Releases

Black & Veatch to host students for rain garden and water engineering learn-in

Company to Award $500 Scholarships to Visiting Students

            Kansas City, Mo. (June 12, 2007) – Black & Veatch is hosting a “Learn-in Day” for the Kansas City Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew on June 19 that includes interactive sessions on rain gardens and water engineering. The company will award $500 scholarships to each of the six 16- to 18-year-olds taking part in the “Learn-in Day” who complete the YCC program this summer.

The YCC program is co-sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Full Employment Council. It provides summer projects for inner-city and minority youth that stress the importance of environmental conservation and research. One focus for the inaugural program this summer is to build four rain gardens throughout the Kansas City area.

“We’re glad to host these young people as they visit the first corporate rain garden in Kansas City,” said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch’s water business. “We’re planning hands-on sessions to introduce them to many aspects of rain gardens and other water engineering topics.”

McCarthy added: “We’d like to encourage them to consider environmental careers when they go to college, so we’re offering them a scholarship in addition to the $1,000 scholarship they’ll receive from AmeriCorps if they finish the summer program.”

The YCC members and their sponsors will take part in four interactive sessions on June 19 at the company’s 8400 Ward Parkway office:

• Water Supply – Where does our water come from and how do we protect it?
• Stormwater – How can we beneficially reuse stormwater to help prevent flooding and improve water quality, and what role do rain gardens play?
• Drinking Water – Why is tap water safer than bottled and so much less expensive?
• Wastewater – What does it take to return water to the environment in better shape than what we harvested from it?

“We’ll have taste tests, environmental puzzles, water engineering activities and a tour of the rain garden,” McCarthy said. “It will be educational, but it will also be fun.”

Along with the scholarship, each YCC member will receive educational materials and an mp3 music player that will be loaded with environmentally related songs. The scholarships will be awarded at a ceremony during a barbecue luncheon.

On June 18, the YCC members will also visit Hallmark’s headquarters in Kansas City to see an example of the recycling loop in action. Hallmark composts cafeteria food waste through Missouri Organic, and the resulting compost will be used as fertilizer on Hallmark’s rain garden when it is installed. The group will also tour the Missouri Organic facilities.

Rain gardens are sunken areas planted with native perennials that are specially designed to collect stormwater runoff and return it to the ground naturally and safely. According to recent research, properly designed rain gardens can effectively trap and retain a high percentage of common pollutants in urban storm runoff, which is designed to improve water quality.

KC Business Journal Engineering Week: 2007

Black & Veatch Provides Rainy-day Solutions in Kansas City

Article: (PDF)

In early 2004, Black & Veatch was selected to work with the Kansas City, Mo., Water Services Department to develop a comprehensive citywide stormwater management program. Now in its final year, the integration of 35 subsystem planning studies into a single stormwater management program spans 320 square miles and requires extensive coordination among multiple cities and counties. Upon completion, the KC-One program will establish goals and priorities, provide timelines and schedules, and offer funding recommendations for stormwater.

The program is building consensus for common priorities and capital improvements, as well as garnering individual commitment through action by many. The mayor’s “10,000 Rain Gardens” initiative is supported through the KC-One program. Black & Veatch has been active in the initiative as well as the overall plan by making various presentations, participating in training sessions and assisting with a mayoral-appointed advisory panel of civic leaders.

The 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative was launched in 2005 to help citizens understand what individuals and organizations can do to effectively manage stormwater. Planting 10,000 rain gardens in the Kansas City area during the next few years is a green solution that will help improve the quality of water in local streams.

“Beyond enlisting individual and corporate commitment to action, Kansas City’s 10,000 Rain Gardens program provides an opportunity to educate the public about wet-weather issues in general and to build support for the city’s comprehensive wet-weather program,” said Black & Veatch Project Manager Jeff Henson. 

Comprehensive Planning to Address Wet-Weather Woes

 Numerous public surveys indicated the community supports a holistic approach to stormwater management that involves flood control, combined sewer overflow reduction, water quality management, natural resource protection and minimizing the adverse impacts from new developments. “KC-One offers a unique opportunity to shape the way that the city manages its watersheds and stormwater, both now and in the years to come,” said Water Services Department Director Frank Pogge.

The city invited all stakeholders, through an open and public process, to help formulate the vision, scope of work, and schedule for the development of the comprehensive citywide stormwater management program. The public participation component included numerous meetings and workshops. Results to date have included the development of initial recommendations regarding - policy development, public involvement, stormwater master plans, funding and implementation. Still in progress is the development of policies and procedures, an organizational and administrative plan, capital improvements and funding plans; and work to ensure compliance with various federal regulations. 

Extensive work with the stakeholders and a specially formed community panel has already led to the development of some new policies and procedures that focus on protecting the city’s streams, managing new development and complying with stormwater quality regulations. In the months ahead, the city’s existing flood control plans will be updated to better reflect the new policies and views of the community. The updated plans will focus more on green solutions that preserve and protect the city’s streams. Ensuing evaluation of funding options and issues will yield a long-term funding plan that addresses the city’s capital, operating and maintenance needs for stormwater management.

Grassroots Efforts: On the Way to 10,000 Rain Gardens

On April 21, 2006, Kansas City’s Mayor Kay Barnes attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the first corporate rain garden affiliated with the city’s 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative. The ceremony took place at the 8400 Ward Parkway office of B&V Water, the water business of Black & Veatch.

A rain garden is a shallow basin or depression planted with native plants, which have deep roots that allow water to infiltrate into the soil. Research indicates that properly designed rain gardens can effectively trap and retain up to 99 percent of common pollutants in urban storm runoff.

“The 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative is one way to reach out to the community and engage the public in a proactive and creative solution to some of our wet-weather problems,” Mayor Barnes said in her keynote address. “Through this effort, Kansas City is already being recognized as a national role model in public involvement.”

Within the first few days after Black & Veatch announced its rain gardens program, nearly 100 Black & Veatch professionals had signed up to assist with the company’s rain garden or to plant rain gardens at their homes. A rain garden planted at the Kansas City home of Dan McCarthy, president and CEO of Black & Veatch’s water business, led the individual efforts.

 “Black & Veatch looks for engineered and natural options to solve every problem we tackle by providing communities structural and non-structural solutions,” said McCarthy in his remarks preceding the groundbreaking. “Through our rain garden program and other parts of our KC-One program, we are demonstrating our commitment to Kansas City as we are ‘building a world of difference’ right where we live and work.”

-- Linda Saiger Bond, Black & Veatch Corporation, Kansas City, Mo.

Black & Veatch Reissues Call to Action for Corporate Involvement in Rain Garden Program

Celebration of First Corporate Rain Garden Draws Civic Leaders

Kansas City, Mo. (May 1, 2007) – As part of the company’s Earth Day activities on April 21, Black & Veatch professionals, along with their families and friends, celebrated the first anniversary of Kansas City’s original corporate rain garden, which is affiliated with the city’s “10,000 Rain Gardens” initiative.

The celebration ceremony at the rain garden, outside the 8400 Ward Parkway office of Black & Veatch’s water business in Kansas City, drew many local dignitaries and civic leaders, who joined the company volunteers in planting an additional 75 native plants.

“Black & Veatch has taken a corporate leadership role in the 10,000 Rain Gardens Initiative and has encouraged active participation by other local groups,” said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch’s water business, in his opening remarks. “We've been pleased that our call to action on rain gardens has been taken up by civic and corporate leaders like Hallmark, as well as academic institutions such as the Kansas City Art Institute and the University of Missouri – Kansas City," McCarthy said.

Several of the Kansas City council members and other community leaders in attendance also commented on Black & Veatch’s civic leadership role.

"I appreciate Black & Veatch's leadership in this project and in its stormwater work for the city,” said John Sharp, 6th district councilman-elect. “The company has paved the way on this wet-weather solution. It's a good corporate citizen and a good corporate neighbor.”

Jan Marcason, 4th District councilwoman-elect, added, "I appreciate Black & Veatch's corporate leadership in having this rain garden and all the work they do on stormwater issues."

As part of the ceremony, McCarthy also announced plans to launch Phase II of the Black & Veatch Rain Garden program this spring, which will include the upgrade of a bio-retention area between the company’s two Ward Parkway buildings.

Family members of the Rain Garden Brigade, Black & Veatch professionals who have volunteered to help maintain the company’s rain gardens, can take part in the ongoing Rain Gardens for Kids program, McCarthy explained.

For example, Black & Veatch will donate a $50 native plant starter kit to the school of a family member, as well as multiple copies of the company’s educational brochure on rain gardens. Black & Veatch will also match the child’s school group with a rain garden expert to speak with them about rain gardens and other wet-weather solutions.

For more details about the rain garden program, please visit Black & Veatch’s website www.bvraingardens.com or the 10,000 Rain Gardens site www.rainkc.com.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, telecommunications, management consulting, federal and environmental markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients’ needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions are provided from the broad line of service expertise available within Black & Veatch, including conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, program management, construction management, environmental, security design and consulting, management consulting and infrastructure planning. With more than $2 billion in revenue, the employee-owned company has more than 100 offices worldwide and has completed projects in more than 100 countries on six continents.

Black & Veatch’s global water business provides innovative, technology-based solutions to utilities, governments and industries worldwide. Local project teams work with multinational water and wastewater treatment process experts to address site-specific challenges through a broad range of consulting, study, planning, design, design-build and construction management services. The company’s Web site address is www.bv.com.

May 2, 2007, as appeared in WaterWorld – United States

Black & Veatch reissues call to action for corporate involvement in rain garden program

As part of the company's Earth Day activities on April 21, Black & Veatch professionals, along with their families and friends, celebrated the first anniversary of Kansas City's original corporate rain garden, which is affiliated with the city's "10,000 Rain Gardens " initiative.

The celebration ceremony at the rain garden, outside the 8400 Ward Parkway office of Black & Veatch's water business in Kansas City, drew many local dignitaries and civic leaders, who joined the company volunteers in planting an additional 75 native plants.

"Black & Veatch has taken a corporate leadership role in the 10,000 Rain Gardens Initiative and has encouraged active participation by other local groups," said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of Black & Veatch's water business, in his opening remarks. "We've been pleased that our call to action on rain gardens has been taken up by civic and corporate leaders like Hallmark, as well as academic institutions such as the Kansas City Art Institute and the University of Missouri - Kansas City," McCarthy said.

Several of the Kansas City council members and other community leaders in attendance also commented on Black & Veatch's civic leadership role.

"I appreciate Black & Veatch's leadership in this project and in its stormwater work for the city," said John Sharp, 6th district councilman-elect. "The company has paved the way on this wet-weather solution. It's a good corporate citizen and a good corporate neighbor."

Jan Marcason, 4th District councilwoman-elect, added, "I appreciate Black & Veatch's corporate leadership in having this rain garden and all the work they do on stormwater issues."

As part of the ceremony, McCarthy also announced plans to launch Phase II of the Black & Veatch Rain Garden program this spring, which will include the upgrade of a bio-retention area between the company's two Ward Parkway buildings.

Family members of the Rain Garden Brigade, Black & Veatch professionals who have volunteered to help maintain the company's rain gardens, can take part in the ongoing Rain Gardens for Kids program, McCarthy explained.

For example, Black & Veatch will donate a $50 native plant starter kit to the school of a family member, as well as multiple copies of the company's educational brochure on rain gardens. Black & Veatch will also match the child's school group with a rain garden expert to speak with them about rain gardens and other wet-weather solutions.

For more details about the rain garden program, please visit Black & Veatch's website www.bvraingardens.com or the 10,000 Rain Gardens site www.rainkc.com.

Kansas City Metro News Media Advisory

First Corporate Rain Garden Anniversary Celebration

New Planting This Saturday by Black & Veatch Team and Families

What: As part of Kansas City’s Earth Day observance and the city’s 10,000 Rain Garden initiative, Black & Veatch professionals, families and friends will celebrate the anniversary of the city’s first corporate rain garden. City officials and other dignitaries plan to attend the ceremony, followed by new planting activities, which will bring the rain garden plant total to more than 700.

When: This Saturday, April 21, beginning at 10 a.m.

Where:At the Black &Veatch Water office, 8400 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo.

Why: Rain Gardens are areas planted with native perennials that are designed to collect storm water and return it to the ground naturally and safely. Photo and interview opportunities for the news media will include Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of the water business of Black & Veatch, as well as with other local civic leaders.

Kansas City Star – Page C-2

Rain garden planting

Black & Veatch employees and friends will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday to plant a rain garden at the company’s offices at 8400 Ward Parkway.

The engineering and construction company was the first Kansas City corporation to sign up for the city’s “10,000 Rain Gardens” initiative, an environmental project designed to collect storm water runoff and return it to the ground.

Details about the program are posted at www.bvraingardens.com or www.rainkc.com.

Black & Veatch's ‘B&V Brigade’ To Dig In And Plant Kansas City’s First Corporate Rain Garden

Kansas City, Mo. (July 12, 2006) – This Saturday, July 15, Black & Veatch professionals, along with their families and friends, will begin planting Kansas City’s first corporate rain garden, which is affiliated with the city’s “10,000 Rain Gardens” initiative. The planting will take place at 9 a.m. at the 8400 Ward Parkway office of B&V Water, the water business of Black & Veatch.

B&V’s Rain Garden Brigade is a group of volunteers who support the rain garden program by taking part in the company’s activities or by building a rain garden at home. Rain gardens are sunken areas planted with native perennials that are specially designed to collect stormwater runoff and return it to the ground naturally and safely.

At the groundbreaking in April, the B&V Rain Garden Brigade members received a starter plant for their own rain garden and a discount voucher for additional native plants. Black & Veatch also offered other promotional items to the schools of the team members’ children. Besides informational leaflets that encourage students to plant their own rain gardens at home, Black & Veatch also donated a $50 gift certificate for the schools to purchase native plants. Critical Site Products offered the schools a matching gift of plants suitable for rain gardens.

“Over the last few months, we have been promoting this grassroots program to other businesses in the city and in other parts of the United States,” said Dan McCarthy, President and CEO of B&V Water. “We’ve been raising the corporate challenge and encouraging other companies to plant the seeds of community involvement.”

For more details about the rain garden program, please consult Black & Veatch’s website www.bvraingardens.com or the 10,000 Rain Gardens site www.rainkc.com.

The planting will take place rain or shine at 9 a.m., this Saturday at 8400 Ward Parkway. News media representatives will have an opportunity to interview B&V Water’s experts for more information on rain garden projects.

An RSVP is requested. Please reply to raingardens@bv.com or to George Minter (913) 458-8001.

About Black & Veatch
Black & Veatch Corporation is a leading global engineerinsg, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, information and government markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients’ needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions include conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, information technology, environmental, security design and consulting, and management consulting services.

B&V Water, Black & Veatch’s water business, provides innovative, technology-based solutions to utilities, governments and industries worldwide. Local project managers work with a global team of water and wastewater treatment process experts to address site-specific challenges through a broad range of consulting, study, planning, design, design-build and construction management services. The employee-owned company has more than 90 offices worldwide. Black & Veatch is ranked on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in the United States” listing. The company’s Web site address is www.bv.com.

Mayor Kay Barnes Breaks Ground On First Corporate Rain Garden in Kansas City

Kansas City, Mo. (April 21, 2006) – Kansas City’s Mayor Kay Barnes attended a groundbreaking ceremony today for the first corporate rain garden affiliated with the city’s “10,000 Rain Gardens” initiative. The ceremony took place at the 8400 Ward Parkway office of B&V Water, the water business of Black & Veatch.

“The 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative is one way to reach out to the community and engage the public in a proactive and creative solution to some of our wet-weather problems,” Mayor Barnes said in her keynote address. “Through this effort, Kansas City is already being recognized as a national role model in public involvement.”

She commended Black & Veatch for its civic leadership in planting the first corporate rain garden and developing a wide-ranging employee-participation program to help tackle important environmental challenges like water quality and stormwater management.

“Black & Veatch looks for engineered and natural options to solve every problem we tackle by providing communities structural and non-structural solutions,” said Dan McCarthy, president and CEO of B&V Water, in his remarks preceding the groundbreaking. “Through our B&V rain garden program, we’re going one step further and actively ‘building a world of difference’ in our own backyards, as well as globally.”

Photo: Mayor Kay Barnes and Dan McCarthy.

The groundbreaking for the rain garden at the Ward Parkway building initiates the first phase of Black & Veatch’s rain garden program. Future plans include a green roof garden on top of the parking lot structure and two additional rain gardens planted elsewhere on the site. Continuous enhancements are planned for the rain gardens and green roof garden during the next decade.

In the first few days after the announcement of the company’s rain gardens program, nearly 100 Black & Veatch professionals signed up to plant rain gardens at their homes or to assist with the rain garden at the company’s Ward Parkway site. Many of those “B&V Rain Garden Brigade” members attended the groundbreaking ceremony and received a starter kit with a native plant, a gift certificate and a “how to” guide for planting rain gardens.

The actual digging and planting of the corporate rain garden will begin in the next few weeks, followed by another groundbreaking for a rain garden at Dan McCarthy’s Kansas City home.

To follow developments over time in the corporate and employee rain gardens, a dedicated Web site, www.bvRainGardens.com, has been launched to “Watch Our Gardens Grow.” In the future the Web site will also include a virtual chat room, called “Over the Backyard Fence,” to provide a discussion forum for company rain gardeners.

Another feature of the Black & Veatch rain garden program is the involvement of local youth from the company’s Explorer Post #2455 group. The group will sponsor a native plant sale at the Ward Parkway site in September. Black & Veatch will also hold an autumn seminar featuring lectures from master gardeners associated with Kansas City’s 10,000 Rain Gardens initiative.

About Black & Veatch

Black & Veatch Corporation is a leading global engineering, consulting and construction company specializing in infrastructure development in energy, water, information and government markets. Founded in 1915, Black & Veatch develops tailored infrastructure solutions that meet clients’ needs and provide sustainable benefits. Solutions include conceptual and preliminary engineering services, engineering design, procurement, construction, financial management, asset management, information technology, environmental, security design and consulting, and management consulting services. B&V Water, Black & Veatch’s water business, provides innovative, technology-based solutions to utilities, governments and industries worldwide. Local project managers work with a global team of water and wastewater treatment process experts to address site-specific challenges through a broad range of consulting, study, planning, design, design-build and construction management services. The employee-owned company has more than 90 offices worldwide. Black & Veatch is ranked on the Forbes “500 Largest Private Companies in the United States” listing. The company’s Web site address is www.bv.com.