Hillsborough County Names Applied Sciences Business of the Year
TAMPA, FL — Applied Sciences Consulting, a Florida-based firm specializing in resilient engineering solutions, has been named Small Business of the Year by Hillsborough County. The award, in the 50 employees or less category, recognizes the firm’s contributions to sustainable design in stormwater management, watershed planning, vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation plans, and sanitary sewer design and reclamation.
“This award, which coincides with our 20th anniversary, gives us more reason to celebrate,” said Elie Araj, president of Applied Sciences. “Since founding the company in 2005, our professionals have helped communities across the state deal with flood control challenges, be more resilient to sea level rise, and improve their quality of life.”
In Hillsborough County, for example, Applied Sciences is providing professional engineering services for the potable water and sanitary sewer conversion program in neighborhoods near the University of South Florida. Using federal grants, the project will assist up to 1,300 homes and involves extensive coordination between the County, City of Tampa, private contractors, and the residents and/or landlords.
“Getting homes off septic tanks and unreliable wells, then connecting them to potable water and sanitary sewer services – at no cost to the residents – is a win-win-win. Such infrastructure improvements upgrade the neighborhood, provide needed reliable services to the residents, and improve groundwater quality by disconnecting the septic tanks,” Araj said.
Other projects currently underway across Florida include:
- Applied Sciences is the program manager for the City of Tampa, overseeing the engineering work by a group of consultants updating watershed management plans citywide to mitigate flooding.
- In Brooksville, Applied Sciences is developing the first city-wide stormwater master plan that identifies current r infrastructure, estimates existing flooding, then identifies projects to deal with flooding and any water quality problems.
- In Manatee County, Applied Sciences is assisting the County with the permitting of Automated Outfall Structures for technology-based active flood control decision-making ahead of storms.
- In Martin County, Applied Sciences is helping the coastal low-lying county update their resiliency plans using data-based modeling to plan and prioritize infrastructure projects as sea levels rise threatens the coast.
“As local governments continue to face the dual challenges of more frequent storms and sea level rise, smart engineering is going to be critical,” Araj said. “Applied Sciences is committed to helping communities develop the infrastructure they need to be resilient in the face of those challenges.”
DEP Highlights Student Art in Celebration of Earth Day 2025
To celebrate Earth Day 2025, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) hosted a statewide poster contest for students in grades 4-12. Students were invited to create artwork reflecting DEP’s Earth Day theme, “Protect & Preserve Florida’s Living Waters,” and encouraging environmental awareness.
This year’s theme also commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Florida Aquatic Preserve Act, which has safeguarded Florida’s most treasured aquatic ecosystems for five decades. Today, 43 aquatic preserves span the state.
A finalist from each of the three grade-level categories (grades 4-5, 6-8 and 9-12) was selected from each of DEP’s six district offices. These finalists’ posters were then reviewed by DEP staff in Tallahassee, who selected a state winner for each category.
“Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Earth Day Poster Contest, and thank you to all who participated,” said DEP Secretary Alexis A. Lambert. “I’m inspired by these students’ creativity and their awareness of Florida’s environment. They understand that protecting our natural resources is a shared responsibility that we can fulfill through education, passion and action.”
FCC Environmental Services to Acquire South Broward Waste-to-Energy Facility in Florida
FCC Environmental Services (FCC) has agreed to purchase Wheelabrator South Broward Inc., which owns the South Broward Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from WIN Waste Innovations. The transaction is anticipated to close in the second quarter of this year, marking FCC’s strategic expansion into the U.S. waste-to-energy sector.
The South Broward facility, operational since 1991, processes approximately 824,000 tons of residential and commercial post-recycled waste annually. Through its efficient combustion process, it generates enough renewable energy to power over 41,000 local homes and businesses.
FCC Environmental Services draws on the extensive experience of its parent company, FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente, in recovering energy from non-recyclable waste. With over 50 years of expertise in this field, FCC Servicios Medio Ambiente currently operates 12 Waste-to-Energy facilities worldwide, with a 13th set to begin operations soon. Together, these facilities process 4.2 million short tons of waste annually, generating a total power output of 410 MWe.
