Nation’s Largest Biodiesel Consulting Group Adds Environmental Expert

July 30, 2011 - PRLog -- Little Rock, AR:  The world’s largest biodiesel consulting group, Lee Enterprises of Little Rock, Arkansas is pleased to announce the addition of Professional Geologist Jean Koeninger, as the group’s newest consultant.  This brings the consulting group’s total to eighteen consultants, with seven additional strategic partners.  Koeninger will serve as the group’s Environmental Consultant and will handle Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, environmental aspects of site sales & purchases, and the assessment/clean-ups of any impaired properties.  Koeninger received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of Arkansas and is a licensed Professional Geologist with over 25 years of industry experience.  Koeninger previously served as the Arkansas Brownfields Program Coordinator, and currently owns The Land Recycling Company, an environmental consulting company in Little Rock, Arkansas. She has written over $3.8 million in successful federal grants for environmental assessments and clean-up.

“With the potential liability of biodiesel plant owners and purchasers with respect to environmental contamination and site cleanups, this is something that affects every biodiesel plant,” says Wayne Lee, principal owner of Lee Enterprises Consulting.   “Environmental site assessments, identifying existing or potential environmental concerns are standard operating procedure in the biodiesel business” says Lee.  

Koeninger says that there are a variety of reasons that people commission environmental studies. “The Phase I ESA (Environmental Site Assessment) is the first step in complying with the EPA requirements of basic environmental due diligence,” she says.  According to Koeninger, the Phase I should be done in every case while the more detailed Phase II investigation, complete with chemical analysis for hazardous substances and/or petroleum hydrocarbons, is normally reserved for instances where some evidence of contamination was found during the Phase I assessment.   “I cannot imagine anyone involved with a biodiesel plant purchase, or their lenders, not requiring a Phase I” she notes. “The potential liability is just too large.”

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ABOUT LEE ENTERPRISES CONSULTING: Lee Enterprises is a biodiesel consulting firm specializing in project oversight & management, feasibility studies, grants, business plans, and assistance with planning, market analysis, site evaluation, feedstock selection and procurement, process technology, evaluation, offtake distribution, Phase I & Phase II environmental assessments, RINs, financing, capital budgeting, cold soak, filtration, personnel, and contract negotiations (for feedstock, off-take, transportation, construction, site purchase/lease, and plant management). The group also owns National Business Brokerage, Inc., a full service business brokerage firm specializing in the buying and selling of biodiesel plants. Lee Enterprises, 1503 East Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, AR 72120. (501) 833-8511. www.lee-enterprises.com.