EnviroForensics’ Account Executive, Joe Miller, shares some insights from the 2019 NorthEast Laundry Association’s Annual Meeting and Fall Conference.

We were pleased to attend the 107th NorthEast Laundry Association (NELA) Annual Meeting and Fall Conference in Newport, Rhode Island. Established in 1911, NELA is one of the longest operating associations for textile supply and service companies in the country. NELA member companies clean and maintain reusable textile products like uniforms, sheets, table linen, shop and print towels, floor mats, mops and other items to businesses in all industries. 

This year’s Annual Meeting and Conference was packed with opportunities for laundry operators to network, share ideas, and learn new ways to maintain and promote their businesses, and cultivate relationships.    

Annual Meeting Overview

Breakfast and “Cracker Barrel” Session

Saturday started bright and early with the breakfast and “Cracker Barrel” session. All conference attendees gathered in the Newport Marriott’s Grand Ballroom to partake in the most important meal of the day and hear each vendor give a 30-second overview speech about their company and how they work hand-in-hand with the laundry operators. This was a useful session to get to know the players in the industry and break the ice in the process. 

Educational Sessions

After everyone had a chance to reacquaint themselves, it was time for the education sessions. EnviroForensics had the honor of presenting on environmental investigations and insurance recovery. Our presentation, Environmental Investigation and Cleanup: Getting Into the Driver’s Seat, talked about the complex environmental investigation and cleanup process and how to minimize out-of-pocket costs and add value to your business.

After the presentation, we had the opportunity to learn more about individual NELA members concerns regarding environmental issues.

Learn how insurance archeology can find historical insurance policies that help protect businesses from environmental liability claims.

Capping off the educational sessions was the President of Fortune Web Marketing, Jennifer Rae Stine, who talked about digital marketing and how it can be applied to the textile industry. Her presentation focused on leveraging social media and search engine optimization (SEO) to “win the web,” and create new business in this mobile-driven, user-centric landscape in which we live.

Networking and Forging New Relationships

The conference ended with a formal dinner and reception where laundry owners and operators had another opportunity to mingle with vendors and sponsors in attendance and create new business connections. We talked with some laundry business owners about their own concerns with potential environmental liability, and answered questions about the process. As usual, it was rewarding to see small business owners come together around a common cause and talk about how they can continue to support one another.

If you want to become a member of the NorthEast Laundry Association, visit nelaundry.org.

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Joe Miller, Account Executive
Joe Miller brings 15+ years of account management and environmental due diligence experience. He is a licensed mitigator and understands the technical aspects of contaminated sites as well as the associated business liabilities. As an Account Executive, Miller conducts preliminary assessments to help determine if historical coverage can be a funding option and provides proven solutions to private business owners including dry cleaners, small-large manufacturing facilities, municipalities, and redevelopment coalitions.

EnviroForensics’ Northwest Indiana Branch Manager, Michele Murday, and Account Executive, Joe Miller, share insights from the 2019 Lakeshore Chamber Business Expo. 

We were pleased to attend the 15th annual Lakeshore Chamber Business Expo put on by the Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber’s mission is to be the voice for business and a forum for the exchange of ideas to promote and strengthen economic vitality throughout East Chicago, Hammond, and Northwest Indiana.

The Lakeshore Business Expo was packed with insights about workforce development, retention and helpful tidbits for local businesses. It started with a luncheon featuring keynote speaker, Blair Milo who is the Indiana Secretary for Career Connections and Talent. There was also an exhibition and networking section for attendees to share ideas and establish new connections.  

Business Expo Overview

Luncheon with Keynote Speaker, Blair Milo

In her presentation, Building a 21st Century Workforce, Blair Milo talked about her role as Indiana’s “Chief Talent Officer.” In 2017, she was appointed by Governor Eric Holcomb to the office of Secretary for Career Connections and Talent where her main responsibility is to help facilitate the governor’s promise to fill one million job openings over the next decade. The former La Porte, Indiana Mayor, and Navy veteran talked about her work with the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, and the efforts they’re making to ensure the Hoosier State has the highly skilled workforce required to meet the demands of an ever-changing economy. She expressed enthusiasm for the job creation efforts in the Northwest Indiana region. 

Exhibition and Networking

The main part of the Lakeshore Chamber Business Expo was the three-hour networking session. We had the opportunity to meet with dozens of businesses in attendance. There were representatives from local banks, human resource companies, healthcare providers, insurance companies, and engineering firms to name a few.  

As usual, it was great to see how the business community in Northwest Indiana continues to grow and what our colleagues are doing to meet the increasing demands of the area. It was also nice to meet new potential partners, catch up with old acquaintances, and learn more about how we can all support each other.

If you want to become a member of the Lakeshore Chamber, visit lakeshorechamber.com.

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Michele Murday, Northwest Indiana Branch Manager

Michele Murday has 5+ years of experience in environmental consulting with a focus on investigation and remediation projects involving dry cleaners and petroleum impacts. Her experience includes preparing 3D site visualizations, environmental remediation, geologic and hydrogeologic data collection, data analysis and interpretation, reporting on all phases of projects from investigations through closure, proposal scoping and budgeting, project management, due diligence research, vapor intrusion assessments, and risk communication with property owners. Her previous field experience includes plume investigation, delineation, and remediation at dry cleaner/chlorinated solvent and petroleum impacted facilities. Murday has employed remediation techniques including soil excavation, chemical injections, soil mixing, multi-phase extraction systems, and sub-slab depressurization systems. She has also worked closely with clients and subcontractors, as well as state and federal regulators.

Joe Miller, Account Executive

Joe Miller brings 15+ years of account management and environmental due diligence experience. He is a licensed mitigator and understands the technical aspects of contaminated sites as well as the associated business liabilities. As an Account Executive, Miller conducts preliminary assessments to help determine if historical coverage can be a funding option and provides proven solutions to private business owners including dry cleaners, small-large manufacturing facilities, municipalities, and redevelopment coalitions.

 

This Saturday, September 21st, is World Cleanup Day, a day dedicated to rid the planet of litter and mismanaged waste. 380 million people across the globe are expected to band together with their neighbors, roll up their sleeves, and clean up their communities one trash bag at a time. 

We celebrated early by going around our neighborhood in the Indianapolis North Meridian Corridor on Friday to pick up wrappers, aluminum cans, cigarette butts, plastic bags, and other litter. It’s an easy way to show neighborhood pride, and it’s one of the many things we do as a company to protect the environment and give back to the community.   

We clean up environmental contamination

We’re a national full-service environmental consulting firm solving complex environmental issues. We investigate and clean up environmental contamination for small business owners, large multinational organizations and governments including dry cleaners, municipalities, mergers and acquisitions, real estate, legal, banks and lenders, manufacturers, industrial launders and textiles, petroleum and agribusiness. The ultimate goal of our work is to use our collective expertise in environmental science, geology, and engineering to clean up properties for our clients and the surrounding community.

We’re bound together by our common value to look after the environment 

We’re a group of inspired scientists, geologists, and engineers that cares deeply for the planet and understand the importance of protecting our environment. This passion fuels us both inside and outside the office. Our employees regularly volunteer their own time to events that protect the environment and enrich the community. We’re also a proud member of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Partners for Pollution Prevention. 

Read more about the Indiana Partners for Pollution Prevention and how we prevent waste at the office each day

Our commitment to the environment is what brings us together 

We are committed to protecting the environment, and this is part of the company’s DNA. Our employees inspire each other to be environmental stewards and commit to more sustainable behaviors. Here are three quotes to help inspire you to live an environmentally conscious life. 

You can download the below graphics and share them on social media with the hashtag #WorldCleanupDay and tag @EnviroForensics. 

 

 
 

 

We invite you to be environmental stewards every day

Making the world a cleaner place doesn’t necessarily require you to volunteer your time with a neighborhood cleanup group, although we highly recommend it. You can pick up litter during your daily routine, whether it’s on the morning jaunt from your car to the office, or your evening walks around the block with your dog. Here are three simple tips to incorporate litter pickup into your day-to-day life: 

1. Carry napkins: One of the biggest mental obstacles to picking up litter is the germ factor. Not wanting to touch it with your bare hands is a reasonable excuse. Carry napkins in your purse or pockets to give yourself an added layer of defense when you pick up that discarded beer can on the sidewalk. 
    
2. Carry hand sanitizer: If you don’t want to carry napkins around, a small bottle of hand sanitizer can go a long way in giving even the most fastidious germaphobe some peace of mind.
    
3. Know what you should and should not pick up: There are some things a napkin or hand sanitizer just won’t protect you from. For these items, it’s better to report them to the proper authorities. Things like:
   • Needles
   • Human waste
   • Personal hygiene products
   • Electrical items
   • Dead animals
   • Bottles of liquid
   • Unlabeled bottles

You can help cut down on the amount of waste being created. Check out our list of 10 things you can do to reduce plastic pollution.

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This post is brought to you by the EnviroForensics Sustainability Council

The EnviroForensics Sustainability Council advances education through community relations and implements sustainable practices in our operations and facilities.

The Indiana State Fair is a celebration of the state’s economy and has been running since 1852. Its roots are based in agriculture and are an annual recreational attraction for Hoosiers. It promotes agriculture through competitive exhibits of livestock and displays of farm products and includes carnival amusement rides and games to automobile racing and concerts. 

This year, EnviroForensics’ Sustainability Council, whose mission is to advance the education of sustainability through community relations and implement sustainable practices in our own operations and facilities, is partnering with the American Dairy Association of Indiana to replace plastic straws with biodegradable straws at the Dairy Bar. 

Cities and companies across the U.S. are starting to phase out or even ban plastic straws to start curbing the negative impact plastic pollution has on our oceans and marine animals. According to the National Park Service, “500 million plastic straws are used every day in America. That’s enough to circle the Earth twice”. For reducing plastic consumption, every bit counts and we’re at a crucial point to start changing our habits. If we keep at our current rate of plastic pollution, “by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish” (For A Strawless Ocean).

To combat this trend, the American Dairy Association is switching to biodegradable straws at the 2019 Indiana State Fair. If you’re going to the Indiana State Fair this year, stop by the Dairy Bar and support their switch from plastic to biodegradable straws.

For more tips on reducing plastic, please read 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Pollution.

Cleaning up contamination and protecting the environment is one of EnviroForensics’ missions, and for our employees, that mission goes beyond the job description. Protecting the environment drives how we conduct ourselves in our lives and habits. On June 12, EnviroForensics pledged to implement voluntary environmental initiatives at all our offices, share information and expertise with other businesses, foster environmental stewardship among our employees, and help raise public awareness. EnviroForensics is proud to join the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Indiana Partners for Pollution Prevention program. The members are comprised of Indiana industries, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that volunteer for a public-private partnership with the IDEM. Each member takes the Partners Pledge to affirm their commitment to promote pollution prevention and environmental stewardship. The partner members engage in environmental stewardship within their business by promoting practices, procedures, and plans that aim to achieve measurable reductions of pollution.

As an environmental engineering firm, EnviroForensics creates healthier community through remediating and removing environmental contaminants. And by taking the Partners Pledge, we are committed to implementing practices and procedures that can lead to even better outcomes for the environment. 

As part of our pledge to raise awareness, we are sharing our internal procedures and best practices for reducing waste and our carbon footprint. 

6 Ways to Be an Environmental Steward

1. Recycling

We have clearly marked recycling bins in every common space in our office. Next to each recycling bin is a list of items that can be recycled for the purpose of continuing education. We also collaborate with the Indiana Recycling Coalition for recycling training seminars.

2. Paperless document prep and delivery

We are consistently refining our own approaches and encouraging regulatory agencies in using digital preparation and submittal methods to reduce the amount of paper used during project report submittals, which also reduces fuel consumption that would have otherwise been used to deliver the documents. Additionally, we recycle and shred our used paper, and have saved roughly 39 trees so far this year.

3. Reducing the generation of investigatory waste

We manage project implementation with an emphasis on reducing the generation of investigatory waste while maintaining remedial objectives. This is implemented through the refined boring selection to reduce the number of borings required at a site, and the implementation of the most appropriate drilling methods that will reduce waste generation.

4. Implementing appropriate site controls to prevent the release of contaminants during remediation

Environmental remediation can be the destruction and/or removal of contaminants from impacted media. We pride ourselves on designing and implementing efficient remedial systems that remediate the target media with minimal generation of waste. This is implemented through reuse of system components and includes research and identification of expendable components that are environmentally friendly upon expiration.

5. Partnering with a local high school

EnviroForensics has an outreach program with Herron High School that includes regular educational workshops at our office. Pollution prevention and remediation issues are discussed, and best practices are identified to educate the students.

6. Neighborhood Cleanup Days

EnviroForensics organizes neighborhood cleanup days to pick up discarded waste in the streets, parking lots, and blocks around each office. It shows that we take pride in keeping our corner of the neighborhood clean, and we hope it inspires others to do the same.

At EnviroForensics, we deeply understand the importance of sustainable business practices and encourage everyone to implement these practices in your own businesses and homes.  

For tips on reducing waste, check out our 10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Pollution blog post. 

Take the pledge to reduce pollution

Help protect the environment in Indiana. The Indiana Partners for Pollution Prevention program provides its members with a forum to network with other businesses, share their pollution prevention experiences and ideas, and discuss member integration into IDEM’s environmental policies and programs. 

Learn more about how your company or organization can join the Indiana Partners for Pollution Prevention Program.

This June marks the 50th anniversary of the Pride movement, which began with the pivotal riot at New York’s Stonewall Inn. EnviroForensics’ team reflects on this historic event, as well as, LGBTQ+ scientists who made major contributions to their scientific fields as, we look ahead to Indianapolis’ own Pride festival.

We’re Better Together

LGBTQ+ individuals are positive and creative leads of all subgroups in our society. They are members of all races and professional disciplines, all religions, and every branch of government and military service. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, marketers, bankers, accountants, athletes, artists, mechanics, laborers, and every other profession under the sun. They are friends and strangers, family members, work colleagues, and civic leaders. Today, more than ever, we must celebrate our diversity and embrace our commonality. Today more than ever, we must speak of the love for our brothers and our sisters and defy hate, discrimination and bigotry.

We’re stronger together and we are a stronger society when we stand up for the rights of others and cast aside hate and fear. Our best decisions and our best work happen when we are driven by all the identities and perspectives of our team members and clients.

We’re Smarter Together

As scientists, we strive for objective answers to questions. Today, LGBTQ+ scientists are making contributions in every branch of physical, social, natural, engineering, and computer sciences. Here’s a look back at just a few noted LGBTQ+ scientists who have made huge impacts in the scientific community.

Sally Ride, First Woman in Space

Sally Ride was an American astronaut, physicist, and engineer. At 32 years old, she became the first American woman in space in 1983. She left NASA in 1987, after flying twice on the Orbiter Challenger. For two years, she worked at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Arms Control, and then at the University of California, San Diego as a professor of physics, primarily researching nonlinear optics and Thomson scattering.

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Alan Turing, Biologist

Alan Turing was an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist. He was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalization of the concepts of algorithm and computation. He’s widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence. During WWII, Turing played a pivotal role in cracking intercepted coded messages that enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in many crucial engagements. His work gave the Allies the edge they needed to win the war in Europe and led to the creation of the computer. He worked for the National Physical Laboratory, where he designed the Automatic Compute Engine, which was one of the first designs for a stored-program computer. He joined Max Newman’s Computer Machine Laboratory, where he helped develop the Manchester computers and became interested in mathematical biology. He wrote a paper on the chemical basis of morphogenesis, which was a mathematical explanation of how things grow. It became a completely new field of mathematical biology.

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Julia Serano, Biologist

Julia Serano is an American writer, spoken-word performer trans-bi activist, and biologist. She earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry and molecular biophysics from Columbia University. She researched genetics and development and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Berkeley for seventeen years. Serano has written three books, “Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity”, “Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive”, and “Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism”. She is a national speaker on transgender and trans women’s issues and her writings have been used as teaching materials in gender studies courses across the United States.

These are only a few examples of LGBTQ+ contributions to only one of many aspects of our culture and society. Not only are we smarter together, but we celebrate diversity because we all have something to learn from one another. At EnviroForensics, we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our services and our community. So, celebrate with us, the contributions given to all of us from all walks of life. We need them all!  

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We’re More Valuable Together

Established in 1987, Indiana Youth Group (IYG) is a drop-in center for youth ages 12-20 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and more. Youth who are allies to the LGBTQ+ community are also welcome. IYG’s mission of creating safe spaces, providing wellness programming, and educating LGBTQ+ youth and the community is accomplished through services, activities, affinity programs, referrals, and providing gather space. IYG is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.

 

Help support Indiana’s youth by donating to Indiana Youth Group.