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 Goes Everywhere - Loren Witkin

I frequently tell clients, we'll go anywhere and do anything to assist our valued clients meet their environmental, health, safety, and sustainability needs.  This past month was no different.  In addition to our usual routine of crisscrossing the West providing services, we received calls for support from Guam to the Yellowstone River, to Chicago, and Montana.  And we don't just stay on the ground. As you can see from the below pictures of Citadel Energy Program's representative, Russell Ragsdale, repelling off of a stack, we'll even go to great heights to do our work.  I wonder if the International Space Station has any EHS&S needs?

75 in a 65, by Loren Witkin

Last month I received my first speeding ticket in nearly 30 years of driving.  My 11 year-old son and I were on our annual pilgrimage to opening day of trout season in Aspendell, California, when I was  stopped for apparently going 65 MPH in a 75 MPH zone outside of Independence (AKA - middle of nowhere) on US 395. For those of you that know US 395, there is not a whole lot of anything out there other than miles of scrub brush and desert.   While I know that I was certainly in the wrong, I was surprised to have been ticketed given that I've done the same drive dozens of times without a police escort, and that the normal flow of traffic is usually 80-90 MPH. When I asked the officer about the change in policing practices, namely, are they being more aggressive given the state's fiscal crisis, he smiled and replied, "we're certainly not getting any more money from Sacramento."

I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but the increased enforcement is not just limited to the California Highway Patrol.  Recently, Citadel has witnessed a dramatic uptick in the issuance of Notices of Violations (NOV) and the assessment of fines than that of the recent past.  Where we were accustomed to seeing regulatory agencies issue Notices to Comply (NTC) (basically, a warning), we are now observing the issuance of NOVs in their stead. The penalties, particularly those for NPDES violations, have run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  As I recently mentioned to a client who was on the receiving end of a penalty assessment (merely for a reporting oversight), Citadel is currently engaged in more matters concerning regulatory agency fee negotiations or straight out litigation than in any of our past 18 years combined. 

Again, while I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I don't think that this level of increased NTC issuance is coincidental.  So in a time when businesses have less money to spend on anything let alone regulatory compliance, they are asked to be extra vigilant on compliance. Just as I should have been driving 65 MPH for safety, gas efficiency, and because it's the law, now is the time where we need to look at our operations, assess where we are non-compliant, resolve our risks, and strengthen our companies. 

Ride For Special Kids - Citadel In Service

One of Citadel's Energy Program Team Members, Barry Smith, will be hosting the below event on September 24th, 2011 to raise money for children with learning disabilities: 

Ride for Special Kids

September 24

9:00am

A Fundraiser for the Switzer Learning Center of Torrance,

Helping children with learning diabilities 

Registration  

in the parking lot of  Pacific Yamaha Motorsports

1358 Pacific Coast Highway

Harbor City, CA

For more info visit

www.rideforspecialkids.com 

Federal Court Sentences Southland Businesman for Asbestos Violations

On June 6th a federal court judge sentenced a Southland businessman to a four-year prison term for violating asbestos removal and disposal laws during the renovation of a large San Fernando Valley apartment complex.

U.S. District Court Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Charles Yi to 48 months in prison. Yi was convicted on March 29 by a federal district court jury in Los Angeles of five felony counts of asbestos violations. The sentence is one of the longest handed down by a Los Angeles federal court judge for asbestos violations.

"Exposure to asbestos poses a very serious health risk to workers and nearby residents alike," said Barry Wallerstein, Air Quality Management District's (AQMD) executive officer. "We hope these criminal sentences will deter contractors from violating asbestos air quality regulations."

The five counts against Yi include conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act, failing to provide proper notification to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and AQMD about a renovation involving asbestos-containing materials, failing to provide properly trained personnel, failing to properly remove asbestos and failing to properly dispose of asbestos waste.

Judge Anderson on June 6 also sentenced John Bostick, who cooperated in the investigation, to a sentence of 6 months home confinement and 150 hours of community service. Bostick had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the federal Clean Air Act.

In 2006, AQMD received complaints of possible improper removal of asbestos-containing materials during the renovation of a 204-unit apartment complex in Winnetka. Following inspection, AQMD inspectors found that asbestos was present in the ceilings of apartments in the complex and that untrained, non-certified workers were hired to scrape the asbestos-containing material from the ceilings. The improper asbestos removal caused asbestos fibers to spread throughout the apartment building and surrounding area, endangering public health. AQMD immediately shut down the renovation.

AQMD rules, which implement portions of the federal Clean Air Act, require that an asbestos survey be conducted by a certified asbestos abatement contractor before a renovation project can begin. If asbestos-containing materials are identified, the responsible party must submit to AQMD for approval a plan on how the material will be properly handled, removed and disposed of before renovation activities commence.

The case brought against Yi and Bostick was jointly conducted by the AQMD, U.S. EPA, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

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