Thirty Years of
Better Landfills
Since 1995, Sperling Hansen Associates has engineered landfills that protect groundwater, air and the communities around them, helping British Columbia move from simple dumps to modern, engineered facilities.
From Dumps to
Engineered Landfills
For much of the twentieth century, waste in many BC communities went to simple dumps, often with little control over leachate, landfill gas or fire.
That began to change in 1993, when the province released its first Landfill Criteria for Municipal Solid Waste, setting standards for how landfills are sited, designed, operated and closed. Sperling Hansen Associates was founded two years later, in 1995, by Dr. Tony Sperling and Poul Hansen to help communities meet that new standard.
The bar has kept rising. BC’s Landfill Gas Management Regulation took effect in 2009, requiring larger landfills to assess and manage landfill gas, and the Ministry’s second edition of the Landfill Criteria built on the 1993 document with updated standards for a new generation of facilities.
Through every change, SHA has focused on one thing: solid waste engineering. Today a new generation of engineers leads the firm, carrying forward the same founding belief that landfills are long-lived infrastructure and deserve the same rigour as any other.
In memory of co-founder Poul Hansen (1931–2024).
To engineer solid waste facilities that protect the environment and serve communities for generations, working with the natural attributes of every site, not against them.
- Protect groundwater, surface water and air at every stage of a facility’s life.
- Design for the full lifecycle, from siting and operations to closure and end use.
- Give every client direct access to experienced solid waste engineers.
Three Decades in BC
SHA is Founded
Founded in North Vancouver two years after BC’s first Landfill Criteria, SHA set out to bring dedicated, specialist engineering to the province’s landfills.
Building a Reputation in BC
SHA establishes itself as a trusted engineering partner for BC regional districts and municipalities, delivering landfill design, closure plans, and environmental assessments across the province.
Expanding Across the Province
SHA’s project portfolio grows to span all regions of BC, from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island through the Okanagan, Thompson, Cariboo, and Northern BC. The firm becomes a go-to resource for municipal solid waste infrastructure.
Landfill Gas Comes Into Focus
BC’s Landfill Gas Management Regulation takes effect, and landfill gas assessment, collection and control become a growing part of SHA’s practice.
Kamloops Office Opens
SHA expands its BC presence with a second office in Kamloops, providing dedicated support for Interior BC clients. The Kamloops office serves regional districts and municipalities across the Thompson, Okanagan, Cariboo, and Northern regions.
Thirty Years of Practice
SHA celebrates its 30th anniversary: three decades of solid waste management engineering in BC, more than 2,100 projects delivered, and a team that continues to uphold the founding principles of technical rigour, environmental integrity, and direct senior involvement on every engagement.
A New Generation of Leadership
Leadership passes to President Mircea Cvaci and Vice Presidents Cris Ciuperca and Scott Garthwaite, alongside a growing group of junior partners, as founder Dr. Tony Sperling steps into an advisory role.
Engineering That Works
With Nature
This principle has guided SHA’s engineering approach since 1995. The best landfill designs don’t fight the site, they understand it. Geology, hydrology, topography, and climate are not obstacles to engineer around. They are assets to work with. The result is designs that perform better, cost less to operate, and stand up to regulatory scrutiny over the long term.
Site-Specific Design
Every SHA project starts with a thorough understanding of the site. We don’t apply templates, we engineer from first principles, working from the ground up with the specific conditions your facility presents.
Long-Term Performance
Landfills are long-lived infrastructure. We design for the full lifecycle (operational performance, closure, post-closure monitoring, and eventual end use) not just the immediate approval.
Groundwater Protection
Protecting groundwater is the most fundamental obligation of landfill engineering. SHA’s containment and leachate systems are designed to perform under the most demanding conditions BC’s geology and climate can present.
Senior Involvement
Every SHA client works directly with a senior engineer from start to finish. We do not route work through junior staff or project managers. The engineer who signs the design is the engineer you talk to.
Our Core Values
Technical Integrity
We never compromise the engineering. Every recommendation SHA makes is defensible, documented, and built on sound technical analysis, not assumptions or shortcuts.
Long-Term Relationships
Many of SHA’s municipal clients have worked with the firm for over a decade. We invest in understanding each client’s facility, history, and constraints, and they invest in us.
Environmental Responsibility
Sound engineering protects the environment. We take this responsibility seriously on every project (from liner design to post-closure monitoring) because the stakes for communities and ecosystems are real.
Regulatory Fluency
BC’s regulatory environment for solid waste is complex and evolving. SHA’s engineers understand it thoroughly, which means our work moves through the approvals process efficiently and without surprises.
BC Roots, National Reach
Headquartered in British Columbia, we work on projects across Canada and internationally. Our knowledge of BC’s geology, climate, regulatory framework, and municipal landscape is deep and current, and we bring the same site-specific rigour to every jurisdiction we work in.
Practical Innovation
SHA embraces new approaches when they genuinely improve outcomes, not for novelty’s sake. Every innovation we adopt has been evaluated against the standard that matters: does it make the engineering better?
Active in the Profession
SHA believes that a healthy solid waste management profession benefits everyone, municipalities, the environment, and future generations. Our team actively participates in the industry organizations that advance knowledge, standards, and professional development in BC and across North America.
SWANA: Solid Waste Association of North America
SHA is an active participant in SWANA, the leading professional association for solid waste management practitioners across North America. The SWANA Pacific Chapter (BC & Yukon) serves over 200 members from the public and private sectors in British Columbia, providing training, certification, networking, and technical education for solid waste professionals.
CWMA: Coast Waste Management Association
SHA participates in the Coast Waste Management Association, a highly regarded BC-focused membership association serving the solid waste management industry across British Columbia. CWMA facilitates knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration through events, working groups, and an extensive resource library, connecting local governments, private industry, and non-profits across the province.
Trusted When It Matters
From emergency fire response to long-term municipal partnerships, SHA’s work has been recognized by clients, media and the engineering community.
Called on as Landfill Fire Specialists
SHA has extinguished 35 landfill fires around the world. When a months-long dump fire threatened homes near Birmingham, Alabama, ABC 33/40’s I-Team turned to SHA for expert analysis of the risks.
Fire Expertise Behind the New Providence Ecology Park
The consortium selected by the Government of The Bahamas to remediate and operate the New Providence landfill brought SHA onto its team for landfill fire control and remediation expertise.
Two Decades of Trust at the Vancouver Landfill
City of Vancouver council reports have repeatedly selected SHA, from the Western 40 hectare closure plan, where reviewers rated SHA’s proposal superior, to the Phase 5 closure, where SHA was judged to offer the best overall value.
Mentoring the Next Generation
SHA mentored a UBC civil engineering team whose Boston Bar Landfill closure and site renewal design won the poster category at UBC’s Design and Innovation Day.
The Silver Moose Trophy
Each year, Sperling Hansen Associates presents the Silver Moose Trophy to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding effort, dedication, and contribution to the field of solid waste management in British Columbia.
The award reflects SHA’s founding belief that the profession advances through the commitment of individuals who go beyond their daily responsibilities to raise the standard of practice for everyone. Past recipients have come from regional districts, municipalities, industry, and the consulting world, united by a genuine passion for doing this work better.
The moose (SHA’s symbol since the firm’s founding) represents the rugged, purposeful character of BC’s landscape and the enduring nature of the work our profession does. The Silver Moose is awarded in that spirit.
Nominations & Selection
The Silver Moose Trophy recipient is selected annually by SHA’s team based on demonstrated contribution to the solid waste management profession in BC. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to info@sperlinghansen.com.
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