Operational Capabilities

Meet the Team: Terry Rockwell

pia.shah@usecology.com — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 18:11:00 +0000

Meet the Team: Terry Rockwell pia.shah@useco… Mon, 06/27/2022 - 13:11

June 29, 2022

Terry Rockwell has served the emergency response industry for 37 years. Over the years, he has built an impressive skillset that includes specialties in areas including railcar, cylinder, compressed gas and chlorine. As Vice President of Specialized Response Solutions (SRS), a US Ecology company, he provides hand-on leadership and management for all field-related services.

SRS offers international response services for highly hazardous and volatile events such as train derailments, well and pipeline emergencies, ship fires, over-the-road incidents, industrial fires, clandestine drug labs and WMD events and drills. SRS personnel are renowned for their expertise in managing large scale emergencies involving all classes of hazardous materials and dangerous goods.

Terry’s extensive operations and project management experience provides SRS with competent daily management of personnel and resources for all Special Operations field activities. His knowledge of personnel qualifications and the required equipment resources ensure that SRS responds with the expertise and equipment necessary for the safe resolution of hazardous incidents.

Aside from providing invaluable guidance and leadership for SRS, Terry personally responds to countless events including major hazardous materials incidents around the world. He is a highly trained responder and holds professional certifications and instructor licenses in many disciplines. His experience encompasses all aspects of the environmental response, firefighting, explosive material management, remediation, compressed gas transfer and commodity protection, including equipment fabrication for specialized response situations. His expertise has been requested by multiple universities including Texas A&M and LSU, where he serves as an instructor in the Special Tactics and Response training programs, as well as the Ontario Fire College, Mississippi Fire Academy and various other locations. He was a board member of Texas TRANSCAER from 2010-2016 and has served and continues to serve as Chair of the Emergency Preparedness Issue Team (EPIT). Additionally, he has been a member of the Chlorine institute for over 20 years. Within that time, he has served as chair of the annual CHLOPREP and other task groups.

Terry has been part of the emergency response industry for over three decades. He is highly valued and respected by teams throughout the organization and his expertise and knowledge make him a key member of the US Ecology family.

Minimize your operational impact with US Ecology’s Emergency Response services. Our professional crews are on standby, ready to deploy the right resources whenever and wherever you need it. We offer unequaled service and the convenience and reduced risk of one partner from start to finish. Contact Us to learn more about US Ecology’s Emergency Response services. For immediate assistance call us 24/7/365 at (800) 899-4672.

How We Prepare for Natural Disasters

pia.shah@usecology.com — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 16:44:19 +0000

How We Prepare for Natural Disasters pia.shah@useco… Mon, 06/27/2022 - 11:44

June 29, 2022

Operational Capabilities

Natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, tornados and floods can strike anytime. For over three decades, US Ecology has been the most trusted disaster response provider to customers in a variety of industries working as a true partner to help them prepare, respond and recover.

We stand ready to apply proven strategies to limit risk and exposure to events and rapidly mobilize comprehensive resources wherever they are needed. Our focus on best-in-class customer service and unmatched mobilization response time require the utmost preparedness in our operations. The experience we have gained over the years has helped to build our response protocols, training and resources, and enhance our ability to provide quality response services that are compliant, safe and efficient.

How do we ensure readiness?

Every response starts with a phone call either to the nearest US Ecology location or most often to the Global Response Operation Center. This state-of-the-art in-house 24/7/365 response hotline is staffed with a team of full-time US Ecology Emergency Response Specialists. These individuals are professionally trained to understand the needs of every response request and handle multiple responses simultaneously with ease. They dispatch needed resources and serve as the liaison between the field and the customer from start to finish. Even when major events increase our call volume significantly, we can field up to 1,700 phone calls per month without sacrificing consistent high-quality service and timely responses.

In the field, we achieve readiness by employing highly trained individuals that have the experience and knowledge necessary to effectively prepare for and respond to natural disasters. To maintain and ever-improve upon their skillsets, our crews conduct year-round in-the-field training and drills going through real-life scenarios with a thorough focus on health and safety including wildland fire training, rail snow plowing and other response drills.

What happens before an event?

Forecasting technology helps us track all major weather events and mobilize equipment ahead of time to where it is most likely needed. We use this technology to follow the path of hurricanes and to know where to send fire trailers and incorporate sprinklers and wetting agents, which are often outfitted with wireless technology, prior to a wildfire pushing through.

We are renowned for thoroughly evaluating our customers' operations and developing tailored emergency response plans that are sound and effective for their individual needs. The same procedure is used on our own operations, and we follow our emergency response plan to complete several steps to ensure operational readiness and the ability to immediately deploy resources to our customers. These include:

Identifying sources and securing gasoline for vehicles and diesel fuel for trucks
Issuing satellite (SAT) phones to regional leads and response managers
Issuing emergency responder tags/badges for all response vehicles to ensure access to customers in impacted areas, clearance around blockades, evacuations and/or curfews as required
Stocking response vehicles with supplies and materials and stage for rapid deployment
Securing accommodations for response personnel mobilized to the impact zone(s), as well as for any team members displaced by the disaster

Due to our nationwide footprint, we have operations nearly everywhere in the country. This means we not only work on reducing risk and providing protection of our customers’ assets but also maintaining our own facilities in affected areas, ensuring a safe return to normal operations as swiftly as possible. In preparation of an upcoming event, we relocate response vessels and equipment and conduct safety meetings to ensure the readiness of our staff in terms of evacuation procedures and check-ins during any type of natural disaster.

In advance, we hold daily task force meetings with all operations involved in the approaching event. Attended by key regional and branch operational management as well as support functions such as health and safety, call center management, IT, purchasing and other subject matter experts, these calls provide an overview of the latest status, trajectory and projected impact, customer outreach and anticipated support needs, and internal preparations to protect infrastructure and personnel.

It is our belief that the better we are prepared, the better we can support our customers. All the disaster response procedures and plans put in place ensure the readiness and unequaled service excellence our customers come to expect.

When disaster strikes, trust the # 1 response provider for over 30 years. Our professional crews are on standby ready to deploy the right resources to manage your response and recovery needs. We provide unequaled service excellence and the convenience and reduced risk of one partner from start to finish. Contact us to learn more about our Disaster Response services or call us 24/7/365 at (800) 899-4672 to speak with one of our knowledgeable representatives.

Meet The Team: Bobby Breed

pia.shah@usecology.com — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 16:49:55 +0000

Meet The Team: Bobby Breed pia.shah@useco… Tue, 09/28/2021 - 11:49

October 14, 2021

Operational Capabilities

Bobby Breed serves US Ecology as the Vice President of Emergency Response programs and the Vice President and General Manager of Specialized Response Solutions (SRS), a US Ecology company. SRS was first established by Bobby himself in 2000, providing global Emergency Response Services for highly hazardous and volatile events, such as train derailments, well and pipeline emergencies, ship fires, over-the-road incidents, industrial fires, clandestine drug labs and events and drills involving weapons of mass destruction. SRS merged with US Ecology in 2019 and complements US Ecology’s suite of Emergency Response services. Under Bobby’s guidance, our 24/7/365 professional teams provide efficient and compliant cleanup, removal and disposal of hazardous materials and debris from any type of emergency, from small spills to catastrophic events, for customers across all industry sectors, nationwide.

In his role as Vice President of Emergency Response services, Bobby oversees all efforts to provide safe, cost-effective and compliant solutions throughout US Ecology’s Emergency Response programs including land and marine responses and international events and incidents. He focuses on strategies to ever- improve program performance and raises the bar on our high standard of unequaled service excellence. Bobby’s leadership and extensive knowledge of industry best practices, regulations, and specialized equipment are key to safely, timely and effectively respond when an event occurs.

However, Bobby does not just sit behind a desk and simply provide leadership and direction; he has personally responded to and managed countless incidents over the course of his career. Apart from being a Texas State Certified Industrial Firefighter, he is an Explosive Technician, Emergency Responder and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), as well as a Compressed Gas and Rail Car Specialist.

Bobby’s vast experience and depth of expertise allow him to lead and leverage his skills with the US Ecology team daily. His previous role of Operations Manager and Emergency Response Service Line Manager gave him insight on successful personnel management. And his time serving as an instructor for Special Tactics and Flammable Liquid Firefighting at Texas A&M, LSU and other educational facilities throughout the United States and Canada provided him with the opportunity to gain critical hands-on experience, which helped him build his strong foundation of response knowledge.

Bobby has served the emergency response industry for over three decades, and SRS’s impeccable safety record since 2000 is testament to his leadership and focus on safety. He is highly valued by teams throughout the organization and his unparalleled expertise and knowledge make him an indispensable member of the US Ecology family.

Minimize your operational impact with US Ecology’s Emergency Response services. Our professional crews are on standby, ready to deploy the right resources whenever and wherever you need it. We offer unequaled service and the convenience and reduced risk of one partner from start to finish. For immediate assistance call us 24/7/365 at (800) 899-4672 or learn more: https://www.usecology.com/services/field-services/emergency-response

US Ecology Aids in Recovery Efforts after Hurricane Ida makes Landfall

pia.shah@usecology.com — Tue, 28 Sep 2021 16:03:28 +0000

US Ecology Aids in Recovery Efforts after Hurricane Ida makes Landfall pia.shah@useco… Tue, 09/28/2021 - 11:03

October 14, 2021

Operational Capabilities

This year is on track to meet, if not exceed, last year’s record-breaking hurricane season. In 2020 the U.S. experienced 14 hurricanes, seven of which were considered major disasters, causing over $51 billion in damages total. Hurricane Ida, the worst storm in 2021 to date, left behind widespread destruction and large-scale impact to businesses and communities alike, with financial damage exceeding $65 billion.

Ida made landfall on August 29 near Port Fourchon, LA as a Category 4 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 150 miles per hour. Much like other areas in the state, Port Fourchon was devastated by the powerful storm with its power grid suffering significant damage. Waterways flowing to and within the city were blocked by multiple obstructions and sunken vessels, and access roads were closed, resulting in responders struggling to reach those in need.

Severe business interruptions for the region’s largest industry

The storm dropped large amounts of rain and generated heavy winds and extremely high tides damaging the infrastructure for many industry sectors. Oil and gas exploration and production, the region’s largest industry, experienced severe disruptions with long-lasting power outages and extensive damage to the electrical grid, hindering efforts to restore power to refineries and production sites so they could resume operations. Over 350 oil and chemical spills were reported throughout the state, and downed power lines, fallen trees and debris posed extreme hazards.

Large-scale response efforts

US Ecology’s response teams were on standby as the storm developed and significant assets were rapidly mobilized to support government agencies, retailers, marine vessel operators, manufacturers, service providers, utilities, refineries, gas stations, chemical plants, energy providers and other businesses. At the height of the response, 50 of our team members were in the field and we continued to deploy resources weeks after the storm. Our disaster response crews and vacuum and roll off trucks arrived from Matthews, LA for clean-up efforts and provided response assistance, working around the clock aiding in rehabilitating communities and businesses by mitigating oil and hazardous spills, providing emergency lab pack and household hazardous waste services, waste characterization of unknown waste and management and safe, secure disposal of hazardous materials.

Minimize operational impact with an emergency response plan

The impact of Ida shows the importance of being prepared for natural disasters that can strike at anytime, anywhere. We encourage businesses to put emergency response protocols in place to protect and ensure the safety of assets, employees and customers, as well as limit operational impact as much as possible.

When disaster strikes, trust the number one response provider for over 30 years. Our professional crews are on standby ready to deploy the right resources to manage your response and recovery needs. We provide unequaled service and the convenience and reduced risk of one partner from start to finish. For immediate assistance call us 24/7/365 at (800) 899-4672 or learn more: https://www.usecology.com/service/disaster-response-and-recovery-services

Why Natural Disaster Preparedness is Key to Reducing Risk and Limiting Operational Impact

pia.shah@usecology.com — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 16:53:58 +0000

Why Natural Disaster Preparedness is Key to Reducing Risk and Limiting Operational Impact pia.shah@useco… Thu, 09/23/2021 - 11:53

March 10, 2023

Operational Capabilities

It is not a matter of if a natural disaster will strike, but when. More importantly but often overlooked, is what businesses should do to get ready for them. Weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, droughts, tornados and floods have the power to wipe out entire cities and leave communities with nothing in their wake. This creates significant economic losses for businesses, to the point where they may not be able to rebuild and are forced to close their doors or declare bankruptcy.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 75 percent of businesses without continuity planning will fail within three years of a disaster. Experts suggest that, due to climate change, natural disasters will be on the rise in the coming years, not only by number of events but also by intensity.

Did you know?

In 2021, 20 weather and climate disasters each caused damages exceeding one billion dollars (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
Hurricanes produce winds of up to 157 mph or greater and are the most damaging disasters (National Hurricane Center)
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that in 2022 wildfires burned a total of 7,534,403 acres.
Flash floods can bring walls of water 10-20 feet high, and cars can be swept away in as little as 2 feet of floodwater.

Investment in disaster preparedness goes a long way

That’s why it is more important than ever to be prepared for natural disasters. The United Nations reports that industry’s financial allocation for emergency response after a disaster strikes is approximately 20 times higher than for prevention and preparedness. US Ecology is reminding communities, residents and businesses to prepare and prevent to protect their assets.

Minimizing your operational impact is key to a faster recovery

Business continuity greatly depends on the preparation and emergency planning before a disaster occurs to limit operational impact. Minimizing interruptions ensures continued revenue, safety and income for your employees, and ultimately aids in the recovery of surrounding communities by upholding supply chains for necessary products and services.

There are many things business owners can do to prepare, including understanding the risk and what actions to take before, during and after a disaster. Selecting a response provider that customizes an emergency response plan that suits the needs of each organization is a critical step in the preparation process.

Response services for events of all sizes and scale

US Ecology, a Republic Services company, has over 30 years of experience as a nationwide emergency service provider. Responding to over 10,000 incidents annually, we are your partner to develop customized emergency response plans that minimize the impact on your organization. Our experts evaluate your business to assess risk, determine your resource requirements and develop a plan that puts procedures in place for how to best protect your assets, mitigate risk and liability and resume operations after an event.

In 2022 alone, our professional crews have responded to countless disastrous events, including Hurricane Ian, major wildfires that affected most of the western U.S. and large oil spills in locations across the nation. To protect structures and assets from approaching wildfire, a major transportation company asked us to develop a customized plan to put preventative measures in place. Our large, nationwide network of response locations allowed us to quickly mobilize large numbers of emergency response experts and resources and provide fast, efficient and compliant cleanup, removal and disposal services of hazardous materials. Our highest priority is to get customers back to business as fast as possible and to protect human health and the environment.

US Ecology Expands Environmental Solutions Offered to the Hospitality Industry

natalie.watkins — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:34:30 +0000

US Ecology Expands Environmental Solutions Offered to the Hospitality Industry natalie.watkins Tue, 09/21/2021 - 11:34

September 21, 2021

Operational Capabilities

It may have been a while since you last checked into a hotel, but when you did, you may recall being greeted with the option presented in the bathroom to leave towels on the floor to be replaced or hang them to reuse and help reduce the hotel’s water consumption and save the environment.

While the hospitality industry has spent a great deal of resources implementing initiatives that achieve greater sustainability to meet the demands of a more environmentally focused traveler like the towel reuse program, one area of sustainability plans fall short: hazardous waste management.

That’s why, during the lull in travel due to COVID-19, one international hotel conglomerate took the opportunity to comply with shifting regulatory pressures and implement a hazardous waste management program to increase sustainability and achieve greater compliance by partnering with US Ecology.

Using our hazardous waste solutions for pick-up, transportation, management and recycling as well as our national footprint of service centers, TSDF’s and secure disposal sites, our team of professionals customized and implemented the first ever program for the hotel conglomerate to safely manage a variety of hazardous and state-regulated wastes. Starting with servicing one of the dozens of brands the hotel conglomerate operates, US Ecology is now successfully managing a variety of wastes that previously negatively impacted human health and the environment, including:

• Sterno cans: generated from food services/catering offered

• Paint waste: leftover from maintenance crew providing touchups or remodeling within the hotels

• Toiletry amenities: mini bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and mouthwash

• Universal waste: lightbulbs and TV remote batteries

• Pool and spa chemicals

• Electronic waste: old phones, TVs, hair dryers, in-room mini refrigerators and more

As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to expand its regulatory framework to new industries not previously scrutinized or heavily regulated, it is more important than ever for the hospitality industry to take proactive steps to safely manage waste, protect staff and guests and improve sustainability before receiving significant fines or damage to their brand reputation. As US Ecology’s teams continue to help the hotels achieve operational efficiencies with service and training, the hotel conglomerate looks to roll out our customized environmental solutions to other states and hotel brands.

Companies in the hospitality industry can better protect their brand and gain popularity amongst travelers and stakeholders with a continued commitment to achieving greater sustainability through implementing disciplined environmental solutions for waste previously destined for trash. Choosing to partner with US Ecology for our 70 years of experience, variety of innovative recycling and technology solutions and unequaled service helps ensure peace of mind and compliance for this hotel now that their hazardous waste is no longer a threat to the environment.

US Ecology continues to service the hospitality industry and keep travelers safe during the pandemic with our COVID-19 decontamination and cleaning services for retailers, hotels and cruise ships as well as our ethanol recycling solutions for hand sanitizer. Our unwavering commitment to being the premier provider of environmental and emergency response solutions allows us to help all companies, including those in the hospitality industry, get back to business more quickly and safely, all while achieving greater sustainability and ensuring compliance with everchanging regulations.

To learn more about hospitality solutions like hazardous waste management, COVID-19 decontamination or ethanol recovery, or to learn how US Ecology can help you more safely and compliantly manage waste, contact Jeff Scott, Director of Retail by emailing jeff.scott@usecology.com or by calling (800) 592-5489.

US Ecology: Still Delivering on Our Promise

natalie.watkins — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:42:32 +0000

US Ecology: Still Delivering on Our Promise natalie.watkins Tue, 09/21/2021 - 10:42

September 21, 2021

Operational Capabilities

Today’s labor shortage has employers all over the country, in all facets of business, struggling to fill positions, maintain productivity and achieve profitability. That’s why it is more important than ever for businesses to be deliberate when selecting their service partners. And when it comes to safely managing hazardous waste and ensuring compliance with regulations to avoid fines, your partnership choices matter even more.

With 70 years of experience, US Ecology remains the leading environmental solutions and emergency response provider managing hazardous, non-hazardous and universal waste for retailers across the nation. Our team of 3,400 professionals, 130 locations and comprehensive suite of sustainable disposal, recycling or reuse options for retail waste is the steady solution in times of uncertainty.

While driver shortages plague the transportation industry, US Ecology continues to identify talent that aligns with our Shared Values and can continue to deliver unequaled service and has invested the time and financial resources necessary to maintain a positive new-hire rate month over month. We partner with driving academies across the nation, and target specific technical schools to source different branches of talent, such as chemists or environmental, health and safety graduates, with a deeper knowledge of the rules and regulations. Our retail customers directly benefit from this approach.

Knowing that achieving sustainability is a primary focus for our retail customers and their consumers, our Technical Services division continuously identifies environmentally-focused solutions that achieve regulatory compliance, while offering waste reduction, recycling or reuse programs such as aerosol can or ethanol recycling. These compliant and safe technologies allow customers the opportunity to meet their environmental goals while protecting the communities in which they work and live.

US Ecology continues to help deliver unequaled service to retailers by investing in innovative solutions to ensure our retail waste pick-ups are as efficient as possible. Our exclusive partnership with Smarter Sorting, a machine learning technology company, provides retailers an automated solution to more safely and compliantly classify and segregate RCRA, hazardous and non-hazardous waste. State-of-the-art intuitive technology has been installed in service trucks, that allows products to be individually electronically categorized on the component level. When combined with additional Smarter Sorting solutions available in stores, US Ecology provides retailers a pathway for more efficient and sustainable waste identification and management.

Despite the challenges facing retailers because of the pandemic, labor shortages and supply chain issues, US Ecology remains committed to meeting retailers’ environmental needs. Our dedicated customer service professionals and retail technicians keep open lines of communication, and collaborate with our customers to find the best solutions to maintain compliance while ensuring the safety of all involved. Our flexibility has resulted in altered pick-up schedules to meet fluctuating storage capacities in the back of stores. Internally at our TSDF’s, our teams are individually identifying waste profiles previously destined for landfill or incineration, and instead redirecting towards recycling and reuse options.

US Ecology has the integrity and commitment in every step of our disciplined process to do what’s right to help our customers protect human health and the environment. From the development and growth of our 3,400 employees, to our nearly 70 years of comprehensive environmental services leadership, we stand ready to deliver on our promise of uncompromised compliance and exceptional value. Choose US Ecology for certainty when needing to manage your retail waste during these uncertain times.

To learn more about our Retail Solutions, please contact Jeff Scott, Director of Retail Solutions for US Ecology, at jeff.scott@usecology.com or (800) 592-5489.

Meet The Team: Ron Schales

pia.shah@usecology.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 14:36:25 +0000

Meet The Team: Ron Schales pia.shah@useco… Thu, 06/24/2021 - 09:36

June 24, 2021

Operational Capabilities

Ron Schales is an environmental services industry professional with over 30 years of diverse experience including managing high hazard chemical, biological and petroleum releases, Emergency Marine Response and Disaster Response.

He has served US Ecology as the Director of Operations for the New England region since November 2002 and oversees our branches in Franklin, MA and Portsmouth, NH. His responsibilities include the oversight of personnel and contract management for large or technically complex emergency response projects, proposal development, client satisfaction/quality assurance and site-specific health and safety. Additionally, he takes care of maintaining the state of readiness on a regional basis and works with our Global Emergency Response Team on initiatives and standardization.

During his time at US Ecology, Ron has completed many certifications and has been part of the “International Association of Emergency Managers”, the “Best-in-class Operations Initiative for Emergency Response Services”, as well as served on the Board of Directors of the “Environmental Business Council” of New England between 2014 and 2017.

Over the years he has been involved in many large scale, multi-year projects, helping our customers with services including Remediation and site cleanup of hazardous waste, Emergency Response and Oil Spill Response. He has been the Senior Response Manager/Incident Commander during countless COVID-19 Decontamination Responses and Disaster Responses during Hurricane Florence (2018), Harvey (2017), Sandy (2012) and Irene (2011), as well as the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast in 2010.

Ron’s expertise and knowledge of the Environmental and Emergency Response industry is well-known and respected across the organization and appreciated by our customers.

Fire Response Trailers and Vehicles - Customized To Fit Your Needs

pia.shah@usecology.com — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:56:10 +0000

Fire Response Trailers and Vehicles - Customized To Fit Your Needs pia.shah@useco… Wed, 06/23/2021 - 09:56

June 23, 2021

Operational Capabilities

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that an average of 37,000 fires occur at industrial and manufacturing structures every year, creating billions of dollars in property damage.

There are many reasons the events occur, including combustible dust, hot work and machinery, while vehicles with maintenance issues or involved in accidents are responsible for 9% of industrial fires annually. Most often however, industrial fires can be attributed to employees being unaware of the risks they face every day.

Prepositioned and Ready to Respond 24/7

SRS, a US Ecology company, has been a leader in industrial firefighting for over 30 years, performing an average of 30 to 50 responses annually. We have significant resources on standby, ready to respond to large industrial fires, highly hazardous material incidents, major train derailments and events across varying terrain, geographies and climates. To help customers be more prepared, our in-house expert firefighters provide training and consultancy to develop response plans and strategies before an incident occurs.

The SRS Advantage

Further distinguishing us from the rest of the industry, we offer an impressive ﬂeet of sophisticated response equipment. We take pride in utilizing our experience from the ﬁeld and time-proven applications to implement custom design, development and fabrication of specialty tools, vehicles and equipment that address the individual needs and requirements of our customers.

Meeting all standards and any specification, industry and geographical need, our top-of-the-line trailers and vehicles add ﬂexibility to a customer’s emergency response arsenal.

Offerings include:

Response trailers and vehicles

Mobile command units
Utility vehicles
Transfer trailers
Air monitoring
Decontamination units

Product speciﬁc transfer hoses
Pumps
Compressors
Custom outﬁtted breathing air trailers
Foam application units
Specialized reactive and explosive material handling equipment and vehicles.

Customized Training Programs

All vehicles are self-contained and ready to be put into action at a moment’s notice. SRS has industrial firefighting instructors available to teach customized training programs for the trailers and vehicles, as well as teams available to operate them during an incident. We are committed to evaluating the latest technologies and providing the safest and highest quality products and services to our customers.

Contact Us to learn more about US Ecology’s High Hazard and Rail Response Service. For immediate emergency response assistance, call (800) 899-4672.

Experts Expect Another Extremely Active Wildfire Season

pia.shah@usecology.com — Wed, 23 Jun 2021 14:11:59 +0000

Experts Expect Another Extremely Active Wildfire Season pia.shah@useco… Wed, 06/23/2021 - 09:11

June 23, 2021

Operational Capabilities

The United States suffered a record-breaking season for wildfires in 2020 with 52,113 wildfires burning down 8,889,297 acres. Experts are on high alert for this year’s wildfire season to become even worse, as the country is already facing a dramatic increase in the number of fires. Reports show nearly twice the acreage burned this year compared to last year around this time.

The Western United States is facing a Two-Year Rain Deficit

Already in 2021, the Western United States is facing extreme heat and a drought of historic proportions. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s U.S. Drought Monitor is updated each Thursday to show the location and intensity of drought across the country. Their latest map shows that about 90% of the western region is in drought and about half the region is experiencing either severe or exceptional conditions. A drought combined with extreme heat creates an environment with excess dried-out vegetation that provides the perfect conditions for large-scale wildfires to start and spread quickly.

US Ecology in The Field

During last year’s fire season, US Ecology provided clean-up and removal services to nine counties in California, affecting over 6,000 properties. Our crews managed all hazardous waste and debris including ash, asbestos and lead containing material, in addition to soil contaminated with petroleum and mercury. Prior to 2020, the largest fire in the state’s history was the Thomas Fire that burned nearly 282,000 acres across Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. US Ecology’s crews worked non-stop for seven weeks on this fire response, removing over 400,000 pounds of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW), and 2,000 tons of asbestos-containing-material from a total of 988 structures damaged by the fire.

Preparing Early is Key

US Ecology tracks the development of all major wildfires. Strategically positioned with 27 locations in the western region, our operations are prepared for the worst-case scenario, ready to respond to the needs of commercial and industrial clients, municipalities, local and federal government, as well as individual residential customers.

We urge the importance of having a plan in place to limit damage to your assets and get you back to business faster. During each event, our crews work closely with regulators to provide management, assessment and removal of HHW, asbestos containing material and other hazardous debris.

With over 30 years of experience managing emergency response needs, combined with our industry leading waste disposal and transportation network, we are ideally positioned to handle all your disaster response and hazardous material management needs.

Contact Us to learn more about US Ecology’s Disaster Response Services. Our experienced crews are on standby 24/7. For immediate emergency response assistance, call (800) 899-4672.