Growing Greener Grants Awarded

Blazosky Associates, Inc. (BAI) is pleased to announce that four recent Growing Greener grant awards are the result of its efforts. Together with WHM, a sister company, BAI will provide the environmental consulting services to achieve these projects’ goals  The following clients received grants:  Penn’s Woods West Chapter of Trout Unlimited, Peters Creek Watershed Association, Turtle Creek Watershed Association, and the Northumberland County Conservation District.  These grants were awarded by the PA Department of Environmental Protection, Growing Greener Grants Center.

Penn’s Woods West Trout Unlimited received $133,055 to design, permit and construct a stream restoration on approximately 1,000 feet of Little Pine Creek at Fawcett Fields in Shaler Township, Allegheny County.  Partners on the project include our sister company, WHM, Shaler Township, Allegheny County Conservation District, Pine Creek Watershed, and North Area Environmental Council.

Peters Creek Watershed Association received $59,055 to assess and develop a watershed management plan for the Peters Creek watershed in Allegheny and Washington counties.  BAI will coordinate the fieldwork, data management, mapping, and final reports for this exciting project.  Partners on the project include Allegheny and Washington County Conservation Districts.

Turtle Creek Watershed Association received $142,338 to construct a stream restoration and riparian buffer on approximately 2,200 feet of the West Fork of Haymaker Run, a high-quality tributary to Turtle Creek in Murrysville, Westmoreland County.  BAI and WHM are completing the final design and permitting and this project will start construction this fall.  Partners on the project include the Municipality of Murrysville, ten private landowners along Trouthaven Drive, and the Westmoreland Conservation District.

Northumberland County Conservation District received $79,000 to conduct a feasibility study to find treatment alternatives for Quaker Run, which is heavily impacted by abandoned mine drainage in the anthracite coal fields.  Partners on the project include the Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance.

BAI is currently preparing applications for the next round of Growing Greener projects and is accepting a limited amount of new applicants.  Please contact Craig Barris at 724-733-2060 for additional information on BAI and WHM capabilities.

Cross Creek Streambank Restoration

PaDEP Secretary McGinty Attends Brownfield Groundbreaking for the Fort Pitt Business Park Brownfield Project

Blazosky Associates, Inc. (BAI) performed site characterization for the Fort Pitt Business Park brownfield project in order to identify environmental conditions on the property that need to be abated.  BAI is overseeing the environmental remediation and will eventually obtain Act 2 Release of Liability for the site once it is redeveloped.

Pictured from left to right in the Groundbreaking Ceremony photograph are David Stoehr (site developer), State Rep. Tim Solobay, State Senator Barry Stout, PaDEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty, Scott Putnam (PBS&J Engineers), Craig Barras (BAI Pittsburgh), John Blazosky (BAI President), Mark Mayle (PBS&J Engineers), and Jim Bodine (Homrich, Inc. - demolition contractor).

BAI Selected as Qualified Stormwater Management Consultant

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Watershed Management has included Blazosky Associates, Inc. (BAI) on a select list of engineers qualified State-wide to assist consultants and developers in preparing quality erosion control and stormwater management plans and NPDES permit applications across the Commonwealth.  The plans will insure that best management design practices are employed to insure water quality. 

Engineered Rock Placement Area: PennDOT I-99 Acid Rock Remediation

The I-99/S.R. 6220 Project extends from the Village of Bald Eagle (I-99) in Blair County to the Mount Nittany Expressway (U.S. 322) in Centre County, just west of State College. During construction of this roadway, pyritic rock was exposed when large volumes of ground were excavated. Approximately 676,000 cubic yards of pyrite-laden material exists at 13 different sites within the I-99 corridor. One of PennDOT’s remediation goals is to move this pyritic rock material to an off-site location known as an Engineered Rock Placement Area (ERPA).

BAI was subcontracted by Wetlands Habitat Management, Inc. (WHM) to locate, design and permit the ERPA through the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The design incorporated basic landfill engineering principles including: subsurface investigations; surface water management; infiltrate management; waste management industry standard construction quality assurance and control plans; along with operation, closure and post-closure plans. On September 28, 2006, DEP approved PennDOT’s Water Quality Management Permit for the remediation of the moveable pyritic rock material.

BAI is now subcontracted by WHM to provide environmental, geotechnical, construction and operation related services for the construction and operation of the ERPA. Among other activities, these services are: Groundwater Monitoring and Sampling; Geotechnical Investigations; Pore Water Pressure Monitoring; Design Support Services; Construction Specification and Bid Documents; Construction Quality Assurance; Construction Certification; Operations Oversight; Water Management; and, Closure and Post-Closure Activities.

Veolia Environmental Services – Greentree Landfill

Veolia Environmental Services (Veolia ES) Greentree Landfill is on its way to becoming one of Pennsylvania’s newest green energy producers. The innovative renewable energy project, a partnership between Veolia ES and Beacon Landfill Gas Holdings LLC, was announced on January 12, 2007. The project will convert landfill gas into pipeline quality natural gas. The gas will ultimately be used to produce environmentally clean electric power while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
BAI is presently providing CQA Inspection Services for the installation of the five-mile main gas line from the proposed landfill gas cleaning plant to the existing transmission lines. BAI also provided geotechnical engineering services, as we coordinated and managed the field investigation (borings and test pits) and technical report for the gas cleaning plant.

BAI has completed a Phase II on property in the City of New Kensington, Westmoreland County.  The client for the project is the Redevelopment Authority of the City of New Kensington.  The project is part of a large-scale redevelopment of underutilized properties in the City.

Crabtree Concept Project

Loyalhanna Watershed Association was recently presented a $90,000 grant from the USDA to help complete a feasibility study.  The study will look at the synergies between biogas, municipal sewage treatment, and abandoned mine drainage treatment.  Municipal sewage treatment is already planned for the Crabtree area. The BAI team consisting of staff from the State College and Pittsburgh offices, GAI Consultants, and former PaDEP SW Regional Director, Chuck Durista, is charged with determining if the construction of a biogas digester and an AMD passive treatment system is feasible and beneficial to the sewage treatment processes and vice versa. The areas around Crabtree in Hempfield and Salem Townships, Westmoreland County is one of the most concentrated agricultural areas in Western Pennsylvania; therefore there are high hopes that a biogas digester in this area is very feasible.  There is also an AMD discharge into Crabtree Creek that averages 3,000 gallons per minute year round.  The BAI team will look into the most feasible treatment options to abate this pollution source.