B.F. Environmental Launches Online Training Portal Cyber Monday Sale

B.F. Environmental Launches Online Training Portal

As landscape for education changes, company stays ahead with new offerings

WILKES-BARRE, PA—August 14, 2017—B.F. Environmental Consultants, an environmental consulting firm providing a range of services throughout the Northeast, announced today the launch of an online training portal designed to meet the continuing education needs of engineers, geologists, and other professionals. Through the new portal, professionals can find thousands of online classes that meet their continuing education requirements. The site is called Training Pros.

“There are a host of new educational tools available to today’s professionals, but there was no central location through which to find these offerings,” said Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants. “Now, tens of thousands of classes, workshops, seminars and other educational opportunities can be found with a simple web search on our new online training portal.”

In addition to being a working environmental professional with his own consulting firm, Oram was a university instructor for 26 years. He developed Training Pros to serve as an online university that could be an affordable alternative to the normal workshop training courses or continuing education offerings that most professionals must attend in order to maintain their professional certifications and licenses.

“Our goal is to provide a cost-effective solution for training and educating our future workforce,” Oram said. “Our library with its variety of online courses provides a comprehensive and diverse set of offerings that meet continuing education requirements for the professional, contractor, or for use as part of a company’s workforce development/ employee training programs. Conventional training programs can be expensive and time consuming. Our online training programs link the professional to appropriate educators at an affordable price to provide the necessary training in the most convenient manner.”

Training Pros can be found online at http://www.online-training-courses.info.

About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.

B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.

We Have Helped over 1.2 Million Private Well Owners Private-well-owner.org

The following contains background information related to common drinking water sources of contamination, acute and chronic health problems, health advisories, and aesthetic problems associated with drinking water. We have put this website together in order to inform the public on a variety of topics and assist you with your water testing needs and information related to certified baseline water testing throughout the country. The Water Research Center is an outreach programs developed by Mr. Brian Oram. This guide has been divided into a number of sections that covers general water quality problems, such as hardness, iron, manganese, bacteria, odor, and corrosion; more significant issues related to other metals, organics, and radiological is also provided. Because of Black Shale Development throughout the United States, we have provided links to some videos and presentations we have conducted on this topic and others that will help you better understand the process.  We have also help many groundwater guardian programs, the Penn State Master Well Owner Program, an advocate for private well construction standards, and an advocate for a statewide program with a public/private partnership to fix private wells in the state.

A Quick Note- I am asked if I am pro or against natural gas development - My answer is NO. I am pro-landowner rights, protecting private well owners, solid energy policies, conservation, regulations, fining individuals and companies that do the wrong thing, and maintaining PA as a great place to raise a family.

Why does this website exist? The main reason is that most private wells and small water systems are not regulated by the EPA or the DEP in a given state and in Pennsylvania about 50% of private wells produce water that does not meet a primary health standard, i.e., Could Make the Well Owner Sick. Therefore, it is up to the individual private well owner to ensure that the water is safe to consume and use. In addition, the regulation or licensing of water treatment specialists is not via a state licensing program, but typically through an industry certification program. This website, under a variety of URLS,  has been up and running for over 20 years with the primary mission of providing free information on this topic to well owners. We have had over 1,200,000 unique visitors and many private well owners from throughout the world use this portal.

Thanks

Brian Oram, PG

Other sites

http://www.pacleanwater.org
http://www.bfenvironmental.com

Other Non-Profits Websites
Biomass - http://www.pnercd.org

Call To Action - Septic Systems in Pennsylvania - House Bill 1325 On-Lot sewage systems in HQ & EV Watersheds.

Get Informed about Pennsylvania D.E.P's proposed policy for On-Lot sewage systems in HQ & EV Watersheds.


House Bill 1325 successfully passed the State House of Representatives last week! You can view how your legislator voted - here.
However, that's only half the battle. Your help is now needed to ensure that the State Senate takes up this important legislation and likewise passes it before they recess for the summer.
Therefore, PASEO needs you to contact your State Senator and urge them to vote "yes" on House Bill 1325 when it comes before the full chamber.

Who's my State Senator and what is their contact information? Find your legislator here.

As you recall, this is the legislation that provides a "legislative fix" to the Pine Creek decision and eliminates the need for DEP's draft antidegredation policy for new onlot sewage systems proposed in special protection watersheds.

HB 1325, sponsored by Rep. David Maloney (R-Berks), will amend Act 537 to stipulate that permits for individual and community onlot systems that are designed & approved in accordance with existing DEP regulations will be deemed to have satified antidegredation requirements.
Without passage of this legislation, DEP's draft policy guidance entitled: "Sewage Facilities Planning Module Review for Onlot Sewage systems Proposed in High Quality and Exceptional Value Watersheds" will likely go into effect negatively impacting the use of onlot systems in High Quality & Exceptional Value watersheds. Click here to read the proposed guidance document.

When communicating with your State Senator (by phone, fax, or email), you will want to indicate that s/he should vote "yes" on HB 1325 when it comes up for a floor vote because:
1) It will return onlot system planning and installation considerations for Nitrates to the practices utilized prior to the PA Environmental Hearing Board's 2011 Pine Creek decision.
2) It recognizes that properly designed, installed and maintained onlot sewage treatment systems meet anti-degradation requirements. There is insufficient evidence to support the notion that stream quality is being degraded by properly designed, installed and maintained onlot systems.
3) Most of the Best Management Practices (BMPs) found in the draft guidance document are neither cost effective nor reasonable. Based on costs cited in the document and our experience with the cost of denitrification systems in PA, it is possible that an individual lot could incur costs of nearly $25,000 without considering the additional design, engineering and regulatory costs, both known and as of yet unknown. Commercial facilities could see these costs increase by a factor of 10 above those for residential uses.
4) It contains legislative language supported by PA DEP as well as PASEO.
Thank you for your anticipated support of HB 1325!

If you have NO idea if this is an issue for you let me say the following 1. If you live in a rural area - it is an issue. 2. If you currently use a septic system - it is an issue. 3. If you own property in a rural area - that if developed would require a septic system it is an issue.   Learn More at Check out our Presentation at Responsible Citizens for Clean Water- Get Informed about Pennsylvania D.E.P's proposed policy for On-Lot sewage systems in HQ & EV Watersheds.


Proposed PADEP Policy on Nitrates and Septic Systems in PA- Proposed Requlations and Our Blog Post, Our Presentation to County Governments, Our Review of PADEP Myth and Fact On the Proposed Guidance and Formal Comments to PADEP (May 2013)

Panel to Discuss Marcellus Shale Gas Exploration

WILKES-BARRE, PA—January 26, 2013—Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants, has been invited to speak as part of a panel of experts convened to discuss key questions and concerns surrounding the Marcellus Shale Gas Exploration work currently underway in northeastern Pennsylvania.
The event is sponsored by The Louis Maslow STEM School at Wyoming Seminary and will take place January 30 at 7:00 pm in Amado Auditorium in the Lower School located at 1560 Wyoming Avenue, Forty Fort, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the event is to bring together a panel composed of area leaders in education, industry and business and will allow for examination of the some of the many implications of the Shale Gas exploration in NEPA from a variety of perspectives.
“There are still many questions in the minds of area residents and lawmakers about the work gas companies are doing in our area,” Oram said. “I believe this panel will be able to answer many of them. This will be an excellent opportunity to fully explore these issues.”

Other panelists include Representative Sandra Major (Republican, Northern counties including Susquehanna); Rep. Phyllis Mundy (Democrat, Luzerne County); Eileen Cipriani, President, West Wyoming Borough Council; William desRosiers or George Stark from Cabot Oil and Gas; Brian Oram, local water quality expert; Kenneth Klemov from Wilkes University Institute on Energy and the Environment; Marlene Troy, Professor of Environmental Science at Wilkes University; and Bernard Prusak, Director of the McGowan School of Ethics and Social Responsibility at King's College.

Other outreach on Marcellus Shale and Private Wells
Citizen Groundwater Database
Private Well Owner Booklet for PA
Past Presentations Videos

Email to Fracktoids Blogspot About a False and Misleading Post

This is the full version of what I intended to send - what I did send should be posted on the blog.   Based on a review on the fracktoids blog - the bulk of the request and contact was immediately removed.  Therefore as stated in this post- the 15 days starts today 7/17/2012 after 15 days a formal request will be sent to Blogger.

http://fracktoids.blogspot.com/2012/07/energy-in-depth-dots.html

http://fracktoids.blogspot.com/2012/07/eid-sees-dead-people.html

I think you proved my point - one of the main problems with dealing with Marcellus Shale is the fact that some only want to hear about the causes for contamination that are associated or caused by Marcellus Shale Development and others only want to talk about everything but Marcellus Shale. This would be fine if we lived in a state where all the water was pure and there was no background or baseline contamination, no history of herbicide and pesticide use, and all private wells were properly constructed. The problem is we do not live in this world, 50% of private wells are contaminated by something that is not related to Marcellus Shale Activities, and it is not appropriate to discuss baseline testing without telling the local private well owners all the facts.

I do NOT conduct this type of biased presentation - my presentations are all fact based and balanced. You can go to my website and see the pdf versions of my talk and see the videos of methane gas migration on my  Y-Tube site. About 8 % or more private wells in Pennsylvania have elevated levels of arsenic - caused by background issues. This was probably known about 10 to 15 years ago - Did anyone tell the Private Well Owners? The primary cause is naturally occurring arsenic in the mineralogy of the bedrock, but others include old pesticides, cemeteries, etc. Also – we raised the warning flag in 2009 about the potential for the natural migration of saline water, concerns related to bromide, and other key parameter – it took PSU until 2011 to finally add key parameters to their list of parameters and Duke University until this past month to come out with a study and took PSU to recommend. I started taking about this is 2009!

For the record - I pointed out the primary concerns related to natural gas development was methane gas migration, proper well casing and cementing,  and surface spills and releases in about 2008 or 2009. I also made specific recommendations to changes to oil and gas law in PA and continue to make suggestions in my presentations. 

In your article and graphics- my connection to Shepstone as an Associate is based on their linking to my companies website and listing me along with a number of others. You did not list all the other companies and municipalities listed on their website and the way the graphic depicts this relationship suggests I am being paid and based on your posting is it clear you did not review any of my presentation or the pdf version of the presentaiton. For the record, I do not have and never had a contractual relationship with Shepstone, Tom, EID, etc.

To the questions you asked - I do not know what the gas companies do - I do not and have never worked for any and this includes EID, Mr. Shepstone, and the others you cited. I am not paid by anyone or company to conduct a presentation and I do highlight the pathways that natural gas drilling could and have affected private wells. I also include videos of natural gas migration, changes in water quality associated with methane gas migration, loss of circulation during natural gas drilling, importance of casing and cementing, and concerns related to surface spills/releases.  (this paragraph posted as a separate email).

In your blog post – you make a statement about what I see - You do not have this knowledge and you have made no formal effort to find out what is my perspective. You have never formally interviewed me and you are making statements about me and my company without making the proper effort to get the facts. 

Finally - your post is very misleading and false about my intentions and my perspective. In addition, you strongly suggest a finance connection and a bias. You are very wrong - this is false! I have never been paid other than by Wilkes University when I worked at the University to conduct talks to private well owners. I would strongly suggest if you want to post more about me and my company - that you contact us first and get the facts. Maybe Next time - send me an email with your questions, attend a talk, or schedule a presentation. This will help you to avoid making false statements that affect my character and business.

Since you are not a professional reporter and you are a concerned citizen, my only action, at this point, will be to send this post to your blog and to post this same content of my blog and facebook account. The falsehoods you post are posing a direct harm to my business and my family, making it an illegal act on your part. This will be considered the required notice that is required I am demanding that you remove these falsehoods and misinformation from your site at once. Please comply with this request before I am forced to take any other action.

If you want my perspective – here it is:

http://pennsylvania-solutions.blogspot.com/2012/07/need-to-work-as-community-shale-gas.html

I am sorry that we do not 100 % agree, but I do not 100 % agree with anyone on either side of this issue. The problem I have is just because we do not agree – it is NOT OK to post false statements and half-truths  about me and my company.  

I have never conducted a presentation as a diversionary measure. My presentations are all fact based and balanced.  I would suggest that you watch or attend.

If the false statements and incorrect graphics are not corrected then I will make a formal report to the owner of the Blogger portal in 15 days and refer this matter to my agent.

Thanks

Brian Oram

Soil, Stabilization, and Stormwater Symposium held on Friday, May 11 in Lebanon, PA

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Rick Grant, 570-325-2818

Brian Oram to Speak on Soils at Symposium

WILKES-BARRE, PA—May 8, 2012—Brian Oram, a professional geologist and soil scientist and founder of B.F. Environmental Consultants, will be presenting at the Soil, Stabilization, and Stormwater Symposium held on Friday, May 11 in Lebanon, PA.

Oram will be speaking on soils, infiltration, and their application to stormwater BMPs. His presentation will begin at 8 AM.

“This information is very useful to municipal leaders and their engineering teams,” said Oram. “Advance planning can save literally millions of dollars by helping communities avoid damages that can occur during storms. There can be no better example than the flooding we experienced in our own area last year.”

The symposium is being hosted by the Lebanon County Conservation District, and will be held at Marabelle’s, 1352 Cumberland Street, Lebanon, PA, 17042, from 7 AM to 4 PM. Other presenters at the symposium will be Mark Fiely of Ernst Conservation Seeds, Michele Adams of Meliora Designs, and Tavis Dockwiller of Veridian Landscape Studio.

About B.F. Environmental Consultants, Inc.
B.F. Environmental Consultants, based in Northeastern Pennsylvania and the Poconos, has been providing professional geological, soils, hydrogeological, and environmental consulting services since 1985. The company specializes in the following areas: hydrogeological and wastewater evaluations for siting land-based wastewater disposal systems; soils consulting (soil scientists), environmental monitoring, overseeing the siting, exploration, and development of community/ commercial water supply sources; environmental training/ professional training courses, and other environmental services. For more information about B.F. Environmental Consultants, visit www.bfenvironmental.com and www.water-research.net.

# # #

Media Contact:
Rick Grant
Principal, RGA Public Relations
570-325-2818
rick.grant@rga-pr.com