Earth Day 2017
Earth Day is celebrated by over one billion people globally on April 22 each year. Credited as being the catalyst for the modern environmental movement, Earth Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1970. The Clean Air Act was passed later in 1970, the Clean Water Act in 1972, and the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Earth Day went global in 1990, and has since become the world’s largest global observance, celebrated in over 192 countries.
Earth Day serves as a reminder for all of us to make small changes in our daily lives to improve our environment. Whether eliminating disposable cup usage or practicing water conservation, simple changes can make a huge impact when implemented on a global scale. At Tata & Howard, we do our part by having a dedicated Green Committee that is focused on making our offices as environmentally friendly as possible through small changes, such as eliminating disposable flatware and cups and providing reusable water bottles to all employee-owners. We also actively participate in environmental events such as the Charles River Cleanup in Boston, MA, taking place this year on April 29.
Earth Day is also an opportune time to reflect on the impact of our work. Here at Tata & Howard, improving our environment is an integral part of virtually everything we do. Tata & Howard was founded in 1992 as a water engineering consulting firm, and providing innovative solutions for water supply, treatment, and distribution has been a primary focus since that time. Over the years, sustainability has also become of key importance, ensuring that our local communities have a safe, clean water supply for generations to come.
In 1997, we started providing wastewater engineering consulting services as well. Since that time, wastewater treatment has changed and improved to the point that wastewater has even been utilized for direct potable reuse. Energy efficiency and sustainability in wastewater treatment operations are now paramount, as are green energy solutions. We are committed to incorporating options that are both efficient and environmentally friendly, as well as being cost-effective. We recently completed a wastewater treatment plant upgrade project in Vermont that included several green and sustainable features, including VFDs and solar panels, and the project won an ACEC/VT Excellence in Engineering Merit Award earlier this year.
In 2011, we added an environmental services division to Tata & Howard and have since worked on countless projects solely aimed at cleaning up our environment. In implementing these response actions, we also strive to eliminate or reduce total energy use, air pollutant emissions, greenhouse gases, water use, materials consumption, and ecosystem and water resources impacts. These projects include VOC removal, in-situ soil and groundwater treatment, offsite soil recycling and reuse, brownfield remediation, and underground storage tank (UST) closure and removal. Our remedial actions at these properties remove toxins from our soil and water, eliminate toxic vapors from affecting indoor air quality, and help to make our world a safer, greener place. We also provide stormwater services, including NPDES MS4 permit compliance as well as Low Impact Development and Best Management Practices. All our stormwater services help to reduce the harmful impact that stormwater runoff has on the environment.
Earth Day is the perfect time to assess the impact of our personal habits on the environment, as it is also a time to think about the value of our profession. As our business continues to grow, we will enhance our capabilities with services that improve our environment and increase sustainability. At Tata & Howard, every day is Earth Day, and we are proud of the work that we do to protect our natural world.
Happy Earth Day!