What is the wrong (and right) way to choose an environmental consultant?

Where to begin

The wrong way: Be vague about project details.

The right way: Compile all the information you can about the property, including the history of operations at the site, potential sources of contamination, and company records on where and how hazardous substances have been used and/or stored.

Prepare a brief, written description of the site, including current use and the work you think needs to be done. Providing as much information as you can will enable consulting firms to give you more accurate estimates. This can save you time and money.

While your state regulatory agency cannot recommend specific consultants, they may be able to give you references from other cleanup projects.

The firm you select needs to demonstrate not only that it is capable, but that it will have qualified staff available at the time you want the work done. Ask the consulting firm to estimate the time needed to complete the work required and how they might phase the work to fit your budget and your plans for the site. Keep in mind that environmental investigations often turn up new information that may change the scope.

Consider prospective consultants

The wrong way: Don’t interview the prospective consultants or pressure them to answer tough questions about their project experience.

The right way:Ask prospective consultants the following important questions:

• What are the names of companies they worked for in the past, and how similar were the projects to yours?
• How much work was subcontracted and who were those subcontractors? Would they use them again?
• Did they encounter unexpected delays or staff turnover? How was this handled?
• Was the project completed on time and within budget?
• What is their experience in working with state and federal regulators?
• What potential impact will the cleanup have on customers, neighbors, or traffic?

References

The wrong way: Don’t bother getting other opinions about each firm’s work on previous projects.

The right way: Checking references is probably the most important part of the selection process. Before choosing a consulting firm, it is critical to talk with businesses the firm cites as references. Some questions you may want to ask include:

• Were you satisfied with your consultant’s work?
• Did you have any concerns about the firm’s performance or fees?
• What specific staff members were on your team?
• Was your project completed on time and within budget?
• Did you encounter any unexpected delays or staff turnover? If so, were these handled to your satisfaction?
• Did the firm have to “re-do” any part of your project because it wasn’t done adequately the first time?

Also, check with state or local regulatory agencies to access public information and compliance history that is available for the prospective consultant.

Proposals

The wrong way: Don’t waste time getting detailed proposals from several candidates.

The right way: Ask for proposals from firms or individuals that seem to best meet your needs. Proposals should include a scope of work, staff resumes, estimated work schedules, anticipated costs and related fees, estimated total project costs with an itemized fee schedule, and references. Make sure the estimated work schedule also includes time for regulatory agency review and approval.

Here are some things to look out for in reviewing proposals:

• Bids that are significantly lower than those of competing firms;
• “Hard sell” approaches;
• Minimizing or maximizing potential technical or legal problems;
• Strong biases against certain investigation techniques or cleanup alternatives;
• Conflicts of interest; and
• Overly optimistic timelines.

Some of the problems listed above arise from confusion over the scope of the proposal. For example, Company A may present a much lower number than Company B, but the proposal from Company A might not include subcontractor fees, or might only be for the first phase of a project that will require multiple phases. Make sure that you understand the scope of each proposal.

Remember that the consultant makes recommendations to comply with requirements. Do not be afraid to ask why certain work needs to be performed, what will be accomplished by the work, and whether any alternatives exist.

Interviewing prospective consultants, checking their references, and reviewing the proposals will help you make an informed decision about which consultant to hire for your project.