ZMassociates experts help companies maintain compliance with strict state and federal hazardous waste, mixed waste, universal waste, and solid waste regulations and policies that can disrupt or cripple a company trying to do the right thing.
Our consultants have developed checklists, management tools, databases and guides to solve simple and complex waste management problems.
Hazardous Waste Permitting
At Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, one of the largest and most complex Hazardous Waste and Mixed-Radioactive Waste facilities in the United States, ZMassociates staff led preparation of the Renewal Application for the RCRA TSDF Part B Hazardous Waste Permit. Due to our substantial regulatory experience, ZMassociates was able to effectively guide the client through the massive regulatory requirements to prepare this 11-volume renewal application. ZMassociates experts were instrumental in making strategic changes that reduced the regulatory burden and the complexity of the permit application, resulting in a reduction of permit conditions. In addition to leading preparation, ZMassociates also acted as auditor by reviewing the permit application using the RCRA Permit Checklist written by the California Department of Toxic Substance Control (DTSC). This permit complies with the California Code of Regulations Title 22, Division 4.5, Chapter 20, DTSC regulations 66270.10 through 66270.73 and other applicable Division 4.5 Chapters and federal EPA regulations.
For a large U.S. Marines flight base located in Southern California, ZMassociates staff provided field and analysis support in preparation for the required hazardous waste pollution prevention annual review and update report. This involved interviews with key operations Marines staff, inspection of documentation, inspection of all waste-generating facilities, and guidance for modification of the current practices and operations plans.
Air Consulting
ZMassociates developed and implemented a robust data management system for a private client located in Southern California. This system was designed to store and analyze air monitoring data necessary for the reports required by local air agencies and the federal EPA. The information consisted of air monitoring data, cancer risk calculations, and dispersion modeling results.
For one of the largest utilities in Southern California, San Diego Gas and Electric, ZMassociates has performed complex modeling and research for emission factors for on-road and off-road vehicles used in the Sunrise Powerlink Transmission line project, one of the largest projects of its kind. This included several different classes of helicopters, conventional and non-conventional construction vehicles. ZMassociates updated emission factors for off-road engines being upgraded/retrofitted for the project then modeled the updated information, allowing for significant reduction in EIR/EIS calculated emissions. This work provided much more accurate, documented and defendable estimates of the project’s emissions, allowing the client to better negotiate emission offsets and mitigation measures.
ZMassociates is currently in the process of determining emissions from all onroad and offroad equipment involved with construction of the Sunrise Powerlink Project. This includes helicopters, non-conventional construction vehicles, delivery vehicles, and offroad engines being upgraded or retrofitted for the project. ZMassociates will work with contractors to determine emissions compliance, and will submit quarterly reports to the CPUC and the BLM. The Sunrise Powerlink Project is expected to cost $1.8billion, and will take approximately 18 months to construct.
ZMassociates, as a subcontractor to ICF International, performed research and made recommendations on best practices in the field of refrigeration. This included researching the types of refrigerants used in cold storage warehouses, and leak prevention measures for refrigeration systems. These findings will help the California Energy Commission and the California Air Resources Board develop a new performance standard for Title 24, Part 6 of the California Energy Code.
At a site of major contamination effecting the entire Los Angeles basin, ZMassociates developed and implemented a system for recording and analyzing air monitoring data for cancer risk calculations, and dispersion modeling. This data was reported to local air agencies and the federal EPA.
Water Quality and Permitting
For a Southern California refinery, ZMassociates performs quarterly groundwater monitoring sampling, generating electronic files for submission to the Regional Water Quality Control Board and DTSC GeoTracker on-line data base tool. ZMassociates staff prepared numerous storm water permit applications and renewals following California and EPA-NPDES guidance and requirements.
For a Northern California wine consortium, ZMassociates consultants utilized the EPA Water 9 model to determine applicability of strict air emission permit thresholds for volatile organic compounds. An evaporative model was used to determine estimated emissions from waste water streams and ponds.
For a large petroleum distribution facility, ZMassociates permitted an oil-water separator and negotiated monitoring requirements and change in operational practices to reduce the waste stream managed by the separator.
Multimedia Support and Compliance
At a Southern California asphalt refinery, ZMassociates performed an environmental audit using Dakota software auditing tools to document the refinery’s environmental compliance status. The results of this audit were reported directly to the EPA Region 9 enforcement group and the California Attorney General offices.
For a new iron ore loading and unloading facility at the Port of Long Beach, California, ZMassociates staff are preparing all environmental regulatory permits and providing guidance during design and development. This work includes regulatory guidance, regulatory agency support, negotiation support, requirements identification, permit development, CEQA analysis, and development and design considerations analysis. The following agencies are involved in this work: the Port of Long Beach, California Air Resources Board, South Coast Air Quality Management District, and Harbor Commission.
Environmental Health and Safety
For a private university, ZMassociates developed environmental, safety, health, and security programs that reduced exposure and risk to the students, faculty, visitors, and the university. These practices also helped educate students and faculty on systems thinking and ways to increase the university’s sustainability.
To assist a Southern California oil refining and oil production operation, ZMassociates staff designed, prepared and developed the written program, and assisted in implementation of an Environmental, Health, and Safety Management System (EHSMS) designed to meet the ISO standard (14001 and 18001). This new approach became a cost-saving venture for the company, and provided greater assurance to the regulatory agencies that the company was aware of all regulatory issues. This also became a way to increase public support for the operations.
For a large biotechnology firm, ZMassociates developed a strategic environmental, health and safety stewardship plan that extended beyond basic compliance and best management practices to take the company to the forefront in effective economic planning, environmental stewardship and social responsibility. This move solidified the company’s leading role in the global biotechnology market.
Stategic Environmental Support
ZMassociates staff worked with the Oregon Secretary of State, Bill Bradbury, and the Oregon Sustainability Board to bring sustainability to Oregon school districts across the state. Working with statkeholders, ZMassociates helped develop a compendium of best management practices to improve environmental, social and economic practices in Oregon schools and conserve public funds.
In California, ZMassociates developed a project based learning model which creates community solutions that can bring neighborhoods, schools, industry, government, and the military into a communal approach to solve common environmental problems in a way that creates community.
ZMassociates staff helped a high technology firm identify and reduce unnecessary expenses buried in a complex organization with a high-level audit of environmental performance and costs. Our staff rapidly identified several opportunities to eliminate or reduce spending and taxes, which amounted to an annual savings of $500,000.
To help a retail manufacturer, ZMassociates staff developed a method for managing the laws, rules and attitudes in the global marketplace governing chemical substances in its products. We created a plan for a global restricted substance database. With this database, the company could easily keep abreast of all regulations, policies and issues around the world. This innovative solution reduced the company’s risk in selling to other countries and drastically cut costs, while minimizing the threat of damaging lawsuits.
Modeling and Risk Analysis
ZMassociates created risk calculation models for a large Southern California water supply consortium that is required to demonstrate compliance with federal EPA’s thresholds of 10 in a million excess cancer risk. This required custom generation of AERMOD dispersion modeling ramped to the California OEHHA HARP Tier 4 model. ZMassociates developed monthly risk modeling and sampling reports requested by the federal EPA and the local air district.
For Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, ZMassociates consultants are updating the human health risk assessment required as part of the RCRA Part B hazardous waste facility renewal application. This assessment involves complex emissions inventory and quantification, AERMOD dispersion modeling, and ultimately a risk analysis for the air pathway using exposure assessment algorithms.
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