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James Cowart

Brownfield Redevelopment Planning & Design

2026-09-23T12:52:09-06:00February 12th, 2015|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Working with public- and private-sector clients, Geosyntec provides award-winning redevelopment strategies for brownfield sites worldwide. From site identification, investigation, and remediation to design, permitting, and construction management, we provide the services necessary to redevelop an environmentally impacted property to an end use that meets environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and stakeholder needs. We employ appropriate and efficient geotechnical engineering and environmental remediation services to solve our clients’ brownfield redevelopment challenges. Geosyntec approaches each brownfield site individually by tailoring investigations, risk assessments, and remediation approaches to the client’s planned end use. We work with regulators, developers, and insurance providers to realize the full economic and social value of their sites and develop solutions that are amenable to all parties. We provide stakeholders with start-to-finish consistency and reassurance that the environmental elements of development are being managed by one firm because of our expertise in regulations, risk assessment, groundwater and soil remediation, soil vapor mitigation, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, and solid waste and environmental management.

Vapor Intrusion Assessment & Remediation

2026-09-30T13:29:12-06:00February 12th, 2015|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When a site involves volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil or groundwater, those chemicals can volatilize and migrate into nearby buildings presenting a health hazard to those inside. Not only that, but most buildings also contain other sources of volatile contaminants that are related to ongoing operations or consumer products. Because the same chemicals can be present in the subsurface, in chemicals used on-site, and in other products, investigation and mitigation can become complicated.

Watershed Planning and Stormwater Management

2026-05-27T11:38:15-06:00February 12th, 2015|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

State and local governments, utilities, landowners, businesses, and communities must navigate National Pollutant Detection and Elimination System (NPDES) Permit compliance through watershed-scale planning.

Low Impact Development, Green Infrastructure, Sustainable Practices

2026-04-23T13:00:13-06:00March 28th, 2014|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Low impact development (LID) aims to mimic natural hydrology by using small-scale, decentralized techniques that infiltrate, evaporate, and transpire rainwater. The guiding principles of LID are to reduce imperviousness, disconnect imperviousness, conserve natural resources and areas, maintain natural drainage courses, and minimize clearing and grading. Geosyntec practitioners have designed and integrated a number of innovative system architectures to help clients meet each of these goals. Through the use of the latest green infrastructure (GI) and by implementing new sustainable practices, many of our clients have addressed challenges that previously were intractable, unachievable, or not cost effective using conventional passive solutions. We provide specialized stormwater and watershed management services for private facilities, large developers, stormwater utilities, and municipal agencies throughout the United States and have implemented many of the nation's first GI projects. Our stormwater management specialists form one of the leading practices in the country and include individuals whose applied research earned the American Society of Civil Engineers Civil Engineering State-of-the-Art Award and similar accolades at the state and regional level. Our firm's efforts in LID are geared to lower costs for stormwater infrastructure and maintenance, improve surface water quality and groundwater recharge, and design an attractive, ecologically functional landscape. We also have incorporated LID approaches into new development and retrofit projects to improve control of both quantity and quality of stormwater. Geosyntec personnel continuously shape the state of the practice with projects that involve original research, development, and application of LID techniques. Our engineers and scientists are represented on the Board of Directors of the Low Impact Development Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancing LID technology, and maintain joint research projects with civil engineering faculty at leading academic institutions.

Urban Stormwater Management, Planning, & Design

2026-05-04T12:16:00-06:00March 27th, 2014|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Geosyntec's engineers and scientists stand among the world's foremost experts in urban stormwater management. We are innovators who design best management practices to mitigate impacts to surface water quality, enhance water conservation strategies, and contribute to municipal water supplies. Our professionals develop and implement comprehensive water quality master plans and site-specific designs using green infrastructure concepts for long-term stormwater control. We also guide the development and design of construction, industrial, and municipal programs for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) regulatory program compliance. We have evaluated the opportunities, constraints, effectiveness, and costs associated with a variety of low impact development and green-streets options and have provided conventional treatment control BMPs for maintaining water quality control. We provide end-to-end solutions for a wide variety of applications from proprietary cistern sizing and optimization modeling and water collection and pre-filtration strategies, to designs for filtration, treatment, and water distribution systems. Our water resources engineers specialize in surface-water and groundwater interactions, ecosystem restoration, multi-beneficial project development, hydromodification management, and erosion and sediment control. In addition, our practitioners have been instrumental in developing, publishing, and supporting numerous stormwater guidance and design manuals. Geosyntec professionals established and continue to contribute to the International Database on Urban Stormwater BMP Design and Performance. We frequently present state-of-the-practice training sessions and workshops on stormwater management, NPDES regulatory program requirements, erosion and sediment control technologies, and BMP performance and design.

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