Fifth National Climate Assessment: Key Takeaways and Actions to Take

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Fifth National Climate Assessment: Key Takeaways and Actions to Take

In November of 2023, the U.S. released the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). Since the First National Climate Assessment in 2000, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has led a team of climate scientists and subject matter experts from a wide variety of backgrounds and institutional sectors to develop this assessment of the best available science. NAC5 is complemented by a new web-based NCA Atlas that allows people to explore climate projections in U.S. states and counties. In addition, a Spanish language version of NCA5 was just released earlier this year.

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PHE Staff Sharing Expertise at Federal Environmental Symposium

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We are excited to announce that two of our team members, Pedro Da Silva, MSE, PE, and Christopher Rua, CHMM, CE, will be presenting at the upcoming 2023/24 Federal Environmental Symposium, scheduled from March 11 to March 14. This year’s symposium, held virtually, centered around the theme "Environment: A Mission Asset," underscores the significance of collaboration, innovation, and shared learning within the federal partner community.

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February 2024 – Upholding Environmental Justice: Executive Order 14096 and Changes to NEPA

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February 2024 – Upholding Environmental Justice: Executive Order 14096 and Changes to NEPA

In 2023, President Biden signed Executive Order (EO) 14096, “Revitalizing Our Nation’s Commitment to Environmental Justice for All." This EO directs federal agencies to prioritize environmental justice (EJ) initiatives within their core missions. The requirements extend to federal agencies’ compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the associated  analyses. This article explains how EO 14096 aims to shape the future of EJ policy in the United States.

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PHE Welcomes New Associate Principal and Senior Project Manager

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Exciting News!

Introducing Ms. Dawn Schilling, PE, AICP, our new Associate Principal and Senior Project Manager, and the latest addition to PHE's leadership team!

With over 30 years as a NEPA practitioner and Project Manager, Dawn's expertise covers a broad spectrum, from guiding complex Environmental Assessments (EAs) and managing multi-resource Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) to overseeing design projects from inception to construction advertisement. Her impressive career also includes multi-state Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies, extensive public involvement experience, and policy and instructional development.

Dawn's robust skills in NEPA, training, and communication will enhance our services and solutions, helping us expand our offerings to state and municipal clients. As an Associate Principal, we eagerly anticipate the valuable contributions she'll make in advancing PHE's mission of delivering exceptional value to our clients and providing an outstanding workplace.

Join us in welcoming Dawn to PHE!

March 2023 – Updates to CEQ’s NEPA and Climate Change Guidance – Seven Key Takeaways!

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March 2023 – Updates to CEQ’s NEPA and Climate Change Guidance – Seven Key Takeaways!

Early in the new year, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released its National Environmental Policy Act Interim Guidance on Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate Change. The 2023 Interim Guidance builds upon the previous Final Guidance released in 2016, reflecting improved climate science of recent years as well as the increased urgency felt by major decision makers to include climate change considerations in federal planning. This article highlights seven key takeaways from CEQ’s latest guidance.

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December 2022 - Let’s Chew the Fat: A Brief Discussion on Sustainable FATS, OILS, and GREASE (FOG) Management

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December 2022 - Let’s Chew the Fat: A Brief Discussion on Sustainable FATS, OILS, and GREASE (FOG) Management

Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) are a common problem encountered in wastewater sanitary systems, and typically come from a variety of foods, such as cooking oil, butter, and fats in meat scraps and processed food products.  Although rancid and unsightly, FOG can be turned into biofuels to reduce energy costs, or processed into biomaterials; however, if left unmanaged or disposed of improperly, it can cause serious damage to piping, sewer systems, and the environment. This article provides an overview of FOG and its properties, and describes some best practices for FOG management.

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August 2022 - Social Cost of Carbon: Seven Takeaways about the Most Important Climate Policy Metric You’ve Never Heard Of

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August 2022 - Social Cost of Carbon: Seven Takeaways about the Most Important Climate Policy Metric You’ve Never Heard Of

With state and federal governments beginning to adopt more climate-focused policies, one tool is helping decision-makers better understand the economic implications of climate change impacts: the Social Cost of Carbon (SCC). The Biden Administration took a major step in increasing the SCC to account for the long-term harm caused by GHG emissions, some climate economists believe the value of $51 per ton is still too low. This article explains what SCC is (and is not), and discusses how states and federal agencies are starting to use it in their decision-making.

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May 2022 - PHE Is Honored with Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton’s Life-Time Achievement Award!

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May 2022 - PHE Is Honored with Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton’s Life-Time Achievement Award!

On Earth Day, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton recognized PHE for 25 years of outstanding support to the Air Station’s environmental mission with a “Life-Time Achievement Award!” At PHE, we are passionate about our work, and we are excited to partner with friends and professionals who share this passion. We are truly proud of the great work PHE has done at the Air Station over the past 25 years, and look forward to many more years of this fruitful partnership!

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April 2022 - USEPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap Points the Way to Future PFAS Regulation

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April 2022 - USEPA’s PFAS Strategic Roadmap Points the Way to Future PFAS Regulation

In October 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) published the PFAS Strategic Roadmap: EPA’s Commitments to Action 2021–2024, a comprehensive overview of the USEPA’s approach to addressing per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) over the next four years. The roadmap establishes new USEPA PFAS policies, actions, and timelines to safeguard public health, protect the environment, and hold polluters accountable. According to the USEPA, the actions described in the Strategic Roadmap represent important and meaningful steps to safeguard communities from PFAS contamination and to promote enduring and protective solutions.

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