Join AMO Environmental Decisions at the Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference being held on the campus of Penn State University on March 9-11, 2020.  The Conference, co-hosted by the Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, will feature talks, panels, workshops and discussions about all things brownfields throughout Pennsylvania.  AMO will be hosting a booth in the main exhibit hall and AMO scientists Jay Ash, Greg Firely, and James Bedison will be presenting on a number of brownfields topics and success stories.  Registration is open now!  For more information, visit the conference page at https://eswp.com/brownfields/overview/ .

Erie, Pennsylvania – AMO is pleased to announce our new partnership with the Erie County Coalition on their recently awarded US EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant.  The Coalition, led by the Erie County Industrial Development Authority, was awarded $526,000 to assess brownfields properties throughout Erie County.  AMO will be responsible for completing environmental assessment activities in support of the Coalition’s goal of redeveloping distressed and blighted properties in communities across Erie County.  More information is available at ecrda.net

Pennsylvania Regulatory Update – Effective January 1, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Management of Fill Policy was updated and includes several important changes.  Most significantly, the updated Policy promulgates new standards which will need to be considered when determining if fill materials qualify as either clean or regulated.  The changes to the Management of Fill Policy could have important impacts on current and future projects and should be reviewed to ensure continued compliance.  If you have questions about the updated Fill Policy and how it might affect your Pennsylvania project, the team of geologists and environmental scientists at AMO are happy to help navigate your project through the policy changes.  Please feel free to reach out to Guy Sheets for more information (gsheets@amoed.com).

Khumbu Valley, Nepal – On November 7, 2019, AMO Environmental Scientist James Bedison reached the summit of Ama Dablam (22,494’ / 6856m), which is located in the Mt. Everest Region of the Himalayan Range.  Following years of preparation, months of training, and weeks of acclimatization, James and an international team of climbers and Sherpa safely summited and descended this iconic Himalayan peak.  For James, this was the culmination of a decade’s-long goal to test his mettle on the steep, difficult, and exposed Southwest Ridge route (Grade VI, Alpine 6, 5.8).  “I’ve been looking at this peak for a long time and never thought I would have the opportunity to climb it.  To find myself on the summit surrounded by the tallest mountains in the world and a great team of climbers was truly an inspiring experience,” said James.

Joining an expedition to climb high-altitude peaks in the Himalaya requires a strong personal commitment to training and preparation, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of friends, family, and coworkers.  “The encouragement I received along the way was such an important part of making this climb possible for me.  I’m extremely grateful to everyone who helped me accomplish this goal.”  As for climbing Ama Dablam, James described it as one of the hardest things he’s ever done.  He credits the strength and kindness of the Sherpa on the team along with his previous experience on mountains like Mt. Rainier, Mt. McKinley (Denali), and Huayna Potosí for his success on the mountain.  “It was an amazing experience and I’m looking forward to new adventures in the mountains soon.”