Landfill Fires on the Rise, Know the Risks
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An Effective Fire Risk Management Plan
is Critical to Prevention and Mitigation
More than 8,000 landfill fires occur each year, ranging from minor surface fires to massive blazes. Due to the potential release of toxic smoke and gases, these fires represent a significant health and environmental concern.
Additionally, landfill fires result in a cost of approximately $8 million annually in property losses and 30 firefighters injured each year while battling the fires. Fires are caused by a number of factors including arson, deposits of hot wastes, lithium ion batteries, and natural causes such as lightening.
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Project Profile: Landfill Gas Collection System Expansion
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Blackstone Environmental recently assisted a local Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfill in overseeing the expansion of their landfill gas (LFG) collection system. Our team completed the design of the LFG system expansion and completed construction quality assurance (CQA) oversight and testing during construction.
The expansion included the addition of vertical extraction wells, collection piping, and condensate collection sumps and was completed on a portion of the site which was relatively new waste. The LFG collection system produces methane for an on-site landfill gas-to-energy plant which produces pipeline quality natural gas.
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Megan Ostrand Joins Blackstone Environmental
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Blackstone is excited to welcome
Megan Ostrand
, Environmental Scientist, to our Overland Park, Kansas office. She holds a Master of Science in Soil Science and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management both from the North Dakota State University (NDSU).
As part of the Blackstone team, Megan will focus on soil classification and investigation activities, groundwater monitoring and statistical analysis, wetland assessment, and NEPA compliance.
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Blackstone Employee Scoop
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NE Kansas Science Olympiad:
Blackstone Senior Project Managers,
Lindsay James
and
Anne Melia
, volunteered at the Feb. 29 Kansas Northeast Regional Science Olympiad at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. The event hosted 28 teams in a variety of scientific categories. Lindsay prepared a comprehensive Water Quality exam for middle and high school students.
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Introduce a Girl to STEAM:
Senior Project Manager
Krista Brodersen
was involved in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) event through the Quad Cities Society of Women Engineers (SWE) on Feb. 18. This event, at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, was designed to help girls in grades 2 through 8 foster an interest in STEAM. The hands-on SWE activity had the girls stack notecards to see how high and sturdy they could make them.
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CHIEFS!
Blackstone celebrated Red Friday before the Super Bowl in true football fashion with some masterful grilling and sporting our favorite red gear.
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Career Fairs:
Blackstone staff recently connected with students and recent grads at the KU Engineering & Computing Career Fair and the Missouri S&T Spring Career Fair.
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Project Engineer Austin Quick and Senior Project Manager Lindsay James at KU's Engineering & Computing Career Fair.
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Conferences:
Visit our
events calendar
for career and professional events we'll participate in this year. Hope to see you!
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March 31 - April 2
October 5 - 7
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Overland Park, KS
913.495.9990
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Des Moines, IA
515.473.0978
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Iowa City, IA
319.331.1577
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St, Louis, Missouri
314.392.7870
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Moline, Illinois
314.392.7870
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