This year marks Dynamic Environmental Associates’ 30th anniversary. Three decades after David Jermakian began the firm, he still cares about the environment, loves the people in the wireless industry, and believes in the importance of historic preservation and regulatory compliance balanced with the need to deploy technology.
Back in 1993, DEA had not yet entered the wireless market. For that matter, environmental compliance had not become a big factor in the requirements for wireless siting. “Most of our work was for land developers, related to environmental due diligence and permitting,” Jermakian said. “It wasn’t until the Telecom Act in 1996 that the wireless industry began to understand NEPA and what was involved. DEA’s first wireless client was GTE Mobilnet, which eventually became part of Verizon and we have steadily grown since then.”
DEA provides a wide range of environmental compliance services. What is needed, and when and where it is needed have evolved along with the wireless industry. “Being in the industry for some time, we have seen major shifts,” Jermakian said. “In the late 1990’s it was all about new tower builds. The services that were in demand from us were primarily due diligence and NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] related. New tower builds continue today but with nowhere near the numbers of the early years.”
The drivers for DEA in the wireless industry today come from changes in technology as carriers progress through the different generations of digital technology to, most recently, 5G and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA). “Due diligence and regulatory compliance for site modifications and collocations are now the bulk of the work, along with 5G small cell, FWA and fiber build outs,” Jermakian said.
For example, in large cities and suburban environments, DEA has been doing a lot of work for both new and existing rooftop collocations, which most often involves historic consultation, lead paint and asbestos surveys and electromagnetic energy (EME) studies. Urban areas are also seeing the most small cell deployments. Outside urban areas, DEA is working on new towers, tower modifications and fiber installations, which involve much more in-depth levels of review.
By their very nature, environmental regulations are dynamic, changing with the times and as science gives us a better understanding. Since the 1990’s, the ASTM Environmental Due Diligence standards have been revised three times, the Telecom Act was passed in 1996, two programmatic agreements have been promulgated with the collocation programmatic agreement being amended twice. Several rules and orders have been issued by the FCC. Species have been added and removed from the endangered species list and wetland regulations have been revised by each of the last three administrations with challenges making their way through the courts for the better part of 15 years.
And DEA has played a role in helping the wireless industry understand what environmental regulatory compliance was required and how best to achieve it. “It is remarkable that we are continuing to do this today both with clients seasoned in regard to regulatory compliance as well as those that are new to the concept,” Jermakian said. “Over the years, DEA has continued to expand its professional capabilities to better serve our clients, not just in telecom but in other markets as well.”
Jermakian says that environmental consultants only play a small part of the development of a tower site, but “there is a sense of satisfaction when you drive by a tower and know you were instrumental in getting it built,” Jermakian said. “These past 30 years have been rewarding but there is still work to be done and I’m not finished yet.”
Jermakian is proud of the staff at DEA, which he said is “second to none” and enjoys helping them excel and succeed. He also takes pleasure working with the people in the wireless industry from C-Level executives to the field techs, surveyors, engineers and other environmental consultants. “This industry is made up of good people,” he said.
Jermakian notes that these days, the telecom industry handles environmental and regulatory compliance quite well but that there are occasional hiccups, or environmental regulations change, and some may be either unaware or slow to react. “Things can always be improved upon,” he said. “DEA and I, personally, are always striving for improvement.”
To help the industry improve and streamline its environmental compliance requirements, Jermakian co-chaired the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s Environmental Consultants Working Group, which was influential in more recent regulatory changes. Currently, he is serving as a member of NATE’s Small Cell & DAS committee and has recently been asked to head NATE’s Environmental & Regulatory Task Force.
For more information on how Dynamic Environmental Associates can help you with your compliance needs, email David Jermakian here, call (877) 968-4787 or message him on LinkedIn.
By J. Sharpe Smith Inside Towers Technology Editor
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