UIPA Selects Ramboll to Lead Clean Ports Baseline Emissions Inventory

This winter, UIPA’s Clean Ports team has selected Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc. (“Ramboll”) as the contractor to lead the Baseline Emissions Inventory at the Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal (SLCIT). 

This inventory forms part of the Climate and Air Quality Planning (CAQP) grant that UIPA was awarded through the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Clean Ports Program in 2024. 

Ramboll, a global architecture, engineering, and consultancy company specializing in sustainability, emerged as the top applicant during an RFP evaluation process carried out by environmental professionals from both UIPA and the Utah Division of Air Quality (DAQ).  

“Ramboll brings deep expertise conducting baseline emissions inventories, developing emissions reduction strategies, working with coastal and inland ports including terminals, and supporting CAQP grants for Clean Ports Programs across the country,” said Michelle Bohnen, UIPA’s Emissions Inventory Analyst and the Project Manager for the baseline emissions inventory. “They are a fantastic fit for this project, and we are excited to collaborate together over the coming months.” 

For this project, Ramboll has subcontracted with Fehr & Peers, a nationwide consulting firm focusing exclusively on transportation planning and engineering. Ramboll will take the lead on building out the emissions inventory and developing emissions reduction strategies. Fehr & Peers, meanwhile, will contribute their expertise in data gathering and freight industry forecasting to help identify the data sources that best reflect daily industrial activity at the SLCIT. 

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with UIPA and Fehr & Peers on this meaningful project,” said Dr. Amnon Bar-Ilan, a Principal at Ramboll and the project lead. “We look forward to using our technical expertise to support the Clean Ports Program’s air quality planning and electrification efforts.” 

Analysts from UIPA, Ramboll, and Fehr & Peers have already begun to work together on this effort. The team’s first goal is to finalize the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), a document that the EPA requires of all Clean Ports Program grantees. The QAPP lays out key project details such as how data will be evaluated, collected, and analyzed to ensure that the process meets high standards of quality assurance. After completing the QAPP, the team will finalize the scope of the baseline emissions inventory and begin collecting data (a recent Q&A with Bohnen on UIPA’s website contains additional details on the QAPP and baseline emissions inventory).  

The findings from this joint effort will be crucial for understanding the effects of shifting to zero-emission vehicles and equipment at the SCLIT. 

“The baseline is what allows us to understand and quantify the positive impact of electrification,” said Mona Smith, UIPA’s Environmental and Sustainability Director and Clean Ports Project Manager. “This is the foundation that the Clean Ports team will build on and reference as we work to help improve regional air quality over the coming years.”