ARCADIS Launches Measurable Tool to Gauge Remediation Sustainability

DENVER, May 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARCADIS (Euronext: ARCAD), the international consultancy, design, engineering and management services company, today introduced the BalancE3™ Tool, a powerful new web based tool that comprehensively evaluates and quantifies the sustainability of remediation tactics.

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The unique BalancE3 Tool quantifies green remediation based on the commonly accepted Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) six core elements of environmentally preferred remediation: Energy Requirements, Air Emissions, Water Requirements, Land and Ecosystem Impacts; Material Consumption and Waste Generation; and Stewardship. In addition, ARCADIS added Health & Safety and Life-Cycle Cost that are critical elements of remedy performance and optimization. The tool takes the individual measurements and creates a common currency or single unit of measure for sustainability.

“Up to this point, there has not been a widely accepted decision framework for quantifying and evaluating sustainability performance as part of the remedial selection process,” said Kurt Beil, Director of Integrated Technical Services, ARCADIS U.S. “With the BalancE3 Tool, our clients can achieve incremental greening on their remediation projects with clear indicators for maximizing the net environmental benefit of any cleanup program.”

Through its web-based interface, the BalancE3 Tool continuously calculates sustainability metrics to measure the fulfillment of each core element and identify factors with the greatest impact on sustainability. It also provides a mechanism to benchmark and track progress over time for critical metrics, including the core elements of green remediation and sustainability, as well as, project management matters of budget, timeline and safety. This provides the critical information needed for remedial decision making and prioritization. The tool is scalable to a broad range of project sizes, regions and needs from the site level through an entire portfolio-wide application.

The BalancE3 Tool – which was named for its solutions that create a balance of Environmental sustainability, Economic sustainability and social Equity – was created by Beil and a team of ARCADIS engineers, scientists, and economists in response to an annual company-wide competition. The competition, called “Imagine…,” invites employees to propose ground-breaking ideas that meet ARCADIS’ aim of making a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable world.

Stated Beil, “Our ultimate goal with the BalancE3 tool was to establish a foundation for applying sustainability to design, optimization and implementation of environmental projects. While we were honored to win the competition, the real success of the BalancE3 Tool comes in meeting a need in our industry and sharing that solution with our clients to help them achieve their own goals and greater sustainability in a timely and more cost effective way.”

The BalancE3 Tool was unveiled to environmental engineers today during the first day of the Battelle Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds Conference, the nation’s foremost remediation conference.

For more information on BalancE3, visit www.arcadis-us.com/resources/balancE3.pdf or contact Jeanna Blatt at 303.471.3485 or [email protected].

About ARCADIS:

ARCADIS is an international company providing consultancy, design, engineering and management services in infrastructure, water, environment and buildings. We enhance mobility, sustainability and quality of life by creating balance in the built and natural environment. ARCADIS develops, designs, implements, maintains and operates projects for companies and governments. With 15,000 employees and over $2.4 billion in revenues, the company has an extensive international network supported by strong local market positions. ARCADIS supports UN-HABITAT with knowledge and expertise to improve the quality of life in rapidly growing cities around the world. Visit us at: www.arcadis-us.com.

SOURCE ARCADIS