Pilko & Associates | Peter Kramer

"An expert on European
Merger & Acquisition issues."

Peter W. Kramer

Position: Senior Consultant
Office: Block 26, Unit 2402
Yanlord Garden
99 Puming Road
200120 Shanghai, China
Email: peter@pilko.com
Mobile: +86-136-3656-4112

Biography

Peter found his way to environmental work through geology. After graduating with a degree in applied geological sciences, he'd planned to take a vacation when his professor told him of a job opening with Dames & Moore. "It was a very small office that had just been open for a few months, and there were only four people," Peter says, "so we did everything. If there was a groundwater project, it was, Oh Peter do groundwater. If it was asbestos, Oh Peter do asbestos. I got a really good education." In addition to on-the-job training, Peter completed multiple certification programs, including one that brought him to the University of Florida.

"The due diligence and compliance auditing, this is what I like most," Peter says. "I have done courses on environmental regulations, and I feel very comfortable with this work. And I like working with different industries, from dairies to oil refineries to auto manufacturing plants, all very different methods of production."

Some of Peter's noteworthy projects include soil and groundwater remediation on the site of what used to be Germany's largest dry cleaning facility; hazardous material surveys for the US Military in Germany and Italy; asbestos surveys for the US Military and for the New York school system; geotechnical field investigations, including the rubble mountain in Berlin (the American radar installation at the top was crumbling) and the Suez Canal (for a new sewer and wastewater treatment system); cost estimates for the demolition of a nuclear laboratory; due diligence audits for Fortune 500 companies in diverse industries; and litigation support in European soil and groundwater contamination cases. Since the end of 2005 he has been partially living and working in Shanghai, China.

Peter's work has taken him to many countries in Europe and beyond. After two weeks in China, he says, "I thought, oh Europe, you will have problems!" Travel remains a key attraction for Peter – and at one time he took off from work for an eight-month motorbike trip through South America. "I wrote a book about the trip," he says. "Publishing companies would only print books with advice, so I printed it myself. The best time was writing it – all the journey came back again."

Peter discovered Pilko on a project with Jim Tapp and Arthur Penny in East Germany. "What I like about Pilko is their understanding of consulting work," he says. "They really want to serve the clients, and that's also my idea of consulting – to identify what the client needs and do exactly that."

Areas of Special Qualifications

Project Management
Environmental compliance and due diligence audits
Soil and groundwater investigation and remediation
Asbestos surveys
Health & Safety regulations and compliance

Work Experience

1995 - present: Environmental consultant for industrial clients, investors and regulatory authorities. Since the end of 2005 based partially in Shanghai, China and Frankfurt, Germany to serve both markets.
1988 – 1995: Dames & Moore GmbH & Co. KG, Frankfurt/M, Project Manager.
Countries worked in: Germany, USA, UK, Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Egypt, and China.

PROJECTS

Due Diligence and Compliance Assurance

Managed and performed environmental compliance and due diligence audits of more than 150 sites (automotive, general metal processing, plastic, paper and food processing) in Germany, China, Austria, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Morocco and Kazakhstan. Work included review of applicable local and national legislation for hazardous materials, hazardous waste, air emissions, wastewater discharge, storage tanks, groundwater protection and occupational health & safety. Clients have included multinational companies such as Rohm & Haas, General Motors, Ford, Philips, Unilever, Delphi, ABB, Freudenberg, plus some medium-sized companies.
Performed surveys of storage, handling and disposal of hazardous materials at numerous vehicle maintenance facilities for the US Military and private clients. The surveys assessed compliance with German regulations.

Litigation Support

Assisted an American multinational client in a lawsuit against an Austrian company for a building it had constructed for the client in Romania according to a reference building in Hungary. The building was constructed on land contaminated by nearby refineries dating from WW II, and the shielding in the basement did not prevent buildup of hazardous concentrations of benzene and other toxic organics migrating from the soil. Peter coordinated the technical aspects of the proceeding, including contractual arrangements with local certified fire protection engineers and consultants for ambient and indoor air pollution issues, and he also testified during the tribunal.

Contaminated Site Evaluation and Remediation

Investigated and classified soil and excavated materials before and after construction at sites throughout Germany. (Since much of the ground in populated areas is contaminated to some extent, soil must be classified and handled according to the degree of contamination.) Supervised excavations to manage disposal according to relevant regulations while minimizing costs. Clients have included investors and construction and planning companies.
Planned and carried out numerous soil and groundwater remediation projects, including concept development, design of the remediation facility, management of permits, and documentation of results. One notable project was the site of a large dry-cleaning facility that had extensive contamination dating from the 1950s and 60s. Because some of the original chlorinated hydrocarbons had degraded to vinyl acetate, many advanced remediation methods could not be used; nevertheless, the approach that Peter designed and implemented has been very successful.
Performed asbestos surveys at US Army installations in Germany and Italy, at public schools for the City of New York and for private US clients in Germany, and in Czechoslovakia. The US Army project involved more than 200 buildings and required nearly a year to complete with a team of 10-15 investigators.
Provided cost estimate for the demolition of a nuclear laboratory (hot cells). Developed tests using dry coring systems to avoid high disposal costs for contaminated water, and investigated methods for decontaminating radioactive concrete. The solution – removal of the outermost 2 cm of the walls and floor – proved to be both simple and economical.

Geotechnical and Hydrological Field Evaluations

Performed environmental field investigations to evaluate wastewater treatment sites along the Suez Canal in Egypt. Field work included chemical and biological sampling of surface water from canals and lakes and measurement of flow rates.
Performed geologic studies of the railway tunnel near Hainrode. Work included participation in the design of the rock support for the tunnel, measurement of the deflections of the rockwalls, supervision of exploratory rock drilling, and review of dewatering measures.
Performed soil stability studies on the Berlin mountain, which is composed of rubble from WW II reconstruction to ascertain whether the American radar station on top was cracking due to ground settlement or poor construction.

Environmental Permitting and Policy

Performed studies concerning Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety Legislation in Germany for an international client.

Education and Certifications

2003 Umweltinstitut Offenbach
Waste Disposal Legislation in Germany
2000 Umweltinstitut Offenbach
Emission Control according BImSchV
Degree: Air Emission Controller/Manager
1995 WCI, Wenningsen, Germany
Health and Safety on Contaminated Land Sites
Degree: Health & Safety Coordinator
1990 University of Florida, Treeo Center, USA
Asbestos Inspector and Management Planner
Degree: Accreditation in Florida
1982 -1988 Technical University Darmstadt, Germany
Study of Geology
Degree: Diplom Geologe
Language skills: German, English, French, Portuguese (basic), Spanish (basic)