Our clients include private industry and public agencies, ranging from city, county, state, and federal facilities. Our projects include:

• Baseline Environmental Audits
• Wastestream Inventories
• Regulatory Compliance Reviews
• Development of Waste Management Plans
• NPDES Monitoring
• Engineering Design

Our engineers and scientists have conducted baseline environmental audits at individual vehicle maintenance shops, paint spray booths, electroplating facilities, petroleum storage facilities, and wood treating facilities, as well as across a large Department of Energy site. Our wastestream inventories focus on liquid effluents for individual processes, as well as site-wide discharges that require NPDES permit compliance. We determine the environmental impacts of stormwater and industrial wastewater loading through system monitoring and flow and transport modeling.

Our evaluations of facilities operations extend to site characterization and design of control and treatment units to attain compliance. We perform multi-media sampling (soil, water, sludge and product), oversee monitoring well installations, and sample tanks. Our industrial process reviews range from treatment of high level mixed waste at Hanford with evaluation of RCRA land disposal restrictions to maintenance yard handling of cleaning fluids, pesticides, and road salt to conducting SPCC inspections.

Herrera’s engineering services include design of spill containment structures, wastewater treatment systems, and stormwater flow control; evaluation of alternative waste treatment methods; and evaluation of proposed hazardous waste landfill design.

We provide programmatic support to local and state agencies to identify potential industrial users, to determine typical waste stream profiles for specific industries, and to develop strategies for waste recycling and reduction.

Herrera provides engineering evaluation and technical support services to assist public agencies in updating their stormwater management manuals, including source control stormwater requirements, and in performing comprehensive programmatic source control inspections of public works facility operations. We have worked directly with the City of Seattle source control program business and industrial inspection group to support detection inspections of illicit discharges and connections. We service the private sector by providing inspection and auditing support for compliance with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater permits throughout Washington and Alaska, specializing in transportation sector industries.

Key Projects

• Cities of Seattle and Tacoma and Pierce County – Source Control Manual Revisions
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination – Seattle Public Utilities
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan Audits and Revisions – Confidential airline client
• Industrial Stormwater and Wastewater Permit Compliance Assessment – Confidential Client, Tacoma, Washington
• City-Wide Source Control Assessment – Seattle Public Utilities
• Stormwater Pollution Control Manual – King County
• Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plan Periodic Inspections – Washington State Department of Transportation

Our staff has provided training programs on these topics for clients including WSDOT, Seattle Public Utilities, Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and numerous audiences including tribal entities, designers, biologists, and operations and maintenance staff. In addition, our staff members have taught courses for the University of Washington’s Wetland Certificate Program, the Northwest Environmental Training Center, and other universities and community colleges.

All of Herrera’s training services are geared towards interactive formats where the participant is actively engaged in the learning experience, rather than being a passive recipient of the information. Training we deliver is guided in part by Robert Mager’s instructional development methods, as described in his books Making Instruction Work and Preparing Instructional Objectives. We integrate the following three design elements into all course activities, presentations, and instructional methods:

• Clearly stated instructional objectives.
• Use of teaching or instructional methods that are appropriate and effective for achieving the stated objectives.
• Evaluation of measurable instructional results to ensure students have successfully met instructional objectives. (Course evaluations will be relevant to stated instructional objectives.)
• In addition to the technical expertise and experience as teachers and trainers that we bring to our clients, we also can provide videotaping and editing services and web-based training tools, if those needs arise.

Key Projects

• Highway Runoff Manual Training Program – WSDOT
• NEPA Document Review and Training Workshop – Nez Perce Tribe
• On-Call Environmental Regulatory, Compliance, and Hazardous Materials Training – WSDOT
• OSHA 8-hour Refresher Training 2002 – U.S. EPA
• Preparation of Biological Assessments: An Advanced Training Manual – WSDOT

Herrera scientists and engineers apply a multidisciplinary approach to a variety of sediment management projects. Our senior geomorphologists are renowned experts in the analysis of erosion and sediment transport in coastal waters, lakes, rivers, and streams. The Herrera sediment management group also includes water quality scientists, hazardous materials specialists, biologists, and engineers who monitor, characterize, and design controls for contaminated sediments that are affecting the surrounding environment.

Our technical experts interpret the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Clean Water Act, and various state and local programs to address site-specific regulatory requirements. We also typically use the Washington state sediment management standards (SMS) and the Puget Sound dredged disposal analysis (PSDDA) criteria for marine sediment evaluation and rely on additional guidelines for freshwater sediment evaluation. Our senior scientists have over 25 years of applied sediment monitoring experience in the Pacific Northwest that includes the following:

• Preparation of detailed sampling and analysis plans using the Puget Sound Estuary Protocols
• Collection of sediment samples using various grab sampling and coring techniques for evaluating conditions before cleanup and after construction
• Validation and interpretation of sediment chemistry and bioassay data
• Monitoring water quality impacts during dredging operations
• Sampling and evaluation of toxic contaminants in fish and other aquatic organisms at sediment remediation sites
• Sampling and interpretation of benthic community data for site characterizations and impact analyses
• Evaluating the recolonizaton of cap materials by benthic invertebrates at various remediation sites in Puget Sound

Key Projects

• Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring Plan Implementation for Contaminated Sediment Management at West Eagle Harbor Superfund Site, Bainbridge Island – Washington State Department of Transportation
• Beach Sediment Survey of the Puget Sound Shoreline – Thurston County Regional Planning Council
• Structural Inspection, Sediment Monitoring, and Site Remediation for Georgetown Flume – Seattle Public Utilities
• Boeing Plant No. 2 Sediment Site Characterization – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District
• Lake Ozette Sediment Study – U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
• Geomorphic Analysis of the Grays River – Bonneville Power Administration, Oregon
• Big Spring Creek Sediment Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study – Private Client
• Monitoring and Assessment for Dredged Material Management Disposal Site – Washington Department of Natural Resources
• King County Sediment Management Plan – King County, Washington

Successful monitoring programs frequently require data collection under inclement conditions and during non-business hours. At Herrera, data integrity comes first and staff members are committed to producing high-quality field results. Our stormwater monitoring team is highly responsive and mobile; staff members in Portland, Seattle, and Bellingham successfully monitor stormwater conditions throughout western Oregon and Washington. Our hazardous materials monitoring team mobilizes throughout the Pacific Northwest, assessing long-term changes in ground water contaminants at sites that are undergoing cleanup.

Herrera uses the latest monitoring technologies, including low-flow sampling, automated samplers, data sondes, multiparameter meters, underwater diver surveys and videography, and telemetered hydrologic and water quality monitoring equipment. Our monitoring programs also include inventories of plankton, benthic macroinvertebrates, aquatic macrophytes, riparian vegetation, large woody debris, and sediment contamination and transport.

Our interdisciplinary approach to large projects applies a broad range of scientific applications to environmental monitoring that sets the company apart as regional monitoring experts.

Key Projects

• Stormwater Monitoring for National Pollution Discharge Elimination System: Permit Compliance and Best Management Practices Performance Evaluation of Compost-Amended Filter Strips – Washington State Department of Transportation
• Stormwater and Hazmat Quality Monitoring of Link Light Rail Construction Site – Sound Transit, Seattle, Washington
• Water Quality Studies for Issaquah Highlands Master Plan Development – Port Blakely Communities, Inc., Washington
• Drinking Water Testing Program – Seattle Public Schools
• Engineering and Monitoring Services for Green Lake Water Quality Improvements and Alum Treatment – Seattle Parks and Recreation
• Walsh Lake Aquatic Plant Survey and Milfoil Control Project – Seattle Public Utilities
• Twin Lakes Water Quality and Aquatic Plant Assessment – Twin Lakes Home Owners Association, Federal Way, Washington
• Multiple ground water monitoring projects for petroleum and dry-cleaning chemicals at shopping malls in Washington – Various private clients
• Assessment and Long-Term Monitoring Study for Federal Building Motor Pool Ground Water Treatment System in Fairbanks, Alaska – U.S. General Services Administration, Region 10
• Long-Term Monitoring for Maintenance Shop Petroleum Cleanup – City of Sumner, Washington

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Projects range in scale from Superfund sites to drainage basins and watersheds. Our services related to contaminant source tracking include study planning, investigation, design, and remediation for upland soils, surface water sediment, surface water, stormwater runoff, and ground water. Source tracking studies for chemical contaminants involve an evaluation of sources associated with current and historical operations, as well as an evaluation of redistribution and recontamination of sediments. We have designed microbial source tracking studies using genetic fingerprinting technologies for local governments, focusing on public health issues, the development of best management practices, and the development of total maximum daily loads for fecal coliform bacteria, as required by the Clean Water Act.

Key Projects

• Diagonal Avenue South Drainage Basin Stormwater Pollutant Source Investigation – Seattle Public Utilities
• Norfolk Basin Water Quality Investigation – Seattle Public Utilities
• Commercial Business Discharge Source Control Inspections – Seattle Public Utilities
• City of Seattle Facilities Source Control Inspections – Seattle Public Utilities
• Eagle Harbor Operations, Maintenance, and Monitoring, Bainbridge Island, Washington – Washington State Department of Transportation
• Microbial Source Tracking Study for Thornton Creek and Matthews Beach – Seattle Public Utilities
• Willapa River Microbial Source Tracking Study, Pacific County, Washington – Pacific County Department of Community Development
• Drayton Harbor Watershed Fecal Coliform Bacteria Contamination Source Investigation – City of Blaine, Washington

Services include initial Phase I environmental site assessments at the planning stage to identify issues associated with potential contamination and their impact on the property valuation process; Phase II environmental site assessments to confirm the presence, or lack, of contamination; cleanup design and cost estimating; and construction oversight. Our staff includes state-licensed geologists and underground storage tank assessors, as well as AHERA-certified asbestos building inspectors.

We have developed plans and specifications for the cleanup of contaminated sites for private clients and numerous public agencies. Cleanup projects have focused on tank removals, building materials, and soil and ground water contaminated with petroleum products, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), solvents, and heavy metals. We work within the framework of state cleanup regulations across the Pacific Northwest and routinely assist clients in navigating through the cleanup documentation process, whether it entails working with the regulators or working independently.

Our remediation oversight staff includes engineers and scientists who have received 40-hour hazmat training. All of the staff who oversee remediation are experienced with the entire hazmat cleanup processes, having participated in the planning, investigation, design, and cleanup phases of the work.

Key Projects

• Southwest Harbor Redevelopment Project – Port of Seattle
• Federal Way Park and Ride – King County
• Lakewood Towne Center Mall Redevelopment, Lakewood, Washington – Confidential client
• Rainier Beach Low-Income Housing Redevelopment, Seattle, Washington – Confidential client
• Milwaukee Electrical Railroad Station PCB Cleanup – Confidential client
• Clear Valley Farm Wetland Bank Redevelopment – Sustainable Environments, LLC
• Seattle Federal Courthouse Development Project – U.S. General Services Administration

Having worked for both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pacific Northwest state regulators, we understand the particular regulatory concerns and requirements of these agencies and bring this knowledge to work that we perform for the regulated community. We have developed and implemented work plans for complex sites involving soil, sediment, ground water, surface water, sediment, and air sampling. Our licensed geologists are experienced in designing and providing oversight for monitoring well installation oversight under complex geologic conditions using appropriate drilling methods. Data validation performed by experienced chemists provides data quality that stands up to legal scrutiny. Our commitment to quality is exemplified by our technically accurate and highly readable reports.

Key Projects

• Big Spring Creek Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study, Lewistown, Montana – Private Client
• Euclid Road Ground Water Investigation, Spokane County, Washington – U.S. EPA Region 10
• Duwamish River Sediment Sampling, Seattle, Washington – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Kingsly Air Field Ground Water Assessment, Klamath Falls, Oregon –U.S. General Services Administration
• Federal Building Former Motor Pool Site Characterization, Fairbanks, Alaska – U.S. General Services Administration
• Underground Tank Removal and Remediation, Federal Courthouse, Boise, Idaho – U.S. General Services Administration

Our work product has evolved with each ASTM procedure update to address All Appropriate Inquiry requirements under CERCLA. We use checklists to expedite the compilation of historical information and standardized forms, and we use questionnaires during site reconnaissance and interviews. Reporting is accomplished rapidly by the use of templates that meet individual client’s needs. Recognized Environmental Conditions identified during the Phase I assessment are quickly evaluated to develop concise sampling and analysis plans to direct Phase II efforts. We have developed effective working relationships with experienced drillers and laboratories to efficiently coordinate activities related to field work and data evaluation.

Key Projects

• Phase I and II support for Sound Transit Link Light Rail – Sound Transit, Seattle, Washington
• Phase I and II environmental site assessments for Lakewood Towne Center Mall, Lakewood, Washington – Confidential client
• Phase I and II environmental site assessments for Pavilion Mall, Tukwila, Washington – Confidential Client
• Phase I and II environmental site assessments for property transfers throughout Washington – Washington State Department of Transportation
• Phase I and II environmental site assessments in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska – U.S. General Services Administration
• Phase I and II environmental site assessments – King County Department of Natural Resources

Herrera’s civil and environmental engineers are experienced in construction management and field inspection services related to hazardous materials contamination and water quality issues encountered during construction. Onsite specialists provide technical advice related to identification and delineation of contamination, recommendations for preventing or reducing worker exposure, application of regulations pertaining to toxic chemicals and conventional parameters, and issues associated with air, noise, wetlands, and wildlife issues. Our engineering services include the following:

QA sampling and testing

Performance monitoring documentation

Field design

Review of submittals and shop drawings

Change order preparation

Preparation and verification of progress payment

Contract modifications

Conflict resolution

Key Projects

• Hazmat and Water Quality Monitoring Support for Sound Transit Link Light Rail Construction – Sound Transit, Seattle, Washington
• Construction Management for Southwest Harbor Remediation Area 3 Landfill Closure – Port of Seattle, Seattle, Washington
• Hazmat and Water Quality Oversight Support for Southeast Interceptor Sewer Line Construction – King County, Department of Natural Resources, Wastewater Treatment Division, Renton, Washington
• Construction Monitoring for South 180th Street Grade Separation – City of Tukwila, Washington
• Lead Paint Construction Monitoring for North Queen Anne Bridge Seismic Upgrade – Seattle Department of Transportation
• Construction Oversight for Abatement of PCB-Amended Paint, Juneau Federal Building – General Services Administration, Juneau, Alaska

Our work products include technical discipline reports, environmental assessments, and environmental impact statements written in both “reader friendly” and standard formats. We also perform site characterization in support of biological assessments under the Endangered Species Act and in support of designs for site development. We routinely work directly for public agencies, managing environmental documentation efforts, and in support of engineering firms that are involved in project planning and design.

Key Projects

• NEPA and SEPA Environmental impact statements in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington – Sound Transit Light Rail
• NEPA Environmental impact statement, Eugene Federal Courthouse, Oregon – U.S. General Services Administration
• NEPA Environmental assessment, Mukilteo Ferry Terminal, Washington – Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries
• NEPA Environmental impact statement, Seattle Federal Courthouse, Washington – U.S. General Services Administration
• NEPA Environmental impact statement, Seattle Federal Courthouse, Washington – U.S. General Services Administration
• Southwest Interceptor Sewer Alternatives Analysis and Design, Renton, Washington – King County Department of Natural Resources, Wastewater Treatment Division

Throughout the assessment and reclamation process, we facilitate coordination between multiple stakeholders including local communities, Native American tribes, and state and federal agencies such the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and State Historic Preservation Offices. We provide site stabilization and reclamation designs and support the construction process by delineating contaminated areas, monitoring health and safety conditions, evaluating best management practices, and documenting and reporting cleanup activities. Our staff members have up to 30 years of experience performing restoration work at mine sites in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming.

Key Projects

• Continental Mine Site Removal Action and Site Restoration (stabilized mine waste and restored critical habitat for threatened and endangered species in Boundary County, Idaho) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Idaho Lakeview Mine and Mill Removal Action (restored critical bull trout habitat above Lake Pend Oreille near Lakeview, Idaho) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Harmony Mine Site Emergency Removal Action (stabilized mine waste after devastating forest fire near Salmon, Idaho) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• LeRoi Smelter Removal Site Evaluation to reduced community exposure to heavy metals in Northport, Washington – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10