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No Need to Hide from the SEQR

It’s easy to focus on Jason Voorhees’ mayhem while watching “Friday the 13th” – another typical slasher villain with supernatural powers and a concentrated rage against teens – but most people seem to overlook one of the more horrifying aspects of the movie: Camp Crystal Lake’s crystal lake.

While the grounds around the camp were considered cursed for decades due to mysterious slashings and disappearances, the actual body of water itself was left unchecked for years, causing it to become quite perilous. From bodies decomposing within its depths, to the discovery of poisoned water in the late ‘60s, to the aquatic resurrection(s) of drowned-boy-turned-monster Jason Voorhees, Crystal Lake has seen a fair share of hazardous material.

But if Tommy Jarvis is the easy pick for defeating Jason, who’s going to help fight the equally infested Crystal Lake? Easy: The State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR) and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

What is SEQR? New York’s SEQR requires all state and local government agencies to weigh environmental impacts on the same level as social and economic factors when it comes to making a decision that can potentially affect the environment. For example: before physically developing a mine, road, or landfill (among other physical projects), the mentioned action must be assessed for its impact on the environment. The SEQR process essentially highlights the responsibility of local and state agencies, ensuring that they will prioritize the environment just as they would other factors when planning or executing projects.

If an action is deemed to have no significant adverse environmental impacts, a Negative Declaration is prepared and the project does not require further review under SEQR. However, if the action is deemed to have potentially significant adverse environmental impacts, an EIS is required.

Wanting to drain Crystal Lake of its toxins and bodies to one day create a wastewater treatment plant would likely require an EIS, as would flushing out the Black Lagoon in search of the Gillman. According to one of KC's environmental experts, a source who would prefer to remain anonymous, a component of the SEQR process involves preserving historic sites and endangered species. “The lake as an ancient burial ground would need a Phase 1A and 1B Archaeological study at the least, maybe even a protected area and plaque,” says the anonymous source. Additionally, thanks to SEQR, endangered species (such as swamp monsters) would require protected habitats. “[Gillman] would be protected under both the state and federal Endangered Species Act,” added the source. “Sorry – no hunting him into extinction!”

What does an EIS do? An EIS is used to describe and analyze a project for all of its potentially environment-altering factors, allowing for reasonable alternatives to be made that will not be as impactful to the environment. After the EIS is drafted, it is presented to the public for comment and subsequently reviewed, connecting government agencies to project sponsors and the general public.

Some actions, called Type II actions, never require an EIS, including: building minor structures, such as garages, barns, and swimming pools; routine activities of educational institutions, including expansions of existing facilities by less than 10,000 square feet; and rebuilding or replacing facilities, in kind, on the same site. New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation has the full list of such actions, as well as a step-by-step guide through the entire SEQR process, on their website.

Next time you’re watching your favorite horror flick or scuba diving in Minnesota, take a moment to look past the monsters and consider the true terrors that could come with unchecked environmental irresponsibility. Up next on the big screen: It Came from Collect Pond!

By Decire Gonzalez KC'S BLOG • • • • • • • 0 Comments

Infrastructure Week, Day 5: Roads

In the U.S., roads are an unavoidable part of our everyday lives. We use roadways daily to travel to and from work, school, social engagements, and more. So how do we deal with the issue of America’s crumbling roadway infrastructure?

As the years go by, American metropolitan areas are stymied by traffic congestion.

The average American spends 97 hours a year stuck in traffic. That’s 12+ vacations days! Meanwhile, suburban and more rural areas are forced to contend with deteriorating road conditions, as well as outdated and dangerous traffic configurations.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), maintaining and upgrading our roads remains an important priority. Our civil engineers are skilled in parking lot and roadway design, and along with our traffic engineers they can effectively and efficiently plan, design, and oversee the construction of intersection improvements, parking facilities, maintenance and protection of traffic (MPT) plans, highways, utility relocations, site lighting, driveways and other roadways, curbs, and sidewalks so that the outcomes not only provide for smooth transitions but also for economically functional results.

With projects like Cross Westchester Expressway (I-287) Exit 8E Reconstruction, 5th Avenue Reconstruction, DeLavergne Avenue Reconstruction, and Milling and Resurfacing of Federal Aid Roads, KC strives to maintain the safety and commutability of area roads, because at KC we recognize the vital importance of roadway infrastructure.

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Infrastructure Week, Day 4: Wastewater

Wastewater is the dirty little secret no one likes to talk about. Nevertheless, managing our nations wastewater is of the utmost importance.

No infrastructure plan is complete without wastewater management. It can impact the health of residents, strengthen or weaken the appeal of a locality, and have an effect on the environment.

As the nation’s population continues to grow, wastewater management has become increasingly crucial. Over the next 20 years, the U.S. is expected to gain more than 56 million wastewater treatment system users. This indicates the need for wastewater infrastructure improvements.

About 14,748 wastewater treatment plants currently serve nearly 240 million Americans, or 76% of the U.S. population. In its current state, our wastewater infrastructure suffers from 23,000 to 75,000 sanitary sewer overflow events every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These facts demonstrate the need for increased wastewater infrastructure funding.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our wastewater treatment group has designed, constructed, and helped to operate over 70 facilities. We work with government, industrial, and private clients to meet a full range of wastewater related needs. We approach each project with innovative and creative expertise to deliver comprehensive engineering services that solve the most intricate wastewater challenges from concept through design, construction, and operation.

With projects like the Tri-Municipal Sewer Commission Compost Permit Renewal, Wallkill Raw Sewage Pump Replacement, and Wappingers Falls Wappingers Falls Sanitary Sewer Pipe TV Inspections, KC has helped to increase capacity and improve the performance of existing treatment facilities. KC strives to meet strict water discharge policies, conserve energy, and reduce environmental impact.

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Infrastructure Week, Day 3: Transit

Public transit is a staple of our nation that continues to grow yearly, although it remains neglected and radically underfunded.

American transit systems carry billions of people a year via trains, commuter buses, ridesharing services, and more. These systems mainly provide transportation in urban areas, but are vital in many rural areas across the county.

In the past few years, we’ve seen major train derailments, non-passengers killed in transit-related accidents, and damaged infrastructure as a result of natural disaster. The resilience of outdated, unreliable infrastructure is tested day by day.

For full functionality of national transit systems, we need not only transit vehicles, but sufficient infrastructure like traffic signals, train tracks, and roadways to successfully carry and guide these vehicles. However, with lack of funding, years of deferred maintenance, and aging infrastructure, our public transit systems continue to suffer.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our civil engineering services include roadway and highway design, traffic engineering, lighting design, and other services to maintain and improve transit operations.

With projects like Gowanus Expressway Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) and Emergency Repairs, Greenkill Avenue Bridge Replacement, and Route 9D Pedestrian Improvements, KC has provided construction inspection for replacement of bridge and mounting tube railings, design assessment for rehabilitation of railroad bridges, and traffic calming and street lighting design.

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Infrastructure Week, Day 2: Water

Water is a vital resource, but with a rise in deteriorating infrastructure and underfunded programs like the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), we’ve run into a nationwide problem.

In recent years, we’ve witnessed water crisis on a national scale in places like Michigan, Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and even closer to home here in New York, as well as in the Southwest United States, where drought conditions continue to worsen.

Over one million miles of pipes work to deliver water around the county, most of that aging infrastructure having been laid numerous decades ago. Now more than ever, America requires government action to upgrade insufficient water infrastructure. Clean, reliable drinking water is a commodity that everyone, without exception, should have access to.

At KC Engineering and Land Surveying, P.C. (KC), our water supply group works to create sufficient, long-term resolutions to provide safe drinking water. With a group of skilled water, wastewater, civil, and environmental engineers, KC is able to provide lasting solutions to various municipalities, residential developments, and many more.

With projects like the Wallkill Water System Interconnect, Kosuga Well 7 Development, and LaGuardia Airport Trunk Main Relocation, KC continues to play a vital role in ensuring the functionality of filtration systems, water resources, and water treatment.