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Congratulations to our 2023 3rd Quarter Coin Winners!

Please help us congratulate the following ACTenviro team members who were recognized in the third quarter of 2023!

Our coins are presented for model performance, safety culture, and/or positive representation of ACTenviro—specifically for going above-and-beyond the expectations of our culture.

Operations Coin: Charles Daniels (Texas)—”Charles has gone above and beyond to help make sure loads are done and done properly. He rolls with the ever-changing plans when disposal facilities shut down on us last minute and he has to reroute and change his schedule. He has taken on the task to train any fellow employees that join our team.” –Chris Eddings

Operations Coin: Carlos Perez (Santa Fe Springs, CA)—“We presented Carlos Perez with a gold coin for his outstanding customer service and dedication to ACTenviro over the last two years. Carlos is a Project Manager for the Santa Fe Springs Branch and oversees multiple projects including emergency response and confined space. He is always willing to help the branch and has established himself as a leader with the LA Team.” –Bill Coleman

Operations Coin: Jody Schoenfeld (Santa Fe Springs, CA)

Operations Coin: Angel Baltazar (Santa Fe Springs, CA)

Operations Coin: Tua Lino (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Devin Kilmer (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Lauro Inzunza (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Luis Montoya (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Darien Lemmons (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Gabriel Flores (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Alex Fuentes (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Joel Chambers (Dixon, CA)

Operations Coin: Nick Creviston (Dixon, CA

Operations Coin: Nichole Torres (San Jose, CA)

Operations Coin: Will Gonzalez (San Jose, CA)

Operations Coin: Charlie Ly (San Jose, CA)

Operations Coin: Jose Dominguez (San Jose, CA) 

Operations Coin: Marcos Mendez (Denver, CO)

Operations Coin: Nehemiah Vigil  (Denver, CO)

Operations Coin: Cody Abbs (Oregon)

Operations Coin: Andrew Jansma (Oregon)

Operations Coins: Roberto Hernandez (Laveen, AZ)

Operations Coin: Alex Guerrero (Merced, CA)—“Presented to him by Bruce Wescott (RSM) for his positive impact that he has had on one of our largest customers. He has strengthened our relationship with the company’s primary contact and found new revenue streams that both benefitted the customer and our company as well.” –Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Eduardo Macias (Merced, CA)—“As a newer ACTenviro employee, Eduardo has jumped right into the thick of things. He successfully managed a very highly publicized local project that could have resulted in huge environmental impact had we not handled this job properly. This was a multi-phase project that took a few weeks to complete. The entire time we had the news media trying to sneak in to get photos, drones flying overhead trying to record, county officials, along with all law enforcement agencies including the FBI. We looked professional the entire time and made everyone happy by doing a great job in a timely & safe manner.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: John Ratley (Merced, CA)—“For coming in on the weekend with his personal tractor to help backfill holes that had been created during the rainy season.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Johnnie Chavez (Merced, CA)—“Volunteering to do an overnight HHW in Chester, CA for Sacramento on a weekend.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Anthony Ramirez (Merced, CA)—“Drivers coming the front gate in the evening, advised Reggie the main rolling gate bracket that holds it up was broken and the gate was falling down. Reggie called Anthony Ramirez at home, since he is our local expert welder, and Anthony dropped what he was doing to come in and repair the gate so that our facility could remain secured and safe.” -Reggie Williams

Operations Coin: Matthew Magdaleno (Merced, CA)—“Chris I. and Adrian A. both asked if they could present Matthew with a Recognition Coin due to his willingness to lend a hand when they were very busy. Matthew had his normal route to run in a box truck that morning, but while he was getting ready to leave, a semi-truck full of metal drums arrived at the branch while both Chris and Adrian were trying to finish prepping an outbound load that was due to leave anytime. They had to stop what they were doing and went to offload the trailer of drums since it had to be done immediately. Matthew saw that it was a full trailer and offered to jump in and help without being asked. They very much appreciated it and for that reason asked to present him with a coin, since this is how he is always. It’s his good character that shows, and everyone can see it.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Christopher Smith (Merced, CA)—”Reggie presented a coin to Chris S. due to his diligence in looking for near misses this month. We asked everyone to step it up a little and be alert for near misses and Chris S. was the one that stood out.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Andrew Pangelina (Merced, CA)

Operations Coin: Willie Ibarra (Merced, CA)—”Allowing us to pull him from the office to help with a large 4-day project that we had to complete for one of our larger customers. He still came in after daily to make sure he was keeping up with crucial parts of his normal day.” -Henry DeSousa 

“We had our Summer Party/Fall Festival for the Merced Branch this month. Instead of having it catered, we decided to get better food choices and cook everything ourselves. By ourselves I meant Willie I. We bought over a half a dozen 20-pound briskets, lots of chicken and various links. Willie took it upon himself to marinate all the meats on his own time and then slow cooked the briskets at home the night before for over 15 hours so we could have some of the most delicious meats anyone has ever had. He looked a little tired the day of the party, but he still enjoyed himself and we all appreciated his hard work and his super smoking skills.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Gilberto Ortega Tellez (Merced, CA)—”At our Summer Party/Fall Festival for the branch Gilbert O. showed up early to help with the setup and to start cooking the chicken and the links. He was there hours before most everyone except for Willie and me. His help was truly appreciated, it really turned out to be a great day for everyone.” -Henry DeSousa

Operations Coin: Jaime Medina (Merced, CA)—”We felt that our Summer Party this year was a success because everyone got to hang around each other with all our family and friends. Employees that normally didn’t run into each other much were out there playing games like horseshoes and corn hole. The turnout was great, but when it was time to go, there was a lot to clean up. Jaime and his amazing wife stayed to the very end, washing pots & pans, picking up trash, loading the trucks and trailers, and a whole lot more. Their help was invaluable and for that reason we presented him with a coin for supporting us at our Company Event!” -Henry DeSousa

ACTenviro will see you at the NAHMMA Conference next week!

The 38th Annual NAHMMA Hazardous Materials Management Conference is next week! The conference is September 17-22 in Tempe, AZ. ACTenviro is exhibiting again this year and is excited to catch up with everyone and learn in person. Please stop by BOOTH 18 if you will be in Tempe next week!

Learn more about NAHMMA and the conference at: https://nahmma.org/NAHMMA_38th_Annual_Conference

From the NAHMMA website—”The North American Hazardous Materials Management Association’s Annual Conference is the premier gathering for individuals and companies working to reduce and properly manage hazardous materials from entering municipal waste streams from households, small businesses, and other entities. The Annual Conference provides attendees with the opportunity to Network, Train and Transform their careers and their organizations.”

To see all of our events, visit actenviro.com/events

May 2023—ACTenviro Travels to Guam After Super Typhoon Mawar

At the end of May, ACTenviro traveled to Guam in response to Super Typhoon Mawar. Our team was tasked with transporting and disposing of Household Hazardous Waste from the damage of the typhoon. The transportation and disposal team provided field services to label, manifest, create profiles, and account for every piece of waste, along with coordinate transportation while on island. 

ACTenviro also provided chemist support to categorize, identify, and segregate thousands of unknown chemicals for packaging and shipping. A total of 21 40-ft containers of electronic waste, 3 40-ft containers of solar panels, and 14 hazardous containers (a mix of paint, oils, and debris) were transported across the Pacific.

The emergency response allowed ACTenviro to work with the local transportation company to provide transportation of containers to the port for shipping. We bulked 20,680 gallons of paint and bulked 8,305 gallons of oil and shipped 680 pieces of waste totaling over 1 million pounds of waste.

 ACTenviro personnel included: Jason Lobberecht (Project Manager) for 6 weeks, Robert Knox (Project Manager) for 3 weeks, Andrew Starkey (Chemist) for 4 weeks, and Sasha Moshkowitz (Chemist) for 3 weeks.

PaintCare Celebrates 10 Years of Success Recycling Leftover Paint in California!

A few weeks ago, PaintCare celebrated a milestone anniversary of 10 years of recycling paint in California! ACTenviro’s paint recycling team partners with PaintCare to execute collection and giveaway events across multiple states. “33.5 million gallons of unused paint from CA household, business, and institutions. Collected paint is managed according to highest best use. Most is recycled into new paint, while some is made available for immediate reuse or turned into something new…today 99% of Californians have easy drop-off locations for leftover paint near their home” (PaintCare).

About PaintCare in California

PaintCare is committed to making it easy and convenient for households, businesses, and institutions to recycle postconsumer (leftover) paint in states with paint stewardship laws. A nonprofit organization created by paint manufacturers, PaintCare sets up drop-off locations for leftover paint, arranges for recycling and proper disposal, and conducts public education. Nearly 34 million gallons of paint, stain, and varnish have been managed by PaintCare’s California program since its launch in 2012. For additional information, visit www.paintcare.org, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter@WeRecyclePaint.

Congratulations to our 2023 2nd Quarter Coin Winners!

Please help us congratulate the following ACTenviro team members who were recognized in the second quarter of 2023!

Our coins are presented for model performance, safety culture, and/or positive representation of ACTenviro—specifically for going above-and-beyond the expectations of our culture.

Operations Coin: John Ratley (Merced, CA)

Alex Bisbikis—”John consistently gives 200% in every aspect of his job, and a great asset to this organization.  John excels in customer service, communication, and is always safety minded. Please help me recognize John for his efforts and always being exceptional! ”

Operations Coin: George Walker (Sacramento, CA)

Jeff Freitas—”George does the onsite work one day a week at Siemens. A few weeks back my client reached out to me to see if he could have George come out two days a week for two weeks due to an inspection. George happily agreed and operations adjusted the schedule to make it happen. During the two weeks George went above and beyond in making sure everything was in compliance there at Siemens. His communication with the client, operations and myself was excellent. On the last day of the inspection while George was out there our client had told George that everything that ACT manages was great no problems. George couldn’t wait to share the good news with everyone here  at the branch. His desire to do a great job and to do it with passion and pride made me to want to give my coin to George. We’re lucky to have him on the Sacramento team.”

Operations Coin: Salvador Torres and Michael Barrios (Escondido, CA)

Operations Coin: Rumaldo Rodriguez (Denver, CO)

A supervisor with Vestas where we provide full time onsite services with a contract from Republic services, recognized our newest employee: “Romaldo consistently demonstrates safe behaviors at work. He uses his horns well, drives at the right speed for his load, and has been seen picking up debris that he is walking by. He is quick to smile and wave or nod to you. Thank you, Romaldo!” -Reed C. Johnson, Supervisor, AME Travel Support / Shells WIN

Operations Coins: Scott Johnson (Sunnyvale, CA)

Operations Coin: Jaime Medina

Operations Coin: Frank Arechiga (Merced, CA)

Operations Coin: Alejandro (Alex) Gonzalez (Merced, CA)

Operations Coin: Kenneth Campbell (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Dale Dawson (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Greg Lemma (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Cody Abbs (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Andrew Pangelina (Merced, CA)
Operations Coin: Willie Ibarra (Merced, CA)
Operations Coin: Kevin Lewton (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Kristen Holfert (Kent, WA)
Operations Coin: Andrew Jansma (Clackamas, OR)
Operations Coin: Frank Arechiga (Merced, CA)
Operations Coin: Alejandro (Alex) Gonzalez (Merced, CA)

A Recycling Story: Transforming a Transformer

Recently, our team completed a project for a client which involved disposing of a 103,600-pound transformer. We were able to complete the project in a cost-effective, efficient way for the client.

Prior to moving the transformer, ACTenviro performed analytical testing to confirm if the oil was PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl). No PCBs were present, which meant we could then utilize a 120-barrel vacuum truck to remove 4,640 gallons of oil to be sent for recycling.

The next step was to let two weeks pass for the residual oil to fall down the walls of the transformer. Next, we used a 70-barrel vacuum truck to remove 45 gallons of residual oil.

Finally, the ACTenviro team utilized a knuckle boom and Grade All to remove the 9 radiators, which were sent to the metal recycling facility for disposal. Traffic control closed one lane of through traffic, and the crane picked up the transformer and placed onto the low boy.

Nicole Martinez, ACTenviro Account Manager, coordinated a crane operator, a low boy transporter with special weight permit, and traffic control, to complete the job. In addition, due to weight, special routing and off hours were required to transport it to the metal recycling facility. The crane was utilized to off-load the transformer and the metal recycler utilized a torch to cut into smaller pieces for smelting.

Congratulations to the team on a job well done and thank you to the client for working with us to get the job done!

Congratulations and Thank You to Carlos Alatorre on 10 Years!

In May, we had one employee celebrate his 10-year anniversary at our Dixon branch! We greatly appreciate his dedication to the team and congratulate him on his 10-year anniversary.

Carlos’ supervisor had this to say:

“Carlos Alatorre began with Fremouw Environmental working for Ted some 10+ years ago as a Technician and Waste Dock Worker. Stu Jordan (part owner of FES) took Carlos under his wing and trained him into the most proficient Drum Waste Driver this firm had seen. Since the early days of employment here, Carlos has matured into a Dispatcher role, then Project Manager and Trainer. He is a dedicated, capable, and beloved employee with a breadth of knowledge and excellent attitude. He wears many hats here and performs any assignment with grace and excellence. He reflects great credit upon the founding owners, the Dixon branch, and the ACTenviro organization as a whole.”

Congratulations and thank you, Carlos! We wish you all the best!

2023 IEA Environmental Excellence Award Presented to Bachem & ACTenviro

This past week, ACTenviro was proud to be honored with an IEA (Industrial Environmental Association) “Environmental Excellence Award” at their annual conference in San Diego. This award was presented to ACTenviro and Bachem for their collaborative effort in developing a carbon recycling program for Bachem, saving them 360K per year and, more importantly, eliminating 50 tons of carbon per year from going to landfill.

Bachem specializes in producing peptide drugs, which are specialty drugs used in a variety of areas of medicine. One of their operations is a vacuum system that hauls solvent vapors out of various processes, runs them through a condenser, and then through a carbon scrubber system. When the carbon becomes exhausted it must be replaced by new carbon. The cost of the waste stream was 25% of the overall program. They reached out to ACTenviro to partner with us for solutions.

Vanessa Clark, Strategic Account Manager at ACTenviro:

“We’re involved in all facets of hazardous waste management. Our passion is really providing our clients with comprehensive solutions that both their budget and environmental goals.

Randy reached out to me asking about potential recycling options for Bachem spent carbon, of which they were shipping about 50 tons per year to a hazardous waste landfill. I reached out to some local recycling facilities, we ran the proper analyses, and we were able to reclassify Bachem’s spent carbon as a nonhazardous waste. This now allowed Bachem to participate in a carbon pool program, where they could ship their spent carbon for regeneration and purchase reactivated carbon at a cost less than virgin carbon.

ACTenviro was then able to provide Bachem with a proposal that included a flat rate for each carbon changeout service in addition to a per pound rate for purchase of reactivated carbon. The cost for disposal for their spent carbon was eliminated completely.”

Randy, Director of EHS, Bachem: “One of the challenges that we have here is where the carbon beds are located is the same area as our tank farm, where we’re constantly having vehicles coming on board to remove our waste from our tanks, as well as bringing new chemicals to our tanks for our processes. One of the improvements by Jesse (ACTenviro) was that he could create a clone or copy of the carbon beds that we have here and have them located in the ACTenviro yard. So, he was able to then recharge the carbon banks at the yard and then come to Bachem and just swap them out here in a very short period of time.”  

Jesse Vanderstaay, Lead Project Manager, ACTenviro: “One of the biggest hurdles we came across was that we had a lot of labor going on. We were spending up to four hours on site here, we had to bring all the equipment and material here onsite to complete the project here and we realized we needed to get that out of here. So, what we did was we purchased six additional cannisters where we could take the cannisters to our yard dump the carbon there and bring just the cannisters back here. We changed our onsite time from up to four hours onsite to an hour or less time here to change out the cannisters.”

Randy (Bachem): “[We’re] partnering with somebody that is a specialist in this area, but then also they go above and beyond and find additional resources and additional solutions…”

Vanessa (ACTenviro): “It took about 6 months to get Bachem’s carbon regeneration program off the ground and now ACTenviro is providing multiple services in one stop to limit the amount of time spent onsite and the impact to their shipping and receiving area. It’s really important for generators to take a closer look at the waste streams being produced at their facilities because you never know which may have an opportunity for either reclassification or recycling.”

To learn more about how ACTenviro can help your organization, contact [email protected].

ACTenviro will see you at IEA next week!

June is fast approaching and with it the IEA 39th Annual Environmental Conference! We can’t wait to see everyone next week in San Diego. Please stop by BOOTH 26—lets catch up!

The conference is June 1-2, 2023 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. For additional info, visit: https://conference.ieaca.org/