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Geosyntec/Whitman Awarded Environmental Consulting Contract to Aid in the Redevelopment of Somerville Landfill Area

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 April 2009, 08:00 CDT

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J., April 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Whitman, one of New Jersey's premier environmental, engineering and management firms, is part of the team that has been awarded an environmental consulting contract to aid in the redevelopment of a former landfill area for the Borough of Somerville. The team is led by Geosyntec Consultants, an international environmental consulting firm with offices in Lawrenceville, N.J.

The Geosyntec/Whitman team is working collaboratively with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protect (NJDEP) to perform environmental assessment and remedial investigation activities associated with redeveloping the former landfill site and surrounding area. The redevelopment area encompasses 160 acres extending from the Somerville Railway Station to the Raritan River. The current redevelopment plan envisions green space as well as commercial and residential land uses. The development seeks to convert the former landfill area into a vibrant community resource incorporating open space and development adjacent to the Transit Center rail access. The landfill redevelopment is currently being performed under a Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) grant. The project brings together the state, NJDEP, Somerville Borough and private industry to achieve the redevelopment vision.

"Development on top of and adjacent to a closed landfill presents many engineering and environmental challenges that most developers do not encounter on a regular basis," said Barry Skoultchi, president and CEO of Whitman. "There are issues of land settlement, maintenance of the landfill's integrity and a host of other considerations that the Geosyntec/Whitman team is uniquely qualified to handle. Fortunately, we have a lot of experience in this regard. We have assembled a versatile, multi-faceted team with the necessary experience to address these concerns and are eager to start work on this project, which has been in discussion since the 1980s."

Key issues at the site include ensuring that site investigation properly characterizes the suitability for development, securing adequate funding for the project, working with the NJDEP on environmental protection and regulatory compliance issues, as well as partnering with the community and other stakeholders to ensure the long-term success of the project.

"When looking for a partner on this project, Whitman was an obvious choice because of their outstanding track record of redeveloping brownfield sites, and the fact that both organizations have the same commitment to technical excellence and client service," said Dr. Mary DeFlaun, a Geosyntec principal based in the firm's Lawrenceville office. "Together, our firms offer a world-class team of environmental and engineering professionals who are uniquely qualified to undertake this project and are committed to ensuring the success of this redevelopment effort on behalf of the borough's residents, business and environmental interests, and the team of community leaders who have worked to put this project together."

"We look forward to using our expertise in environmental remediation and brownfield redevelopment to address the challenges at this site," said Michael Sylvester, vice president of marketing and business development for Whitman. "We have a proven track record of working with municipalities to secure funding and working with NJDEP to ensure compliance at numerous redevelopment sites. This project represents another opportunity for our team to prove our expertise, and we look forward to working with the borough and our team member Geosyntec, as well as working closely with the NJDEP to ensure a successful redevelopment project."

About Whitman

Whitman is New Jersey's leading full-service environmental, engineering and management firm, offering expertise in brownfield redevelopment, civil and geotechnical engineering, site assessment, remediation cost recovery, indoor air quality solutions and innovative remediation technologies. Since its founding in 1985, the East Brunswick, N.J.-based company has performed more than 2,500 site assessments, remedial investigations and remediation designs for all types of development and redevelopment projects, including commercial, retail and residential properties in more than 12 states. Whitman has secured more than $30 million in state and federal reimbursements for environmental work for their clients. Whitman is one of the largest full-service firms in the state, providing expertise in all areas of environmental and engineering services.

For more information on Whitman call 732-390-5858 or visit www.whitmanco.com.

About Geosyntec

Geosyntec provides consulting engineering and science services throughout the United States and internationally. With more than 40 offices in the U.S. and select international locations (Canada, Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom), Geosyntec engineers and scientists are known for their technology leadership and practice innovation in the areas of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, contaminated site assessment and remediation, groundwater assessment and remediation, risk assessment and toxicology, urban stormwater management, water and natural resources management, solid waste disposal facility permitting and design, and environmental biotechnology.

For more information on Geosyntec, call 609-895-1400 or visit www.geosyntec.com.

SOURCE Whitman

Source: PR Newswire

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