Harding Lawson Wins Award for Kazakhstan Project.

Business Editors

PORTLAND, Maine--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 2, 2000

The American Consulting Engineers Council recognized Harding Lawson Associates' (HLA's) success in the dismantlement of Kazakhstan former rocket fuel storage and distribution facilities by awarding them a national honor award.

HLA designed an innovative process that allows the rapid, cost-effective demilitarization of former Soviet Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) bases in Kazakhstan. This chemical neutralization process saved an estimated $2 million over the original incineration alternative. This process also streamlined the project, allowing the neutralization task to be finished 6 months earlier than scheduled. The project involves engineering services for the elimination of two former Soviet SS-ICBM rocket fuel depots in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Work was done for ABB SUSA, Inc. who is under contract to the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Ann Massey, HLA's Senior Vice President commented that "HLA is proud of this project and our long working history with DTRA. The cost savings our process provides allows DTRA to apply funds to other projects to reduce the global threat posed by weapons of mass destruction. Other economic benefits included recycling decontaminated steel into the Kazakhstan economy and the jobs and training opportunities this process created for the local people. In addition, HLA received feedback from the U.S. Defense Department that the approach to rocket fuel neutralization applied by HLA is straightforward, practical, economical, and the results clearly met the expectations of the U.S. and Kazakhstan governments."

The contaminated facilities were abandoned by the Russian military in 1992-1996. The sites are currently owned by the Republic of Kazakhstan, which has an agreement with the DTRA for ICBM base dismantlement. Contamination by rocket fuel residuals posed a health threat to the local population and construction workers hired to demolish these ICBM bases.

HLA was directly responsible for contamination assessments, treatability testing, process engineering, and equipment design to neutralize residual contamination by Heptyl and Amyl rocket fuel components found in abandoned bunkers, tanks, process piping, and lagoons. Heptyl and the initial daughter product it degrades to, nitrosodimethylamaine (NDMA), are suspected cancer-causing agents.

To facilitate destruction of rocket fuel residuals in water, the DTRA was prepared to send a liquid-waste incinerator to Kazakhstan. HLA engineered an alternative process to chemically neutralize the highly toxic rocket fuel residuals (primarily NDMA) without the expensive incineration option. Both sites had contaminated water within the fuel storage and distribution systems. The HLA treatment solution was based on chemical oxidation of NDMA into less-toxic by-products. HLA then took advantage of existing steel-lined concrete evaporation basins and the dry summer climate to evaporate the water and dissolved by-products, where natural photo-oxidation eliminated the health threat.

HLA designed this resourceful system using easily implemented processes incorporating locally available material and chemicals. The Kazakhstan Institute of Chemical Science supported HLA's treatability test. Treatability test results were developed into treatment procedures and implemented at each site in self-sufficient, portable neutralization trailers fabricated by Kazakhstan subcontractors. These subcontractors were trained by HLA to operate the treatment system. The chemical neutralization process was also used to provide surface decontamination of metal pipes and tanks that had stored and distributed the rocket fuels. Because of the limited local water supply, extensive water reuse and waste minimization methods were applied.

HLA was acquired by MACTEC, Inc. on June 2, 2000. Privately held MACTEC is a national environmental and infrastructure company headquartered in Denver with 77 professional offices, 2,300 employees, 1999 pro forma revenues of $325 million, and both government and private clients. Based on a 2000 Engineering News Record industry survey, MACTEC is currently ranked 16 among the nation's largest environmental engineering firms.