LeBreton Plains, Ottawa
Multidisciplinary project for which Dessau was responsible for the design, construction plans and specifications, and supervision of decontamination, urban infrastructures and green space development work activities in LeBreton PlainsFlats, a 64 hectares land area located located in downtown Ottawa.  Among the various challenges brought about were a tight master schedule, the involvement of a large number of Federal, Provincial and Municipal delegatesagencies, and the general overall contamination of soils.  The Environment team conducted a series of environmental impact studies, the characterization of the entire area's characterization as well as decontamination plans and specifications.  (2003-2004)  

Solid Waste Management program for the municipality of Cotonu (phase 2), Benin 
In 1990, Dessau carried out preliminary organizational and technical studies for solid waste management for the City of Cotonou.  Given the clients satisfaction, the firm was awarded the mandate to carry out the integrated planning study and to act as the executing agency for the implementation of the project.  More specificalyspecifically, the main components of Phase II of the project are : improvement of the access road to the sanitary landfill, selection of the SL management of theteam SL, support for the Municipality of Cotonou for the development of the administrative and management structure as well as environmental monitoring and the elaboration of a communication plan.  Services provided include: data collection and preparation of detailed preliminary plans and tender documents for the construction of the sanitary landfill; construction; supervision and construction management; preparation of an operation manual and TD for the selection of the SL management; analysis of the existing municipal structures for waste management and the elaboration of a management guide; development of management tools; technical support and training programs. (1992-2005)  

PPG-Alcan (Beauharnois) - Baie 103 of the Port of Montréal, 2001-2003
These two important sediment management projects consisted of the characterization and the development of an effective extraction methodology for heavy sediments in a river bed.  In both cases, the goal was to eliminate the possibility of contaminant migration into the waters of the Saint-Lawrence River. Both mandates were extremely complex, in the first case given the number of clients and their divergent interests and in the second, the projects location; within a highly popular riverside park. It included developing technological alternatives, preparing an environmental impact study, preparing plans and specifications for the removal of contaminated sediment, obtaining permits for projects, and providing environmental supervision for dredging works. 

top page

Water treatment

Rehabilitation of waste water plants in the Nor-Litoral region, Venezuela
This engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract, signed with the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of the Republic of Venezuela, includes the design and construction of three wastewater treatment plants and sewer mains, along with the rehabilitation of pumping stations. The project, to be carried out in four municipalities in the state of Anzoategui, gan in ran from February 2002 and is scheduled for completion byto January 2005.  In the first phase of the project, Dessau has already supplied preliminary engineering services and .The firm has also produced the environmental impact assessment of each project. .  and will supply dDetailed engineering services and environmental studies in compliance with local regulations are part of the second phase. The firm will also manage all procurement and construction activities for the Project including the training for the operation and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plants of the Client’s staff in Venezuela.  Dessau developed the project and secured the necessary financing. (2002-2005)  

St. Eustache Water treatment plant
The City of Saint-Eustache plans to increase the capacity of their filtration plant from 32 000 m3/d to 55 840 m3/d in order to meet the increasing demand and conform with the most recent regulations on drinking water quality and filtration plant design.  Upon completion, the plant will be able to meet the projected needs of the community until 2018.  The extension to the plant must consider the reuse of existing space and equipment which is functional, improvement of the treatment stream, optimization of energy consumption and phased implementation of the project by treatment blocks.  The work at the filtration plant consists of the modification of the water intake structure, modification of  screens at the raw water tank, transformation of the pre-ozonation tanks into coagulation and flocculation tanks, modification to the flow regulation chamber, transformation of 4 Pulsator to Ultrapulsator clarifier, addition of an inter-ozonation system including two ozone contact tanks, dismantling of an existing  clarifier to transform it into two new filters, addition of UV reactors,  renovation of the disinfection system and all chemical systems in the plant, minor modifications to the drinking water storage reserve. The work also includes the design of a global instrumentation and control system for the entire plant and the other building services.  The automation components of the project are  industrial quality with a life expectancy  of at least 20 years. The engineering activities were carried out by a team specialised in automation. The engineering documents prepared by the team require that the contractor use a systems integrator during construction. (1999-2005)  

top page

Geomatics

Geomatics projects  : New City of Longueuil,  Cree Regional Authority and Noranda
Geomatics is a visually organized geographical data management discipline visually organized using maps and photographs, and linked to traditional data bases.  For the Noranda factory (2000-2001) and the Cree Regional Authority (2001-2003), the Geomatics team designed data bases with personalized requests queries and user interfaces, and proceeded to the implementation ofinstalled the customised computerized tools and traineding of key personnel.  The first project involved environmental information related to thea affination factory refining plant and the second, environmental data for all Crees communities.  For the City of Longueuil (2001-2004), the challenge was to harmonize existing infrastructure data (waterworks systems, sewers, pavement) originating from ancient the original cities, so as to allow for efficient asset management.   

top page

Characterization studies for the future site of Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Québec  In the context of a new mega-hospital, Dans le cadre de l’implantation d’un futur hôpital, Dessau a carried out the characterisation of soils and groundwater for an area of réalisé une caractérisation des sols et de l’eau souterraine d’un quadrilatère couvrant plus de over 100 000 m². The properties, belonging to 4 different industrial and institutional owners each had their own history of industrial use dating back to the end of the 19th century.  The project is unique given its complex logistics (drilling within buildings outside of working hours) an extensive sampling campaign, and the compilation and synthesis of an extremely large amount of data (2001).  

In-situ restoration of soils by thermally enhanced vacuum extraction, ESSO Maisonneuve
In situ treatment of contaminated soils allows for site restoration without the excavation and off-site disposal of  soil. This operation is particularly interesting when the contamination is located under a building or below non-contaminated soil.  Multi-phase vacuum extraction is a technology which draws out free-phase, gaseous or dissolved petroleum hydrocarbons using a strong vacuum. The extracted liquids and gases are treated and the hydrocarbons are recovered.  As well, the pumping causes constant air movement which stimulates bacterial activity. The process is enhanced by the injection of hot air which increases the vapour pressure of the contaminants, speeds up the treatment of the soils, and increases the types of hydrocarbons which can be vaporized and therefore treated. “B” level soils were achieved by vacuum extraction combined with thermal enhancement in a project of site restoration for a former gas station in 2002-2003. Dessau’s multidisciplinary in-situ restoration team designed and installed the treatment system, monitored the work and verified the quality of the soils at the end of the treatment.  

top page

Environmental impact - power plants 

Environmental impact assessment for a mini hydroelectrical power plant at the Matawin dam
This project calls for the construction of a mini hydro-electric power plant on the existing Matawin Dam. This plant will have a capacity of 16 MW, and will be located at the discharge of three of the dams four existing gate bays. The plant will house three Kaplan horizontal axis turbine-alternators and will be operated according to the daily directives of Hydro-Québec which will not in any way modify the current water levels of the Taureau Reservoir.  This project is part of a new policy for the management and exploitation of the provinces hydrological potential for plants of 50MW and less.   Services provided include:  Inventories of the flora and wetlands; of the ichtyofauna using test fishing with gill nets and basket traps; of avifauna using listening point-counts  and transects; of  herpetofauna; of aquatic invertebrates; of the human and visual milieus; evaluation of environmental and cumulative impacts and development of mitigation measures. (2003-2004)  

Environmental impact studies - Mini hydroelectric power plants, Dominican Republic
Dessau was awarded the mandate to manage the construction of three mini hydroelectric power plants in Las Barias, José Joaquin Puello and Canal Boba in the Dominican Republic. The three plants, with a capacity of approximately 6 MW,  are part of a vast project which aims to exploit the hydroelectric potential of the many reservoirs and irrigation ways within Septentrional and Central Mountain Ranges of the Dominican Republic.   Three separate environmental studies were carried out  according to the terms of reference prepared by the Secretaria de Estado de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.  The work included primarily:  a description of the physical natural and human environments; identification of the main sources of potential impacts; identification and evaluation of the projects impact on the environment; and preparation of an environmental management plan including mitigation measures, supervision and monitoring measures and an environmental emergency plan.  This mandate was carried out with a team of local specialists, supervised by Dessau International experts. (2001-2002) 

top page

Other projects

Restarting of the Chandler plant - Gaspésia Papers Ltd
A project to restart the Gaspésia paper plant in Chandler in  the Gaspé, would have necessitated modifications and additions to the existing plant. Dessau was awarded the mandate for the various environmental aspects of the project and was chosen based on the diversity of services they offer and their ability to carry out the entire environmental mandate internally.  The work consisted of environmental impact evaluations, the management of contaminated soils, the evaluation of the occupational health of the workers, and the design of an environmental policy for the company. (2002-2004)  

Waste management Master Plan for the Montreal Urban Community
The master plan for solid waste management for the entire Montreal Metropolitan area is an innovative and complex project. The goal of the project is integrated solid waste management considering ecological, economical, social and technological issues. The main phases of the project were; validation of the solid waste material inventory produced throughout the CMM territory; a diagnosis of existing solid waste management practices; the description and elaboration of the necessary services and  infrastructure as well as the costs implied in the chosen management option; the elaboration of a draft solid waste management plan. (2001-2003)