Environmental Business Journal and Climate Change Business Journal Recognizes Firms for Business Achievement
West Chester, PA (March 21, 2023) —Environmental Business Journal®* (EBJ) and Climate Change Business Journal® (CCBJ), published since 1988 by Environmental Business International, Inc., (EBJ) are business research publications that provide strategic market intelligence focused on the environmental and climate change industries. EBJ has honored Weston Solutions, Inc. (Weston) with three Business Achievement Awards for Information Technology: Analytics, Project Merit: PFAS, and Project Merit: Remediation; and CCBJ has honored Weston with one Business Achievement Award for Project Merit: Flood Response.
“In a rather tumultuous year of economic ups and downs in 2022, a number of companies set themselves apart with performance, transactions or projects that merit special consideration. With energy transition, climate resilience, and new federal programs driving business, as well as traditional environmental market drivers in infrastructure, air quality, remediation, water and wastewater it is understandable that most companies report growing demand for technology and services,” said Grant Ferrier, editor of EBJ and chair of the selection committee. “Overcoming supply chain challenges, price and wage increases, qualified labor shortages and general economic upheavals has almost become routine for the resilient company leaders of the environmental industry.”
Weston Solutions, Inc. (Weston) was recognized by EBJ for Information Technology: Analytics. Its Enterprise Visualization and Analytics team developed an automated, dynamic way to create, manage, and place informative environmental analytical callout boxes showing exceedances of multiple regulatory criteria. The confidential project involved displaying analytical results from thousands of samples of environmental media. The callout box contained analytical results; any combination of associated sample information such as depth, date, and analytical flag; and criteria exceedance indicators or exceedance factors. This automation was used to streamline the generation of more than 100 figures that previously took as many as seven geographic information system (GIS) analysts a full week to complete. By creating complex callout labels directly from a central database, Weston’s innovation allowed GIS analysts to create and re-create labels rapidly and consistently for use in any software that can read Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) GIS file formats. This innovation improves the quality of information presented, relieves GIS analysts from the tedious work of generating and placing labels, and greatly reduces the effort required to make complex analytical result maps.
Additionally, Weston was recognized by EBJ for Project Merit: PFAS. Weston is completing Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) removal actions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Shaw Air Force Base for former PFAS source areas caused by aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) releases that are impacting local drinking water aquifers. Weston has developed a comprehensive strategy using novel applications of traditional water and wastewater treatment systems adapted to treat PFAS in soil, surface water, and groundwater. To capture and concentrate PFAS from these media, Weston is using technologies such as soil washing with wash water treatment and recycling; 45-foot-deep, one-pass groundwater extraction and reinjection trenches; biologically active wetland filters for nutrient removal; and passive gravity flow organoclay basins for PFAS removal from groundwater and surface water. The basin application at Wright-Patterson AFB (the first of its kind, according to Weston) resulted in client savings of more than $7 million compared to conventional pressure vessel systems. Site characterization and remediation system designs were completed in 2022, and construction has begun at both facilities.
Lastly, Weston was recognized by EBJ for Project Merit: Remediation. Weston and SkyTEM provided environmental remediation services at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, former Atlas “E” Missile Site 11, Nunn, Colo., to delineate and remediate trichloroethene (TCE) groundwater impacts from historical site operations. An adjacent property was also suspected of having groundwater contamination, but traditional methods of groundwater delineation were ruled out due to access issues and the size of the contaminated groundwater plume. To overcome these obstacles, Weston and its subcontractor SkyTEM performed an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) geophysical investigation to confirm subsurface bedrock topography, which controls the distribution of TCE impacts. This innovative approach to assessment differs greatly from standard direct-push or well drilling. Results guided the selection of groundwater monitoring well locations to aid with TCE plume delineation and resulted in a greatly reduced number of groundwater wells to confirm the extent of groundwater contamination. Using the AEM approach gave the adjacent property owner the confidence to allow the Weston team access for focused well placement. This innovative application of technology provided the client substantial cost savings and fostered stronger stakeholder relationships.
In addition to the three 2022 EBJ Awards, Weston also won a 2022 CCBJ Award for Project Merit: Flood Response. Weston was recognized for completing a multi-phase project in 2022 ranging from emergency flood response to permanent repairs and increased levee system resiliency. In winter 2019, a bomb cyclone struck America’s Upper Midwest. Heavy rains followed, resulting in rapid snow melt and runoff that overtopped and breached downstream levees in several states along the Missouri River and its tributaries, causing catastrophic flooding and damaging residences and farmland. Weston closed active breaches to address flooding and levee damage to the 32-mile L550 levee system. Flooding scoured and deposited large amounts of sand across agricultural fields, rendering them unusable. Instead of dredging sand from the river, Weston mechanically removed sand from farmland, which expedited breach closures and returned impacted property to productive use. Self-launching riprap was used to protect the closed breaches and along portions of the levee at high scour locations. Sustainable, locally sourced clay and stone was used for permanent repairs, and drainage structure capacity was restored with updated materials and construction techniques. Cost-effective use of idled farm equipment from local firms expedited repairs and benefited affected communities, inspiring the phrase “farmer strong.”
The 2022 EBJ and CCBJ awards will be presented in-person at the EBJ Business Achievement Awards banquet at Environmental Industry Summit XXI on March 22-24, 2022 in San Diego, along with Lifetime Achievement and 50-Year Company anniversary awards.
Weston Solutions is a U.S.-based, 100% employee-owned environmental and infrastructure services firm committed to safety and client value, driven to be our clients’ most effective and efficient service provider. For over 65 years, we have solved our clients’ challenges with a passion to serve and a drive to make a difference.
Climate Change Business Journal® (CCBJ) is a subscription-based business research publication, serves as the centerpiece of business intelligence providing detailed market research on nine segments of the Climate Change Industry, including renewable energy, carbon capture & storage, climate change adaptation, energy efficiency and green buildings.
Environmental Business Journal® provides strategic market intelligence to executives and investors in 13 business segments of the environmental industry including environmental consulting & engineering, remediation & industrial services, water & wastewater equipment, air quality & pollution control equipment, hazardous waste management, resource recovery, solid waste management, water/wastewater infrastructure, renewable energy and environmental instrumentation & information systems.