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HDR’s Leslie Tice: Making Environmental Planning More Than an Afterthought
Bedrock milling stations—granite outcrops used by people in prehistoric times to process nuts and seeds—seen near the site of the Borel Hydroelectric Project in Kern County, California, November 2021. Southern California Edison, which owns and operates the project, plans to file an application for the surrender of the project's license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. While there are many companies that do hydroelectric licensing work, HDR is one of the few that have experience in decommissioning as well.
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20 | MUNICIPAL WATER LEADER | June 2022
Municipal Water Leader: Please tell us about your background and how you came to be in your current position. Leslie Tice: I am the national environmental director of HDR’s water business group. I came to HDR 5 years ago as the Northern California environmental leader. Before that, I served in various roles at other consulting firms, including those of project manager, team manager, practice leader, and environmental planner. My technical background is in navigating and interpreting the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). I have 23 years municipalwaterleader.com
PHOTO BY JAY LLOYD, HDR.
n her 23 years as an environmental program specialist and in roles such as chapter director in the California Association of Environmental Professionals and board member and membership chair of the National Association of Environmental Professionals, Leslie Tice has learned a key lesson: that integrating environmental considerations early in the planning and design processes can save agencies and applicants time and money. As the national environmental director of HDR’s water business group, Ms. Tice works to make that happen for the company’s clients. In this interview, she explains how managers can avoid pitfalls that come from delaying basic environmental questions.
