Meet Our Geologists, Part 1: Marshall Eschete
September 26, 2017
The fields of geology and environmental engineering often go hand-in-hand. What’s not so common is finding an environmental consulting firm that offers specialties in both fields under the same roof.
Get to know more about McFadden Engineering’s geologists in part one of this two-part blog series.
McFadden Engineering’s senior geologist, Marshall Eschete, P.G.
Marshall Eschete, P.G. – Senior Geologist:
Marshall Eschete just celebrated his seventh anniversary with McFadden Engineering in September. He holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of South Alabama and is a licensed professional geologist (P.G.) in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
What led you to study and pursue geology?
I have loved science since I was a kid and I like to work with my hands. Physics and astronomy are less hands on and I didn’t want to be a biologist. Geology was a natural fit.
How would you describe your role on the McFadden Engineering team?
As a geologist, I handle the subsurface portion of investigations. This includes soil, water or anything else we encounter. My work gives our engineers the information they need to design a remediation strategy or technology.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I spend a large portion of my time outside of the office managing and directing field crews and operations. The best part of field work is that I get to make the decisions about where and how far to dig or drill, but that doesn’t mean I can drill anywhere I want. I base my decisions on where and how deep we drill or dig with respect to budget constraints and project goals.
When I’m not in the field, I assist in writing reports that assemble the field data I’ve collected into a format that regulatory agencies and clients can understand.
What is your proudest moment at McFadden Engineering?
My proudest moment was when we closed the former Manufactured Gas Plant facility in downtown Mobile. It sat unused and locked up until we were brought into the project and through our efforts and the efforts of others, we were able to clean the property up and turn it into a beautifully landscaped public greenspace.
The property is in an area of town that badly needed a public park. It has been transformed from a fenced vacant lot to an open public area with walking trails, benches and play areas. It has transformed from an eyesore to a jewel of the community.
What is a common misconception about the field of geology?
Many people assume that all we do is drill oil wells. Geology is a very diverse field. You can study oil and gas, environmental issues, structural and engineering matters, mining, earthquakes, volcanoes and much more.
Environmental Permitting Process Made Easy
August 23, 2017
Navigating the legal and regulatory environment can be a challenge for even the most seasoned company. As the laws governing Environmental Permitting and environmental standards are constantly evolving, it could be difficult for businesses to keep up with them. Also, requirements between local, state, and federal agencies do not always align. Deciding how much time 
and capital to invest in the environmental permitting process can be an uphill battle.
The team at McFadden Engineering can help. McFadden Engineering has excellent established relationships with local, state and federal regulatory agencies and navigates the regulatory environmental permitting process on our clients’ behalf.
Frank McFadden, founder and president of McFadden Engineering, has been actively engaged with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Southeast Region and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management for nearly three decades. His collaborative efforts with these agencies helped to develop a permitting and modeling protocol for difficult and unique water treatment situations. When it comes to permitting in the Southeast, the McFadden Engineering team’s vast experience lead is second to none.
The team’s permitting experience for private-sector and public-sector clients includes:
- National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for discharging treated wastewater and treated stormwater to surface water;
- Construction general permits for land disturbance activities;
- Industrial general NPDES permits for specific activities and discharges;
- Underground Injection Control (UIC) permits for discharging treated wastewater and stormwater into the subsurface;
- Water withdrawal permits for drinking water systems and industrial process water;
- Corps of Engineers permitting for activities conducted in waterways.
Get in touch today to find out how McFadden Engineering can help solve your permitting needs.
Helpful Tips to Celebrate Water Quality Month
August 15, 2017
The month of August is National Water Quality Month, and it’s the perfect time to learn more about how to protect water quality in your local community and beyond. Pollution in the water supply – whether groundwater or surface water – is an ever-growing problem, 
but there are steps you can take in your daily life to help protect sources of fresh water.
Drinktap.org, a valuable resource from the American Water Works Association, offers some simple tips to aid the water quality improvement effort this Water Quality Month:
- Use a commercial carwash to clean your vehicle. Washing your car at home can potentially flush harmful chemicals down the storm drain, which leads directly to lakes and rivers.
- Always pick up after your pets.
- Make sure to properly dispose of used motor oil. One quart of motor oil can contaminate more than 250,000 gallons of water!
- Sweep your driveway rather than spraying it down with your hose.
- Be mindful of pesticide and fertilizer use in your home garden as these can permeate the soil and contaminate ground water, or be swept away in runoff, affecting surface water.
- Do not flush prescription medications down the toilet. All too often, these medications end up in the wastewater system and are introduced out into the environment. Check with your local health department for information on proper disposal in your community.
- Help pick up litter on the streets and join in a beach, stream or wetlands clean-up project.
Incorporating small changes such as these into your daily routine have a big impact on the quality of water in your community and in our public spaces
Discussing Solutions to Alabama’s Deteriorating Wastewater Infrastructure
July 21, 2017
Frank McFadden, founder of McFadden Engineering, presented solutions for alleviating stress on deteriorating wastewater infrastructure in Alabama at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Alabama Section annual summer conference on July 19 in Orange Beach, Ala. An expert in innovative water and wastewater engineering, Mr. McFadden advocated for the use of sustainable, decentralized treatment methods as an alternative to centralized wastewater treatment.
In March 2017, the ASCE graded the United States’ overall wastewater treatment infrastructure as D+, and Alabama earned a grade of C- in the same category. About 65 percent of wastewater collection system infrastructure in Alabama has reached the end of its useful life, which has resulted in broken, cracked, clogged and disjointed pipes.
The health of wastewater infrastructure is important to maintaining the Alabama’s water quality, and the existing infrastructure no longer keeps up with demand. Aging wastewater treatment infrastructure and the sheer abundance of wastewater produced in the United States have created an urgent need for alternative treatment methods outside of centralized public and private wastewater treatment systems.
Learn more about McFadden Engineering’s wastewater treatment expertise.
McFadden Engineering: Environmentally Sound Solutions
July 12, 2017
Meet our leadership team. From left, Frank McFadden, P.E., Founder and President; Hope McFadden, Founder and CFO; Brad Newton, P.E., Vice President and Senior Engineer.
The McFadden Engineering team specializes in providing environmentally sound solutions to solve unique engineering needs. We are environmental and civil engineers with extensive experience throughout the Southeast United States.
As a client-oriented firm, our philosophy centers around our clients’ success. By prioritizing client relationships, we can anticipate potential challenges and offer innovative engineering solutions to achieve results. With each new project, we aim to deliver holistic solutions that go beyond technical facets, addressing financial concerns and anticipating the perceptions of regulatory agencies, outside parties and the general public. Through excellent established relationships with local, state and federal regulatory agencies, we have the tools to navigate and advocate on our clients’ behalf.
We are prepared to help our clients address all their civil and environmental engineering needs. Our team is ready to work with you to find an environmentally sound solution tailored to your needs. Learn more about our civil and environmental engineering services.