We all want the upsides of economic growth without the downsides of environmental impact, risk and liability exposure, and regulatory violations. An Environmental Consultant can help businesses and industries better realize that goal. Through the knowledge and skills of these highly trained professionals, leaders in the private and public sectors can better mitigate the challenges that arise with development. They also help us safeguard the environment, wildlife, and human health – enabling modern businesses to pass on a cleaner world to the next generation.
The field of Environmental Consulting is on the rise due to correlating trends in our current economy. Governments worldwide are becoming increasingly focused on environmental regulations for businesses and even consumers. Per Environmental Leader, fueling the regulatory expansion is growing awareness of environmental challenges and environmental planning sustainability successes.
Due to this confluence of factors, environmental consulting is becoming more important to business leaders and industry pioneers. As an industry, Environmental Consulting is growing, reaching $43.8 billion by 2025, according to a 2018 analysis (cited here) – representing a 47.5 percent rise over nine years (2016 figure: $29.7 billion). The added strain placed on the environment by the rising population and increasing interest in ecological risks are fueling job growth, reports the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) – which projected a faster-than-average industry growth rate of 11 percent for 2016 to 2026.
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What is an environmental consultant?
AOTC’s environmental consulting team consists of geologists, engineers, biologists, and scientists who have undergone at least four years of higher-level education and have accumulated over 80 years of collective field experience! Our senior-level professionals have post-graduate degrees and 20+ years of full-time experience. In addition to helping businesses and industries safeguard the environment and public health through environmentally conscious practices, our environmental consulting team helps clients navigate the maze of environmental regulation.
Environmental consultants are fundamental in ensuring that the environment is not negatively affected by government, industrial, or commercial projects and in remediating any existing environmental impacts. To achieve that end, these trusted advisors assess initiatives from an environmental perspective and give recommendations to applicable decision-makers.
Key responsibilities of an environmental consultant include characterizing and remediating any existing contamination, auditing environmental policies and procedures, developing best management practices (BMPs) to minimize environmental risk, and mediating between businesses and state/federal regulators. Their core objective is to minimize any damage to the environment that might be occurring now or in the future. Environmental consultants succeed in their efforts by assisting clients in developing and establishing efficient systems for environmental protection. Any systems, policies, and/or procedures advocated by an environmental consultant must be in full compliance with appropriate environmental regulations.
Beyond improving organizations’ environmental approaches and protecting business risk and liability, obtaining environmental consultation for your business may also aid in achieving Corporate Environmental Responsibility goals in sustainability and conservation.
AOTC’s environmental consulting professionals can assist with project sites such as the following:
- Refineries & bulk fuel terminals
- Oil field sumps
- Current and former gas stations
- Current and former dry cleaners
- Commercial/Industrial real estate developments
- Pipeline spills
- Railroad sites
- Mining smelters
- Military bases
- Former newspaper facilities.
The Role of an Environmental Consultant
The expertise of AOTC’s environmental consulting team can be lent to the following problems and scenarios:
- Air evaluation
- Conceptual model development to detect and analyze possible contamination sources
- Contamination of land, air, and water
- Environmental auditing
- Environmental impact assessments
- Environmental management systems
- Identification of contamination and past site activity
- Interaction with regulators, inspectors, and clients
- Legislative management
- Waste management policy development.
Government funding for the development of low-emission and renewable energy technologies has been increasing in recent years. Companies need the knowledge of environmental consultants to inform new products, development, management practices, and manufacturing processes. Environmental consultants provide services to research and development departments as well as environmental health and safety firms.
A deep understanding of applicable state and federal environmental regulations is vital to business development and sustainability. The risk of legal actions, fines, and acquisitions of overvalued properties can be avoided when public or private organizations obtain advisement from environmental consultants.
The technical and scientific knowledge of AOTC’s environmental consulting professionals allows them to complete thorough and accurate environmental assessments for our clients. These evaluations are essential to a smart business seeking to limit risk and avoid high costs, whether public or private. An environmental consultant can serve as an experienced and qualified expert witness for relevant court cases. Environmental consultants can also protect companies’ exposure to environmental risk and liability by assessing land and property before making a potentially risky and financially detrimental investment.
Our environmental consultants excel at toeing the line between keeping deliverable reports understandable to non-technical clients and adequately and accurately satisfying the technical requirements of state and federal regulators.
In addition to offering full assessments with highly educated interpretations, AOTC’s environmental consulting team uses cutting-edge, robust software tools that allow them to characterize potential contamination based on the most current environmental regulatory climate and the goals of our clients. Through dedication, passion, and due diligence, our environmental professionals can determine and mitigate the risk of exposure to contamination for your personnel, the natural world, and the community.
Reasons You May Need an Environmental Consultant
There are innumerable ways AOTC’s environmental consulting team can add value to your business; below are just a few:
#1. Improve on-the-job safety.
Environmental issues are also human health issues. Poor indoor air quality, toxic materials, and hazardous fumes can all be serious risks to employee wellness. Our environmental consultants can help you mitigate danger at your site — which studies have shown boosts worker productivity and morale.
#2. Address and refine compliance.
Plugging any gaps in environmental compliance is crucial to limiting regulatory and liability risks to your organization. Preventing compliance issues from arising in the future is the most cost-effective form of environmental remediation.
Staying informed of ever-changing environmental rules is time-consuming. However, compliance is not optional, given the potentially high costs of single mistakes. Our environmental professionals can assess your workplace and ensure compliance — giving you peace of mind.
#3. Tap into expertise from experienced professionals
AOTC’s environmental professionals have various backgrounds of experience and knowledge from assisting clients of all sizes in a broad spectrum of industries. Our professionals utilize innovative, field-proven, and cost-efficient strategies to help our clients meet their goals.
#4. Improve resource efficiency.
Environmental consulting can improve your business’s efficiency! Your company’s resources, both physical assets and human resources, can be optimized by taking the most environmentally friendly approaches, as guided by our environmental consultants. Environmentally conscious business practices protect your employees, your liability, and your community.
Hiring an Environmental Consulting Company
AOTC’s team of environmental consulting professionals can be fundamental to your organization’s success. By protecting your workers’ safety, keeping your facilities in compliance, and mitigating legal risk, our professionals bring strong ideas from a vast level of experience and help our clients maximize their resources.
Environmental consulting companies are NOT all created the same. At AOTC, we provide the best consulting and compliance in the industry to ensure your business is protected. Contact us today to discuss how our environmental consulting professionals can help you accomplish your goals!