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Environmental jobs on upswing: the push for the gas line promises even more hope to environmental services firms.

Article Excerpt
Pipeline corrosion problems and a surge in mining, transportation and other development projects are pushing a growing demand for environmental services, according to some Alaska companies.

"We're excited," said Mark Dalton, senior vice president at HDR Alaska Inc. "We think there's a lot of good work out there for folks."

There's more interest in hard-rock mining, as well in coal mining, he said. That means an increase in environmental services associated with the myriad steps involving in planning those projects. "A lot of these projects need to have reclamation plans in place before they're actually permitted," Dalton said.

Also, the company has been busy with transportation projects, which require compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) if federal money is involved-and it usually is in Alaska. That means a gamut of issues need to be investigated, such as how the project will affect wetlands, endangered or threatened species, and groundwater.

"In the last five or six years, the amount of transportation funding coming to the state has been pretty considerable," Dalton said. Although Alaska's all-Republican congressional delegation is no longer in the majority, Dalton said the federal formula that provides transportation dollars to states will remain in effect for about three more years, so the level of money available for road and airport projects should remain relatively stable. The...