Environmental & Regulatory

Gekko Engineering shares our clients commitment to Environmental Compliance. We understand the need to comply with the complex and ever changing requirements from a multitude of agencies. Gekko Engineering has developed and assisted with submittals with nearly every city or County in California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority, the California Coastal Commission, FEMA, and the Army Corps of Engineers amongst others. Additionally, Gekko personnel have helped develop seismic criteria for the CalARP program.

Project Examples

• CalARP Evaluations and Retrofit: Evaluated existing vessel and tank foundations and connections to determine if retrofit is necessary to satisfy the seismic requirements of CalARP. Provided structural details for non conforming cases to retrofit the existing structures.
• SPCC Plan Revision: Revised existing SPCC plan due to tank farm berm modifications.
• Plan Check Assistance for Owner Designed Packages: Reviewed owner developed plan check packages and submitted to the city for approval.
• MOTEMS: Projects included updating area classification drawings, installation of elevated foam monitors with new foam system, retrofit on existing dock-based loading arms, and temporary wharf loading restrictions based on degraded wharf structural members.
• FEMA Flood Plan Variance: The location of property that the project was designated fell within a Special Flood Hazard Area zone. Gekko worked collectively with FEMA and the local city and county to obtain the proper documentation and approval for the construction of blast resistant modules and canopies.
• Developed Environmental Emergency Plan: Provided designs for access platforms with lateral support for FRP vessel. The FRP vessels held chemicals that required an environmental emergency protocol. In collaboration with the client, we developed and integrated a plan which met the requirements from the local city and environmental agencies.
• Rail Car Offloading Rack Environmental Permit Support: Gekko assisted with the environmental permit application package associated with a new rail car offloading facility at a local refinery. Scope included several thousand feet of rail, spill containment, offloading and vapor balance piping, transfer pumps, and substation with VFD drives. Gekko provided plot plans, construction equipment information, fitting counts, and written descriptions of refinery modifications to support the permit application submittal. Gekko worked directly with the owners permitting engineer.
• Renewable Fuels Refinery Environmental Permit Support: Gekko assisted with the environmental permit application package associated with the conversion of an existing naphtha hydrotreater to a renewable fuels hydrotreater. Scope included the reuse of refinery heaters, vessels, pumps, and heat exchangers. Gekko developed PFDs to support the SCAQMD and CEQA submittals, provided plot plans, construction equipment information, fitting counts, and written descriptions of refinery modifications to support the permit application submittal.