Environmental challenges are rarely solved by science or policy alone. Real progress requires scientific expertise to characterize the problem, modern data-driven analysis to develop feasible solutions, and technology and delivery experience to ensure solutions work in the real world.
Abt Global brings these capabilities together. For more than 40 years, we have proudly helped the U.S. Government and other partners protect human health and the environment through combinations of rigorous science, data-driven analysis, regulatory and policy support, and modern digital solutions.
Across air, water, chemicals, hazardous substances, natural resources, and environmental data systems, our teams deliver environmental insight, tools, and programs that help our partners meet today’s needs and prepare for tomorrow’s challenges.
Abt helps clients build and improve environmental programs, data systems, models, dashboards, regulatory analyses, and decision-support tools for air quality, drinking water, toxic chemicals, waste, natural resources, energy, and infrastructure. Our interdisciplinary teams integrate science, data and technology, and the operational realities to deliver trusted results.
Applied AI models to standardize off-site chemical transfer records for the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), boosting accuracy from 70 to 99 percent and reducing a year of manual review to just weeks.
Automated data analysis and quality assurance processes for EPA’s Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID), shifting the database to annual updates while slashing the cost of each release from $750,000 to under $100,000[.
Streamlined 17 enterprise applications and tools for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), improving geospatial routing for 10 million vessel trips a year, and strengthening data quality for 10 billion tons of cargo tracked in the nation’s flagship waterborne commerce report.
We combine topical expertise, environmental science, data analytics, & engineering to help agencies modernize systems & use data to support better decisions.
Abt used AI to standardize EPA off site chemical transfer data to 97% accuracy, enabling faster analysis and stronger chemical safety decisions.
A suite of AI solutions built on 60 years of mission-driven expertise, designed to extend your team's capacity without expanding your budget, and governed with the security, compliance, and human oversight federal environments demand.
Abt’s partnership with USACE’s Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center strengthens America’s capacity to deliver reliable navigation data through AI-enabled waterborne commerce intelligence.
Abt supported the EPA in developing and implementing data-driven regulations for hazardous chemicals—particularly carbon tetrachloride—helping turn scientific evidence into enforceable protections that reduce risks to workers, nearby communities, and the environment.
Abt helped the EPA develop data-driven regulations, treatment tools, and exposure models that strengthen protections against contaminants such as PFAS and lead, improving drinking water safety for millions of Americans.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) is the preeminent source of data on the environmental characteristics of electric power generated in the United States. It’s based on available plant…
Since 2013, Abt Global has been assisting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in addressing air pollution in the solid waste sector under the auspices of the Global Methane Initiative.
Abt has extensive experience investigating and addressing the complex effects of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the environment and on human health.
TSPi designed, built, and implemented a central replacement case-management application, the Environmental Consultation Organizer (ECO), to handle submissions for consultations. The consultations can include the initial submission of project blueprints, feedback from NMFS, and more back-and-forth until final approval.
Abt's Adam Schaefer joins Dr. Ginger Dixon on One Health Wednesdays to explore the science, systems, and leadership driving meaningful progress in One Health research.
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Abt Global offers comprehensive expertise in investigating and addressing the environmental and health
impacts of PFAS contamination.
Abt Global offers comprehensive expertise in investigating and addressing the environmental and health
impacts of PFAS contamination.
For more than 35 years, Abt has delivered extensive regulatory support services to state and federal clients, including the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, Coast Guard, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Abt wins a seat on a USACE IDIQ supporting the data and analytics behind lock monitoring, dredging, and U.S. waterway statistics.
We combine topical expertise, environmental science, data analytics, & engineering to help agencies modernize systems & use data to support better decisions.
Some partnerships aren't built overnight — they're built over decades.
In this episode of our Client Focus series, Joe Donahue, Abt's EPA Lead, reflects on a career that started right out of college and has spanned the full range of Abt's work with the agency — work that shapes environmental policy affecting lives across the country and around the globe.
Abt has served as an EPA contractor for forty years, with many staff dedicating twenty years or more to the agency's mission. That tenure comes with practical experience across the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and other core environmental statutes — plus early, sustained work in machine learning, natural-language processing, and geospatial analytics, long before AI entered the mainstream conversation. On programs like the Toxics Release Inventory, Abt has helped automate data reporting while safeguarding the public record against misreporting.
As EPA modernizes, Abt is bringing that same deep subject-matter expertise into every digital, AI, and analytics conversation — building systems that hold up to scientific scrutiny, statutory review, and public release. It's not a new approach. It's what Abt has always done.
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Joe Donahue is an environmental policy specialist and portfolio manager with more than 15 years of experience supporting governments in developing and implementing policies and programs focused on climate change, clean energy, ozone layer protection, and solid waste management. His work spans both domestic and international programs and initiatives. Technical areas of expertise include climate change mitigation strategies; international capacity building; greenhouse gas quantification methods; short-lived climate pollutants, especially methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons; and clean energy policies.
Donahue leads Abt’s Environmental Protection Agency portfolio, including coordinating the firm’s business development, customer engagement, and project execution across EPA offices. He has served as a contributing author for Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) products, and as an expert reviewer on emissions quantification methodologies based on IPCC methods (e.g., for the GHG Protocol). He has earned certification from the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute for GHG inventory development.
Donahue’s major current projects include:
Donahue’s significant past projects include leading Abt’s support to EPA in evaluating the environmental and economic implications of hydrofluorcarbon management strategies, including refrigerant reclamation and use of refillable cylinders.
He’s also supported the development of a series of guidance materials for EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program, including guides on clean energy strategy implementation. Additionally, Donahue managed Abt’s efforts to model the impacts of black carbon on Arctic climate change, and supported EPA’s involvement in the Arctic Council Task Force on Short-lived Climate Pollutants.
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Joe Donahue is an environmental policy specialist and portfolio manager with more than 15 years of experience supporting governments in developing and implementing policies and programs focused on climate change, clean energy, ozone layer protection, and solid waste management. His work spans both domestic and international programs and initiatives. Technical areas of expertise include climate change mitigation strategies; international capacity building; greenhouse gas quantification methods; short-lived climate pollutants, especially methane, black carbon, and hydrofluorocarbons; and clean energy policies.
Laura Blake has more than 20 years of experience in leading scientific programs and research in the environmental science and policy domain. She has deep expertise in surface water quality restoration and protection and has spent her career designing and implementing scientific studies to support efforts to protect human health and aquatic environments. She has significant knowledge of Clean Water Act rules and regulations and has extensive experience supporting federal and state regulatory programs with implementation of and compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.
Blake has extensive experience as a program manager and technical leader on large federal and state contracts, including ten years managing Cadmus’ major technical support contract with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds. Blake has managed and worked on hundreds of projects related to water quality standards, water quality monitoring, assessment of water quality conditions, 305(b) and 303(d) water quality reporting, total maximum daily loads, and national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting.
Blake previously served as the Director of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Watershed Protection Program, was the Surface Water Section Chief for the U.S. Geological Survey’s New England Water Science Center and provided technical and regulatory support to state water quality management programs during her time at the New England Interstate Water Pollution Commission. In 2005, Blake spoke at a Congressional Briefing on The Quality of The Nation’s Water where she discussed the important role of monitoring data in providing nationwide and regional findings to support the protection of water quality.
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Laura Blake has more than 20 years of experience in leading scientific programs and research in the environmental science and policy domain. She has deep expertise in surface water quality restoration and protection and has spent her career designing and implementing scientific studies to support efforts to protect human health and aquatic environments. She has significant knowledge of Clean Water Act rules and regulations and has extensive experience supporting federal and state regulatory programs with implementation of and compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.
Meghan Lynch, Sc.D., is an accomplished manager of cross-disciplinary teams, with 20 years of experience specializing in toxicology and human health risk assessment. She is skilled at interpreting, evaluating, and communicating toxicological and epidemiological information for hazardous substances. She has managed a variety of projects for ATSDR, OSHA, EPA, and nonprofit agencies. These include leading tasks requiring the synthesis of toxicological information and risk assessments, and performing both probabilistic and benchmark dose modeling. The results of these projects have been subject to peer review. Lynch has also provided memorandums and analyses supporting risk assessments and addressing industry comments.
Currently, Lynch is the project director and technical lead for multiple engagements with ATSDR initiatives to support the preparation of toxicological profiles and the development of a PFAS PBPK model to estimate blood PFAS levels in all ages based on contaminated drinking water consumption. She serves as the program manager on a mission support contract for EPA’s National Center for Environmental Economics, within the Office of Policy, while also supporting the EPA Office of Water’s analytical updates.
Before coming to Abt, Lynch managed the Worcester Business Development Corporation’s Gateway Park brownfield redevelopment project, including supervising the work of consultants and contractors such as environmental professionals, engineers, and construction managers. She represented the project proponents at public meetings, ensured compliance with environmental regulations, and provided toxicity information and interpretation of risk assessments to local officials and community members.
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Meghan Lynch, Sc.D., is an accomplished manager of cross-disciplinary teams, with 20 years of experience specializing in toxicology and human health risk assessment. She is skilled at interpreting, evaluating, and communicating toxicological and epidemiological information for hazardous substances. She has managed a variety of projects for ATSDR, OSHA, EPA, and nonprofit agencies. These include leading tasks requiring the synthesis of toxicological information and risk assessments, and performing both probabilistic and benchmark dose modeling. The results of these projects have been subject to peer review. Lynch has also provided memorandums and analyses supporting risk assessments and addressing industry comments, which have been used to support plaintiffs in litigation for chemical contaminants.
Debra Kemp Fleischer is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with 25 years of experience supporting federal programs. She applies her background in environmental science and policy with communications expertise to inform and engage stakeholders about regulatory and voluntary programs. She has led the development and implementation of multi-media communications strategies for a variety of audiences, including non-profit organizations, industry, environmental groups, and federal staff. She has experience with plain language writing, message development, and risk communication. Ms. Fleischer has planned and facilitated meetings of all sizes for federal clients, including conferences, trainings, workshops, small group meetings, and focus groups for federal staff, the states, and the public. She has also developed performance measures and program evaluations of federal programs.
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Debra Kemp Fleischer is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with 25 years of experience supporting federal programs. She applies her background in environmental science and policy with communications expertise to inform and engage stakeholders about regulatory and voluntary programs. She has led the development and implementation of multi-media communications strategies for a variety of audiences, including non-profit organizations, industry, environmental groups, and federal staff. She has experience with plain language writing, message development, and risk communication.
Jordan Shimer has eight years of experience in executive policy and federal data solutions. He is a solutions-oriented data scientist with a background in social science methods and experience at executive policy organizations. He focuses on providing functional, scalable analytic solutions for the federal government at tactical, strategic, and enterprise levels. He has developed solutions ranging from enterprise data quality, scaled extract/transform/load processes for data analysts, and event detection for geopolitical forecasting. Clients have included the Departments of Agriculture and Defense (DoD) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Shimer has led several projects for NOAA, including the deployment of centralized data pertaining to illegal, unreported, and underreported fishing. This work includes development of a risk flagging framework to identify high risk shipments to be selected for audit, ensuring that 99.9 percent of all entries eligible for the Seafood Import Monitoring Program reporting underwent review, up from under one percent.
Shimer developed a data solution to identify improper commercial fishing activities, using time series, geospatial, and event data to identify illegal fishing activities by commercial fisheries, including previously unidentified patterns. The solution reduced the number of trips reviewed manually by 68% while more than doubling the number of illegal behaviors identified in a 30-day period.
He also led collaboration between NOAA Fisheries’ Office of the CIO and NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Protected Resources for the initial development of GenAI solutions, working with research scientists to use Google’s Gemini model to support the development of biological opinions for Endangered Species Act reviews.
Prior to TSPi, Shimer worked at Booz Allen Hamilton, where he held several roles, including data quality technical lead for Advana, a 13,000+ user DoD data and analytics platform, working to integrate standardized data quality checks into hundreds of pipelines across the platform.
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David Cooley is an environmental scientist with more than 15 years of experience working in environmental management. His work has focused on the interactions between efforts to preserve environmental quality and improvements in public health. He has managed multiple projects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Agency for International Development, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to evaluate opportunities for carbon management and preserving clean air.
Cooley currently manages a project for NYSERDA to evaluate the public health benefits of achieving carbon management targets in New York State. New York has passed a law requiring the state to become carbon neutral by 2050. Cooley leads a project to estimate how meeting that target will also result in significant improvements in air quality and associated health benefits. This involves overseeing a team of Abt staff and subcontractors to develop air pollution emission estimates, conducting air quality and health impacts modeling, and summarizing and presenting the results to the client. Policymakers in New York have used the results of this analysis to explain the benefits of their policies to stakeholders.
Cooley also manages the CO-Benefits Risk Assessment Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool (COBRA) for the U.S. EPA. This tool provides estimates of the health benefits of preserving clean air, and it is intended to support state and local governments in quantifying the benefits of their environmental policies. In addition, Cooley leads Abt’s support for the National Emissions Inventory for the U.S. EPA, which includes developing estimates of air pollutant emissions from diffuse sources that can’t be directly measured, such as smoke from wood stoves, emissions from commercial cooking, and fumes from solvent use, among others. He also manages Abt’s support for the EPA’s Global Methane Initiative, which helps countries around the world reduce barriers to the recovery and use of methane as a valuable energy source
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David Cooley is an environmental scientist with more than 15 years of experience working in climate change and environmental management. His work has focused on the interactions between climate change mitigation, air pollution reductions, and improvements in public health. He has managed multiple projects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Agency for International Development, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to evaluate opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions.
Patrick Ransom is an environmental engineer and certified cost estimator with more than 30 years of experience evaluating environmental technologies, policies, and regulatory costs. He specializes in drinking water treatment and regulation, with broader expertise in solid and hazardous waste management, pollution prevention, toxic release reduction, and economic incentive programs. Ransom has also supported federal clients across environmental programs involving oil and gas, power generation, mining, metals refining, cement, electronics, pharmaceuticals, construction, and chemical manufacturing. He brings more than 25 years of project management experience, helping agencies assess technologies, costs, and practical options for complex environmental decisions.
Ransom leads multidisciplinary teams that develop engineering cost models, technical guidance, and decision-support tools for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) programs. He oversees engineering and economic analyses supporting national drinking water regulations, PFAS treatment and remediation, wastewater reuse, and environmental monitoring. His work includes developing and updating cost models for more than 40 water treatment technologies, expanding EPA's Drinking Water Treatability Database to cover emerging contaminants including more than 70 PFAS compounds, and leading peer-reviewed analyses that help EPA evaluate technology performance, affordability, and regulatory impacts.
Earlier in his career, Ransom was instrumental in creating the original EPA work breakdown structure (WBS) drinking water treatment cost models that remain the foundation for national regulatory cost analyses. He also led environmental and economic studies for EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and other federal agencies, including evaluations of drinking water regulations, hazardous waste management, environmental technologies, and water quality programs. His work has improved methods for estimating regulatory costs, evaluating treatment performance, and measuring the benefits of environmental investments.
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Patrick Ransom is an environmental engineer and certified cost estimator with more than 30 years of experience evaluating environmental technologies, policies, and regulatory costs.
T.J. Pepping is an environmental scientist with 13 years of experience working in the intersection of data analysis and communication, helping clients interpret environmental data and share important information with the public. His expertise includes developing data visualization tools through Qlik, Highcharts, StoryMaps, and other web-based platforms rooted in human-centered design. He also manages projects for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other federal clients, many of which involve integrating scientific and technical professionals with data scientists and programmers to deliver a combination of domain expertise and technology-based solutions.
Pepping manages Abt’s support for the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), assisting the EPA in publishing data for communities about toxic chemical releases. His work includes data quality, analysis, and dissemination tasks, and he has helped the program leverage new digital solutions to meet its goals in more efficient and impactful ways. Most recently, he led an innovative approach using AI-augmented processes guided by human review and data governance strategies to improve location data across 300,000 records of toxic chemical transfers from industrial and federal facilities. Pepping also provides analytical and technical support to other EPA clients, including website management for various programs within the air and chemicals offices.
Pepping has also led strategic communications support for the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program (GHGRP) and Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP) to develop user-friendly web content and implement effective stakeholder engagement approaches. His work for GHGRP reimagined how annual emissions data could be shared using interactive resources that increased engagement and required less update time. Pepping has also supported economic analyses for EPA to help develop industry baselines, build cost and benefit estimates, and evaluate impacts on small businesses. As a project director, Pepping has managed annual portfolios over $1,000,00 and dozens of staff and subcontractors.
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T.J. Pepping is an environmental scientist with 13 years of experience working in the intersection of data analysis and communication, helping clients interpret environmental data and share important information with the public.
Dr. Jonathan Dorn has more than 20 years of experience in the environment and energy space. He specializes in air pollutant emissions inventory development, air quality, data visualization, regulatory program support, energy systems, and air pollutant mitigation strategies. With a proven track record in both project and personnel leadership, Dr. Dorn has directed over 40 complex task orders, managing multi-million-dollar contracts for agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). He also serves as a key contributor on the Professional Services Council’s Department of Energy Vision Study Team.
At Abt, Dr. Dorn serves as a principal associate and lead people manager for the EPA/Environment Group. A proven leader of high-stakes public sector initiatives, Dr. Dorn recently served as Project Director for a $15.2 million program supporting the EPA in developing the NextGen eGRID Suite and the Low Emissions Electricity Program. In this role, he coordinated more than a dozen cross-functional work streams—spanning agile digital delivery to technical assistance—and managed five subcontractors to support the rebranding of the EPA's Clean Air and Power Division. His strategic partnership with the EPA spans over a decade; since 2009, he has supported the Emissions Inventory and Analysis Group in developing the National Emissions Inventory. Dr. Dorn also recently led a team whose innovative work in developing a web-based visualization tool for the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager culminated in an EPA Innovation Award.
Dr. Dorn develops data-driven solutions that enhance operational efficiency and advance environmental goals. For the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), he led a critical evaluation of artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for the Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center, delivering recommendations for actionable strategies to drive cost savings, elevate data quality, and optimize workforce efficiency. Currently, his work with NYSERDA focuses on developing models to evaluate methane mitigation options across New York State's oil and natural gas sector. These robust analytical tools provide the critical data foundation needed to make informed decisions on strategies for meeting the Climate Act's greenhouse gas reduction targets.
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Dr. Jonathan Dorn has more than 20 years of experience in the environment and energy space. He specializesin air pollutant emissions inventory development, air quality, data visualization, regulatory program support, energy systems, and air pollutant mitigation strategies.
Dan Basoli is an economist and project manager with more than 20 years of federal regulatory experience. Basoli had led cost-benefit, economic impact, and regulatory analyses for clients such as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). His work spans environmental, worker safety, transportation, water, energy, and emergency management programs in the United States and Asia.
At Abt, Basoli serves as deputy project director for EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) mission support contract. He also directs economic analysis support for DOL’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) and leads EPA analyses for emergency planning and hazardous chemical actions. His work helps federal teams assess costs, benefits, reporting burden, economic effects, and small-business impacts.
Previously, Basoli managed an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) contract and helped develop five federal OSHA regulations. He also managed a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) contract and led support for 10 transportation safety regulations. Basoli led more than 50 cost-benefit analyses and managed EPA water and emergency management assignments for over a decade.
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Dan Basoli is an economist and project manager with more than 20 years of federal regulatory experience. Basoli had led cost-benefit, economic impact, and regulatory analyses for clients such as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department of Labor (DOL), Department of Transportation (DOT), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Air quality shapes the health of people and communities, influences economic activity, and affects the resilience of natural systems. Abt Global helps clients understand, model, regulate, and reduce air pollution through deep expertise in emissions inventories, air quality modeling, emissions mitigation and regulatory analysis. We make complex findings accessible through clear data visualizations and digital tools that support decision-making.
Helping clients understand, model, regulate, and reduce air pollution through emissions analysis, air quality modeling, visualization, and digital tools.
Protecting drinking water is increasingly challenging as communities face aging infrastructure and emerging contaminants. Abt Global supports federal and state agencies to evaluate contaminant exposure, identify treatment options, estimate costs and benefits, and develop protections for communities.
We tap the expertise of environmental scientists, engineers, risk assessors, economists, and policy analysts alongside data and technology specialists to rapidly turn complex water quality data into practical solutions that reduce risk and strengthen public health.
Abt helps agencies protect drinking water by assessing contaminants, evaluating treatment options, analyzing costs and benefits, and reducing health risks.
Healthy ecosystems, reliable infrastructure, and dependable energy are essential to economic stability, environmental resilience, and community well-being. Abt Global supports these systems by combining environmental and energy expertise with advanced data engineering, geospatial analysis, and digital delivery capabilities to support data-driven approaches to natural resource management.
Our teams help U.S. federal and state agencies collect, integrate, and visualize the resource data to build decision-support systems for coastal and marine environments, waterways, energy and waste management, and environmental restoration.
Abt helps agencies manage natural resources through environmental expertise, geospatial analysis, data engineering, and decision-support systems.
Managing toxic chemicals and hazardous substances requires agencies to evaluate risks across industrial processes, consumer products, and areas affected by legacy contamination. Abt Global helps state and federal agencies navigate this complexity through chemical risk evaluations, rigorous analysis for rulemakings, and hazardous substance planning.
Our work translates nuanced chemical exposure pathways and toxicity data into the foundation of defensible decisions that safeguard public health and the environment.
Abt conducts risk evaluations, regulatory analysis, and hazardous substance planning that protect health and the environment.
Our work for public, private and non-profit organizations reflect our shared values and steadfast commitment to quality standards, best price, and lasting impact.
Interesting in a rewarding career with Abt? Visit our Careers Page to find out more about what it means to work with us. Already all-in? Search for a job now.
At Abt, Impact means changes for people, organizations, systems, and the planet that promote meaningful progress towards our Mission.
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