 2020, this topic may arise in the water bills that will be debated in the coming months. The Report provides an update on progress in the Task Force to define mitigation sequencing, the five “pilot” implementation projects, and how this effort is being integrated with Ecology’s Net Ecological Benefit guidance that was adopted in 2019 for permit-exempt well mitigation.

The issue of how out-of-time and out-of-kind mitigation will be evaluated and potentially codified by the Legislature is a critical question that affects future development in Washington (new housing, farming, and industry). It will also create a framework for how these important out-of-stream needs can be harmonized with fish recovery goals in Washington.

Aspect is currently facilitating two of the RCW 90.94 watersheds that are required to develop Net Ecological Benefit Watershed Plan Updates: Okanogan and Little Spokane. The Foster Task Force’s recommendations (summarized from the Task Force’s group which includes almost 20 members from state government, agencies, municipal water purveyors, tribes, farming, and advocacy groups) on mitigation sequencing may influence these plans that must be adopted by Ecology in early 2021. Aspect’s Dan Haller had the opportunity to present several mitigation projects Aspect has helped clients develop to the Task Force to help inform mitigation sequencing. Check out the report at this link to get up to speed with this emerging water issue.

Contact Dan Haller if interested in discussing the implications of this report further.

Happy Holidays from the Aspect Kitchen!

Click above for a look at a few selected recipes!

At Aspect, we knew we had Engineers and Scientists among us. However, it turns out we also have Bakers, Chefs, Pâtissiers—even Mixologists!

To celebrate the holidays (and really just as an excuse to eat more delicious desserts), we put a call out for our staff’s best dessert recipes.

Boy did they deliver – with 30+ recipes for cakes, pies, tortes, cookies, sweet breads, and even a vegan Whiskey Sour (that’s right, that’s not a typo). As good as the recipes are, the stories about why these treats are meaningful to the cooks are just as great. They bring the joys of cooking for one another to life.

Our marketing team put all the recipes together in a cookbook for our staff, and now we are sharing some excerpts with you!

Interested in the whole cookbook? Send us an email and we’ll send you back a PDF of the whole cookbook.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Robyn Pepin Talks Fish Passage Barrier Prioritization on GIS Podcast

Senior GIS Analyst Robyn Pepin was recently a guest on the GIS-focused podcast Will We Make it Out Alive?

In an episode titled “A Culvert Affair,” hosts Amy and Jen talked with Robyn about the Fish Passage Barrier Prioritization Tool she developed for the Upper Salmon Recovery Board to prioritize which culverts and other obstructions blocking fish passage should be removed first, and how she continues to adapt and improve it as needed for other agencies. Robyn also walks listeners the Flow Network tools she used to create the tool.

Listen to Robyn and other episodes of the podcast here.

James Packman Presents on Urban Environmental Planning to University of Washington Class

Aspect’s James Packman presenting on environmental planning as a profession to University of Washington students

Aspect Senior Hydrologist James Packman presented on environmental planning for the second year to a class in the College of the Built Environment at the University of Washington.

The students in the “Planning as a Profession” class learn about urban planning from a different guest lecturer each week who is a professional working in their field. James presented environmental planning from a holistic point of view—from the skills and interests that lead a person to the profession and the different disciplines working in the industry to the laws and regulations that drive project design, permitting, and building and examples of water-focused planning. His overarching message focused on interdisciplinary skills, and he gave examples of Aspect projects where collaboration between disciplines was vital to both win the work in a competitive consultant market and address the environmental elements.

One example of an urban planning project is Seattle’s SEA Streets Project, which changed several streetscapes in residential neighborhoods to decrease stormwater runoff.

For example, James discussed how planning and executing urban stormwater management projects – such as the City of Seattle’s innovative SEA Streets program in north Seattle – have many benefits: reducing stormwater runoff before it reaches the sewer and downstream water quality; improving habitat diversity; narrowing streets that make cars slower and increase safety, and increase street aesthetics and property values.

For the homework and in-class activity, James introduced the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). In small groups and guided discussion, the students learned about the many environmental planning elements required to complete a SEPA checklist. Through this exercise, they developed a list of skills and areas of knowledge required for each SEPA topic, which will be a valuable reference as they transition into their careers and work in urban planning.

Jill Van Hulle Joins Aspect's Preeminent Water Rights Team

Jill Van Hulle, Associate Water Rights Specialist

Aspect strengthens its water resources practice with the addition of Associate Water Rights Specialist Jill Van Hulle. Jill is a water rights evaluation and permitting specialist with over 25  years of experience focused on Washington state water law, water rights acquisitions, and transfers for public agencies and private industry. Jill will join Aspect’s growing Olympia office, expanding Aspect’s capabilities for clients in the south Puget Sound area.

“Jill is respected by clients, regulators, and peers as one of the most knowledgeable and savvy water rights practitioners in Washington,” says Tim Flynn, Aspect’s President. “We’re excited to continue to introduce Aspect to all the south Puget Sound and clients throughout Washington that Jill has built strong relationships with.”

Jill worked as a water rights consultant for the last 11 years, and before that had 15 years of experience working at the Washington State Department of Ecology. She brings in-depth understanding of many water rights permitting strategies that protect valuable water resources assets for clients. From relinquishment protection strategies to water banking, from new mitigated permits to transfers, Jill is working on innovative projects throughout Washington. 

 “I’m excited to join the Aspect team and honored to be a part of such a talented group of consultants,” says Jill.  “Within my practice, Aspect has long been considered as one of the best firms in the Pacific Northwest, and among the few that truly understand the complex relationship between the water resource practice and the technical world. I love their enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to both their clients and the environment. Aspect is a great fit for me.”

How to Deliver More Successful GIS Outreach Campaigns at NW GIS in Bend

Conducting a successful public outreach and/or marketing campaign using GIS is more involved than just publishing a web-map. Marketing, communication, design professionals, and a wide range of other professionals are increasingly seeing the value of map-based infographics to promote marketing and communication campaigns. Aspect’s Blair Deaver recently presented at the Northwest GIS User Group on how to conduct a successful marketing campaign that involves GIS. Blair has developed successful story map campaigns and he brought his experience on those to propose marketing tips outside of simply publishing your web map such as:

  • Messaging and Audience

  • SEO/SEM considerations

  • Engagement with marketing, communication, and management colleagues

  • Increasing Virality

  • Measuring Impact

In addition to Blair’s presentation, Aspect’s GIS crew was thrilled to learn their fish passage poster presentation — visualizing Aspect’s fish passage removal GIS tool — won the award for “Best Analysis.”

From left, Parker Wittman, Robyn Pepin, Emelie Crumbaker, and Blair Deaver

Learn more about the conference here.

Meet Bailey Rockwell and Rory Kilkenny!

Bailey Rockwell and Rory Kilkenny recently joined Aspect’s Seattle office. Here are five questions we asked to get to know them better…

Bailey Rockwell, Staff Scientist

  1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

    I’m from Dousman, a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. I knew I wanted to get out of the Midwest, so after graduating from the University of Minnesota, I took a job at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. I fell in love with the mountains and lived in a town in the San Bernardino National Forest for the last two years. Unfortunately, the career opportunities in the mountain towns are fairly limited to tourism, so I had a crazy commute—1 hour up and down mountain roads each way. Despite loving the location, it started getting old, and after visiting friends in Seattle I knew it was a place I could see myself. Seattle really is the best of both worlds, in that there is a great economy but also proximity to mountains and outdoor recreation. I found my job with Aspect and things just fell into place.

  2. What inspired you to pursue stormwater and surface water monitoring? What made you curious about it?

    I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone who has known me long that I chose water resources as my career. As a kid I was always fishing, swimming, or kayaking around lakes and streams. We started noticing bad algae problems in local lakes and I found myself wanting to learn more and more about what was causing it. In college I knew I was interested in environmental monitoring, but it wasn’t until I took a class called “Assessment and Diagnosis of Impaired Waters” that I really knew it was something I wanted a career in. I learned how interconnected every living system is to water and how surface waters can tell a story of what is going on in the area. Soon after, I found the opportunity to work as an intern for the Minnesota DNR in their Stream Monitoring and Surveys Unit and that solidified my path.

  3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

    I love having a deeper understanding of what is going on in a stream or stormwater system. It’s like a puzzle trying to figure out why parameters look the way they do and where pollutants may be coming from. In stormwater you are often just looking at water quality samples, but with natural environments there are so many different “puzzle pieces” of stream health: macroinvertebrates, water quantity, sediments, banks, water quality, plants, and wildlife. It’s so rewarding to me to really understand what is going on for the betterment of an area.

    What excites and motivates me right now is learning about riparian/stormwater trends in the PNW because my knowledge base is from the Midwest and Southern California.

  4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

    I spend a lot of my free time trail running, backpacking, and climbing. I’m really excited to see more of the PNW so if you have any recommendations or want a running buddy let me know!

  5. Where would your dream house be located?

    My dream retirement/vacation home would be in Bishop, California, a small town on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, between Yosemite and Kings Canyon. It’s stunningly beautiful and could not be in a better spot for outdoor recreation. There are 14ers, hot springs, world class bouldering, bristlecone pine forests, skiing, and close access to three national parks. It’s a special place, and I would highly recommend it if you haven’t been.

Rory Kilkenny, Project Geotechnical Engineer

  1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

    I grew up in the high desert of eastern Oregon on a cattle ranch. The first time I came to Seattle was after college nine years ago for a job interview and I haven’t looked back. I love Seattle during both seasons (summer and rain).

  2. What inspired you to pursue geotechnical/remediation engineering? What made you curious about it?

    I think I gravitated towards consulting in civil engineering because it requires many of the same personality traits and analytical skills that were mandatory when growing up working on a cattle ranch. Both careers require a person have enough observational skills to comprehend a problem and enough analytical tools to solve that problem.

  3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

    I love the creative thinking and real-world problem solving required to advance a design from concept to completion. Bridging the gap between remediation and geotechnical engineering has given me the opportunity to build and work with large multidisciplinary teams where we can all learn from each other. I get pumped about coming to work when I’m on a team that combines the expertise of geologists, scientists, engineers, and construction experts to deliver creative and effective solutions to a client.

  4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

    Sara (my wife) and I enjoy the normal Seattle extracurriculars like hiking, snowboarding, and going to music shows. We are also always on the hunt for the next great hazy IPA, so you can frequently find us at Ruben’s, Cloudburst, Urban Family, or Chuck’s Hop Shop. We’re avid Seahawks fans and are looking forward to Seattle getting a hockey team. We love meeting new people and getting dragged into new hobbies.

  5. Where would you like to travel next?

    Sara and I have a goal of summiting Mount Rainier next year, though that seems like a lofty goal right now.

Philanthropy in the Science and Engineering Industry: Our Approach

Like many professional services firms, Aspect promotes a giving back philosophy as a core part of who we are. Defining what philanthropy means to a company brings big-picture questions to ensure an equitable approach that makes the most impact – Is it simply donating money? Is it donating brain power and time? Who makes the decisions on where, how, and when to contribute?

Aspect recently went through a shift in how we approach donations of time and money, which culminated in less a top-down and more of a bottom-up, many voices program: something we call “ACT” or Aspect’s Community Team. We were honored to be featured in the latest issue of Engineering Inc, the American Council for Engineering Companies (ACEC’s) national magazine while we’re honing our approach. Read the feature here.

How does your organization coordinate charitable giving? Any suggestions for best practices?

Let us know and we’ll share your feedback.

Aspect Geologist and Parent Welcomes New Blakely Elementary School

Ali Dennison, Senior Engineering Geologist - Photo by Luciano Marano | Bainbridge Island Review

With a new school year upon us, the Bainbridge Island Review has an overview of the last days of construction on Bainbridge Island’s new Blakely Elementary School. Aspect’s Geotechnical Engineering group has been involved with the project since 2016, from initial design phases through construction of the new 51,000 square foot school.

Aspect was founded in 2001 on Bainbridge Island, and we take particular pride in the projects we work on in our hometown. It’s especially meaningful for our Senior Engineering Geologist Alison Dennison—her son and daughter will start third and first grade, respectively, in the new Blakely building. Read more about Ali’s geologic investigations to support the project in the Bainbridge Island Review article.

Attracting Talent – Simple Steps, Great Results

Lindsay Pearsall - Director of Human Resources

Earth science and engineering firms are in a buyer’s market in 2019. Anyone in a leadership position in the Architectural/ Engineering/ Construction industry knows the mantra of “Always Be Recruiting.” At Aspect, we are no different. Our success (and our clients’) hinges on our ability to find and retain the most talented consultants in our industry. It’s essential, then, that our Human Resources department takes a very thoughtful approach to finding and hiring this top-tier talent.

Recently, at RecruitMAX 2019 – one of the A/E/C industry’s top professional industry conferences—Aspect’s HR Director Lindsay Pearsall shared a segment of her approach with a presentation “How to Build a REAL Candidate Pipeline with Phone Interviews and Informational Interviews.”

Some takeaways of Lindsay’s presentation are:

  • Why treating your candidate like a client should be your #1 priority

  • Conducting informational interviews to go beyond your current hiring needs

  • Simple solutions, like how and when to follow up with individuals, to maintain relationships

Lindsay’s presentation stressed that hiring managers need to remember how difficult it is to be a candidate. By flipping the script and treating candidates like a client, we are able to humanize the experience. Whether someone is hired or not, they should have an expectation of a positive experience and feel valued as a professional and as a human.

See current job openings for Aspect here: https://www.aspectconsulting.com/careers

Meet Carly Schaeffer!

Carly Schaeffer recently joined Aspect as a Project Geotechnical Engineer. Here are five questions we asked to get to know her better.

  1. Where are you from? If you’re not from the Pacific Northwest, what brought you here?

    I grew up mostly in a small beach town in central California and then moved to the Bay Area for college. I came to the PNW to experience something new, and love it up here!

  2. What inspired you to pursue geotechnical engineering? What made you curious about it?

    Geotech was an easy choice for me. I’ve always been fascinated with earthquakes, and I like practical applications (rather than theory). Being a geotech meant I could study the things I was interested in, but also get to build things and see tangible results.

  3. What do you like best about your area of expertise? What excites you and keeps you motivated?

    My favorite part about Geotech is how much it is dependent on judgement. I enjoy the challenge of having to solve problems with limited information and having to consider a wide variety of factors. Geotech always keeps me engaged because every project is truly unique. Thanks to unpredictable site conditions, I’m constantly learning and being challenged as an engineer.

  4. What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

    I try to spend as much time outdoors as I can, although that’s tough in the winter for this Californian. I’m happiest in the water—I love to swim, kayak, and raft. I also really enjoy taking in all of the scenic hikes throughout Washington. I’m a big baker as well, and always looking for new recipes!

  5. Where in the world would you like to travel next?

    My sister is moving to Belgium soon, so I’m hoping to use that as an opportunity to explore the parts of Europe I haven’t seen—and of course, eat waffles! I’d love to go to Greece, Budapest, and Switzerland, and venture up to see the Northern Lights.

Carly out hiking at Mt. St. Helens

Clean, Cold Water at the Entiat Hatchery Means Healthy Fish

Earlier this spring, fisheries managers made a startling announcement: there would be no recreational salmon fishing in the Columbia River or its tributaries in 2019. Simply put, there weren’t enough fish to go around.

Aspect Angler Jordan Sanford with a catch on the Enitat

Then, the unexpected happened. Day by day and fish by fish, the number of salmon ascending the Columbia River grew. By early July, increasing counts of summer-run Chinook returning to the upper Columbia made it clear that broodstock goals for regional hatchery programs would indeed be met. On July 11, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife shared some exciting news: local anglers would have a salmon-fishing season after all.

As showcased in a recent article in the Wenatchee World, one reason for this year’s fishing season is strong returns of adult Chinook to the Entiat National Fish Hatchery. In 2014, Aspect hydrogeologists assessed the hatchery’s water supplies and rights, and the condition of their infrastructure. Aspect’s recommendations helped improve the hatchery’s access to a reliable supply of clean, cold water—one of many factors that contribute to healthy juvenile fish and hard-fighting adults at the end of an angler’s line.

Perspectives on Water Resources Engineering: Taylor Dayton in the Zweig Newsletter

Taylor Dayton, Project Engineer

Aspect’s Taylor Dayton was recently interviewed in the Zweig Newsletter on a range of topics — from transitioning from working at NASA as a biochemist to an engineer, to learning water rights legends, project management lessons learned, and navigating an early career in the water resources field.

Read about it here: Apple orchards and water rights

Air Quality Rule Change Means Lower Hurdle for Washington State Landfill Owners

The Washington State Department of Ecology is revising the air quality thresholds for toxic air pollutants (TAPs; WAC 173-460), based on best available science. These proposed changes have some significant effects for landfill owners looking to keep air quality good, protective of human health and the environment, and doing so cost effectively. The key proposed changes are:

The last flare this landfill in Port Angeles will ever need. When the gas is no longer combustible, reliable treatment will be provided by biofilter technology – made easier by recent updates in air quality criteria.

  • Two of the most conservative constituents commonly found in landfill gas, benzene and vinyl chloride, will have higher thresholds (by factors of 3.7 and 8.9, respectively).

  • The threshold for hydrogen sulfide – a common driver for odor control in landfill gas – did not change. However, biofilter technology is showing promise as an economic and reliable method for polishing treatment.

  • The threshold for trichloroethene went down by a factor of 0.4. This constituent has also been commonly found in landfill gas, and the new threshold may or may not change our clients’ treatment obligations.

What this means for landfill owners is that air quality compliance should be easier to demonstrate. This means:

  • Downscaling treatment at older landfills can focus on odor control instead of destruction efficiency for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as TAPs.

  • The costs associated with flaring landfill gas can be re-directed to biofilter technology for polishing treatment for odor control.

  • The schedule for ending or minimizing post-closure obligations associated with landfill gas treatment can be accelerated.

Next Steps

This rule-making process is on-going, and details of the process are provided at Ecology’s website: https://ecology.wa.gov/460rulemaking.

A hearing on the re-calculated air quality thresholds is planned for July 16, 2019, and comments are due be July 23, 2019.

Barring delays, the new rule on air quality thresholds becomes effective in late October 2019.

For more information on what the implication of these changes for landfill owners and managers, contact Associate Engineer Peter Bannister at (206) 780-7728 and pbannister@aspectconsulting.com.

Dave Cook Discusses Consent Decrees, Cleanup and Ecology’s Healthy Housing Program for Contaminated Sites at the WA Brownfields Conference on May 30, 2019

On May 30, Aspect’s Dave Cook will co-present on affordable housing development from the environmental consulting perspective at the Washington State Brownfields Conference in Spokane.

Brownfield properties represent opportunity. Dave will talk about innovative ways to turn blighted property into affordable/work force housing. Aspect’s first-of-its-kind work on the Mt Baker Housing Association’s Gateway project in the Mt Baker/Rainier Valley neighborhood in Seattle has become an example of what is possible. Mt Baker Housing Association (MBHA), as a non-profit, took on a significantly contaminated site to redevelop as affordable housing where the cost of the cleanup is more than the value of the five properties combined. Dave will join Scott O’Dowd of Ecology, Conor Hansen of MBHA and Mike Dunning of Perkins Coie to describe how these properties were purchased, investigated, liability managed, and the cleanup financed—all keys that made this pioneering project successful and sparking the State’s new Healthy Housing program .

Contact Dave (206.838.5837 and dcook@aspectconsulting.com), or learn more about prospective purchaser consent decrees, funding, and redeveloping contaminated land for affordable housing at https://www.aspectconsulting.com/affordablehousing