Veolia’s Arkansas hazardous waste treatment site wins environmental awards

France-based Veolia recently received industry awards for a series of sustainability initiatives at the company’s hazardous waste treatment facility in Gum Springs, Arkansas, specifically for the installation of a solar array covering 30 acres.

According to Veolia, its solar panel installation will lead to a 90 percent reduction of Scope 2 emissions from electricity consumption over the next 25 years compared to similar facilities consuming electricity from the current Arkansas grid.

The work being done by Veolia at Gum Springs was recognized by two environmental publications, Energy+Environment Leader and Climate Change Business Journal.

Energy+Environment Leader honored the Veolia Gum Springs initiative with a Project of the Year Award for 2024.

“Every year, our judges look to recognize the businesses that are truly moving the needle and striving for sustainability and operational efficiency,” says Kay Harrison, vice president and head of the E+E Leader Awards program.

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Climate Change Business Journal honored the Veolia Gum Springs project with an annual Business Achievement Award for outstanding business performance and achievement in the climate change industry.

Other sustainability initiatives at the Gum Springs facility include:

• A forest management program, covering more than 1,000 acres surrounding the facility, which includes more than 600 acres of active reforestation and the planting of 124,000 trees in 2025; 
• A system for capturing heat to generate electricity, which uses a 7-megawatt steam turbine to generate power; and
• Technologies for monitoring wildlife and biodiversity near the facility.

The solar installation was completed in 2024, and Veolia says a single-axis tracker racking system was employed to provide maximum electricity generation during daylight hours by tracking the sun’s movement from east to west across the sky.

“We are extremely proud to be recognized by these industry outlets and organizations for the sustainability work we are doing at Gum Springs,” says Bob Cappadona, president and CEO of Veolia North America’s Environmental Solutions and Services business. “These initiatives demonstrate Veolia’s vision for creating a brighter future for the hundreds of communities in the U.S. under our three pillars: depollution, decarbonization and preserving essential resources in waste, water and energy."

Last year, the Gum Springs sustainability projects were recognized with the Diamond Award for environmental leadership from the Arkansas Environmental Federation.