L.R. Kimball

L.R. Kimball recently completed a Solid Waste plan update that included multiple counties in Northcentral PA

L.R. Kimball is currently overseeing the development of the largest regional solid waste plan in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  This project includes Lycoming, Union, Snyder, Montour and Columbia Counties, and will result in the development of a Solid Waste Management Plan to address the requirements of PA Act 101 for all five counties.

 

Kimball recently completed a plan update that included multiple counties in Northcentral PA. The GOAL was to develop a Logical, Practical, Implementable and  Defendable Regional Solid Waste Plan that meets the regulatory requirements and local needs of the 5 county region.   L.R. Kimball has:

 

• gathered accurate waste generation and recycling data, and to make realistic projections of future growth in population and waste/ recycling generation in the region
• identified current waste hauling and disposal patterns to accurately identify logical waste patterns for the collection, transportation and disposal of waste and the recovery of recyclables
• provided a professional assessment of available waste processing and disposal technologies within the region
• assessed the economics of waste management in the region to accurately reflect the regional marketplace
• analyzed ways to logically improve the quality of life and level of service to the region's residents and businesses
• identified improvements to the current waste management system to improve the economics, level of service, and support for   programs offered in the region
• encouraged input and feedback throughout the planning process to develop consensus for a preferred system of comprehensive waste management

Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Mandated Plan

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, each county is required by Act 101 to update its solid waste management plan every ten years.  The primary purpose of these plan updates is to ensure that sufficient landfill capacity is reserved to meet the solid waste disposal needs of the county’s current and projected future population for a ten-year period.  These plans, originally mandated decades ago as a response to widespread illegal dumping of trash and concerns about resulting environmental contamination, have grown to encompass a wider scope of research, information gathering, and the preparation of recommendations.  These plans typically include evaluations of new technologies, recycling services, public education and outreach opportunities, and alternative policy models for municipalities, with the goals of reducing waste generation, minimizing waste disposal, and encouraging increased recycling.

 

The Five-County Regional Solid Waste Management Plan effort began in 2008, when several counties entered into initial discussions to work together to craft a unique, regional plan that would more cost-effectively and strategically address the needs of the region.  Five counties—Union, Snyder, Montour, Columbia, and Lycoming—ultimately decided to work together and move forward with the regional concept.  A lead planner was designated by each county to form the Steering Committee, and Lycoming County was selected as the lead county responsible for coordinating all of the entities involved. Grant support was secured from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) to partially fund the planning effort.  Between 2010 and 2012, a consulting team was selected, initial public outreach meetings were held, several stakeholder work groups were formed, extensive research effort began, alternatives were discussed, and the resulting plan was drafted. 

 

In 2012, the result of all this hard work was brought forward for adoption, as the draft plan went through a nearly year-long vetting process:

• Five public meetings were held in June—one in each county at varying times of day to encourage public attendance.  Each meeting included a presentation summarizing the plan and a time for the public to ask questions and submit comments. 
• Each of the five counties formally adopted the Plan. 

The Plan underwent a ninety-day municipal ratification period.  PA DEP required each county to meet a threshold: Fifty percent or more of the municipalities must adopt the plan, and they must represent at least fifty percent of the county’s population.  We are pleased to report that municipal ratification threshold was exceeded by a wide margin in each county.

View the Regional Solid Waste Management Plan at:
www.lrkimball.com/five-county-regional-waste-plan.aspx

Design Engineering Services for Clinton Commerce Park

Clinton Commerce Park Phase I is a 75-acre mixed use development located adjacent to the Pittsburgh International Airport and currently being developed by the Allegheny County Airport Authority for warehouse and commercial development.

 

For Phase I, L.R. Kimball services included full site design and construction services for the development of the 75 acre warehouse district. Additionally, 2.4 miles of local access roadway to connect the Clinton Commerce Park development to a local Township road, providing the potential for additional future development were designed.  L.R. Kimball has also developed conceptual grading plans for future phases of the development.

 

Phase II services have included the design of a 6,900 feet extension to existing Sweeney Drive including two major cul-de-sacs, grading of the existing hilly terrain to relatively flat buildable areas in strategic locations to accommodate approximately one million square feet of building area, the design of all utilities to service the future development, as well as bidding and construction phase services.  The Clinton Commerce Park Phase II project is proposed to begin construction in the summer of 2013.

Water System Improvements for the Municipal Authority of the Borough of Ebensburg

L.R. Kimball is completing a $5,050,000 capital improvement project for the Borough of Ebensburg’s aging potable water system.

The Kimball project team provided complete project services including  planning, budget estimating, mapping, surveying, preliminary and final design, permitting, geotechnical & foundation design, construction plans and specifications, easement plats, PENNVEST funding support,  bidding, engineering during construction and full time construction inspection. 

The project includes improvements to the water treatment plant, replacement of deteriorated waterlines and valves throughout the system, installation of a Sensus FlexNet Fixed Network Advanced Metering Infrastructure water meter system, and a SCADA control system for the operation of the entire water system.

L.R. Kimball's Bradley J. Davis Promoted to Assistant Operations Manager

We are pleased to announce that Bradley J. Davis, PE, PMP, who has been with L.R. Kimball for over 15 years, most recently as a Senior Project Manager, has accepted the position of Assistant Operations Manager within our Civil Group. Over the years, Brad has successfully carried out numerous projects with the Washington County Authority, Allegheny County, Allegheny County Airport Authority and many local private developers. He will continue L.R. Kimball’s vision of working closely with the public and private community to successfully develop our region.

Nine Steps Towards Creating a Stormwater Utility or Agency

Across the nation, local government agencies are finding their stormwater systems in disrepair and are fearing that they will soon begin to fail, causing back up problems at homes and businesses.

Managing these stormwater lines and paying for the necessary repairs is a challenge for many agencies that typically do not have a dedicated funding source for stormwater management. 

To offset these challenges, local governments are beginning to form stormwater utilities or agencies that are responsible for enforcing stormwater rate structures and managing stormwater systems. These boards must meet stormwater management requirements mandated by state and federal agencies and provide the stormwater services needed for the municipalities, cities and counties they serve.

These utilities or agencies offer a new solution for local governments who are typically not prepared to address the critical needs of stormwater runoff. Stormwater utilities create a dedicated funding source by generating their revenue through user rates. “Use” of the system is the demand a property places on the stormwater system based n the stormwater runoff from the property. 

Creating a stormwater utility board or agency may be the best approach for many communities; however it requires much collaboration and planning. L.R. Kimball recommends the following steps in creating a stormwater utility or agency:

1. Create an advisory committee
2. Gather information
3. Develop the concept
4. Assess wet weather needs
5. Analyze stormwater funding options and implementation approach
6. Develop billing, collection and enforcement options and procedures
7. Review and assess rate method options
8. Prepare a rate study and cash flow analysis
9. Review stormwater utility implementation steps and schedule

Free Webinar: Developing and Implementing a Stormwater Utility Board in Your Municipality

Back by popular demand, we will be hosting our 2nd stormwater webinar focusing on stormwater utility boards next week!

If you are looking to learn how your community may benefit from a stormwater utility model, attend our upcoming webinar, Developing and Implementing a Stormwater Utility Board in Your Municipality, which will be held on Wednesday, June 8 at 2:00 PM EST.

During this webinar, we will present tactics that can help you resolve your stormwater headaches and develop a comprehensive stormwater quantity and quality program. We will also discuss:

• How a stormwater utility board is organized and how it generates revenue
• Start-up tips for implementation
• Common rate methods options

To reserve your spot, register here.

Natural Gas: To Avoid Stray Gas Migration, the Best Offense Is a Good Defense

As the level of Shale drilling activity increases, public and regulatory concerns about the impact that drilling may have on potable ground water sources, areas aesthetics and other natural resources also grows. One of these concerns is that drilling is a major contributor to stray gas migration.

The best way for owners and operators to manage stray case migration is to avoid incidents from the start. But even large scope of operations and the nature of drilling can put the most well-designed, engineered and implemented drilling programs and well installation activities at risk for stray gas migration.

To reduce the likelihood of this event, operators should conduct an appropriate and timely investigation of a reported incident. This will ensure that additional time and resources are not required to correct any possible investigation errors and will reduce the likelihood of costly, protracted litigation. Sufficient attention needs to be paid to background conditions and potential migration pathways to properly identify the true source of gas migration or other contaminant releases.

Proactive Surveying

What is the best strategy to protect the environment and nearby communities, as well as the time and resources of owners and operators?

Like other situations, the best offense is a good defense. Operators and owners wishing to generate objective data to support a claim that their wells are not a source of stray gas migration should consider conducting pre-drilling or pre-alteration surveys.

Marcellus Shale: Takeaways from Chesapeake's Recent Well Control Failure

>>> Guest post by Scott Roberts, P.G.

Blogging…..add this to something that I never thought I’d be doing. It’s very interesting new territory for a self-described ‘Fred Flintstone'. Nonetheless, I have been asked to provide you with my observations and thoughts on the hot button issues, legislative developments, misconceptions, events and any other items of interest that I may stumble across related to the drilling for, and production of natural gas. Given such a large field of inquiry and being a person with thoughts and opinions on most anything, I see no reason not to give it a go. 

So, how about ‘hot topics’? Chesapeake Energy's well control failure from two weeks ago continues to be in the news so let’s take a look at it.

From all reports it appears that, despite the fluids from the well reaching a stream, the stream’s ecosystems were not impacted. That is good news. But the bad news is that a well control failure is, obviously, a failure and, as such, should be prevented to the greatest degree possible. Some will say it never should have happened, others will say it can’t be fully prevented except by outlawing natural gas exploration and production. 

What I say is that we need to need to face the fact that we are all human and ‘to err is human’.  I say that the inalienable right recognized by the Declaration of Independence of the ‘pursuit of happiness’ by definition recognizes that not all pursuits will be successful and that, therefore, failure is also an inalienable human right. I say that, when those two premises are combined, perfection is not achievable.  Finally, as a conclusion to this line of thought, that how we deal with the failures that occur is a more important measure of character than the much more commonplace finger-pointing. So, I say, it happened. 

We should learn from it, and that we should use those lessons to minimize the potential for the same accident to happen again. 

The Exploration of Marcellus Shale - A Benchmark Special Edition

If you are a current, former client or colleague of L.R. Kimball, it's likely that you've seen a copy of Benchmark, a quarterly corporate magazine we have produced for nearly thirty years.

This quarter, we released a very special edition of Benchmark, The Exploration of Marcellus Shale.

Whether you are from one of the states that has natural gas trapped beneath it's surface or from another part of the country, it's likely that the Marcellus Shale deposit will impact you. 

By some estimates, this 500 trillion cubic feet natural gas supply could fuel up to 20 years of the nation's present gas consumption.

We invite you to download the special edition of Benchmark to learn more about the economic opportunities associated with Marcellus Shale, protecting our water resources, environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration and what it means for infrastructure.