Environmental Episodes

The U.S. drinking water MCLs for PFAS remain in effect, but court challenges, proposed deadline extensions, and regulatory uncertainty have left public water systems in a difficult position. Taryn McKnight, VP and PFAS Practice Leader for Eurofins Environment Testing, breaks down the current state of PFAS regulation in the United States, including the legal battles over EPA's drinking water standards, the CERCLA hazardous substance designation, and why the proposed rollback of certain PFAS compo...

ToxiMapp aggregates over 60 geospatial environmental datasets to show users exactly which toxicants are present in the air, water, and soil near any U.S. address, and the platform's founders say most people have no idea what surrounds them. Deb Hordon, Ph.D., founder and CEO of ToxiMapp, built the platform after moving her infant daughter into two separate communities with cancer clusters. Neither location looked dangerous. One was a picturesque seacoast area between Maine and New Hampshire with...

Sean Grady interviews John M. Beath, P.E. (TX), LCA-CP, CEO and founder of John Beath Environmental, LLC, on the Environmental Transformation Podcast. Beath explains life cycle assessment (LCA), carbon footprints and how companies evaluate emissions across raw materials, manufacturing, transportation and product use. In this episode, Beath breaks down LCA basics for beginners, including emission factors, primary vs. secondary data and environmental databases. He also discusses LCA 101, LCA 10...

Host Sean Grady talks with Kevin Lavezzo of CHEMTREC about the side of the chemical world most people never see, but responders rely on when accurate information matters. They unpack what CHEMTREC actually does, including how its Emergency Operations Center triages calls, uses tools like the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG), and connects callers with product experts. Lavezzo explains a common misconception: first responders can call CHEMTREC for help without paying a fee, and the team will sti...

On the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady talks with Charlie Sellars, author of “What We Can Do, a Climate Optimist Guide to Sustainable Living” and a director of sustainability at Microsoft. Topics include: • Why “crisis language” can burn people out, and how Sellars frames “pragmatic” climate optimism. (“crisis language kind of burns people out”; “The optimism language is a pragmatic language.”) • Carbon accounting basics and early carbon footprint labels in food. (“we’re...

On this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady speaks with Enviro Apps co founder Amit Bhargava live at the EHS Hazmat Summit. Bhargava explains how his platform streamlines digital hazardous waste and dangerous goods documentation, improves emergency response times, reduces administrative burden, and helps shippers and carriers save money. He also discusses regulatory hurdles, SAP integrations, sustainability features, and real time data access for emergency respon...

Alan McKim, founder of Clean Harbors, joins the Environmental Transformation Podcast to discuss how he grew the company from a four-person startup in 1980 into one of North America's largest environmental and industrial services providers. McKim reflects on early emergency response work, major acquisitions including Safety Kleen, going public during the 1987 crash, and building a nationwide network of 20,000 employees, 10,000 vehicles, 700 service centers, and 100 permitted waste facilities. He ...

Host Sean Grady welcomes Scott Parker, Executive Director of Enfinite—the Industrial Liquid Recycling Association—to discuss the organization’s rebrand from NORA and its mission to connect, educate, and protect the industrial liquid recycling industry. Parker shares Enfinite’s history, key regulatory advocacy work, challenges like PFAS management and driver shortages, and how members are embracing technology and sustainability. Get more episodes of The Environmental Transformation Podcast for i...

Host Sean Grady interviews attorney Robert Bilott live from the AHMP EHS Hazmat Summit in Louisville, Kentucky. Bilott, the lawyer whose work inspired the film Dark Waters, shares his decades-long fight against DuPont over PFAS contamination, the failures of early chemical disclosure, and the challenges of pushing the EPA to regulate forever chemicals. He discusses his book Exposure, the ongoing litigation nationwide, the impact on water utilities and ratepayers, and how consumer demand is forci...

Veteran environmental attorney Phil Comella joins host Sean Grady on the Environmental Transformation Podcast to break down the EPA’s proposed rollback of PFAS drinking water regulations. With over 40 years of experience, Comella offers expert legal insight on how the delayed compliance deadlines, potential MCL reductions, and CERCLA implications could affect municipalities, water utilities, waste management companies, and communities already exposed to PFAS. The conversation covers legal risks,...

Emily Donovan of Clean Cape Fear returns to the Environmental Transformation Podcast to discuss the EPA’s rollback of PFAS drinking water rules and how it’s impacting contaminated communities like hers in North Carolina. Host Sean Grady explores the legal, regulatory, and public health stakes behind the EPA’s May 14 announcement, with Donovan providing on-the-ground insight into the movement to hold polluters accountable, protect public drinking water, and stop PFAS exposure. 📍 Chapters: 0:00...

In this episode, host Sean Grady sits down with Jim Galligan, Senior Vice President at TerraTherm, to discuss advanced thermal remediation technologies. Jim, an industry veteran with over 34 years of expertise, dives deep into thermal conduction heating (TCH), electrical resistance heating (ERH), and steam-enhanced extraction (SEE)—powerful techniques used to remediate recalcitrant contaminants like PFAS, chlorinated solvents (PCE, TCE), PCBs, dioxins, and petroleum hydrocarbons.Learn how therma...

Join host Sean Grady as he welcomes Jim Sullivan, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Veolia North America’s Environmental Solutions and Services (ESS) group. In this insightful conversation, Jim discusses his extensive career journey at Veolia, detailing how his roles in sales, operations, and strategic leadership have shaped the company’s sustainability vision and innovation strategy. Discover how Veolia’s ESS group is driving significant advancements in hazardous waste management,...

In this episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady is joined by Matthew Sekol, a sustainability expert at Microsoft and author of 'ESG Mindset.' They discuss Matthew's book, which serves as a guide for companies to think critically about ESG and adopt a holistic approach to business. The conversation covers a range of topics including the importance of developing an ESG mindset, the challenges of integrating ESG into core operations, and the role of leadership in drivin...

In this monumental 100th episode of the Environmental Transformation Podcast, host Sean Grady dives into the critical issue of combustible dust with two leading experts: Dr. Kevin Aikman, a plant biologist and certified industrial hygienist with over 30 years of consulting experience, and Dr. Ashok Dastidar, Vice President at Fauske & Associates, specializing in chemical process hazard analysis. The episode covers the science behind combustible dust, its potential risks, the role of industrial h...

Sean Grady interviews Sean Easton, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Wastelinq, a cutting-edge waste-tracking software platform. Easton discusses his journey in the waste industry, from his career beginnings to co-founding Wastelinq, which has innovative features such as AI-assisted waste profiling, dynamic routing for treatment methods, and inventory management. Additionally, they touch on sustainability goals, compliance, and the importance of data privacy. Easton shares insights on the ...

Sean Grady interviews Robert Wilkinson, an expert with over 25 years of experience in environmental investigation, assessment, and management. Robert, who is the CCR Technical Manager at TDEC's Bureau of Environment, discusses his extensive background and how he became involved in managing issues related to coal combustion residuals (CCR) at TVA coal-fired power plants in Tennessee. The conversation dives into the history and regulatory framework of CCR, the environmental and health impacts, the...

Join host Sean Grady as he interviews JP Verheul, Senior Chemist, and Mike Allen, VP of Trace Lab Services, from Enthalpy Analytical. Discover the critical work Enthalpy Analytical is doing in analyzing environmental samples for PFAS and other contaminants. Learn about the challenges and complexities in the testing and regulatory landscape, especially concerning drinking water, wastewater treatment, and industrial impacts. The episode also features detailed discussions on analytical methods, sta...

In this final episode of our 8 part series, Sean Grady welcomes back Skip Elliott, a veteran business manager with over 40 years of experience in high-risk industries. Skip discusses his extensive career, including his tenure as the Administrator of the U.S. Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and as the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The conversation centers around the inaugural Rail Hazmat Thought Leader Summit held in Dallas, Texas. Sean and...

Welcome to the environmental transformation podcast. Today's guest is Nikos Avlonas, CEO of the Center of Sustainability and Excellence, discussing sustainability practices and the impact of new climate disclosure rules on organizations. From sustainability training to navigating the complexities of sustainability reporting, join us as we explore the evolving landscape of sustainable business practices. Thanks to our sponsors: Enthalpy Analytical, Zappa-Stewart, E-Tank, Cascade Environmental,...

Welcome to the Environmental Transformation Podcast with host Sean Grady. In this episode, Sean interviews Anthony Mangeri, a renowned expert in Emergency and Disaster Management. Anthony shares insights into his role as a professor at Rowan University and the American Military University, as well as his experience as the regional president of the International Association of Emergency Managers. Discover how Anthony helps communities navigate natural and technological hazards, mitigate risks, an...

Welcome to the Environmental Transformation Podcast, where industry leaders discuss pivotal topics shaping the future. In this episode, host Sean Grady engages in an enlightening conversation with Kari Gonzales, the President and CEO of MXV Rail. Discover how MXV Rail, the world's premier rail research advisory, is revolutionizing the industry through cutting-edge research and training programs. From enhancing safety to promoting resilience, MXV Rail is at the forefront of innovation. Explore th...

In this episode, Sean interviews Pat Brady, General Director of Hazardous Materials Safety at BNSF Railroad. Learn about Pat's role at BNSF and his vast experience as an emergency responder, we also cover topics such as response readiness in the hazmat community, challenges in hazmat training, credential standards, and how technology such as virtual reality is changing the way Class I railroads are targeting the Gen Zs entering the workforce. Finally we dive into all the elements of stakeholder ...

Welcome to the Environmental Transformation Podcast. In this episode, host Sean Grady interviews Bill Schoonover, the Associate Administrator of Hazardous Materials Safety for the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. Bill shares insights on organizing the inaugural RAIL Thought Leaders Summit in Addison, Texas, and discusses the outcomes and future objectives of bringing thought leaders together to enhance hazmat safety and preparedness. Join us for a deep dive into the comple...