To better protect the environment and manage natural resources, Abt combines topical expertise, environmental science, data analytics, and engineering to help agencies measure risks, track trends, modernize systems, and use data to support better decisions.
Our project teams work across all environmental media, including air, water, chemicals, and land, as well as energy, infrastructure, and other natural resource management priorities.
Methods
Since our founding, Abt has used data and emerging technology to tackle the world’s toughest challenges. It remains the heart of what we do today.
Our methods include:
- High-quality data capture in usable formats and on timelines that support client needs.
- Data system modernization to unlock the full value of agencies’ environmental and program data.
- Rigorous analysis and modeling to analyze complex datasets and measure impact.
- Advanced geospatial analysis techniques that enable us to pinpoint impacts and optimize mitigation strategies.
- Sampling and study design that balance accuracy, agility, and real-world feasibility.
- Clear communication and contextualization that help clients understand what the data means and how to act on it.
Explore our environmental and digital work in action below.
Relevant Experience
Blood PFAS Estimator Tool
Client: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Abt developed a series of pharmacokinetic (PK) models to estimate blood PFAS levels after drinking contaminated water. These models incorporate background exposures and the person’s life stage, and account for uncertainty in the person’s potential exposure to PFAS (e.g., how much tainted water they consumed). We used Bayesian methodologies to calibrate and evaluate the models and then incorporated them into a web tool to help concerned citizens estimate their own blood PFAS levels in lieu of direct blood testing.
New York Community Health and Air Pollution Policy Assessment (NY-CHAPPA) Tool
Client: NYSERDA
Abt and the University of North Carolina developed the NY-CHAPPA tool for NYSERDA to model the air quality and public health benefits of air pollution emission reductions in New York State. Abt has used the tool to calculate the benefits associated with reduced fossil fuel consumption scenarios in New York’s State Energy Plan. The NY-CHAPPA tool provides results including avoided health outcomes, avoided mortality, and the monetary value of the benefits. The results are presented at the census tract level, which enables us to analyze the fraction of benefits that accrue to Disadvantaged Communities.
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Off-site Transfer Locations
Client: US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Abt partnered with EPA to improve the quality and usability of offsite chemical transfer data within the TRI. By pairing deep subject matter expertise with advanced AI engineering, the team increased accurate standardization of records from 70 to 99 percent and reduced a year of manual review to just weeks. The improved dataset now gives EPA a clearer view of where chemicals are going, strengthening risk analysis, transparency, and long-term AI readiness across the agency. Learn more.
Transportation Operations and Waterborne Statistics (TOWS)
Client: US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
For nearly two decades, Abt has been a trusted partner to USACE's Institute for Water Resources (IWR).
Through this partnership, Abt helped modernize USACE’s waterborne commerce data systems, which track millions of vessel trips and billions of tons of cargo moving through U.S. ports and waterways each year. Our team supported cloud migration, automated data ingestion, intelligent validation, geospatial integration, and enhanced analytics and visualization. The result is a more secure, scalable, and AI-ready foundation that helps USACE make faster, data-driven decisions across the maritime transportation system. Learn more.
CommentCounts ™
Client: Multiple
Abt’s CommentCounts™ platform helps agencies manage complex public comment processes with greater speed, transparency, and confidence. The secure, web-based tool organizes comments, attachments, and responses in one searchable system, helping teams identify themes, track progress, manage workflows, and generate reports. Abt pairs the platform with regulatory, policy, data science, and quality assurance expertise, including responsible use of AI and natural language processing to support tasks such as duplicate detection, comment coding, and large-scale text analysis.
Contact Us
Learn more about our work in Environment & Energy
Additional Resources
Abt Intelligence
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.
AI Helps EPA Standardize and Sharpen Toxic Chemical Data
Abt used AI to standardize EPA off site chemical transfer data to 97% accuracy, enabling faster analysis and stronger chemical safety decisions.
Regulating Harmful Contaminants for Healthier Communities
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.
Modernizing America’s Waterborne Commerce Intelligence
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.
Coastal Resilience Powered by Open Data and Modern Tools
For the Department of the Interior, streamlined data access and user-friendly tools that strengthen coastal protection, marine minerals access, and environmental resilience.