Transcript DEC Staff Achievement Awards February 6, 2009 Tracey Footer & Jenny Berschling After Sandy Lewis retired from the Lab, Jenny Berschling and Tracey Footer who,

DEC Staff
Achievement
Awards
February 6, 2009
Tracey Footer & Jenny Berschling
After Sandy Lewis retired from the Lab, Jenny Berschling and Tracey Footer
who, at the time were both working on the benzene grant, stepped in to do the
analytic support for a range of methods and tests, they were also able to help
out with proof reading, can cleaning, and validation of other analysts work.
Both Jenny and Tracey did this while still performing the duties of their other
jobs.
Jennifer Bryan
The On-site program is both complex (overly so, but that is another story) and high
volume – receiving around 3,000 applications each year. In her effort to help the
program to an electronic application using eDEC, Jenny had to learn about the
program rules, how the existing process worked, and what the expectations of both
the staff and the designers were regarding a future electronic application process.
This was no mean feat of learning and great facilitation and communication skills.
Under Jenny’s guidance, all the pieces came together so that an electronic application
and permit process is now reality. This benefits both the designers (less paper
copying and snail mailing) as well as regional office staff (reduced scanning to do and
quicker posting of electronic documents on our accessible document database).
Kari Dolan
Since joining DEC just a
couple years ago, Kari has
developed and
implemented innovative
river corridor protection
approaches in
accomplishing DEC’s flood
hazard avoidance work;
She accomplished the first municipal adoption of fluvial erosion hazard (FEH) zones in
the state and the first permanent riparian lands conservation easement specifically
devised to protect a river corridor. Both of these first deserve special acknowledgment
as they represent a new paradigm in river management – a key component of a
comprehensive state flood and fluvial erosion hazard avoidance strategy;
Kari’s projects are making a direct impact at the local level, but it is especially
noteworthy that state and federal agencies across the country are taking notice of the
Vermont Rivers Program and specifically Kari’s accomplishments. It has also been
through Kari’s efforts this past year, that the State of New Hampshire has decided to
adopt Vermont’s FEH Program to address erosion hazards in that state.
Ned Swanberg
Ned has done an excellent job drafting the suite of Vermont Enhanced Flood Hazard
Area Model Bylaws and coordinating the process with key stakeholders. The suite of
model bylaws provides towns with a range of options for flood hazard management
and riparian corridor protection depending on their needs. Ned had to integrate
complex FEMA national Flood Insurance Program minimum criteria into the bylaws,
along with various enhancement options, while ensuring compatibility with state law.
Providing municipalities with regulations that can be tailored to their needs allows town
and communities to build better relationships with their rivers.
Ned’s ability to bring all this together through multiple iterations and rounds and rounds
of discussion both internal and external is a testament to his people skills, patience and
persistence. And he did all this over and above his regular job. Well done Ned.
Gerold Noyes
As a site manager, he provides state oversight for
the investigation and cleanup at more than
100 hazardous waste sites. He is also a
certified professional engineer and provides
critical engineering review for the
section. Gerold performs his duties in an
outstanding manner and when a complex
issue arises, he is the person that the section
turns to for assistance. Claims against the
PCF fund are diligently reviewed and over the
past year it is estimated that his efforts have
saved the PCF more than $50,000.
In addition to his work, Gerold has been a
pilot with Angel Flights Northeast since
2004. Angel Flights provides free
transportation to adults and children who
need medical treatment and cannot afford to
pay transportation costs. The pilots pay all
expenses including plane, fuel, and any other
fees and during this time Gerold, using his
vacation time has transported 33 patients for
treatment logging 100 flying hours and
12,000 miles. Inspiring!
Tim Hunt
Tim’s oversight of the day-to-day aspects of
the water chestnut field season, the long
work days it takes to provide that
oversight, his management knowledge
and extensive field experience controlling
this species, as well as his commitment
and dedication to this issue, directly
reflect the annual successes of this
program. Recognition is especially
deserving at this time however, for his
innovative and successful approach to
acquiring a strategic water chestnut offloading site and accomplishing
composting of 99% of mechanically
harvested water chestnut plants in 2007
in a highly efficient manner. The success
and efficiency of the Department’s water
chestnut program depends on continued
use of this private property into the
future; no other cost effective options
exist within this region of the lake.
A reflection in large part of Tim’s work, management of water chestnut has resulted
in one of Lake Champlain’s most recognized success stories, measured by
impressive improvements in a key environmental indicator – the roughly 76 miles of
Lake Champlain where water chestnut is located is now under control.
Amy Picotte
Amy conceived the idea of a Lakes Score
Card as part of her on-going efforts to
ensure the usefulness of the data
collected under the monitoring
program she manages, the Lay
Monitoring Program (LMP). In
addition, she knows that the public
involved in LMP and the management
of lakes count on us to inform them of
the status of conditions on their lake
so that they can be active participants
in management and protection of
“their” lake. The Score Card combines
lake by lake information from a variety
of Lakes and Ponds Section monitoring
and assessment programs into one
easy to understand color and symbol.
This innovative approach to providing lake data to the public, both for combining
information from several programs and by presenting it in graphic form that will grab
people’s attention and motivate them to take action. Amy is a creative thinker and an
energetic worker. This project is an excellent example of her on-going effort to enable
lake protection and recognize and use the work of her citizen monitors.
Water Supply Engineering & DWSRF Team
Dave Webb, Greg Bostock, Bryan Redmond,
Eric Law, and Ashley Lucht
Following new stand-by disinfection requirements for school water systems the
Vermont water supply rule; loan program and engineering staff worked in a highly
coordinated manner to assist numerous schools plan, design, construct and finance
needed water system improvements. Staff worked diligently with school officials,
their consultants and Facilities Engineering Division personnel to advance these
projects to construction.
The team work, demonstrated how employees can work together to achieve desired
outcomes. Within five years of the rule-change going into effect, we will see close to
100 percent compliance.
WWMD Staff
Paul Olander, Dennis Bryer
Suzanne Pickett and Liz Dickson
In 2006 a law was passed (Act 154) requiring municipal wastewater treatment facilities
to write Operations, Maintenance and Emergency Response Plans, following a directive
from the ANR Secretary’s many of these plans were required to be completed by April 1,
2008.The WWMD staff being recognized today conducted education/outreach work and
developed O, M and ER guidance and sample plans in as a service to Vermont
municipalities in complying with the new requirements in what was a tight timeframe.
The work helped to ensure: that municipalities were aware of the process and that
municipalities and their consultants understood what was required in an O,M, and ER
plan;
This saved many hours of frustration and time dealing on the part of WWMD staff and
municipalities and ensured that there was a high level of compliance with Act 154.
Water Supply Division Compliance & Certification
Section/Team
Ellen Parr Doering, Billy Kahn,
Matt Guerino, Sue Rivard
When it comes to promulgating new regulations, we at VT DEC are amateurs compared
to our friends at EPA, and in particular the folks in the drinking water program at EPA
which promulgated three voluminous regulations in 2006 alone.
During 2007-2008, Ellen and her staff worked together to provide and develop
extensive outreach and educational materials to notify water systems of the changing
regulations and help systems comply. This included: informing water systems of the
new rules; providing guidance for water systems on developing monitoring plans;
providing information to water systems on how to qualify for reduced monitoring or
waivers to reduce sampling costs; helping them avoid receiving violations; and being
involved in water system operator training through out the state.
All of these actions resulted in providing knowledge and the tools for water systems to
comply with the Disinfectant /Disinfectant By-Products Stage 2 and Long Term 2
Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule rules.
Congratulations!