> NEPA
> Field Studies
> Permitting
What is at the root of our success?
Our environmental team functions as a link between clients, engineers, scientists, agencies, and the public. Communication and technical competence are the foundation of our success.
Communicating on many different levels is an important strength of our team. When the public and agencies fully understand projects and their potential impacts, they can provide valuable input that helps us make the project as environmentally sensitive as possible. We have developed projects in both remote and urban areas, and we work well in multi-cultural settings.
Our technical competence is evident in the many successful projects we have designed over the years. We use creative solutions to support each community’s unique needs.
How is PDC different?
Several of our environmental professionals are engineers, giving them the unique ability to understand both engineering design and its potential to impact the environment. In addition, PDC’s environmental staff is able to work closely with our in-house civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers to develop context-sensitive designs. These strengths allow us to streamline the NEPA process and keep projects on time and within budget.
Our staff has the capacity, flexibility, and specific knowledge to lead all kinds of projects through the NEPA process requirements of numerous agencies, including the EPA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, HUD, and USDA.
Because design is in its earliest stages during the NEPA process, our contact with engineers and knowledge of the design process is especially helpful as we lead the planning and preparation of environmental documents. We understand the importance of identifying issues and needs early and have the strong research and analysis skills and extensive experience to complete the process smoothly.
Agency scoping and public involvement are also important aspects of the process. Agency scoping, the process of gathering and incorporating regulatory agencies’ input into the project, is managed from the beginning of the NEPA process all the way through the plans-in-hands. When we plan and execute public involvement plans, we work closely with local governments, tribal entities, and community members. Our project information webpage is a key outreach tool we use to keep the agencies and the public up to date.
To maintain project schedules, it is critical to identify early which field studies are needed. For impact studies outside the expertise of our own well-rounded staff, we subcontract with specialists. We have a long history of teaming with the best “ologists” in the State and we bring the talents of these past teaming relationships together to provide complete and excellent service for our clients.
Acquisition of environmental permits from federal, state, and local agencies can be cumbersome and time-consuming. We streamline this process by:
- Recognizing which permits a project will need
- Preparing permit applications
- Negotiating appropriate permit stipulations and/or mitigation with the jurisdictional agencies
Examples of permits, authorizations, and certifications that PDC routinely obtains for our clients’ projects include:
- Air quality certifications
- Coastal zone reviews
- Fish habitat permits
- Floodplain permits
- Local government permits
- Sanitation project authorizations
- Water quality certifications
- Wetlands permits
