Environmental Consultants—Who Needs Them?
• You notice a problem with your well water. It tastes
different, and you have noticed some discolora-
tion. Do you need a consultant? Your first step
should be to contact the local health department
and have your water tested. The health depart-
ment will recommend action, if necessary, based
on the test results. An environmental consultant
is probably not needed.
• You decide to build a cabin on a vacation property
you own. You need a well and a septic system for
it. Should you hire a consultant? Probably not,
unless siting of wells or drainfields presents spe-
cial problems in your area. The local health de-
partment can provide guidance and the names of
licensed well drillers and septic contractors who
are familiar with your area. These professionals
may provide all the expert help you require. How-
ever, if you are responsible for developing water or
wastewater systems for a community, a licensed
professional engineer must prepare plans and
specifications.
The following situations may also benefit from the
expertise of an environmental consultant:
• You own a service station with an underground fuel
storage tank that is suspected of leaking.
• You are thinking of constructing waterfowl ponds on
your property. To be constructed properly, this
type of project requires permits and engineering
design.
• You have a problem with soil erosion and runoff on
your property.
• You are a city manager or local planning official
considering solid-waste management options for
your community or upgrading your community’s
wastewater treatment plant.
• Your company is about to buy a property previously
occupied by another business. You may need a site
assessment for the property to obtain financing.
• Your community wants to protect its new well field
by developing a wellhead protection plan.
• Your company is in compliance with regulatory
standards but is interested in lowering emission
rates further.
These are only a few of the situations in which
individuals, businesses, industries, or municipalities
might consider hiring an environmental consultant.
Before deciding if the services of a consultant are
needed, one must clearly define the problem to be
solved.
This directory
1. defines what to look for in an environmental
consultant,
2. describes how to hire a consultant, and
3. lists environmental consulting firms that
serve the Upper Peninsula, briefly describing
their typical services.
Use and Organization of This Directory
Consulting engineering is an important and
learned profession. The members of the profes-
sion recognize that their work has a direct and
vital impact on the quality of life for all people.
Accordingly, the services provided by consult-
ing engineers require honesty, impartiality,
fairness and equity and must be dedicated to
the protection of the public health, safety and
welfare. In the practice of their profession, con-
sulting engineers must perform under a stan-
dard of professional behavior, which requires
adherence to the highest principles of ethical
conduct on behalf of the public, clients, em-
ployees, and the profession.
—Consulting Engineers Council of Minnesota
Membership Directory, 1992-1993.
The consultants included in this directory provide
environmental services to Michigan’s Upper Penin-
sula. The GEM Center for Science and Environmental
Outreach at Michigan Technological University sent a
two-page survey to consulting firms in February 1999.
Consultants listed in the 1994 directory—and
those who asked to be included in a revised edition—
received surveys. Firms listed in the Yellow Pages of
Upper Peninsula telephone directories under "Envi-
ronmental and Ecological Services," "Engineers-
Professional," "Surveyors-Land," or "Surveyors-
Professional" also received surveys. The forms allowed
the firms to provide information about their environ-
mental consultant capabilities, clientele, staffing
levels, branch office locations, and areas of specialty.
The GEM Center compiled information from the
surveys to create the alphabetical listing of firms. The
Center did not review the qualifications of firms that
requested a listing. The burden is on the client to en-
sure that the firm can provide the services required.
Some firms listed in the 1994 directory no longer
exist or have moved, others have merged, and new
firms or branch offices have opened. A consultant that