Conestoga-Rovers & Associates
Encyclopedia
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA) is a group of companies that provides engineering
, environmental consulting
, construction
, and information technology
(IT) services. Its current overall headquarters is located in Waterloo
, Ontario
, however the firm has locations in multiple countries with a separate headquarters in each. Their U.S. headquarters resides in Niagara Falls
, New York
where the company's pivotal project, the Love Canal
, took place.
Since its establishment in 1976, CRA has provided practical innovative services in such areas as environmental site assessment
and remediation, regulatory compliance and permitting, environmental health and safety, solid and hazardous waste management
, air quality management
, municipal infrastructure planning and design, and many other areas.
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates serves a wide array of clients from virtually every public and private business sector. Clients range from small single-location operations to large multi-national corporations, including approximately half of the Fortune 500 companies.
CRA has undertaken more than 50,000 projects to date ranging from small due diligence projects to comprehensive engineering–construction projects with total project values of over $500 million. CRA now has 3,000 staff in over 90 offices working hard to meet and exceed client expectations.
In the late 1970s, CRA's reputation for strategic project management at environmentally polluted properties developed from its investigation, remedial design, and oversight of the Love Canal
cleanup project in Niagara Falls
, NY
. This project was the primary impetus for what is now the CERCLA Superfund
program in the United States
and gave CRA international recognition in the environmental field. Since then, completed projects number in the thousands.
CRA'scivil engineering
/municipal infrastructure roots lie in providing traditional full-service engineering design and construction oversight services to several municipalities commencing in the 1970s. Many of these early clients still work with CRA today.
Landfill, one of the pinnacle environmental projects in US history, was an open trench that was filled with hazardous chlorinated organic wastes from a chemical plant in Niagara Falls
, NY
, during the 1940s and 1950s. A residential area and elementary school were constructed immediately adjacent to the former three-block landfill in the 1960s, resulting in an environmental disaster that eventually prompted the initiation of the Superfund
Legislation in the United States
.
CRA’s involvement at Love Canal
began in 1977, shortly after the chemical wastes were discovered in the backyards of homes along the canal. CRA was retained to investigate the chemical presence and develop a plan to address the issues. CRA developed an understanding of the hydrogeology
and chemical presence, designed a remedial plan, and provided construction oversight for its implementation. CRA continues to be involved in the operation, maintenance, and monitoring for this project to this day.
The CRA group has 36 offices registered under the ISO 9001:2008 standard for Consulting, Engineering, and Design services.
Environmental engineering
Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the natural environment , to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites...
, environmental consulting
Environmental consulting
Environmental consulting is often a form of compliance consulting, in which the consultant ensures that the client maintains an appropriate measure of compliance with environmental regulations...
, construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
, and information technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
(IT) services. Its current overall headquarters is located in Waterloo
Waterloo, Ontario
Waterloo is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It is the smallest of the three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, and is adjacent to the city of Kitchener....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, however the firm has locations in multiple countries with a separate headquarters in each. Their U.S. headquarters resides in Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where the company's pivotal project, the Love Canal
Love Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
, took place.
Since its establishment in 1976, CRA has provided practical innovative services in such areas as environmental site assessment
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment
In the United States, an environmental site assessment is a report prepared for a real estate holding which identifies potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities. The analysis, often called an ESA, typically addresses both the underlying land as well as physical improvements to...
and remediation, regulatory compliance and permitting, environmental health and safety, solid and hazardous waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
, air quality management
Atmospheric dispersion modeling
Atmospheric dispersion modeling is the mathematical simulation of how air pollutants disperse in the ambient atmosphere. It is performed with computer programs that solve the mathematical equations and algorithms which simulate the pollutant dispersion...
, municipal infrastructure planning and design, and many other areas.
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates serves a wide array of clients from virtually every public and private business sector. Clients range from small single-location operations to large multi-national corporations, including approximately half of the Fortune 500 companies.
CRA has undertaken more than 50,000 projects to date ranging from small due diligence projects to comprehensive engineering–construction projects with total project values of over $500 million. CRA now has 3,000 staff in over 90 offices working hard to meet and exceed client expectations.
History
Since 1976, CRA has grown from a small, regional engineering company, to a worldwide multi-disciplinary engineering and consulting Canadian firm. Starting with the merger in 1976 of Frank A. Rovers & Associates and Conestoga Engineering, and fewer than 10 employees, CRA has grown to become a group of companies with 2,300 employees in over 90 offices.In the late 1970s, CRA's reputation for strategic project management at environmentally polluted properties developed from its investigation, remedial design, and oversight of the Love Canal
Love Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
cleanup project in Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
, NY
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. This project was the primary impetus for what is now the CERCLA Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
program in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and gave CRA international recognition in the environmental field. Since then, completed projects number in the thousands.
CRA'scivil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
/municipal infrastructure roots lie in providing traditional full-service engineering design and construction oversight services to several municipalities commencing in the 1970s. Many of these early clients still work with CRA today.
Love Canal
The Love CanalLove Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
Landfill, one of the pinnacle environmental projects in US history, was an open trench that was filled with hazardous chlorinated organic wastes from a chemical plant in Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
, NY
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, during the 1940s and 1950s. A residential area and elementary school were constructed immediately adjacent to the former three-block landfill in the 1960s, resulting in an environmental disaster that eventually prompted the initiation of the Superfund
Superfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
Legislation in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
CRA’s involvement at Love Canal
Love Canal
Love Canal was a neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York, located in the white collar LaSalle section of the city. It officially covers 36 square blocks in the far southeastern corner of the city, along 99th Street and Read Avenue...
began in 1977, shortly after the chemical wastes were discovered in the backyards of homes along the canal. CRA was retained to investigate the chemical presence and develop a plan to address the issues. CRA developed an understanding of the hydrogeology
Hydrogeology
Hydrogeology is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust, . The term geohydrology is often used interchangeably...
and chemical presence, designed a remedial plan, and provided construction oversight for its implementation. CRA continues to be involved in the operation, maintenance, and monitoring for this project to this day.
CRA group
The CRA group includes Conestoga-Rovers & Associates and a number of other entities that continue to maintain their own regional identity while working within the entire organization. The Family of Companies consists of over 90 offices and 2,300 people working on projects in Canada and the United States.The CRA group has 36 offices registered under the ISO 9001:2008 standard for Consulting, Engineering, and Design services.
Units
- Conestoga-Rovers & Associates
- CRA Contractors Limited
- CRA Developments Limited
- CRA Engineering Group Inc.
- Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (Europe) Ltd.
- CRA Infrastructure & Engineering
- CRA South America
- CRA Mexico
- eSolutionsGroup
- HSA Engineers & Scientists
- Inspec-Sol
- SECRA Inc.
Services
|
|
Countries of Operation
- ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
- BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
- CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
- MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
- United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...