James J. Walsh, PE, BCEE, ND CE ‘74
President/CEO, SCS Engineers

For many years, the environmental regulatory framework in re-using contaminated industrial properties was so burdensome and expensive that many such locations remained as abandoned, without clean-up or prospect of productive re-development. Instead, suburban “greenfield” properties were preferred for new development. Beginning in the 1990’s, the U.S. EPA and many state environmental agencies recognized the problem with these conditions, and developed new regulations to foster the re-development of such brownfields, with less burdensome and less costly regulation, often using a “risk-based approach.” Such take into account the future use of the property and controls that can be built into the new development, often allowing less than a cleanup that would return the site to its original natural condition.

Since then, literally thousands of such brownfield projects have developed nationwide. This presentation will describe the opportunities that have developed in remediating such brownfields. Several large high-profile such brownfields re-development projects will be presented as case studies including: Staples Center in Los Angeles, Petco Field in San Diego, NASCAR’s California Raceway, and Chase Field in Phoenix. Smaller but socially responsible case studies in urban areas will also be described including Bridge Housing, an affordable housing project in San Diego, and Lakeside Market in Atlanta.
The significant role that Young Professionals have played in the projects above and other such projects will be described. We will also describe what we believe to be a robust market for environmental professionals now and in the future. The much-discussed “roll-back of environmental regulations” is having no measurable effect on the market for such services or on the need for entry-level environmental professionals. Instead, with the economy booming, there is an even greater need for environmental services for projects such as those above.

Jim Walsh is a proud graduate of Notre Dame’s Civil Engineering class of 1974. He is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) in 12 states and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. Jim is a Board member for the Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF), whose mission is funding environmental research projects and environmental engineering scholarships.  Jim has over 43 years of professional experience, all in environmental engineering consulting.
Jim is currently President/CEO of SCS Engineers, a nationwide environmental engineering firm. SCS has over 800 employees. The firm is headquartered in Long Beach, California, but has 70 locations from coast to coast. ENR ranks SCS at #90 among engineering firms in the U.S., and at #12 for environmental firms.