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Delivering Environmental Business Solutions in Romania

The expansion of the European Union presents both significant opportunities and risks to businesses operating in Romania. WSP Environmental is ideally placed to provide commercially focused, practical advice to help organisations comply with changing environmental, health and safety standards, and maximise the business opportunities that exist in this region of Europe.

 

WSP Environmental offers a professional and dynamic approach, understanding and advising on the environmental issues that impact on businesses in Romania. Combining the skills of our team in Romania with the global best practice we offer as an international consultancy, our clients can be assured that we will listen and understand their needs and that we will deliver excellence and innovation through our solutions.

 

WSP GROUP SRL - PROFILE

WSP Group srl is a global business providing management and consultancy services to the built and natural environment. The company has over 9,500 staff operating from 24 countries and has an annual turnover of €500 million. Our focus is on three sectors:

 

Environment

WSP Environmental is a leading global consultancy with 1,100 staff providing innovative solutions to environment and energy related business issues. We specialise in the identification, evaluation and mitigation of environmental, social and reputational risks.

 

Property

WSP is one of the largest consultancies providing management and design expertise in the property sector throughout the world. Our expertise ranges from the world's tallest buildings and corporate headquarters to hospitals, urban regeneration and leisure schemes.

 

Transport & Infrastructure

WSP provides expert advice on a wide range of transport related engineering projects, including roads, rail, bridges, tunnels and utility services. Our extensive experience includes planning, analysing, designing and managing projects for a wide range of service providers.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES FACING BUSINESS IN ROMANIA

 

OUR SERVICES

Our team of consultants in Bucharest, supported by access to a global team of experts from our extensive office network, deliver a fully integrated range of environmental, remediation and energy related services to clients in Romania. These include:

 

·          Contaminated Land Assessment and Remediation

·          Waste Management and Waste

·          Minimisation advice, including landfill design and closure

·          Legal Compliance Support, including

·          Environmental Balance studies and

·          Pollution Prevention and Control permitting

·          Environmental, Health and Safety Risk

·          Management and Assessment

·          Integrated Management Systems: Design, implementation and auditing of Environmental (ISO 14001), Health & Safety (OHSAS 18001) and Quality Management Systems (ISO 9000:2000) across all sectors

·          Training and Capacity Building: Environmental, Health and Safety training, including 5 day accredited courses and short awareness raising sessions

·          Environmental Impact Assessment and Archaeological Surveys

·          Environmental Due Diligence Audits

·          Environmental Liability Transfer

·          Geotechnical Investigation and Design

·          Air Quality Monitoring and Modelling

·          Acoustics Surveys and Modelling

·          Energy Efficiency and Environmental Design Advice

·          Carbon Management and Clean Development Mechanism

 

At WSP Environmental we aim to develop a clear understanding of our clients' needs so we can deliver advice which is focused on providing commercial and practical solutions that are internationally approved and recognised.

 

WSP Environmental can also provide business and financial advisors with detailed knowledge of the business environment in Romania and the region. This team can advise on all business and financial matters that impact on organisations operating in this region of Europe. This team maintains up to date information on the international funding programmes (EU PHARE, ISPA, EBRD, World Bank etc) operating in the region and can provide current country-specific data on the availability of, and mechanisms for accessing, international funding for environmental improvement projects, both large and small.

 

Our approach is to offer our clients a high quality, well managed, consultancy service which takes advantage of the vast range of knowledge that exists within our organisation and the local relationships we have developed. We pride ourselves on understanding the challenges and opportunities facing our clients' business and we offer clear, practical and commercial advice.

 

Our project teams combine technical expertise, project management skills and experience from a variety of professional and industrial sectors. Our culture promotes a dynamic and collaborative approach to problem solving, delivering global best practice with a focus on selling value not time. This approach ensures that results are effective, on time and to budget.

 

OUR APPROACH

 

With EU accession in 2007, companies operating and investing in Romania, or seeking supply chain partners in the region, are facing significant risk management issues, in a market which is experiencing unprecedented growth rates in the development, property and infrastructure sectors.

 

These issues could affect Romania's access to the EU market-place and the structural funds which will help accelerate economic growth. However, existing EU Directives and Regulations will be transposed into national legislation and enforcement will be strengthened. WSP Environmental's experience in understanding the impact of regulations; devising environmental management policies; and undertaking contamination assessments and remediation, can assist both the private and public sector in Romania. We can help clients manage risks, make sustainable improvements to performance, assure regulatory compliance and meet stakeholder expectations in relation to environmental and wider social issues.

 

OUR PROJECT EXPERIENCE IN ROMANIA

WSP Environmental has established an impressive portfolio of project work in Romania, working with both private sector and public sector clients.

 

Selected project experience is outlined below:

 

Delivery: Geoenvironmental

Assessment and Environmental

Authorisation

Client: Modus Properties / Nova Immobiliare

Date: 2007 Ongoing

 

Along with our colleagues in WSP Buildings, WSP Environmental is involved with supporting the redevelopment of a 150 hectare site in north west Bucharest which will become The Colosseum Centre - central and eastern Europe's largest new commercial development including retail, recreation and leisure, a hotel and residential facilities.

 

WSP Environmental has been involved with undertaking a Phase I Environmental Assessment and Phase II Geoenvironmental Assessment for the site to assess the suitability of the site for the proposed end use and obtain data for detailed design of the scheme. Given the vast size of the site, in addition to standard site investigation techniques, specialist CPT contractors from Germany were engaged to collect data in a cost effective manner and reduce budget costs for the client.

 

WSP Environmental is also involved in supporting the client through obtaining the PUZ (Zonal urban plan) approval and Environmental Authorisation for the development and the undertaking of a Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment as required.

 

Delivery: Phase I and Phase II

Environmental and Geotechnical

Assessments

Client: Westhill Investments

Date: 2007

 

WSP Environmental has supported a major UK developer's first project in Romania associated with a proposed out-of-town shopping mall facility in North West Ploiesti. Phase I and Phase II assessments were undertaken for the 20 hectare site along with Project Management of a Baseline Noise Survey and Buried Ordnance Survey to provide a full due diligence package. These additional surveys were engaged via our network of local Romanian sub-consultants.

 

The client was provided with confidence in the site and associated liabilities and potential abnormal development costs which had been a concern given this being their first investment into Romania. Further services for facilitating the project are to be provided through our WSP Buildings team (M&E, Structural, Fire).

 

Delivery: Phase I Environmental Due

Diligence Assessment

Client: German Capital Fund

Date: 2007

 

WSP Environmental undertook a Phase I Due Diligence assessment of a portfolio of three sites in Bucharest and Sibiu in Romania and Serbia. The assessments were required to support the clients proposed acquisition of the foremost provider of mineral water in these countries.

 

Due to the client's short project timescales, the surveys were undertaken and reported in a week so as not to negate the deal. A summary report was first provided highlighting headline environmental liabilities and associated costs of mitigation. Pragmatic advice was given regarding the implications of the absence of some environmental permits for the operations, based on local knowledge of the regulatory regime. The Serbian assessment was facilitated using support from one of WSP's established network of local consultants in the Eastern European countries.

 

 

Delivery: Environmental Assessments

Client: Liebrecht and Wood

Date: 2006

 

WSP Environmental was involved in undertaking Phase I and Phase II Environmental

Assessments for three sites located on the periphery of Bucharest at Domnesti, Chitila and Baneasa (Victoria Business Park) for a major Belgian developer.

 

Intrusive investigations were undertaken for the Chitila site (18 hectare) and Domnesti sites (20 hectare) including an assessment of risks from an adjacent municipal landfill from ground gas and leachate. The sites are to be developed as a retail centre and light industrial park.

In addition to defining the client's potential liabilities as part of their Due Diligence procedures and the suitability of each site for the proposed commercial end uses, the assessments were actively used by the client in divesting the site on a plot by plot basis as part of their sales package.

 

 

Delivery: Phase I Environmental Due

Diligence Assessment

Client: Major Automotive Products

Company

Date: 2006

 

By supporting our colleagues in WSP Environmental Strategies (USA), the Bucharest team was involved in a global due diligence assessment for a worldwide industrial portfolio. Two sites in Brad County of Arad, Romania were audited. The industrial operations were associated with the production of automotive safety products and custom car parts.

In addition to defining the client's potential environmental liabilities associated with the acquisition, mitigation measures were proposed so as not to negate the deal along with cost estimates for these measures. Further support was provided by giving pragmatic advice on the required approach to obtain EPA approval for the acquisition as required under Romanian law.

 

 

Delivery: Environmental Impact

Assessments

Client: OMV / Petrom E&P

Date: 2005 – 2007

 

WSP continues to support Petrom and the Exploration and Production Departments Waste Management and Abandonment plan. WSP is undertaking Environmental Impact Assessments for three bioremediation sites (2 hectares) and three landfill sites (10 hectares) to address solid waste legacy issues generated by this formerly state owned oil and gas company.

 

In addition to managing a mixed team of international (WSP) and local Romanian consultants - thereby reducing overall costs, we have been heavily involved with sensitive regulatory consultations towards obtaining Environmental Authorisations for the facilities. Expertise is being provided with regards to remediation technology, soil and groundwater, ecology, archaeology, air quality, noise, waste management hydrology and hydrogeology.

 

 

Delivery: Phase I and Phase II

Environmental Assessments

Client: Major Development Fund

Date: 2006

 

Phase I and Phase II assessments of a 10 hectare former tools manufacturing works in Brasov, Romanian were undertaken as part of a proposed acquisition and redevelopment for a commercial and residential end use. Intrusive site works including a soil and groundwater contamination assessment identified various contamination issues from TPH soils contamination and solvents and free phase hydrocarbons in groundwater, Japanese knotweed and the presence of asbestos containing materials.

 

In addition to defining environmental risks for proposed end users and realistic environmental liabilities, outline options for remediation of the site and definition of likely abnormal development costs were provided to support the client's budget estimates and support negotiations on the site purchase price.