Upcoming Events
Past Events
Upcoming Events
Indiana Bat and Northern Long-Eared Bat Rangewide Programmatic: Overview and Use of IPaC for Consultation
Monday, May 17, 2021
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
Originally executed in 2016, the Range-wide Programmatic Consultation for Indiana Bat and Northern Long-eared Bat has provided consistent, effective, and efficient Section 7 consultation throughout the range of the species. However, even though Pennsylvania has successfully implemented other programmatic consultations for listed species within the Commonwealth, the range-wide programmatic hasn’t been integrated into project development at quite the same level. Therefore, the goal of this presentation is to revisit the purpose of the range-wide programmatic, provide an overview of the processes for informal and formal consultations, and discuss how the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) system is used to process programmatic consultations.
Presenter: Jon Crum, Multimodal Safety & Environmental Specialist, USDOT/FHWA/PA Division
Registration Deadline: May 14, 2021.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $10 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar
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May 17, 2021 Webinar
May 17, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
The Use of Geophysics in Environmental Consulting
Friday, June 11, 2021
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
Although geophysical tools and techniques have been used for decades in the Environmental Consulting business, site characterizations have been aided by recent advances in geophysical technologies. The proper utilization of advanced geophysical methods can greatly facilitate the solving of problems on geo-environmental projects. This presentation will illustrate how geophysical tools have been successfully deployed to characterize the subsurface conditions and to solve problems related to environmental and geotechnical projects. This presentation will include a discussion of several geophysical techniques and case histories of recent geophysical applications for a wide variety of projects.
Presenter: Scott Wendling, P.G., Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
ARM Group LLC
ARM Geophysics
Registration Deadline: June 4, 2021.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $10 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar
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June 11, 2021 Webinar
June 11, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Purpose & Need
Thursday, August 12, 2021
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
Sound transportation projects start with sound planning! Properly identifying and documenting transportation problems early in a project’s life cycle are key to developing a project’s purpose and need for NEPA documentation and analyses. Purpose and need serve as the foundation of a project and identify what the project is intended to accomplish and what transportation problems are to be addressed. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) through its recent PENNDOT Connects initiative and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) through its Planning and Environmental Linkages initiative, encourage early collaboration with planning partners and the use of information developed in planning, such as purpose and need, to inform the NEPA process. During this session PennDOT and FHWA specialists will share valuable tips and methods showing how information collected during planning via PennDOT Connects can be utilized by NEPA practitioners to better document transportation problems/needs during Project Scoping and in NEPA documents.
Presenters: Scott W. Duncanson, AICP, Env Sp, LEED GA – Gannett Fleming, Inc.
Nicole Auker – Environmental Planner – PennDOT
John (Drew) Ames – Environmental Planning Manager – PennDOT
Barbara Shaffer, AICP- Federal Highway Administration PA Division
Registration Deadline: August 10, 2021
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $10 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar
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August 12, 2021 Webinar
August 12, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Thermal Discharge Compliance
Monday, November 15, 2021
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
All facilities discharging heated water to Waters of the State must comply with federal and/or state water quality standards for temperature. Thermal discharge limits are specified in a facility’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the discharge outfall. The point of compliance may be at the actual outfall or at the edge of a specified mixing zone.
If compliance with water quality standards cannot be achieved, the discharger may request a variance under the CWA 316(a) and/or applicable state standards. Typically, this will require a suite of studies to demonstrate that the water quality standards are more stringent than necessary and that a proposed alternative thermal limit has not caused appreciable harm and will ensure the protection and propagation of a balanced indigenous community on the water body receiving the thermal discharge. If compliance has not recently been demonstrated through studies, the Director may require new studies be completed to ensure compliance.
A brief summary of the EPA guidance, study requirements, and a case study will be presented.
Presenter: John Dimitry, M.S. PMP, Senior Scientist at ASA Analysis & Communications, Inc.
Registration Deadline: November 12, 2021.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $10 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar
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November 15, 2021 Webinar
November 15, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Public Outreach and Environmental Justice Considerations in Transportation Planning and Project Delivery
Monday, December 6, 2021 at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
The presentation will briefly examine or present:
- Overview of the Presidential Executive Order #12898(what it is and what it isn’t)
- Consideration of Environmental Justice in Transportation Planning
- Consideration of Environmental Justice in Transportation Project Development
- A brief synopsis of Emerging Issues associated with EJ for Transportation.
Presenters: Federal Highway Administration, PA Division
Jennifer Crobak, AICP, Planning Program Mgr
Jon Crum, Multimodal Safety & environmental Specialist.
Deborah Suciu Smith, Sr. Environmental Protection Specialist.
Registration Deadline: December 3, 2021
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $10 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the
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December 6, 2021 Webinar
December 6, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
SUSTAINABILITY 101
Thursday, February 24, 2022
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
“Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This is the Brundtland Commission’s definition of ‘sustainable development’ in their 1987 Report of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development, as they sought to consider the “interrelationships between people, resources, environment and development.”
The concepts of sustainability continue to evolve today, over thirty years later, and are increasingly important as we already are experiencing negative impacts due to climate change. We’ve seen an increase in extreme weather events, increased flooding due to sea level rise, destruction of ecosystems and hotter temperatures. Based on data and trends, scientists predict the impacts related to climate change could get much worse, unless we take significant action. The potential effects of climate change are far reaching and can be difficult to grasp as we live our day to day lives.
In this webinar, we’ll take a step back and discuss what sustainability is all about, how we got to this point, and why it’s important. We will also focus on what we can do as individuals, companies, and organizations to be more sustainable and combat climate change.
Presenter: Vlad Odarchenko, Senior Project Manager, Environmental & Sustainability at ACT Engineers, Inc.
Mr. Odarchenko is an environmental scientist with more than 20 years of experience in site investigations, remedial actions and sustainability. He is currently pursuing accreditation as a Certified Climate Change Professional through the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), and currently serves as president on PAEP’s Board of Directors.
Registration Deadline: February 22, 2022
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $20 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the
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February 24, 2022 Webinar
February 24, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Entrainment Survival:
Using Science to Defy Misconceptions
Thursday, April 14, 2022
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
Environmental regulations often require that a permittee comply with criteria which may be defined as thresholds that cannot be exceeded or minimum thresholds which must be met. Science is often used to develop these criteria, but there are times when adequate science simply does not exist. Often in such cases, an extremely conservative approach is taken when establishing the criteria. One example of this is the regulation of thermal discharges under the Clean Water Act and parallel state regulations. Originally, without data demonstrating otherwise, regulators assumed that all entrained organisms (zooplankton, fish egg, fish larva) would die during passage through a cooling system, and required dischargers to use technologies such as closed-cycle cooling systems, flow reduction measures, or fine mesh screens at intakes. If all entrained organisms were fated to die as a result, then any of these would provide some degree of impact reduction.
Since the 1970’s, site-specific studies using an evolving set of sampling gear and techniques have successfully demonstrated that substantial portions of entrained organisms can survive the process. These studies, several of which will be described, provided regulators with the science to override the default assumption, and allow a more informed selection of the site-specific BTA that reduced overall environmental impacts and compliance costs. Attendees will learn the importance of site-specific regulatory determinations, and how scientifically-defensible studies can reduce costs and improve environmental outcomes.
Presenter: Brooks Fost, VP and Senior Scientist, ASA Analysis & Communications, Inc., a certified MBE/WBE
Registration Deadline: April 12, 2022.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $20 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar.
“The purpose of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals is to promote environmental education, research, planning, assessment, review, and management through the formation and operation of a nonpolitical multidisciplinary professional society.” The content of our webinar series is not developed by PAEP, but by the presenters themselves.
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April 14, 2022
April 14, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Journey to a more Sustainable Pennsylvania
The first public road paved with a waste plastic binder modifier
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
Join RK&K as they detail the path undertaken by the PennDOT’s Strategic Recycling Program (SRP) team to implement demonstration project using an asphalt modifier manufactured with waste plastics within the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ (DCNR’s) Ridley Creek State Park. The team will dive into the process required for new product approval – the research, planning, testing, and coordination to necessary execute this interagency collaborative project. Topics covered will include expected and observed performance and environmental testing / monitoring, discussion on product ease-of-use, and the team will share thoughts on the SRP’s efforts to support interagency goals to increase the Commonwealth’s sustainability in operations.
Presenters: Crystal May (Environmental Scientist) and David Sledziewski, PE (Senior Project Engineer)
Registration Deadline: May 12, 2022
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $20 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar.
“The purpose of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals is to promote environmental education, research, planning, assessment, review, and management through the formation and operation of a nonpolitical multidisciplinary professional society.” The content of our webinar series is not developed by PAEP, but by the presenters themselves.
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May 17, 2022 Webinar
May 17, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Implementing Sustainability
Thursday, July 28, 2022
at 12:00 (Noon) Eastern
As a follow up to PAEP’s February 2022 Webinar – “Sustainability 101”, this PAEP Webinar series presents “Implementing Sustainability”. We’ll discuss opportunities to incorporate sustainable principles into various types of projects, how to initiate a sustainability program at the office, and how to think and act sustainably in everything we do. Join Us!
Presenter:
Presenter: Vlad Odarchenko, Senior Project Manager, Environmental & Sustainability at ACT Engineers, Inc.
Mr. Odarchenko is an environmental scientist with more than 20 years of experience in site investigations, remedial actions and sustainability. He is currently pursuing accreditation as a Certified Climate Change Professional through the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO), and currently serves as president on PAEP’s Board of Directors.
Registration Deadline: July 22, 2022.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $20 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar.
“The purpose of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals is to promote environmental education, research, planning, assessment, review, and management through the formation and operation of a nonpolitical multidisciplinary professional society.” The content of our webinar series is not developed by PAEP, but by the presenters themselves.
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July 28, 2022
July 28, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Historic Preservation 101
Wednesday, August 31, 2022 (Noon) Eastern
This webinar is an introduction to historic preservation within the context of federal, state and local regulatory compliance for public or private infrastructure land development projects. It will help practitioners – civil and environmental engineers, agencies, architects, landscape architects, etc. – understand the basic components of historic preservation. The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) – the basis for most compliance at the federal and state level, the Department of Transportation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act – will be discussed. The fundamentals of determining what is historic, via the National Register of Historic Places, the processes of federal and state regulatory compliance via Section 106 of the NHPA, and the phases of archaeological survey (i.e. Phase I, II, III) will be addressed. The webinar will address working with the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office and its new cultural resources portal, PA-SHARE, as well as the US Army Corps of Engineers. The discussion will conclude with local ordinances, as it is often said, “all preservation is local.” Case studies, including the recent reconstruction of the Bayonne Bridge by the Port Authority of NY & NJ, and private development projects will be presented.
Presenter: Robert J. Wise, Jr. joined Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc. (RGA) in 2015. As Principal Senior Architectural Historian, Bob provides direction in the areas of historic resource protection planning, research and site analysis, and regulatory compliance. Mr. Wise exceeds the qualifications set forth in the Secretary of Interior’s Standards for an Architectural Historian [36 CFR 61]. He has been professionally active in historic preservation for nearly 30 years and holds a Master’s of Science in Historic Preservation (University of Pennsylvania: 1993) and a Master’s of Management and Business Administration (Penn State: 1993). He is a 1981 graduate of Dickinson College. From 1997 to 2015, Mr. Wise served as the Principal for his own firm, Wise Preservation Planning LLC. Under his direction, the firm successfully prepared 30 National Register nominations and provided preservation planning services throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. From 1993 to 1997 Mr. Wise was Senior Planner, Historic Preservation at the Brandywine Conservancy’s Environmental Management Center in Chadds Ford. Here he drafted the Historic Preservation section of the Center’s Environmental Management Handbook, a local planning tool used by municipalities throughout Southeast Pennsylvania. Mr. Wise serves on several historic-related boards and is chair of the West Vincent Township Historical Commission.
Registration Deadline: August 26, 2022.
Note: Registration is for one entrant. Any other individuals who would like to join this session are required to complete their own registration forms. The registration fee is set per person, not per connection.
PAEP Members – Webinars are free to current members but you will still need to register.
Non-Members – the fee for the webinar is $20 per person.
Registrants will be sent an email, closer to the event date, providing information on how to join the webinar.
“The purpose of the Pennsylvania Association of Environmental Professionals is to promote environmental education, research, planning, assessment, review, and management through the formation and operation of a nonpolitical multidisciplinary professional society.” The content of our webinar series is not developed by PAEP, but by the presenters themselves.
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August 31, 2022
August 31, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm