Environmental Sediment and NRD Services and Experience

Deepening Your Team of Sediment and NRD Experts

Environmental sediment remediation and Natural Resource Damages (NRD) are areas of particular expertise for TBLS. We integrate project management and financial risk-management analytics to support forecasting, cost control and technical excellence. In the United States, sediment and NRD activity began in 1980 with the Commencement Bay remediation in Washington State, and migrated to the east coast where large-scale efforts are just now becoming commonplace. TBLS brings years of experience in project cost control, strategy, value enhancement and project management to this specialized area. Our experts possess industry and field expertise tempered by real-world experience. They are recognized both for their technical prowess and their regulatory savvy.

 

Sediment Remediation

TBLS Sediment Cost Risk-Control – Our expertise and technical know-how can help you understand the drivers that would threaten to substantially increase (and even double) the costs of sediment remediation projects. Two of the most important aspects of any sediment project are (1) managing moisture content and (2) minimizing removal quantities. In the remediation context, no one should have to pay for water or excess quantities. Whether you are building a cofferdam, relocating a river, dredging a riverbed or capping sediments, risk metrics and cost-control measures are of utmost importance in managing sediment investigations and remediation.

We assist owners in developing the most important components for successful sediment remediation – the risk metrics and cost-control measures for managing sediment investigations and remediation. These components include: (a) preparing and reviewing bid specifications to manage costs for dredge quantities, (b) trans-load and sediment stabilization facilities, (c) dredge spoil transport and disposal, (d) decant wastewater treatment and discharge, (e) debris clearing, (f) marine pier demolition, (g) hazardous waste storage and disposal, (h) sediment capping, (i) in situ remediation and (j) closure and post-closure care.

TBLS staff have performed the financial engineering and due diligence tasks on over 30 guaranteed fixed-fee sediment Superfund remediations. The largest of these comprised 1.7 million cubic yards. In financial terms, most of these projects have been in the $25 million to $250 million range. The projects have included such technologies as in situ remediation, capping, dredging, and monitored natural attenuation and combinations.

TBLS Project Management – We create value by helping you achieve cost savings in complex sediment remediation projects. In particular, we are experts in the use of sophisticated software, project scheduling, cost-modeling and mitigation strategies to cut costs during project construction, a crucial period when costs can often double. In addition, in order to avoid cost overruns it is very important to integrate third-party value engineering into your project. Our value engineering capabilities address remediation and restoration design, project specifications, preparation and review of bid documents, bid processing, and construction management.

NRD

TBLS NRD Support Services – We consider our expertise to be unparalleled. The TBLS environmental lead, Jeff Andrilenas, RG, RHG, is a recognized leader in NRD valuation and negotiation support, and in creating maximum value of ecological service flows in restoration projects. Jeff has been a part of the solution in the largest NRD cases in the U.S., including the Gulf of Mexico, Commencement Bay, Lower Duwamish-Harbor Island, Portland Harbor, Passaic River, the Great Lakes and others. Mr. Andrilenas uses sophisticated Resource Equivalency Analyses (HEA/REA) that were developed in-house.

Mr. Andrilenas earned his reputation from his work at AIG, as co-founder of Bluefield Holdings (the first NRD credit bank), and on other projects. He is known as both a pragmatist and an innovator. The Bluefield NRD credit bank state-of-the-art GIS and financial risk-modeling was developed to value, and to iteratively value the design of restoration projects in New Jersey, Washington State, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Montana and Oregon for over 50 freshwater, saltwater and groundwater NRD liabilities and associated sediment Superfund sites.

Environmental Risk Profiling

Our support capabilities include audits, and analytical help when needed, to place CGL, Pollution Legal Liability (PLL), Stop Loss/Cost Cap, and other insurance products.

Claims Management and Financial Submittals

TBLS provides technical claims management services for preparing submissions to carriers and owners. We review expenses for reasonableness and documentation for changed-condition extras, and perform analytics to enable the cost-effective evaluation and management of claims. Our approach speeds payments to the prime as well as the subs. We can also assist in emergency response actions, large sediment and Natural Resource Damage actions, and remediation.

Insurance Underwriting and Renewal Support

TBLS provides objective, third-party evaluations of the financial costs associated with sediments and Natural Resource Damage. We develop in-house cost databases relating to habitat restoration and all phases of sediment remediation. Our evaluations can cover current and future potential liability, as well as the risk of future financial losses. Our risk analyses and reporting include regulatory, political, allocation, remediation cost, and ongoing success-profiling, as well as NRD damage assessments. We also provide the metrics for long-term closure and post closure O&M in the most cost-effective way.

Litigation and Legal Support

TBLS professionals have worked on the substance, technical merits, consistency and methodologies for claims in cases involving CERCLA, Clean Water Act, RCRA and Natural Resource Damage, and New Jersey’s ISRA as well as programs of other states. TBLS helps you to explore and evaluate the logic underlying liability claims. We have deep experience, and a proven track record for enabling legal teams to build a solid case.