The Problem
Duke Energy is a utility company that depends on a variety of resources to supply energy to its customers—everything from coal to nuclear power. Generating electricity creates hazardous waste that must be transported and disposed of properly. The company initially tried to handle the logistics of waste transportation for disposal internally, but it was a very cumbersome process.
The Solution
“It was very time consuming getting all of our hazardous waste shipments arranged,” says Robert Sapp, Lead Environmental Specialist at Duke Energy. “I was one of the employees tasked with figuring out the transportation for disposal of our hazardous waste, but it was labor intensive. Veolia is one of the main providers we have for disposal services, and the only one with dedicated contractors at two of our main operation centers.”
“Before I came on board, Duke was trying to manage the entire waste disposal process internally,” notes Adam Cohen, Duke’s Veolia Project Manager. “They realized that was very challenging for them, which is when they reached out to us. I was initially supposed to work only part time for Duke, until they realized everything Veolia could do for them. They gave us more and more responsibilities, and now I am on their site full time.”
The Result
"Adam Cohen, our project manager, is truly an extension of Duke Energy's environmental department," says Karen Ockford, sales manager at Veolia. "His knowledge of Duke Energy's practices and policies is applied to every situation and his experience in the management of hazardous and non hazardous waste is key to providing top notch service to the various Duke Energy locations."
“Everyone at Veolia has been very professional and very conscientious,” adds Sapp. “We have a great working relationship with them, and they are always responsive to any of our questions or concerns. We inform them of the waste that needs to be disposed of properly and the time period for the waste to be transported from the site, and they take care of the schedule and transportation. I would highly recommend Veolia for any hazardous waste disposal operation.”