RPI’s Leadership Role in New York State’s
Environmental Management Programs
by
John Willson ’74
Harry Hovey ’52
Leo Hetling ’64
Environmental Engineering
Department of Health
Information for a Healthy New York
CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
RPI Environmental Pioneers
William Pit Mason - Professor 1890- 1910- Environmental Chemist
1875
Walter Dauchy
Review of Water Works at Hudson, NY
1876
William Henderson
A Review of the Proposed West Troy Water Works
1877
Antonio Lavandeira
Supply of Water for Troy, NY
1878
Kaname Haraguchi
Review of the Pumping Engines and Boilers of the Albany City Water Supply
1887
Irving Matthews
Design of a System of Water Works for the City of Troy, NY
1889
Paul O. Hebert
Albany’s New Water Supply
1890
William Arnold
Chemical Examination of the Troy Water Supply
1891
George Hallock
Self Purification of the Hudson River between Troy and Albany
1893
Ralph Chambers
Design for an additional Water Supply for the City of Troy, NY
1895
George A. Soper
The Efficiency of the Public Water Supply Filter at Hudson, NY
1895
William C. Boyd
Design for a New Water Supply for Albany, NY
1897
John A. Kingman
An Investigation for an Improved Water Supply for the City of Albany, NY
1899
Lawrence L. Arnold
An investigation Regarding the Suitability of the Hudson River and its Tributaries
for Boiler Water
1913
Olin J. Magary
Water Supply for a Part of Albany, NY
1925
Chang-Kan Chien
Design for a Gravity Water Supply for Albany, NY
1937
Payl Royal Grossman
Design and Economic Comparison for a Water Supply
Some Early RPI - Health Department
Environmental Leaders
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
John Bumstead, ’35 BCE,
Irving Grossman, ’49 BCE,
John C. Haberer ’31 BCE,
Harry H. Hovey, ’52 BCE
Sherwood Davis, ’40 BCE
Meredith Thompson ’35 DCE
Andrew Fleck, ’45 BX
New York State
Department of Health
Milton T. Hill
Meredith Thompson
Alexander Rihm
1958
Professor Edward J. Kilcawley
Environmental Engineering
Questions
1. Was Professor Kilcawley’s vision of complex
expanded environmental management needs
realistic?
2. Did the need envisioned by Professor Kilcawley
and the State managers for trained
interdisciplinary professionals happen?
3. Did the RPI Environmental Engineering
graduates make a difference?
New York State Environmental Programs ~ 1958
Bureau of Sanitation
Radiological Health and Air Pollution Control Section
Sewage Section
Water Supply Section
Milk and Food Section
Camp Sanitation Section
Reality Subdivisions
Department of Environmental Conservation 2005
Media Relations
Press Office
Office of Administration
Division of Operations
Division of Environmental Permits
Division of Information Services
Division of Management and Budget
Division of Public Affairs and Education
Office of Air and Waste Management
Division of Air Resources
Division of Solid & Hazardous Materials
Division of Environmental Remediation
Office of General Counsel
Office of General Counsel
Legal Affairs
Environmental Justice
Environmental Enforcement
Office of Hearings and Mediation Services
Office of Hearings and Mediation Services
Office of Natural Resources and Water Quality
Division of Fish Wildlife and Marine Resources
Division of Lands and Forests
Division of Mineral Resources
Division of Water
Office of Public Protection
Division of Forest Protection and Fire Management
Division of Law Enforcement
Regional Offices
Office of Labor Relations
Legislative Relations
Legislative Unit
Special Programs within DEC
Hudson River Estuary Program
Great Lakes Program
New York Natural Heritage Program
Independent Boards that Work with DEC
Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Board
Conservation Fund Advisory Board
Fish and Wildlife Management Board
New York State Department of Health
Center for Environmental Health
Division of Environmental Health Assessment
Bureau of Exposure Investigation
Bureau of Toxic Substances Assessment
Division of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Radiological Health
Bureau of Community Sanitation and Food Protection
Bureau of Public Water Supply
Division of Occupational Health & Bureau of Occupational
Health
Bureau of Occupational Health
Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology
1990 RPI ALUMNI DIRECTORY
134 actively working Alumni at DEC
70 actively working Alumni at DOH
RPI and Management of New York State's Water Program
Fred Esmond
Director Engineering and Program Development
Division of Construction Grants, DEC
William Muhall
Sr. Engineer, DEC
Bert Mead
Charles DeFasio
Regional Engineer,
Director, Rensselaer County Sewer District
Watertown Regional Office, DEC
Anthony Adamczyk
Albany Regional Director
William Kivitt
Fred Wurtemberger
Director, Rensselaer County Sewer
Bill Stasiuk
Director, Environmental Health Center, DOH
RPI and Management of New York State's
Interstate and International Water Resources
Delaware River Basin Commission
Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission
Albert Bromberg ‘59
New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission
Commissioner - Leo J. Hetling ‘64
Commissioner - Albert Bromberg ‘59
Commissioner - Sal Pagano ‘64
International Joint Commission
Pollution From .Land Drainage Reference Group – Leo Hetling ‘64
Research Advisory Board – Leo Hetling ‘64
Great Lakes Water Quality Initiative Albert Bromberg ‘59
Water Quality Advisory Board – Sal Pagano ‘64
10000
9000
Millions of Dollars
8000
7000
6000
Total
Federal
State & Local
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
1956
1966
1976
1986
Annual Capital Expenditures for Wastewater Treatment
1996
200,000
Total Load (Lbs/day)
180,000
160,000
140,000
Total SS
120,000
Total BOD
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
0
1900
1920
1940
1960
1980
Pollution Loads to the Lower Hudson River
2000
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1945
1955
1965
1975
1985
1995
Summer Average Dissolved Oxygen Hudson River Below Albany
Total Number of Species
18
16
14
12
10
1973
1977
1983
1991
1997
2002
EPT trends (sensitive mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies) in
the Hudson River at Troy, 1973-2002. (From Bode 2002)
RPI and Management of New York State's Air Resources Program
Beverly Rihm
Technical Writer
Paul Berry
Director, Bureau Air Quality Surveillance
Interstate and International Air Resources Acitvities
State and Territorial Air Pollination Program Administrators, International Joint
Commission, Northeastern States for Coordinated Air Use Management
Harry Hovey
Evolution of Air Resources Management Program
>1957 Radiological Health and Air Sanitation Section
Public Health Nuisances
1957 Air Pollution Control Section
Air Pollution Control Act, Air Pollution Control Board
Odors, Smoke, Air Monitoring
1964 Bureau of Air
Regulatory Development, Standards
1966 Division of Air Resources
Air Management, Modeling, Standards
1970 Division of Air Resources
Transfer to Department of Environmental Conservation
Automotive Emissions, Acid Rain, Ozone, Interstate
Pollution Transport, Technology Standards
RPI and Management of New York States
Solid and Hazardous Waste Programs
John Willson ’61
Director, Bureau Western Remedial Action
John Hawley ‘70
Andy Carlson ’77
Director, Toxic Substance DOH
Director, Environmental Exposure Investigation, DOH
Solid Waste Management
State Public Health Council in 1962 enacted a three page
regulation which states that refuse disposal operations be
conducted as sanitary landfills and municipal incinerators be
operated so as to meet air pollution standards.
Number of Landfills in New York State
1964 - 2002
1600
1600
1400
1200
1000
870
800
800
640
600
570
425
400
275
169
200
97
66
56
53
51
0
1964 1970 1974 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1993 1995 1996 1999 2002
Progress of Recycling in New York State 1989 - 1999
20
17.2
42% recycled
15
12.5
11.1
10
12.6
12 % incineration
10.7
8.5
7.2
32 % landfilled
5.7
5
4.3
4.8
3
14 % exported
0
1989 1990
12 %
17 %
1991 1992
19 %
2 3%
1993
28%
1994 1995
32%
39 %
1996 1997
3 8%
42%
1998 1999
42%
47 %
% of the Solid Waste Stream Recovered
Waste to energy
Double lined landfill
Management of
Biosolids; Waste tires &
Medical waste
Hazardous Waste Management
RCRA C Program
Program Development
• Regulate Hazardous Waste Transporters
• Develop & Initiate Manifest System to
Track Hazardous Waste from Cradle to
Grave
• Regulations Adopted 1982
• July 26, 1982 Interim Authorization
• May 29, 1986 Final Authorization
New York State TSDFs
Universe
Permit/Closure Summary
Status of 68 Operating TSDFs
Total RCRA-C Facilities - 308*
58 Fully Permitted, 10 Interim Status - IS
4
240
68
58
4
2
Closed/Inactive
Ful ly Pe rmitte d
C los ing -IS
Operating
To Be Perm itted -IS
Pe rmi t D efer red -IS
Insulation
of Slurry
Wall
315 facilities subject to
corrective action
127 RFA DSHM
85 FSF- DER
2 USEPA
6 DSHM & DER
95 Completed RFA 18 NFA
77 FI 65 complete 12 RFI
Hazardous Waste
Inactive Sites Program
Love Canal Trench 1927
Development of Program
• 1979 Abandon Sites Act
• 1980 Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability
Act (CERCLA) $ 1.6 Billion
• 1982 & 1985 Superfund Law and
Amendments
• 1986 Bond Act $ 1.2 Billion
Registry of Inactive Hazardous Waste Sites
Source: NYSDEC
Remedial Status
Source: NYSDEC
State Superfund Funding Sources
Source: NYSDEC
Tank Removal
443 sites in voluntary cleanup program private funds
75 sites in Environmental restoration Program municipal grants
Other Programs
Radiological Health
Sherwood Davies ‘40
William Kelleher ‘66
Public Health Sanitation (Bathing Beaches,
Children's Camps, Swimming) Pools)
Howard Gates ‘61
Environmental problems
international in scope.
Energy
Micro toxins, (Mercury,
Pesticides,
Pharmaceuticals)
Facilities built in
the 70s and 80s
are reaching the
end of their useful
life
New technology (Internet,
DVDs and instant
television conferencing)
affecting the way
engineers obtain
information.
In accordance with Professor
Kilcawley’s vision, the
program should be
interdisciplinary with most
courses taught outside the
department and a close
working relationship with
government should be a
priority. We would add to this
a need to develop skills in
management and
communication.
Vapor Intrusion into Homes
Recycling and
Waste Reduction
are a necessity.
Indoor Air
Expectations and
standards are rising.
Top level management of
environmental programs
moving away from
technical professionals.
Maintain program
commitment in
difficult fiscal
times.
Resource Depletion