Specs+Spaces Article - Citadel Environmental Services: Greening the Workplace

An article was published from Dunn-Edwards Specs + Spaces, recognizing Citadel not only for its work in helping companies Go Green, but also for setting a great example as to how beneficial being Green can be!

Specs+Spaces Citadel Environmental Services: Greening the Workplace

Citadel Expands Environmental Geology Group and Opens San Diego Office

We are excited to announce Citadel's acquisition of the San Diego-based staff of Barajas and Associates, a strategic acquisition that will expand Citadel's well-established Environmental Geology capabilities, as well as provide a local office in the San Diego, California market. 
What this means to our Clients:

Our newest employees have extensive environmental assessment, design, and remediation experience as part of an on-going $20 million IDIQ Environmental Services contract with the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest Division (Navy) in San Diego for the past eight years, plus a wealth of private industry experience.  While our clients have been able to rely on our staff to complete complex projects, the public sector skill set and educational qualifications that our new staff members bring to Citadel take our abilities to an even higher level.  There are few projects in complexity and size that Citadel can't handle from transactional projects to Superfund site clean-ups.

  

Eli Vedagiri, M.S., P.E.

Eli has been the program manager for the Navy contract since 2004.  During this time, Eli managed an extensive amount of work, which included:  environmental, legal and real estate issues of property transfer and development; fuel tank closures; complex contaminant characterization; remediation and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) projects; landfill maintenance, construction, monitoring, and drainage improvements; RCRA and CERCLA related activities, geotechnical surveys, and many more projects.  Prior to this, he worked directly for the Navy beginning in 1994, and in that time built an excellent rapport with Navy Remedial Project Managers (RPMs), Lead RPMs, Base Realignment and Cleanup (BRAC) Environmental Coordinators (BEC), Base Closure Managers, and Remedial Technical Managers.  He has managed projects at almost every Navy and Marine Corps Installation in California, Nevada, and Arizona and has developed long-term relationships with base environmental, public works, and facilities personnel as well. Eli began his career in Environmental Engineering in 1991 working with numerous other public agencies such as Walnut Valley Water District, City of San Diego, Port of San Diego, US Army Corps of Engineers; private sector clients included vehicle rental and real estate companies.  Eli holds a Master's of Science in Environmental Engineering from Oklahoma State University, as well as a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from India.

Parveen Kumar, M.S., P.E.  

Parveen joined the IDIQ Environmental Services contract team in 2005, upon completion of his Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering at Oklahoma State University.  During this time, Parveen directly managed over $7 million in environmental engineering projects including simple fuel tank closures projects, to complex contaminant characterization, and providing cost effective solutions for environmental remediation.  He also has experience in performing evaluation of groundwater hydrology and modeling of groundwater flow in describing fate and transport of environmental contaminants using 2D & 3-D finite-element models. He is well versed in performing statistical and spatial evaluation of environmental data using GIS, spatial analysis tools, and risk assessment tools. He has completed the requsite training for Quality SWPPP Developer/Quality SWPPP Practitioner (QSD/QSP) and the registration pending with Regional Water Quality Control Board. Parveen also holds a Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering from India.

Alisa Seneor  

Alisa Seneor joined the Barajas team in 2004 as the Office Manager / Project Assistant.  She is responsible for assisting with the preparation of proposals, reports, and handling the day to day office needs, as well as day to day project management from an operations standpoint.  Alisa will continue this role for our San Diego operations, and also utilize abilities to assist the Citadel Sales and Marketing team throughout the Western United States.  She has completed the requirements for a Bachelors Degree in Psychology at San Diego State University.  

 

Citadel Welcomes New Business Development Manager - Terry McConico

We are excited to announce another addition to the Citadel family, Mr. Terry McConnico, who joins us as the Manager of Business Development.  The addition of Terry to the Citadel team promotes several of Citadel's company goals, including our goal to grow to $10 Million in Revenue within the next 3-5 years, our Goal of increased profitability, as well as our Goals of increased customers and billable hours. 

Terry joins us from Tower General Construction where, as their Business Development Manager, he was responsible for generating tens of millions of dollars in new projects since 2008.  During this time he also successfully opened an office for them in San Diego, which provided him an expansive network of contacts in that market.  Terry is also closely connected with Facilities Management, Construction, and Contracting Personnel at some of the largest Public Agencies and Fortune 100/500 companies in California.   

Terry's responsibilities with Citadel will be primarily focused on increasing business to our newest Citadel offices in San Diego and San Jose.  He will also be strategically focused on identifying growth opportunities through cross-selling as well as establishing new relationships for the company.   

Please join us in welcoming Terry!

  

Terry McConnico

tmcconnico@citadelenvironmental.com  

Nicolas Serieys, Senior Project Manager, Received CPP Certification

Citadel Environmental Services, Inc. is pleased to announce that Nicolas Serieys is one of only five applicants to pass the 2011 South Coast Air Quality Management District Certified Permitting Professional (CPP) Exam.   

  

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) established the Certified Permitting Professional (CPP) Program to assist business owners in the expedition of submittal/approval of permit applications.  CPP's have proven competency in areas as defined by the SCAQMD, and The California Health and Safety Code, Section 42300.2, which specifically address the requirements to certify private environmental professionals to prepare permit applications.

  

What does this mean to our clients?

As a Certified Permitting Professional, Mr. Serieys now has access to the AQMD database for New Source Review (NSR) and Automated Equipment Inventory Systems (AEIS), where information can be obtained about the facility in question, such as: status of permit applications, list of equipment located at a facility, and actual and maximum mass emission rates associated with the existing equipment at the facility (NSR Balance).   Expedited permit processing will also be given to Nic as a CPP, saving our clients time, and money in potential fees.

Mr. Serieys can be of assistance of with any of the following programs or types of permitting processes:

• PROGRAMS 
• RECLAIM
• Title V
• Conventional (Non-RELCAIM/Non-Title V)
• Acid Rain
• Registration/Certification and Streamline Standard Permits  

• PERMITTING 
• Permits to Construct - required for new or relocated equipment as well as alteration (both phsyical modification and change of operating conditions) of existing equipment.  These applications always recieve a high priority for processing;  
• Permits to Operate - required for equipment that is installed, and/or is operated with or without a prior P/C (a prior P/C or in cases where no prior P/C was issued, the application act as a temporary P/O until a final P/O is processed);   
• Change of Conditions;   
• Alteration/Modification;   
• Change of Operator;  
• Plans - required under some of AQMD rules and regulations (i.e. RECLAIM Rule 2009, Excavations Rule 1150, etc.) for compliance demonstrations and are subject to AQMD approval; 
• Emission Reduction Credits (ERCs) -  for issuance of ERCs generated due to equipment shut downs or over controls;
• Title V - required for initial issuance or subsequent revisions of Title V facility permits.
  
  To learn more about the CPP program, visit the AQMD website here: http://www.aqmd.gov/cpp/     

For more information, contact Nic and/or anyone at the Citadel Corporate Office at:  

Nic Serieys, MS, CPP

 818-246-2707 (Corporate Office)

nserieys@citadelenvironmental.com

Citadel Awarded $2.2 Million UCLA Contract!

November 1, 2010; LOS ANGELES, California -- Citadel Environmental Services, Inc., a provider of Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability consulting services, today announced that it has been awarded a three year, not to exceed, $2.2MM contract with the University of California, Los Angeles, Capital Programs division.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was founded in 1919 and is the second oldest of the ten campuses affiliated with the University of California system. UCLA offers over 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a wide range of disciplines and enrolls about 26,000 undergraduate and about 11,000 graduate students from the United States and around the world every year.  Capital Programs is responsible for the conceptualization, planning, design and construction of capital improvement projects for the UCLA campus. In addition to managing projects, Capital Programs staff develop financial strategies, undertake architectural design, conduct building department review of plans and specifications, carry out environmental reviews, prepare and negotiate construction contracts and agreements, coordinate staging plans, and serve as a repository for project records and as-built plans. Capital Programs exercises these responsibilities for a university building program which is among the largest in the nation.

"Over the past 17 years, UCLA has been more than just a client to us,” said Loren Witkin, Principal of Citadel. “Like many of our clients, they are part of the Citadel family, and we would work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to complete a task for them. UCLA is a wonderful institution with terrific staff and inspiring architecture."

Citadel Environmental Services, Inc. was founded in 1993, and today is an employee-owned (ESOP) firm that provides consulting services in the fields of industrial hygiene, geology, environmental sciences, safety and training, environmental compliance, and sustainability. Managing environmental and building science concerns often crosses over a number of disciplines, and Citadel takes a multi-disciplinary, integrated approach to meeting client needs with experienced professionals that encompass architectural, construction management, health and safety, geology, industrial hygiene, safety, training, sustainability, and legal disciplines. Citadel provides services to the world’s largest corporations, organizations, and industry leaders including energy producers, aerospace firms, real estate owners/developers, universities, entertainment firms, retailers, financial institutions, and architectural firms. To read more about Citadel, visit www.citadelenvironmental.com.

Citadel's NEW Climate Change Services

Now Offering: Climate Change Services At Citadel, we understand the need for our clients to  comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulation. We also encourage companies to act with great sense of corporate responsibility regarding their environmental impact.  As a result of our environmental concern and increasing demand to become "green", Citadel is pleased to announce the addition of brand new Climate Change Services. These services not only are designed to help our clients become more environmentally responsible, but also decrease their costs by increasing energy efficiency. Our new services include: Greenhouse Gas Emissions Management Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategies Client Regulatory Updates Carbon Footprint Analysis AB32 Verification Services (certification pending) In response to the recent environmental movement, it has become increasingly important for companies to act environmentally responsibly. We can give companies the competitive edge they need to keep up with the increasing demand for environmentally responsible products and services. Differentiate your company, Citadel can help you get there.

Citadel Honored at Inagural "Corporate Partners Program" Event for UCLA Institute of The Environment (IOE)

Corporate Partners Program Inaugural Event

http://bit.ly/atto2f

Institute of the Environment Launches a New Sustainability Partnership with Business

"New working relationships like this, between business and the University, are essential to creating an economy that reduces carbon emissions and increases jobs," stated Mary Nichols, California Air Resources Board Chair.

Business leaders joined UCLA faculty, environmental researchers and graduate students in the Leaders in Sustainability Program at the first Institute of the Environment (IoE) Corporate Partners Program event, held March 18, 2010 at the UCLA Faculty Center.

Developed by the Institute’s Center for Corporate Environmental Performance, the Corporate Partners Program draws upon the philosophy that the development and communication of effective environmental practices is both good corporate citizenship and good business. The Program brings companies together with faculty, researchers, students and other firms to explore cutting-edge business opportunities in environment and sustainability. The Corporate Partners annual giving program supports the high quality research and education provided by the IoE.

A formal presentation honored the ten founding partners: ACI International, Boeing, Citadel Environmental Services, Chem-Jet International, Chevron, Fresh and Easy Neighborhood Market, Southern California Edison, Phylmar Group, Vertum Partners and Walt Disney Imagineering. Dr. Rick Greenwood from Southern California Edison stated “We benefit from academic research in environmental protection and sustainability, and the students it educates, which, in turn, strengthens us and our ability to serve our customers.”
Other businesses attending the event to learn about the IoE’s Corporate Partners Program include: Adi Liberman & Associates, AECOM, Barton Myers Associates, CODA Automotive, Honda, Edelman Public Relations, Industry Entertainment, Malcolm Pirnie, Ralphs, Sony Pictures Entertainment, VerdeXchange, Volcom and others. The IoE’s multidisciplinary faculty and Leaders in Sustainability students exchanged contacts and ideas with the attendees and founding partners.

Tony Pritzker, Chairman of the IoE Board of Advisors, praised the companies’ commitment to the pursuit of green business practices, and commended the Institute for changing the paradigm of university environmental institutions in developing this partnership and integrating business into its environmental education and research programs. Professor Magali Delmas, who established the Corporate Partners Program at the Institute of the Environment stated, “We look forward to working with businesses that share our commitment to innovative research in environment and sustainability. The IoE is excited about the opportunity to share with, learn from, and work with our current and future partners.”

The evening’s featured speaker, Mary Nichols, Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, was there to deliver an insightful talk on the future of California carbon reduction legislation, AB 32. She said, “To successfully reduce carbon emissions in California, we need technology innovation. But we also need a healthy business environment in California, so that green technology businesses and sustainable businesses that start in California stay in California. UCLA’s IoE Corporate Partners Program is a step in that direction. New working relationships like this, between business and the University, are essential to creating an economy that reduces carbon emissions and increases jobs.”

To learn more about the UCLA Institute of the Environment Corporate Partners Program please visit our web site or contact Karen Lefkowitz at (310) 794-4908 and karen@ioe.ucla.edu.

Institute of the Environment

Date Posted: 3/24/2010

Citadel Named as Corporate Partner for UCLA Institute of the Environment (IoE)

The University of California Los Angeles Institute of the Environment (IoE) has named Citadel Environmental Services, Inc. as a Corporate Partner this year.

Through its local, national, and international programs, the IoE employs innovative, cross-disciplinary approaches to address critical environmental challenges- including those related to climate change, water quality, air pollution, biodiversity, and sustainability - with the goal of achieving stable human coexistence with the natural systems on which society depends.

With its Corporate Partners Program, UCLA's Institute of the Environment has established a new model for collaboration and communication on environment and sustainability issues - bringing companies together with faculty, researchers, and students and other firms in interactive relationships to explore the leading edge of business opportunities in environment and sustainability, corporate environmental performance, successful eco-marketing strategy and wider communication of companies' environmental commitments and initiatives.

Citadel Relocates Corporate Offices to Sustainable Facility; Seeking LEED CI Platinum Certification

1725 Victory Boulevard 

Glendale, California, 91201

Citadel is proud to announce the relocation of its corporate headquarters to 1725 Victory Boulevard, Glendale, California 91201.  The 8000 square foot structure was originally built in 1973 for light manufacturing use, and was eventually occupied by Knucklehead's Inc., the retail licensing arm of the firm founded by The Three Stooges.  The tenant space 1725, which occupies 4,446 square feet of the building, has been vacant for an extended period of time, and upon purchase was neglected and in despair.  Citadel has invested $2.5 Million to transform the space into a first class sustainable office building, re-designing it into an inspirational landmark that both complements and improves the up-and-coming, mixed-use neighborhood.

The goal of the building renovations was to demonstrate to the business community that "going green" makes sound economic sense.  The office space features many innovative sustainable design solutions that reduce operating costs, energy use, water consumption, and carbon footprint; which enhance marketability, increase employee productivity and well-being, and serve as an asset to the entire building and neighborhood-at-large.  The sustainable vision was incorporated in every aspect and area of the re-design, including the tenant space at 1727 Victory.

Because of this vision, Citadel is currently seeking the highest possible certification level for LEED for Commercial Interiors (version 2.0), Platinum Level.  If awarded, Citadel's building will be the first privately held LEED certified building in Glendale, the highest LEED-level certified building in Glendale, and only the 5th Platinum level Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 certified building in the State of California.

Major improvements and sustainable design features include:

• A solar array forecasted to provide 45,000 khw of power per year (enough to power all of Citadel’s and their tenant’s space, and net meter an additional 16% back to Glendale Water and Power to supply the community 
• New energy efficient double-paned exterior windows and storefronts for both tenant spaces 
• Skylights over both tenant spaces for increased daylight  
• Low-emissivity cool roof 
• New energy-efficient lighting design to reduce lighting power density by more than 35% below the standard 
• Native, drought-resistant landscaping with drip irrigation system 
• New packaged air handling systems (SER 14) to reduce utility costs, increase building operational efficiencies by 37% and provide improved interior air quality and climate control 
• Use of low-VOC paints, adhesives, and carpet systems 
• Abatement and removal of existing asbestos 
• New water-efficient interior plumbing and bathroom fixtures including waterless urinals able to reduce the water use for the Citadel space by 62.69%  
• New designated preferred parking for carpools, low-emitting and fuel-efficient vehicles  
• Awnings to reduce urban heat island effect  
• Though Fundamental Commissioning is a prerequisite on a LEED project, Citadel decided to also go through Enhanced Commissioning because it can detect MEP systems that were designed to be highly efficient but were either not installed or are not working to full design potential  
• Recycled Content - 20%-30% of the materials used on this project are comprised of recycled content. Additionally, between 50‐95% of the waste created during the construction process was recycled 
• At least 10% of materials used on the project were extracted and manufactured locally within 500 miles of the site  
• Between 50‐95% of the wood used on the project was FSC certified  
• Above And Beyond LEED True Sustainability - Whole Building Improvement‐ Went above and beyond LEED by actually doing improvement on entire building including tenants, not just Citadel space 
• Achieved more points than able to use‐ SSc1 allows for 3 points. We achieved more than 4 points because the building was designed to be as efficient and sustainable as possible, regardless of how many of these points were being used for LEED purposes 
• Located within a 0.25 mile radius of two bus routes, and eight different stops, to encourage alternative transportation  
• Green Power‐ Though the highly efficient design of the building coupled with the installation of such a large solar array will create all of the power needed for the entire building, Citadel is still purchasing Renewable Energy Credits for 50% of the power needs for 2 years
  

Call us to schedule a viewing of our new facility today!  818-246-2707

Citadel's New Space!

Citadel is excited to announce the recent acquisition of an 8,000 square foot office building in the City of Glendale. The site was previously the headquarters for Knuckleheads, Inc., the retail licensing and merchandising arm for the Three Stooges.  Renovations are currently underway, with an estimated completion date of November, 2009.  The goal of the building renovations is to achieve certification at the LEED-CI v2.0 at "GOLD" or "PLATINUM" level.  Upon completion, Citadel's building will be the first privately held LEED certified building, and the highest level certified building, in Glendale, California, Los Angeles County's third-largest city.

Major planned improvements include increases to building energy, water, and overall operational efficiency.  Stay tuned for more detailed information on this exciting project, as well as a tentative open house to be held in November, 2009.

August, 2009 - Citadel Named 18th Best Company To Work For in LA, by Los Angeles Business Journal

Citadel was named the #18th Best Place to Work in LA, by the Los Angeles Business Journal.  The award's intent is to identify the best places of employment in Los Angeles County, benefiting the region's economy, its workforce, and businesses.

Citadel was recognized in the medium-sized category for excelling in:

• - Employee Satisfaction
• - Employee Growth Opportunities
• - Employee Benefits
• - Employee Training

The first part of the award was an evaluation of each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics and the second part consisted of an employee survey to measure employee experience. "To truly be considered a great place to work, a company must do more than give its workers generous benefits and a good salary," said Richard Clough, LA Business Journal. "The Best Places to work often foster an environment of respect and recognition rooted in interpersonal relationships among employees at all levels."

Best Companies Group managed the survey process with assistance from ModernThink LLC, who analyzed the data to determine the rankings. Citadel was honored at the Best Places to Work in LA awards reception on August 5, 2009, hosted by the Los Angeles Business Journal at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.

Citadel Awarded GSA Environmental Services Contract

Citadel was recently awarded a contract for the United States General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule to offer selected environmental services.

The GSA Schedule establishes government contracts with commercial firms, which helps federal government offices order services directly from GSA Schedule firms, creating a link between customers and the services they require at predetermined pricing. Approval for the supplier requires an extensive and rigorous screening process to ensure that a company can provide both superior quality and competitive pricing.

"By earning GSA certification, we are now positioned to offer government agencies the ability to purchase and utilize our services without having to jump through hoops" said Loren Witkin, Principal of Citadel. "Completing the certification process is a win-win situation for us and government organizations who need our services. We benefit by appearing on various schedules saying that we are approved to supply government organizations and these agencies benefit from shorter lead-times, optimal convenience and lowest available pricing."

Suppliers who wish to do business with over 1,000 U.S. government agencies can use this schedule as a means to facilitate and streamline the procurement process.

Citadel E-Learning

Does your firm have a training system in place that effectively covers all aspects of Environmental, Health, and Safety, and Human Resources compliance? Does the system in place effectively educate the employee, and document completion of training? If your firm does not have a system like this in place, then look no further.

"CITADEL E-LEARNING" is an internet-based Learning and Management System featuring interactive, self-paced course modules and an integrated tracking and reporting infrastructure powered by PureSafety. Citadel E-Learning offers a cache of powerful tools to assist with implementation of your training programs that includes:

• Course Series options that help change behaviors, enhance workplace safety, culture initiatives, and prevent injuries; improve workforce performance; reduce your exposure to employment and labor law claims; and reduce exposure to regulatory citation and fines by providing a turn-key solution for implementation of compliance training programs. 
• More than 380 courses covering all aspects of Environmental, Health and Safety and Human Resources compliance, with the option for custom course modification and creation to best meet your needs.
• Effective and efficiently designed courses; the average course length is just 30-45 minutes, most are available in both English and Spanish for application in bilingual work environments.
• Continuous review and improvement; course content and images are updated routinely to maintain relevancy, regulatory compliance, and help meet your ever-changing training requirements.
• Turn-key compliance solutions that meet and exceed regulatory requirements for training; every course includes engaging learning activities designed to reinforce Employee knowledge of the subject matter, test that accurately measure retention, and completion documentation and certification.
• Citadel E-Learning, as a stand-alone solution, offers a level of flexibility that is unmatched in the world of traditional classroom and computer-based training. With simply computer and internet access, courses can be instantly added to a Library, assigned to an employee, and completion tracked and documented. As long as your employee has internet access, the training can be completed anywhere, anytime, and at their pace.
• In addition, the integration of Citadel E-Leaning into traditional Safety and Compliance programs greatly enhance effectiveness and efficiency. Engaging and relevant course modules easily supplement any existing training programs by invigoration employee interest. The comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS).

If you're interested in learning more about this program for your firm, please contact Kelley West at (818) 246-2707 or via email.