Environmental permitting, engineered with rigor.
Ishana prepares the full range of environmental permits for industrial, energy and infrastructure clients across Utah, in a state where ozone, water scarcity and rapid growth now shape every approval. Each application rests on defensible engineering analysis, from the initial applicability determination to the final permit.
The issues shaping environmental decisions in Utah.
Utah is growing quickly inside air sheds and watersheds that are already under strain. Four issues now influence nearly every significant permit in the state.
- Air · Ozone
Ozone on the Wasatch Front and in the Uinta Basin
Both areas remain in nonattainment for the federal ozone standard, and their classifications have been under reconsideration by EPA during 2026. The outcome determines which emission thresholds and offset obligations apply to new and expanding sources.
What it means for operatorsProjects that emit nitrogen oxides or volatile organic compounds need an early applicability review and a permitting strategy that holds under either classification.
- Air · Particulate
Winter inversions and fine particulate
After fifteen years, the Salt Lake City and Provo areas were redesignated to attainment for the 24-hour fine particulate standard in December 2025. Maintenance plans keep emission limits in force for years to come.
What it means for operatorsAttainment does not relax scrutiny. New emissions must be shown to preserve the standard, and existing permit conditions continue to apply.
- Water · Great Salt Lake
A receding Great Salt Lake
The lake closed the 2025 water year at its third-lowest level on record. Exposed lakebed is a growing source of windblown dust for Wasatch Front communities, and most new water appropriations in the basin have been suspended.
What it means for operatorsWater supply, consumptive use and dust control now sit alongside air emissions in the review of industrial projects in northern Utah.
- Growth · Data centers and energy
Data centers and large energy loads
Utah enacted water-use reporting for large data centers in 2026, and an executive order now directs state agencies to weigh their effects on water, air quality and energy supply. On-site power generation brings these projects squarely into air permitting.
What it means for operatorsDevelopers should expect closer agency review and public attention, and should establish their emissions and water position before a site is announced.
Latest from government sources
Regulatory status as of November 2026. Classifications and rules change; we confirm the current position at the start of every engagement.
Sound environmental practice is a condition of doing business.
For organizations with significant physical operations, environmental performance determines whether projects are approved, how long they take and what they ultimately cost.
Regulatory standing
Permits define what a facility may build, emit and discharge. Operating outside them exposes an organization to enforcement, penalties and, in serious cases, curtailed operations.
Project schedule
Permitting sits on the critical path of most capital projects. An incomplete application or an unanticipated requirement can hold up construction for months.
Financial exposure
Contamination, non-compliance and remediation obligations become liabilities that weigh on valuations, financing and transactions.
Stakeholder confidence
Investors, lenders, customers and neighboring communities judge an organization by how it manages its environmental footprint.
Every permit your operation requires, under one roof.
Comprehensive application packages under state and federal programs, for new facilities, expansions and modifications to existing operations.
Air
Notices of Intent and Approval Orders, Title V operating permits, major source review, small source exemptions and the emission inventories that support them.
Requirements and deliverables →Surface water
UPDES individual and general discharge permits, construction and industrial stormwater coverage, and pretreatment permits for discharges to municipal systems.
Requirements and deliverables →Groundwater and wells
Ground water discharge permits, underground injection control permits and the monitoring programs they require.
Requirements and deliverables →Waste
Hazardous waste, solid waste facility and used oil permits, generator notifications, and closure and post-closure planning.
Requirements and deliverables →Land and waterways
Stream alteration and wetland authorizations, water quality certifications, and NEPA documentation for federal actions.
Requirements and deliverables →Supporting plans
Spill prevention, stormwater pollution prevention, fugitive dust control and risk management plans prepared to accompany each permit.
Requirements and deliverables →
Serving the sectors that build and power Utah.
Every industry carries its own emission sources, discharges and regulators. We shape the permitting strategy around the operation.
Oil and gas
Production sites, compressor stations, storage and midstream facilities.
Requirements and deliverables →Manufacturing and chemicals
Process plants, coatings, combustion and solvent sources.
Requirements and deliverables →Power and energy
Generation, transmission, storage and renewable projects.
Requirements and deliverables →Data centers and logistics
On-site generation, cooling water and stormwater.
Requirements and deliverables →Carbon capture and storage
Capture facilities, pipelines and injection wells.
Requirements and deliverables →Construction and aggregates
Site development, batch plants, crushing and screening operations.
Requirements and deliverables →Food and agriculture
Food processing plants, dairies, feed operations and land application.
Requirements and deliverables →Waste and recycling
Landfills, transfer stations, composting and material recovery facilities.
Requirements and deliverables →
Environmental support from Phase 0 to Phase 5.
Capital projects move through gated phases, and each gate asks a different environmental question. We stay with the project from the first screening to steady operations.
- Phase 0
Opportunity screening
Site and regulatory screening, fatal-flaw review and mapping of environmental constraints before capital is committed.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables → - Phase 1
Appraise
Regulatory roadmap, baseline data scoping, first emissions and discharge estimates, and early stakeholder mapping.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables → - Phase 2
Concept select
Environmental comparison of development options, screening dispersion modeling, control technology review, and a permitting strategy tied to the project schedule.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables → - Phase 3
Define
Permit applications for air, water and waste, refined modeling, impact assessment, and environmental input to the design basis and management plans.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables → - Phase 4
Execute
Construction compliance for stormwater and dust, permit condition tracking, site inspections, and compliance testing through commissioning and start-up.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables → - Phase 5
Operate
Operating compliance programs, monitoring and agency reporting, audits, permit renewals and modifications, and planning for eventual decommissioning.
Regulatory requirements and deliverables →
Phase names differ between operators. We align our deliverables to your stage-gate process.
Every environmental discipline a project needs.
Thirteen service lines take a project from first screening to closure, grounded in chemical engineering training and project experience in oil and gas, LNG and carbon capture.
- 13service lines
- 6permit areas
- 9industries
- 6online technical studies
- Dailyregulatory updates
Air quality and atmospheric sciences
Permitting strategy and the engineering analysis behind it.
- Applicability reviews and permit strategy
- Emission inventories and calculations
- Atmospheric dispersion modeling
- Odor and visibility assessment
- Stack test and continuous monitoring support
- Control technology evaluation
Acoustics and vibration
Sound and vibration from construction and operations.
- Environmental noise modeling and mapping
- Baseline noise surveys
- Construction noise and vibration assessment
- Barrier and mitigation design
- Compliance monitoring and complaint response
Water resources
Supply, discharge and the ground water beneath a site.
- Stormwater permits and pollution prevention plans
- Wastewater discharge permitting
- Hydrology and flood assessment
- Hydrogeology and ground water protection
- Water reuse and conservation studies
- Water resources risk assessment
Contaminated land and remediation
From first inquiry to regulatory closure.
- Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments
- Site investigation and conceptual site models
- Human health and ecological risk assessment
- Remedial design and field oversight
- PFAS investigation and management
- Voluntary cleanup and brownfield redevelopment
- Asbestos and hazardous building material surveys
Waste and circular economy
Managing materials lawfully and using fewer of them.
- Waste characterization and generator status
- Hazardous waste compliance programs
- Solid waste and landfill permitting
- Waste minimization and recycling plans
- Resource recovery and circular economy studies
Ecology, biodiversity and natural resources
Protected species, habitats and the waters that support them.
- Biological resources assessments
- Wetland and aquatic resources delineation
- Habitat surveys and seasonal studies
- Mitigation and restoration planning
- Nature-based solutions
- Section 404 and Section 7 coordination
Impact assessment, planning and permitting
The studies and approvals a major project needs.
- NEPA environmental assessments and impact statements
- Environmental and social impact assessment to lender standards
- Permitting roadmaps and schedules
- Socioeconomic impact assessment
- Cultural and tribal resource coordination
- Stakeholder engagement and public involvement
Health, safety and environmental compliance
Systems that keep a facility in compliance every day.
- Regulatory compliance audits
- ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 management systems
- Permit condition tracking and agency reporting
- Industrial hygiene and exposure assessment
- Spill prevention and emergency response plans
- Training for operators and project teams
Climate, carbon and energy transition
Measuring emissions and planning the route to lower ones.
- Greenhouse gas inventories and reporting
- Decarbonization and net zero roadmaps
- Climate risk and resilience assessment
- Carbon capture and storage permitting
- Renewable and low-carbon energy permitting
- Methane and flaring reduction programs
ESG, sustainability and transactions
Environmental performance as investors and lenders see it.
- ESG strategy and sustainability reporting
- Environmental due diligence for acquisitions
- Lender and investor technical reviews
- Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards
- Supply chain and sourcing assessments
Monitoring, data and digital
Reliable field data and tools that make it usable.
- Air, water, soil and noise monitoring programs
- Sampling plans with accredited laboratories
- GIS mapping and spatial analysis
- Environmental data management
- Online technical studies and project site map
Closure, decommissioning and liabilities
Planning the end of an asset's life from the start.
- Mine closure and reclamation plans
- Decommissioning and asset retirement planning
- Environmental liability estimates
- Post-closure monitoring programs
Advocacy and expert support
A technical voice before agencies, boards and the public.
- Agency negotiation and regulatory advocacy
- Public hearing and comment support
- Independent peer review
- Litigation and expert witness support
- Briefings for executives and boards
Senior specialists lead every assignment. Laboratory analysis, drilling and other specialist field services are delivered with accredited partners under our direction.
How we resolve the issues that put major projects at risk.
Large organizations rarely face a single permit. They face overlapping programs, compressed schedules and public scrutiny at the same time. Our approach is structured to address all three.
Multi-program permitting for capital projects
A single permitting strategy that sequences air, water, waste and land approvals against the construction schedule, so that no authorization becomes the constraint.
Growth in constrained air sheds
Early modeling to establish what a site can accommodate, followed by control technology review and design alternatives that keep the project approvable.
Enforcement and non-compliance
Root-cause review, corrective action planning and direct engagement with the agency to return a facility to compliance and keep it there.
Legacy contamination and acquisitions
Site assessment and liability evaluation that give decision-makers a clear view of risk before a transaction closes.
Compliance across a portfolio
Consistent permit tracking, recordkeeping and reporting systems applied to every facility, so that obligations are met on time at each site.
Agency and community engagement
Clear technical communication with regulators and the public, supported by analysis that withstands scrutiny.
Advocating for the projects that move Utah forward.
Major environmental and infrastructure projects succeed when their technical case is made clearly to regulators, communities and decision-makers. We serve as the technical advocate for that case.
Before the agencies
We present the engineering and environmental basis of a project to state and federal regulators, respond to technical comments and keep the review moving toward a decision.
In the public process
Notices, comment periods and hearings set the pace of large projects. We prepare the record, explain the science plainly and answer community concerns with evidence.
Inside the organization
We give executives and boards a clear account of environmental risk, cost and schedule, so that sound projects receive the commitment they need.
For projects with environmental benefit
Emission reduction, water conservation, remediation and low-carbon energy projects deserve an effective champion. We help them secure approval and support.
Projects we champion
Carbon capture and storage
Class VI storage wells, capture plant air permits, carbon dioxide pipelines and the 45Q credit.
Requirements and what we deliver →Emission reduction retrofits
Approval Orders, major source review, nonattainment controls and the oil and gas methane rules.
Requirements and what we deliver →Water reuse and conservation
Reuse approvals, discharge and ground water permits, water rights and the Great Salt Lake basin limit.
Requirements and what we deliver →Site remediation and redevelopment
Liability protection before purchase, Utah's Voluntary Cleanup Program and environmental covenants.
Requirements and what we deliver →Renewable and low-carbon energy
Federal rights-of-way, wildlife and wetland reviews, geothermal permits and county siting.
Requirements and what we deliver →Great Salt Lake and watershed initiatives
Water for the lake, sovereign lands, mineral extraction, water quality and lakebed dust.
Requirements and what we deliver →
Our advocacy is technical. Legal representation, where a matter requires it, is provided by the client's counsel.
The places sound practice protects.
From the Wasatch Front to the red rock country, these are the landscapes that careful air and water decisions help keep intact.
Wasatch Range
The mountain wall above the Wasatch Front, whose snowpack feeds the streams and reservoirs below.
Great Salt Lake
The largest saltwater lake in the Western Hemisphere and a stopover for millions of migratory birds.
Bonneville Salt Flats
A remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville, stretching flat and white toward the Nevada line.
Delicate Arch
The freestanding sandstone arch near Moab that has become a symbol of the state.
Bryce Canyon
Amphitheaters of red rock spires, called hoodoos, on the edge of a high plateau.
Zion Canyon
Sandstone cliffs cut by the Virgin River in Utah's first national park.
Good environmental work makes good projects possible.
I started Ishana with a simple conviction: environmental compliance should help a project move forward with confidence. Too often it is treated as paperwork that arrives after the decisions are made. In my experience it belongs at the table from the first day.
I am a chemical engineer, and I have spent ten years on major capital projects in the United States, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, across oil and gas, LNG, carbon capture, refining and petrochemicals. That work took me from environmental impact assessments and air dispersion modeling to permitting, construction oversight and start-up. It taught me that the projects which stay on schedule are the ones that understand their environmental obligations early and meet them without shortcuts.
Utah is where I live and where this firm is rooted. Our air, our water and the Great Salt Lake are under real pressure, and the state is growing fast. I believe industry and a healthy environment can thrive together here, and that careful, honest technical work is how we get there.
Whatever the size of your project, you will have my personal attention and a straight answer.
Parthav BhattFounder and CEO · Chemical Engineer · PMP · ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 Lead Auditor
A Utah where industry grows and the air, water and land grow healthier with it.
Our mission
To give every client a clear, defensible path through environmental permitting and compliance, built on sound engineering and delivered with integrity.
Where we are going
To become the firm Utah's operators, developers and regulators trust first for environmental permitting and air quality work, and to carry that standard to projects across the Mountain West.
How we will get there
By engaging early in every project, telling clients what the analysis shows, and treating each permit as a commitment to the community around the facility.
A work environment built on safety, respect and learning.
How a firm treats its own people and its own footprint says a great deal about the advice it gives. These are the commitments we hold ourselves to.
- 01
Safety before schedule
Every site visit and field task starts with a hazard review. Anyone on the team can stop work that looks unsafe, without needing permission.
- 02
Respect and inclusion
People of every background are welcome here and are heard. Disagreement on technical questions is expected and valued.
- 03
Continuous learning
Regulations change every year. We set aside time for training, certifications and staying current with agency guidance.
- 04
Flexible, focused work
Office, home and field each have their place. We organize work around the project and the person, with clear ownership of every deliverable.
- 05
A light footprint of our own
Digital-first records, shared travel to sites and careful use of energy and materials. We practice what we recommend.
- 06
Open collaboration
Clients, regulators and colleagues work from the same facts. We share drafts early and welcome review.
The values behind our work.
Environmental consulting carries a responsibility to the client, to the regulator and to the communities that share the air, water and land around every facility.
- 01
Scientific integrity
Conclusions follow from data and accepted methods. We report what the analysis shows, including when the result is unwelcome.
- 02
Compliance as the minimum
Regulatory requirements set the floor. We help clients identify where going further reduces risk and cost over the life of an asset.
- 03
Stewardship
Utah's air, water and land are shared resources. Responsible development protects them for the people who depend on them.
- 04
Prevention first
The most effective control is the one designed in before construction begins, when changes cost least and achieve most.
- 05
Transparency
Clients and regulators receive the same facts, clearly documented and open to review.
- 06
Accountability
We stand behind our work through agency review and remain engaged after the approval is issued.
How a modeling study proceeds.
Each study is developed in our atmospheric dispersion modeling tool, from source characterization through to results at every receptor.
Characterize the sources
Location, release height, exit conditions and emission rate for each release point.
Establish the meteorology
Wind speed and direction, atmospheric stability, ambient temperature and terrain classification.
Locate the receptors
Property boundaries, residences, schools and monitoring stations where concentrations must be evaluated.
Evaluate the results
A plan-view concentration map, a downwind profile and each receptor assessed against the applicable threshold.
Two stacks under neutral conditions.
A screening run from the modeling tool, with wind from 225° across a 4.8 km domain. Ground-level concentration peaks at µg/m³.
Open dispersion modelingA compressor station with a noise wall.
A screening run from the environmental noise modeling tool. The level at the nearest residence is dBA, and the wall lowers the level at the east property line by dB.
Open noise modeling- Location
Project Site Map
See every technical study by location on one map of Utah, grouped by site, with the key result of each and a link to the site in Google Maps.
- Water
Water Resources Risk Assessment
Record the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas scores for a site, see which indicators are high and set them beside the site's own water use.
- Biology
Biological Resources Assessment
Keep the IPaC species list for a project, record the effect determinations and see the Endangered Species Act pathway that follows.
- Wetlands and waters
Aquatic Resources Delineation
Record the sampling points and mapped wetlands for a site, total the planned impacts and see the Section 404 permit pathway that follows.
- Communities
Socioeconomic Impact Assessment
Bring demographics, workforce, housing, schools, local businesses and surveys into one study, with a rating for every socioeconomic topic.
Build your career protecting Utah's air, water and land.
Ishana is a new firm and we are building our team. We welcome applications from people who care about technical quality and want real responsibility early.
- Engineering
Environmental engineers
Permitting, emission calculations and compliance programs for industrial clients.
- Air quality
Dispersion modelers
Screening and refined modeling, meteorological data and impact analysis.
- Regulatory
Permitting specialists
Air, water and waste applications, agency correspondence and permit tracking.
- Field
Field scientists and technicians
Site assessments, sampling, inspections and monitoring programs.
- Early career
Interns and graduates
Students and recent graduates in engineering and environmental science.
How to apply
- Prepare your resume and a short note on the kind of work you want to do.
- Tell us which area above fits you best and where you are based.
- Send it to us using the contact details here. We reply to every application.
- Applications by email
- Email to be added
- Questions by telephone
- +1 801 244 4410
We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.
Discuss your project.
Share the facility, the schedule and the approvals you anticipate. We will outline the permitting pathway and the analysis it requires.
- To be added
- Telephone
- +1 801 244 4410
- Office
- Salt Lake City, Utah