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Environmental

Environmental Assessments ● Environmental Impact Statements ● Regulatory Support ● Environmental Planning and Management ● Water Resources ● Climate Change Management ● Carbon Sequestration

At Norwest we understand resource development is a complex, multi-layered endeavor, and we are committed to advancing methods of project development that contribute to sustainable development.  Our design philosophies acknowledge the requirements of global environmental regulations and include methods that balance economic, social and environmental needs.  With this in mind, our specialized teams take an integrated approach to project development, reclamation and rehabilitation to minimize  environmental impacts while maximizing economic success.

Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Support

We offer a full range of services including:

  • Environmental assessments
  • Environmental impact statememts
  • Permit applications for mining and energy projects
  • Environmental and reclamation liability determination
  • Baseline and impact studies
  • Compliance audits
  • Risk assessments

Environmental Planning and Management

Our services include developing environmental management and compliance plans; reclamation planning and design; mine closure / abandonment planning, design and costing; and investigation and mitigation of hazardous areas. 

Water Resources

A thorough knowledge of water resource issues is necessary in the planning and permitting new projects as well as understanding the hydrologic impacts and remediation options for existing operations.  Our hydrology experts assist clients with water resource management, surface water hydrology, groundwater characterization, remediation, source control, and hydrologic impact predictions and analysis.

Climate Change Issues and Management

Our emissions management services build on our background in developing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change policies.  These services include protocol development, emissions inventories, energy audits, emissions strategy development, and Clean Development Mechanisms consultation and project design.  Additionally, our professionals in geology, reservoir engineering, and groundwater hydrology offer a variety of CO2 management solutions to the ever-evolving arena of carbon sequestration.

Case Study - Environmental

Piceance Basin, Colorado

Situation: Norwest’s environmental group was hired to collect hydrology, geology, and other environmental resource data in the Piceance Basin of Colorado for a project involving the submission of an application to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety to mine oil shale.

Solution:  Norwest designed a project to help demonstrate the client’s ability to use their In-Situ Conversion Process (ICP) to economically recover commercial quantities of hydrocarbons from oil shale in an environmentally sensitive manner. The process began by creating a freeze wall containment area, heating the earth inside the freeze wall, removing the oil, and then reclaiming the production area. 

Result:  Norwest met aggressive timelines and supported the project through NEPA to produce a comprehensive package that was well received by the client. Norwest was able to provide interdisciplinary support ranging from identifying promising resource areas to compiling a comprehensive permit application that integrated large volumes of technical information.