COWLES ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTALCOWLES ENVIRONMENTAL

Resume for Fred E. Cowles, P.E.

Registration

Professional Engineer - Michigan

Education

Masters Degree in Public Administration, Western Michigan University

M.S. Degree in Environmental  Health, University of Michigan

B.S. Degree in Engineering, University of Michigan

Awards

2013 Life Membership Award, Water Environment Federation

2012 Arthur Sidney Bedell Award for Outstanding Leadership and Personal Service, Water Environment Federation

2009 Dan Wolz Clean Water Award for Environmental Excellence, Michigan Water Environment Association

2007 Service Award for Outgoing President, Michigan Water Environment Association

2004 Watershed Management Professional of the Year Award, Michigan Water Environment Association

2002 Honorary Membership Award, Michigan Water Environment Association

1997 Willard F. Shephard Membership Award, MWEA

1993 Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers, MWEA

Years of Experience

10 in consulting

30 in regulatory

40 years total

Training

Master Citizen Planner, Michigan State University Extension

Mr. Cowles’ background includes a variety of environmental experience. He has successfully managed a number of watershed management and stormwater projects while at Fishbeck Thompson Carr & Huber. While with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), Mr. Cowles managed the wastewater discharge permit program through periods of rapidly evolving federal and state initiatives, as well as developed and implemented new programs for Michigan.

Clients have benefited from Mr. Cowles’s insight on regulatory and watershed issues, such as combined sewer overflows (CSO), stormwater pollution preventive measures, municipal stormwater master planning, wastewater blending, sanitary sewer overflows (SSO), and model ordinance development. Mr. Cowles was responsible for interpretation and implementation of federal and state laws dealing with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination system (NPDES) discharge permit program in Michigan. He was the primary author of several innovative programs implemented by the MDEQ and its predecessor agencies, such as the Voluntary Stormwater Permit, CSO Control Policy, Wastewater Disinfection Program, Stabilization Lagoon Policy, Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program, and Permit Backlog Elimination Plan.

Wastewater Collection

• City of Grand Rapids, Michigan — Helped negotiate NPDES discharge permit conditions regarding the CSO control program.  
• City of St. Joseph, Michigan — NPDES permit application and CSO control program negotiation assistance.   
• City of Grand Ledge, Michigan — Provided assistance in negotiation with MDEQ regarding SSO control.

Watershed Management

• Anchor Bay, Michigan — Watershed management plan update and plan implementation.

• Updated plan to meet new federal requirements.
• Provided a build-out analysis to predict stormwater impacts of future development.
• Developed hydraulic model to compare various streambank protection strategies.
• Drafted a model stormwater ordinance to provide flood protection, control streambank erosion, and improved water quality.

• Lexington/Sanilac, Michigan — Watershed management plan and NPDES permit compliance assistance.

• Developed a public participation plan for watershed management plan development.
• Proposed a public education program to encourage watershed stewardship.
• Drafted an illicit discharge elimination plan and model ordinance to stop polluted substances from entering the drainage system.

• MDEQ — While with the MDEQ or former agencies.

• Staff specialist on several issues and policy areas, such as watershed management, sanitary sewer overflows, CSOs, bacterial water quality standards, multi-jurisdictional issues, permitting procedures, wastewater stabilization lagoons, Industrial Pretreatment Program, and biosolids land application.
• Wayne County Rouge River Wet Weather Demonstration Program — Represented the MDEQ on numerous Rouge River Subwatershed Advisory Groups and other committees associated with the Wayne County Rouge River Wet Weather Demonstration Program since its beginning in 1994. Provided important guidance on monitoring, program evaluation, CSO control, and watershed management including several presentations to the Federal District Court.

Stormwater

• Muskegon County Road Commission, City of Norton Shores, City of St. Joseph, and City of Niles, Michigan — Total maximum daily load (TMDL) grant administration. Helped obtain state/federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants to develop a TMDL implementation plan. Also mapped storm sewers in geographic information systems (GIS), collected environmental data, and assisted grantees with implementing their grants.
• Lower Grand River Watershed, Stormwater Permit Compliance, Kent and Ottawa Counties, Michigan — Worked with 36 municipal separate storm sewer systems to develop individual stormwater pollution prevention initiatives. Provided assistance to the communities to aid in maintaining compliance with their NPDES permit requirements. Developed a model illicit discharge elimination ordinance and provided best management practices training for municipal staff.
• Lower St. Joseph River Watershed, Stormwater Permit Compliance, Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan — Worked with 27 municipal separate storm sewer systems to develop individual stormwater pollution prevention initiatives. Provided assistance to the communities to aid in maintaining compliance with their NPDES permit requirements. Developed a model illicit discharge elimination ordinance and provided best management practices training for municipal staff.
• Village of Grand Beach, Michigan — Developed the Village Stormwater Management Plan in compliance with the jurisdictional-based municipal separate storm sewer system discharge permit.
• Cities of Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan — Developed the Cities' stormwater pollution prevention initiatives plan and provided ongoing training and other regulatory assistance in compliance with the watershed-based municipal separate storm sewer system discharge permit.
• Muskegon Area Municipal Stormwater Committee Phase II Compliance, Muskegon County, Michigan — Worked with 12 municipal separate storm sewer systems to develop individual stormwater pollution prevention initiatives.
• City of Howell, Michigan — Stormwater management program plan and NPDES permit compliance assistance. The plan addressed all of the six minimum measures required to control stormwater pollution to the maximum extent practicable.
• City of Novi, Michigan — Stormwater master plan update, build-out analysis, and drainage system modeling. The plan recommended numerous actions to better address infrastructure management, streambank erosion, and water quality.
• City of Mount Clemens, Michigan — Developed a stormwater pollution prevention plan for the City’s wastewater treatment plant.
• City of New Baltimore, Michigan — NPDES permit application assistance.

Wastewater Treatment

• City of Ludington, Michigan — Provided assistance in NPDES permit negotiations regarding effluent limitations.
• Genesee County, Michigan — NPDES permit application assistance focusing on wet weather flow management.
• City of Flint, Michigan — Assisted NPDES permit negotiations regarding mercury limitations and provided compliance assistance associated with a contested case hearing. Also assisted with development of the City’s plan for managing wet weather flows in the sanitary sewer system.
• West Bay County, Michigan — NPDES permit application assistance regarding wastewater blending with wet weather flow.
• MDEQ — Previously employed with the MDEQ or predecessor agencies.

• Negotiated numerous high profile municipal wastewater discharge permits including the Cities of Detroit, Wyandotte, Grand Rapids, Flint, Lansing, Warren, and Saginaw.
• Inspected numerous municipal wastewater treatment facilities, routinely tracked their performance, and determined when enforcement action was necessary. Provided expert testimony in several contested cases and court proceedings.
• Responsibilities included review of facility planning, Iniltration & Inflow Analyses, sewer system evaluation surveys, power reliability reports, and numerous individualized regulatory requirements.
• Supervised the NPDES discharge permit program. Responsible for permits policy development and implementation.

Affiliations

• American Public Works Association
• Clinton River Watershed Council
• Delhi Charter Township, Former Planning Commissioner
• Huron River Watershed Council
• Michigan Water Environment Association, Past President

• Served on the Executive Committee for eleven years and as chair of numerous committees.
• Organized and presented many conferences and seminars on various topics such as emerging issues, public education, industrial pretreatment program, sludge management, watershed management, stormwater, legal issues, and Total Maximum Daily Loads.

• Water Environment Federation

• Participated on Manual of Practice Committee for CSO Abatement and served on Watershed Management and Stormwater Committees.

Publications/Presentations

Cowles, F. and Thaler, J., “Recent Changes in Effluent Limit Determination for Mercury and Whole Effluent Toxicity,” presented at MWEA Wastewater Administrators Conference, Frankenmuth, Michigan, January 20, 2011.  

Cowles, F., “Status of MS4 Program Challenges,” presented at Urban Metro Mayors and Managers Meeting, Grandville, Michigan, January 13, 2011.  

Cowles, F., “Stormwater Need-to-Know,” Presented at MWEA Annual Industrial Pretreatment Program Seminar, September 22, 2010.

Cowles, F., “Government Affairs Update,” presented at MWEA Wastewater Administrators Conference, Frankenmuth, Michigan, January 15, 2010.

Cowles, F. and Beke, J., “What Assessors Need to Know about Stormwater,” presented at Kent County Assessors Association, East Grand Rapids, Michigan, November 19, 2009.

Cowles, F., “Maintaining Rain Gardens and Infiltration Systems,” presented at 84rd Annual Conference, Michigan Water Environment Association, Boyne Falls, Michigan, June 2009.

Cowles, F., “Update on Emerging Issues,” presented at 84rd Annual Conference, Michigan Water Environment Association, Boyne Falls, Michigan, June 2009.

Cowles, F., “History of Disinfection”, MWEA Process Control Focuses on Disinfection Seminar, May 7, 2008, East Lansing.

Cowles, F., “Update on Storm Water Utility Legislation”, MWEA Annual Conference, June 25, 2008, Boyne Falls.  

Cowles, F., “Communities Face Funding Challenges for Stormwater Issues,” Great Lakes Reporter, Spring 2008.

Cowles, F., “Stormwater Utilities Bill,” Michigan Water Environment Association Matters, Winter 2008.

Cowles, F., “Oil and Water,” Michigan Water Environment Association Matters, Summer 2006.

Cowles, F. and Erickson, M., “An EMS Is Not Just Another Acronym; It Is the Right Thing To Do,” Michigan Water Environment Association Matters, Spring 2006.

Cowles, F., “Stormwater Utilities and Michigan,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association Annual Conference, Bellaire, June 22, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Michigan Water Pollution Control Program,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association New Professionals Seminar, Grand Rapids, April 29, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Urban Stormwater in Michigan,” Planning & Zoning News, Vol. 23, No. 6, pp 5-8, April 2005.

Cowles, F., “Environmental Management Systems,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association Wastewater Administrators Workshop, Jackson, March 11, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Linking Water Quality and Growth – Advocates and Practitioners,” presented at the Michigan Environmental Council Smart Growth for Clean Water Conference, East Lansing, February 24, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Clean Water Act 101,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association New Professionals Seminar, Grand Rapids, January 27, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Stormwater 101,” presented at the American Public Works Association, Michigan Section, Stormwater Permitting Update, Frankenmuth, January 19, 2005.

Cowles, F., “Sustainable Stormwater Management – Case Studies,” presented at SEMCOG, Sustainable Stormwater Management: Moving it forward in Southeast Michigan, Troy, November 16, 2004.

Cowles, F., “An Effective Public Participation Process”, presented at the American Public Works Association, Michigan Section, Stormwater Permitting Update, Frankenmuth, January 21, 2004.

Cowles, F., Theisen, M., and Woelkers, D., “Active and Post Construction Best Management Practice Selection for Regulatory Compliance,” Pipeline, Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners, Vol. 12, No. 3, pp. 11-19, Third Quarter 2003.

Cowles, F., “Capacity Management Operation and Maintenance – The Next Unfunded Mandate,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association Industrial Pretreatment Program Seminar, Lansing, October 28, 2003.

Cowles, F., “Success of the Mercury Minimization Program,” presented at the 78th Annual Conference of the Michigan Water Environment Association, June 25, 2003.

Cowles, F., “NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permits – The Watershed Approach and the Jurisdictional Approach,” Pipeline, Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 4-8, First Quarter 2003.

Cowles, F., “Federal Regulations Regarding Discharge Permits for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems,” presented at the American Public Works Association, Michigan Section, Stormwater Permitting – Are You Ready?, Frankenmuth, January 23, 2002.

Cowles, F., “Pure As Rain: The Regulation of Stormwater in Michigan,” Water Resources IMPACT, American Water Resources Association, ISSN 1522-3175, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp 5-6, January 2001.

Cowles, F., “Introduction to Better Site Design,” presented at the Michigan Water Environment Association, Watershed Committee, Better Site Design Seminar, Battle Creek, December 4, 2001.

Cowles, F., “Michigan’s Watershed-Based MS4 Voluntary General Permit,” proceedings Watershed Management: Moving from Theory to Implementation, Water Environment Federation, pp. 859-864, 1998.

Cowles, F., “Michigan Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program Manual,” Surface Water Quality Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, September 26, 1994.