Successful Environmental Due Diligence Supports Boston Whaler Expansion

In 2015, boat maker Boston Whaler looked to expand their headquarters with a new manufacturing facility near Edgewater, Florida. ECT provided comprehensive environmental due diligence, permitting, and project management to support their assessment of alternative properties and ultimately purchase sixty acres of adjacent land.

ECT conducted feasibility studies on three properties, including Phase I and II environmental site assessments, in accordance with ASTM standards; wetland, surface water and floodplain analysis; natural communities and wildlife investigations and public managed lands, geology and soils, and cultural resources risk studies. The effort culminated in the development of a regulatory permitting strategy and an alternative sites analysis to aid in selection of the most suitable site.

Following the feasibility studies, ECT supported the Environmental Resource Permit (ERP) application for upland industrial development for the St. Johns River Water Management District.

• wetland delineations
• floodplain management investigations
• avoidance and minimization analysis
• wetland functional value assessments
• listed species-specific surveys
• seagrass surveys
• cultural resources assessments
• topography and land surveys
• geotechnical investigations

ECT also prepared an ERP application for a marina expansion, including Class II Shellfish Harvesting Water variance and state lands lease modification for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and an individual permit (IP) application for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). ECT led and performed additional environmental services, including:

• land use mapping
• public outreach
• preliminary tree survey
• specimen tree evaluation
• mitigation plan development