The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched an initiative to promote expeditious remediation and revitalization of Superfund sites. The goal of the initiative is to dramatically improve the progress of cleanups across the country by incentivizing stakeholders, encouraging private investment in cleanups, and applying best practices that lead to full beneficial use of properties across the country. A Superfund Task Force established by the U.S. EPA Administrator published a set of recommendations on July 25, 2017 to meet this goal.

To foster a timely response to this initiative, on August 10, 2017, THG in partnership with HSW Engineering convened the Superfund Initiative Roundtable with federal and state agencies, private and public responsible parties, and nongovernmental organizations. The Roundtable provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss creative, workable solutions to mitigate administrative, technical, and financial barriers to completing environmental cleanups and returning properties to productive use.

A summary report of the Roundtable discussion is now available. To download the Roundtable summary report, click here.

To download the Roundtable overview materials, click here.

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

The Horinko Group and The Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation, Announce a Summit Exploring Topics of Transboundary Water Management

The 2017 Summit will explore the future of transboundary water management with a focus using a humanities lens on cooperation, informed decision-making and the capacity building of local actors.

Washington D.C., October 2, 2017 – The Horinko Group, a leading environmental consulting firm, is proud to announce their 2017 Summit, The Future of Transboundary Water Management – Cooperation, Informed Decision-Making, and Empowering Local Actors, to be held on October 12th, 2017 in Washington D.C. The Summit is a partnership with the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, and The National Great Rivers Research & Education Center.

This year’s Summit will discuss implications of using big data analysis to reach better-informed decisions on the use of water resources. This method for water management has the potential for improving the human condition from the Jordan River in the conflict-torn Middle East, to the complicated issues of water rights in the Western United States, to the cyclic water pulse events resulting in droughts and destructive flooding along the Mississippi River. Empowering local actors to access and utilize big data with purpose and confidence is an important step in positioning those who govern locally to course correct onto a sustainable path forward.

To read the remainder of the press release, click here.

Description: summit

On October 12, THG in partnership with the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities Foundation will gather in Washington, DC to convene a Summit entitled, The Future of Transboundary Water Management – Cooperation, Informed Decision-Making, and Empowering Local Actors, which will discuss implications of big data management for improving the human condition from the conflict-torn Jordan River in the Middle East, to the complicated water rights of the Western United States, to the Mississippi River’s cyclic drought and abundance.

Empowering local actors to access and utilize data with purpose and confidence is an important step in positioning farm operators, utility managers, and those who govern locally to better self-determine a sustainable path forward. Proof of concept projects will be considered for each region, accounting for social indicators and the human dimension of these natural systems.

Stay tuned for the proceedings!

To view the Summit overview and agenda, click here.

For additional information, please contact Brendan McGinnis at bmcginnis@thehorinkogroup.org.

Description: Roundtable

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency launched an initiative to promote expeditious remediation and revitalization of Superfund sites. The goal of the initiative is to dramatically improve the progress of cleanups across the country by incentivizing stakeholders, encouraging private investment in cleanups, and applying best practices that lead to full beneficial use of properties across the country. A Superfund Task Force established by the U.S. EPA Administrator published a set of recommendations on July 25, 2017 to meet this goal.

To foster a timely response to this initiative, on August 10, 2017, THG in partnership with HSW Engineering convened the Superfund Initiative Roundtable with federal and state agencies, private and public responsible parties, and nongovernmental organizations. The Roundtable provided an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss creative, workable solutions to mitigate administrative, technical, and financial barriers to completing environmental cleanups and returning properties to productive use.

A summary report of the discussion will be available in the coming weeks on the THG Roundtable webpage.

To download the Roundtable resources, click here.

Description: P3Report

On behalf of the Water Research Foundation, THG in collaboration with PLDO conducted an assessment of public-private partnership (P3) opportunities for water and water resource recovery utility (W&WRRU) energy projects. The final report, Public-Private Partnership Opportunities for Water and Water Resource Recovery Utility Energy Projects, will assist W&WRRUs identify opportunities and undertake energy projects through P3s. The Water Environment & Reuse Foundation was a partner on this project.

The report includes a detailed review and discussion of relevant energy projects and P3 issues, including energy and P3 project drivers, legal matters, risk allocation, financing options, contractual drafting and structuring, and monitoring and oversight. Collaborating with a geographically diverse set of utilities, the report contains case studies providing concrete examples and lessons learned for P3 energy projects at W&WRRUs. The report concludes with a set of recommended best practices for undertaking such projects.

To download the report, click here.

The Horinko Group is pleased to welcome to its extended team Beth Pitrolo, Senior Advisor on Permitting & Compliance and Frank Miles, M.P.A., Senior Advisor on Community Empowerment & Management.

pitrolo1Ms. Pitrolo served nearly two decades as Assistant District Counsel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. With a focus on attaining results while navigating a complex environmental regulatory landscape, she has been involved in a variety of environmental programs, including Hurricane Katrina remedial response at the Louisiana Recovery Field Office, defense of Clean Water Act permits, ensuring NEPA compliance for multi-million dollar civil works construction projects and development and implementation of CERCLA cleanup activities associated with radioactive waste from the Manhattan Project.

 

miles-headshotMr. Miles has over 25 years of service in government administration, planning, and economic and community development programing. He has served as a City Planning Director for two municipalities, City Manager/Administrator, County Planning and Development Manager, City and County Economic and Community Development Director, County Treasurer, College Administrator, Business Developer and as a Congressional Chief of Staff. He is a convener and facilitator assisting communities and their leaders to create an economic and community development vision.

To read Ms. Pitrolo’s full bio, visit http://bit.ly/2mTwtvv.

To read Mr. Miles full bio, visit http://bit.ly/2mjZv6r.

On behalf of the Water Research Foundation, THG in collaboration with PLDO (formerly PLDW) have undertaken an assessment of public-private partnership (P3) opportunities for water and wastewater utility (WWU) energy projects. A Best Practices Guide to be released later this year will assist WWUs identify opportunities and undertake energy projects through P3s.

The Guide will include a detailed review and discussion of relevant P3 issues, including energy and P3 project drivers, legal matters, risk allocation, financing options, contractual drafting and structuring, and monitoring and oversight. Collaborating with a geographically diverse set of utilities, the Guide will also include case studies providing concrete examples and lessons learned for P3 energy projects at WWUs. The Guide will finish with a set of recommended best practices for undertaking such projects.

On February 9, 2017 at the AWWA/WEF Utility Management Conference, THG Director Sean McGinnis along with PLDO Partner Bruce Tobey presented their preliminary findings on the panel Implementing Solutions Through P3s. A copy of the presentation slides is available for download here.

To review the P3 presentation slides visit, http://bit.ly/2mhiSeN.

To review the AWWA/WEF conference program visit, http://bit.ly/2lCpLdl.

By Marianne Horinko

Excerpt from article published in the Environmental Law Institute’s Jan/Feb 2017 Issue of The Forum

The 2016 election invites us to reimagine the role environmental protection plays in creating jobs, streamlining bureaucracy, improving public health and quality of life, and most of all, focusing on results. The obvious place to begin is our infrastructure deficit.

President elect Trump has promised to work with Congress in cutting foreign spending to redirect budget toward rebuilding our crumbling ports, highways, bridges, and water systems. The federal government has already begun to create innovative public-private partnerships, or P3s, in which creative financing is employed to leverage scarce federal funds with private-sector groups who seek to share the costs and benefits of these projects. These shifts show a broader objective of improving efficiencies within the current system.

I believe focusing on efficiency will be a hallmark strategy for the incoming administration. For example, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, a new federal credit assistance program, would allow limited federal dollars to be leveraged significantly relative to the amounts appropriated by Congress.

To read the full article, visit: http://bit.ly/2hA54fw

Description: RCRA 2040

As the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) reaches the 40th anniversary of its enactment, The Horinko Group (THG) releases its newest white paper reflecting on the progress made, challenges overcome, and future priority areas of focus.

THG has worked to collect lessons from RCRA’s past and opportunities for its future by interviewing an array of experts who approach the topic with extensive experience from private sector and federal and state government perspectives. Also reflected in its white paper are insights shared on these topics at THG’s 2016 Summit, The Future of RCRA – Making the Business Case held in Washington, DC on October 26, 2016. The Summit convened a community of experienced practitioners to exchange ideas and discuss priorities for RCRA’s future.

To read The Future of RCRA white paper, visit: http://bit.ly/2hjJT0o

Nuclear Power ReportThe Horinko Group is pleased to highlight the release of its latest report, Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Future. On behalf of Nuclear Matters, THG has developed a comprehensive study that underscores the role of existing nuclear power in avoiding carbon emissions and meeting clean energy goals.

“As this report demonstrates, we should not underestimate the critical role of nuclear power in providing carbon-free energy in the United States,” said Emily Hammond, Senior Advisor at The Horinko Group, Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School, and lead author of the report. “At a time when the market fails to value the relative carbon impacts of electricity sources, policymakers would do well to recognize the great service provided by these steady producers of non-emitting baseload power.”

The report provides an in-depth, data-driven analysis and results in two major contributions to public policy and lawmaking discussions. First, it quantifies the carbon value of U.S. nuclear power, which provides nearly 20% of the country’s electricity supply, while accounting for roughly 63% of carbon-free electricity. The report finds that nuclear power avoids over 531 million tons of CO2 emissions per year, which amounts to a social cost of over $85 billion by 2020. A collection of state-specific fact sheets accompanies the report, demonstrating the critical role of existing nuclear within each nuclear generating state.

Second, the report analyzes how states can best value nuclear power when formulating their compliance pathways under the CPP. Importantly, the adoption of a mass-based approach that accounts for new sources of emissions best values existing nuclear power to meet climate change goals.

Lead author Emily Hammond discussed the report’s findings in a keynote interview with Chris Godamski, Head of Research, Nuclear, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, at Bloomberg BNA’s September 23, 2016 event, Achieving Clean Energy: The Critical Role of Nuclear Power. Following the interview, Ms. Hammond was joined by Carol M. Browner, Leadership Council, Nuclear Matters and former Administrator, EPA and Rich Powell, Managing Director, Policy and Strategy, ClearPath for a panel discussion on preserving nuclear to meet CO2 goals. Video of the event is available at this link.

To read the Nuclear Matters press release about the report, visit http://bit.ly/2dflsge

To read the full report, visit http://bit.ly/2dpkgKL

To view the state fact sheets, visit http://bit.ly/2cthOm4