News – 2011-2012
Environmental Project Management Activities: 2010 to 2011 Summary.
Many projects which had been in the planning stages in the mid to late 2000’s were significantly advanced, some even into and through remedial actions. In all the following projects PNL staff were deeply embedded and functioned in a remedy-influencing role, while at the same time, promoting a health and safety operating culture.
Cox Road Landfill, by Houston, Texas: PNL’s Houston office staff managed all aspects of the closure program for this former hazardous waste disposal site. The site was administratively placed into TCEQ’s Voluntary Closure Program. During 2010 PNL managed the PRP Group’s site assessment programs, which lead to the formulation of a containment and capping remedy. PNL managed all aspects of the EPC selection program, before moving into a construction management oversight role during the remedy constriction phase in 2011.
Patrick Bayou Superfund Site, by Houston, Texas: PNL manages all PRP response efforts at this impacted sediments site which connects into the Houston Ship Channel. An RI/FS is underway.
Malone Superfund Site, Texas City, Texas: PNL has managed all RI/FS activities at this 60 acre former waste disposal facility since 2007. With remedy selection occurring in 2011, the PNL team, on behalf of the PRP Group, has now selected an EPC resource, which we will now oversee and manage through the next few years of remedial actions. Remedy tasks will primarily include stabilization of 100Ks of cubic yards of oily sludges, for eventual onsite disposal in lined containment cells.
Newark Bay, New Jersey: PNL performs as Project Manager for a group of “EPA generally noticed” parties, who are interacting with another entity who is performing the site wide RI/FS on the 8 square mile Bay. The RI is collecting information on the extent of sediments impacts. PNL reviews and comments on plans and work products.
Southern California Groundwater Sites: PNL staff are assisting clients at 2 major groundwater assessment, remediation and litigation events. While confidential the work involves the compilation, interpretation and visualization of vast groundwater and soils lithology databases. At each site PNL is preparing a site conceptual model to explain the extent of impacts and the ongoing transport phenomena.
In addition to the above projects PNL staff continue our project management duties on behalf of PRP Groups at other major project sites such as Ascon Landfill (Huntington Beach, CA), Purity Oil Sales Superfund Site (Fresno, CA), BKK Landfill (West Covina, CA), Waste Disposal Inc Superfund Site (Santa Fe Springs, CA) and the Operating Industries Landfill Superfund Site (Monterey Park, CA).
Coeur Rochester Mine Seeking Solar Power Sources
August 25, 2011
By Solar Industry Staff - solarindustrymag.com
Project Navigator Ltd. (PNL) has been retained by Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp. to assist in the development of a prospective solar development on the mine's behalf.
PNL says it is seeking written proposals from renewable energy developers to negotiate and enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) to provide all planning, permitting, financing, engineering, procurement, construction, operation, monitoring and maintenance of a solar power installation under a 25-year PPA at the Coeur Rochester Mine in Rochester, Nev.
The mine operates with a system-wide electrical usage totaling approximately 35 GWh on an average operating year. Electronic copies of the request for proposals can be requested by emailing rpotter@projectnavigator.com with "Coeur Mine Solar RFP" in the subject line.
The submission deadline is Oct. 17.
Solar Power Facility Proposed for Landfill Site
February 14, 2011
By Caroline Quintanilla - KBHR 93.3FM Big Bear News
Big Bear, Ca, February 14, 2011, 9:00am - A 2-megawatt solar power project has been proposed to top the Big Bear sanitary landfill site. Project Navigator, Ltd, a Brea, CA engineering firm has entered in to an option agreement with the County of San Bernardino to explore development of a photovoltaic facility on the closed landfill. If built, the site would provide enough power for approximately 2,000 homes, on land not usable for most other purposes. Local generation of this green power would reduce the valley’s need to import electricity and the costs associated with long transmission lines. Power from the project could move Bear Valley Electric towards its goal of providing 20% renewable power to local utility users. Building the solar facility would be expected to generate local jobs during construction and long-term jobs for maintaining the site. On Tuesday, February 15, a Power Purchase Agreement proposal will be submitted to Bear Valley Electric. When an agreement is reached, it would then be submitted to the California Public Utility Commission for review. Once a power agreement is in place, the project could then begin to seek private financing and begin the permitting process. PVNavigator, the solar power projects development group within Project Navigator, Ltd, is set to manage all phases of the project including design, permitting, financing, and implementation. Since 1997 the company has specialized in managing landfill closures and developing solar projects on the closed sites. For more information, go to the company’s website at www.pvnavigator.com or email Robert Potter at rpotter@projectnavigator.com.
Project Navigator, Ltd. has entered into an option agreement with the County of San Bernardino to evaluate solar development at Big Bear Sanitary Landfill
February 10, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BREA, CALIFORNIA – Project Navigator, Ltd. (PNL), via its solar power projects development group, PVNavigator (PVN), has entered into a lease option agreement with the County of San Bernardino to evaluate and explore the development of a photovoltaic (PV) solar facility at the closed Big Bear Sanitary Landfill located in Big Bear, CA. The facility is planned to be sized at 2 MW (AC). Power is expected to be sold to the local Big Bear utility to assist the utility meet its renewable portfolio goals. When online, the project will be the only renewable, commercial-scale solar development in the San Bernardino Mountains.
PNL has fourteen years of experience in the reuse of closed landfills. These capabilities have been integrated with PNL’s more recently developed solar power expertise, under PVNavigator, to negotiate, engineer, finance and construct small-scale, landfill-located, distributed solar power projects nationwide.
Ian Webster, Sc.D., president of PNL, commented, "This project moves us one step closer to our goals of developing renewable, solar energy solutions on brownfields and urban-located closed landfills that are otherwise deemed as unusable land." PVN will manage all phases of the Big Bear PV solar project including design, permitting, financing and implementation.
The landfill solar project will deliver a local, green source of power to the mountain community, while preserving land resources. With the “site control” option agreement in place, PNL will now enter into work on three fronts; namely, an interconnect application, CEQA compliance and power marketing.
About Project Navigator, Ltd.
Project Navigator, Ltd. (PNL), and its solar power development operating entity, PVNavigator (PVN), is a Southern California-based developer of distributed, utility scale, solar photovoltaic projects. For more information, visit www.PVNavigator.com or www.ProjectNavigator.com.
Project Navigator, Ltd.'s Solar Team Wins Contract from U.S. Army
July 30, 2010
PNL's PVNavigator Group has won a contract from the U.S. Army to assess the viability of using solar power to run remote electrical equipment at Fort Irwin, California. Fort Irwin is a major training area for the U.S. Military, and is located in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County. Facilities currently powered by generators, in training and containment areas, will be reviewed. The first phase of work includes the preparation of a work plan, site visits, modeling computations and recommendations.
Project Navigator, Ltd. and SunPods, Inc. Recently Exhibited at the Tech Connect Expo 2010
July 8, 2010
Project Navigator, Ltd. (PNL) staff recently discussed the business opportunities which can be realized from siting small scale solar facilities on brownfield sites or urban-located closed landfills. At Tech Connect World Summit Conference & Expo 2010, Anaheim, CA, June 21 to 24, 2010) we had a booth, system model and made a presentation.
PNL staff, in collaboration with SunPods Inc of San Jose, CA, discussed our approach to the localized, urban delivery of power from systems sized up to about 5MW, occupying between 40 and 50 acres.
Dr. Ian Webster Represented Project Navigator, Ltd. at the National Brownfields Association Atlanta 2010 Meeting on March 24 & 25
April 6, 2010
Dr. Ian Webster represented Project Navigator, Ltd. at the National Brownfields Association's Atlanta 2010 Meeting on March 24 & 25. Ian was a member of a panel session covering Re-Powering America's Land: Renewable Energy on Contaminated Sites.
Ian described PNL's business plan which entails the siting, design and financing of small scale, distributed solar facilities on Superfund or brownfield sites. PNL has assembled a portfolio of project opportunities. Many of these projects stem from the company's core business of Superfund site management. The business concept is described here, and the full slide deck can be downloaded here.
PNL Talks About Facilitating Land Conveyance in Brownfields Projects using Innovative GIS and Visualization Techniques at AEHS Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA March 15 -18
March 15, 2010
Project Navigator, Ltd. has developed a rigorous protocol for the GIS-enabled screening of Brownfield sites. The system allows sites to be prioritized in the queue for reuse. Click here for poster.
PNL Staff Work on the Classification of Landfill Fires
March 5, 2010
Drs. Halil Kavak, Raudel Sanchez and Ian Webster have worked for a number of major clients on landfill assessment and closure projects. A notable example is the Operating Industries Inc (OII) Landfill in Monterey Park, CA. In addition to helping with more routine site design and construction activities, the PNL team was asked to investigate and provide solutions to control and mitigate landfill waste prism fires (or enhanced oxidation zones). The PNL team used in well thermocouples to measure temperatures and produce 3D maps of the locations of the high temperature zones. The existence of high temperature zones (driven by air intrusion into the landfill prism) affects the ability to efficiently collect landfill gas and readily maintain perimeter compliance.
The PNL team has now reported on some of the general findings. Click here to see how we have classified different types of landfill fires.
PNL's Graphics Team Builds 3D Hard Model to Help Outreach Activities at Asarco Smelter Clean Up Project in El Paso, TX
February 1, 2010
Roberto Puga's PNL team is now actively engaged in planning activities related to the future demolition and cleanup at the former Asarco smelter site in El Paso. Communication and outreach will be an important component of a successful project. PNL is expert in the use of visual techniques and graphics to explain project activities (Visual Navigator). In this regard, PNL graphics staff have just completed the assembly of site model to assist project activities.
Project Navigator, Ltd. Discusses Solar Power Opportunities on Brownfield Sites at National Brownfield Association Meeting in Sacramento
January 14, 2010
PNL's Ian Webster discussed how solar facilities can be sited on Brownfield Sites at NBA's Sacramento Meeting on January 14, 2010. The talk discussed how smaller, urban -located PV facilities, which are close to transmission and load, can be more quickly permitted, financed brought online, than larger competing facilities located in the desert southwest. Webster gave examples of projects which PNL is pursuing.
Click to view the presentation or right-click to save it to your desktop.