Our company
O&M work in Traverse City, Mich., earns EPA award
The CH2M HILL OMI-operated wastewater facility in Traverse City, Mich., was named by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 5 as one of the best operated and maintained facilities in the Great Lakes region during 2006. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality nominated the Traverse City facility for the award, presented Nov. 28. The Traverse City plant boasts one of the world’s largest membrane bioreactors, which was designed and constructed by CH2M HILL. CH2M HILL OMI has been responsible for the O&M of the Traverse City plant since 1990.
Engineers, operators collaborate on remediation services offering
Sometimes it takes engineers, sometimes it takes operators, and often it takes both to help clients clean up soil, air or water contaminated by legacy systems. That’s a problem solved with a new integrated environmental remediation solution from CH2M HILL OMI. We’ve brought together the firm’s unparalleled experience in remedial process optimization – engineering the right cleanup plan for your property – along with our operations, maintenance and monitoring expertise to then put those plans into action. Our method focuses on expediting remediation schedules to reduce life cycle costs and improve regulatory and community relations. Whether it takes soil vapor extraction, groundwater pump and treat, or an innovative “in situ” approach, we can design and deliver a program that quickly and cost-effectively helps you meet sustainability and compliance goals.
Our communities
Helping sustain ‘Water For People’ at the holidays
 Reflecting the spirit of the season, for the third year we’ve donated $5,000 to Water For People on behalf of our partners, employees and friends. Water For People is an international nonprofit that helps people in impoverished communities by supporting sustainable drinking water, sanitation and hygiene projects. CH2M HILL has been a Water For People corporate partner since 1991, and every spring we sponsor an employee giving campaign to generate further funding for this worthwhile organization.
Associates make the season merrier in Tennessee
CH2M HILL OMI employees in Oak Ridge, Tenn., traditionally celebrate the holidays with a dinner and door prizes. This year, they overwhelmingly voted to help those less fortunate instead. The dinner was cancelled, shoppers volunteered and the flurry began! Shoppers bought gifts for foster children in the Roane County Foster Families Association and for a family with children in the YWCA domestic violence shelter. Employees also donated their own money to provide even more gifts, raising the total number of children aided to 20. Among those helping Santa were Danny Estes, Mark Farmer, April Narramore and Jaci Taylor. In Oak Ridge, CH2M HILL OMI people provide a wide range of utility and infrastructure management, operations and maintenance services for the Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee.
Our partners
Milton, Johns Creek celebrate 1st birthday
Happy birthday and congratulations to the cities of Milton and Johns Creek, Ga., which marked their first birthdays on Dec. 1. CH2M HILL OMI has been providing nearly all citizen services in both cities since they began operations last year. Pictured here are Milton city officials celebrating the birthday during the Milton Roundup community festival held this fall. CH2M HILL OMI’s municipal services business officially launched two years ago, beginning with the city of Sandy Springs, Ga., which opened Dec. 1, 2005. And we’re helping citizens start up a fourth new city right now – Chattahoochee Hill Country, Ga. CH2M HILL OMI can help cities with a range of services, including planning and zoning, building permits, code enforcement, public works management, revenue enhancement and more.
Sandy Springs, Ga., earns ‘Crown Community’ award
Congratulations to Sandy Springs, Ga., one of eight U.S. cities to win a 2007 Crown Community Award from American City & County  magazine. Sandy Springs was named for the startup of its fire and rescue department. Led by Fire Chief Jack McElfish, the department was launched in December 2006, built from the ground up in less than 6 months. Since 1998, American City & County has presented awards to cities and counties that exemplify the best that local governments have to offer. City Manager John McDonough (left) and McElfish (right) accepted the award at the 2007 Congress of Cities in November.
Our industry
City officials showcase public-private partnerships
At the 2007 Congress of Cities held in New Orleans last month, six municipal leaders shared their stories of success and satisfaction with public-private partnerships in the water and wastewater industry, including Mayor Willie Davis of Vienna, Ga. – a CH2M HILL OMI client that recently renewed its contract another 15 years. Arranged by the Water Partnership Council, the panel discussion was recorded, and the video is available to watch on the National League of Cities’ NLCTV.org site. It’s about an hour long and provides useful background and real-life examples of how public-private partnerships work.
UN to focus on global sanitation issues in 2008
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation, with the overall objective of accelerating progress on sanitation to save lives and foster economic and social development. The target by 2015 is to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation. It’s all part of the UN’s International Decade for Action: Water for Life, 2005-2015. The Water for Life Web site offers more resources, data and information about how you can help support this global mission.
Our people
Employee in Hoboken, N.J., wins ‘Mentor of the Year’
People are the most important resource in any co  mpany – and employees like Mike Arnold demonstrate the highest caliber of talent. Mike was one of five people at CH2M HILL to be named “Mentor of the Year” for 2007. The program allows employees to nominate mentors who lead by example, share expertise, offer opportunities for professional growth and foster collaboration. “He is a true symbol of the CH2M HILL OMI way of life. He is supportive, informative, organized, innovative and positive in his approach to everything he is involved with,” says one of the three employees who nominated him. Mike is a project manager at the wastewater treatment system the company operates for the North Hudson Sewerage Authority in Hoboken, N.J. In Mike’s honor, the CH2M HILL Foundation will donate $1,000 to the nonprofit of his choice, Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. |
