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

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

The Importance of Green Construction

The construction industry, responsible for about 4% of the world’s particulate emissions, is one of the major sources of pollution. Despite our best construction practices, air, water, and noise pollution continue to threaten our way of life.

Green building, a method of construction used to design sustainable, energy-efficient residential and commercial buildings, is now a growing trend and no longer a construction novelty. With pollution jeopardizing air quality, drinking water, and even putting our wildlife at risk, green building has come to the forefront of the construction industry as a largely marketable, thoughtful, and productive method of building.

A combination of sustainable processes and use of high-quality, low-impact materials contribute to the practice of green building. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes several components of green building, including renewable energy use, waste reduction, and use of environmentally preferable building materials.

The popular concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is an example of an environmentally-friendly practice used during green construction, especially when it comes to waste reduction. As far as environmentally preferable materials, where concrete and steel are often impractical and expensive materials, timber is a relatively inexpensive, naturally renewable alternative with long-term sustainability capabilities.

Ultimately, green construction processes present a pollution-profuse industry with the opportunity to build smarter and sustainably, better control costs, and maintain the condition of the earth.

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

Washingtonville Culvert and Drainage Improvements Project

The project scope included replacement of the undersized culvert under State Route 94 in Washingtonville, which was located directly east of the Ahern Boulevard and State Route 94 intersection.

KC was responsible for providing architectural and engineering design, bid phase, and construction administration and support services. The scope of work included field and right-of-way (ROW) surveying and base mapping, preparation of highway and bridge design packages, and project management for preparation of contract documents. KC also provided engineering consulting services, working with the Town and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) to obtain the required permits.

During the construction phase of the project, KC provided construction inspection services to ensure contract compliance, design intent, quality of workmanship, and material acceptance. KC also prepared as-built drawings.

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

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

Designing and Engineering for Climate Change

Green Building

One of the leading industry concerns for engineering and architecture firms is the problem of climate change. As water levels continue to rise, and as the weight of existing infrastructure bears down on already sinking land, engineers are looking for design solutions that can mitigate past inefficiencies and work towards withstanding and reducing climate change in the future. With nearly 40% of the population living in heavily affected coastal areas worldwide, the need for environmentally conscious engineering is imminent.

What Can Be Done?

Raising energy-use concerns early in the process is essential. By using simulation software, considering sustainability, and thinking of the entire building system, engineering and architectural firms can implement design solutions that tackle sustainability from the very beginning of a project. For example, according to the engineering software company Autodesk, “the movement of fluids (examples include air and water) is a very large cause of energy loss in many systems due to drag. Simulation can help reduce these losses.” Reduced loss mean that less energy is required to power the system, resulting in lower emission levels overall.

Architects can also recommend elevating floor levels, adding moisture-resistant drywall, and installing fixed barriers where needed. Once a building is in use, engineering services teams can help tenants get the most out of efficiency and safety features by using building management system (BMS) and building energy management system (BEMS) tools.

The Bottom Line

Green building, or environmentally sensitive architecture, is benefiting from more government incentives, grant programs, success stories, and better marketing strategies. Architectural and engineering services firms that can design products with environmentally sound features are in demand, and those firms may have the best chance of differentiating themselves in the current market.