What Catalyst Environmental Solutions does

Catalyst Environmental Solutions Corporation is a privately-held, full-service environmental consulting firm founded in 2016 by principals Dan Tormey, Benjamin Pogue, and Megan Schwartz, and self-funded through proceeds from earlier business sales. The firm organizes its practice around five service lines: Land Development & Remediation, Energy, Water, Conserving Our Lands and Waters, and Digital Services (GIS-enabled spatial analysis). Its technical core is the synthesis of scientific, economic, engineering, and regulatory expertise delivered through interdisciplinary project teams, with senior-level Ph.D. scientists and licensed professionals executing CEQA/NEPA documentation, permitting, advisory analysis, site assessment, remediation, and ordinance development. The firm maintains deep expertise in regulatory frameworks (CEQA, NEPA, ESA, Clean Water Act Section 401), fate-and-transport analysis (200+ studies led by Dr. Tormey), environmental toxicology/risk assessment, and ArcGIS-based spatial data management.

The firm serves a horizontal customer base split between public-sector and private-sector clients. Public-sector work spans federal agencies (US EDA, Office of Surface Mining), state agencies (California State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Food and Agriculture, South Dakota Game Fish & Parks), and local agencies (City of Los Angeles LASAN, County of Ventura). Private-sector engagements cover energy (Strata Clean Energy, Sentinel Peak Resources, Plains Exploration/Freeport McMoRan), aerospace due diligence, and conservation nonprofits (California Trout). The company operates project-based, quote-driven engagements acquired primarily through RFPs, sole-source awards, and existing client relationships, with senior principals leading major accounts. Catalyst has pursued geographic expansion via two acquisitions: AWR Environmental in July 2022 (entering the Pacific Northwest and adding brownfield redevelopment) and ENPLAN Environmental and Geospatial Technologies in October 2025 (broadening California footprint and geospatial capacity). The firm is California Certified Small Business Enterprise (ID: 2000479), holds offices across California (Sherman Oaks, Santa Monica, Oakland, Santa Barbara, Oxnard) and Portland, OR, and has received continuous Zweig Group recognition (2019 Top New Venture; 2020-2026 Best Firms to Work For; 2026 Hot Firm). No external institutional capital is evidenced; founders retain operational control, supported by President David (Chip) Blankenhorn and additional senior directors.

Name

Catalyst Environmental Solutions

Legal name

Catalyst Environmental Solutions Corporation

Website

https://ce.solutions

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catalyst Environmental Solutions is a privately-held environmental consulting firm providing impact analysis, permitting, remediation, water resources, and compliance services to government agencies and private energy and infrastructure clients across the western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Water resources management
• Land remediation services
• Environmental impact assessment
• Regulatory permitting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Monica

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional consulting services including environmental impact analysis, permitting, advisory services, site cleanup, ordinance development, and compliance for both public and private sector clients. Services are provided on a project basis with fees based on scope, complexity, and expertise required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Catalyst Environmental Solutions is a full-service environmental consulting firm that delivers environmental impact analysis, permitting, advisory services, specialized analysis, site cleanup, ordinance development, governance support, and regulatory compliance services for both private industry and public sector clients. The firm synthesizes scientific, economic, engineering, and regulatory expertise across five practice areas: Land Development & Remediation, Energy, Water, Conserving Our Lands and Waters, and Digital Services.

Product overview

Catalyst Environmental Solutions is a full-service environmental consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services organized into five interconnected practice areas: Land Development & Remediation, Energy, Water, Conserving Our Lands and Waters, and Digital Services. The firm synthesizes scientific, economic, engineering, and regulatory expertise to provide environmental impact analysis, permitting, advisory services, site cleanup, and compliance support for both private industry and public sector clients. The company operates with an interdisciplinary approach across multiple geographic regions in the western United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Land Development & Remediation Environmental consulting services for land development projects including brownfield redevelopment, site assessment, remediation, and environmental site assessments (ESAs) for property transactions and urban oil field redevelopment.
• Energy Environmental consulting for energy projects including oil and gas, hydraulic fracturing, produced water management, pipelines, LNG terminals, refineries, electrical generation and transmission, solar, wind, geothermal, and battery storage projects.
• Water Water resources consulting including hydrology studies, water supply, water quality, groundwater-surface water interaction, dam safety, stormwater management, and water rights analysis.
• Conserving Our Lands and Waters Conservation and environmental protection services including invasive species management, wildlife habitat restoration, fish passage improvement, geopark planning, and environmental education programs.
• Digital Services Digital and GIS-based environmental analysis services including ArcGIS analysis, spatial data management, and technology-enabled environmental planning and compliance solutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully completed NEPA, Section 7, and Section 106 processes ahead of judicially mandated deadlines for major projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• AWR EnvironmentalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Acquisition of AWR Environmental to expand geographic presence and service offerings in California and the Pacific Northwest. The acquisition strengthens Catalyst's market sector footprint and introduces AWR's expertise in brownfield redevelopment and remediation.
• ENPLAN Environmental and Geospatial TechnologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquisition of ENPLAN Environmental and Geospatial Technologies to further expand geographic footprint in California and strengthen suite of services.
• California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatalyst provides environmental support to CDFA for invasive species control and eradication programs. CDFA serves as first line of defense for California's agricultural industry against invasive species.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan Tormey is part of an IUCN team and serves on the IUCN Geoscientist Specialist Group. Catalyst team member involved in IUCN Volcanology Thematic Study and UNESCO World Heritage Site Review Panel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tetra Tech: One of the largest pure-play environmental and water resources consulting firms globally, with deep CEQA/NEPA, water, energy, and remediation practices. Like Catalyst, Tetra Tech serves federal, state, and local government plus private energy and infrastructure clients with environmental impact, permitting, and remediation services.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Pure-play environmental, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm serving both private industry and governments on impact assessment, permitting, site investigation, and remediation—directly overlapping Catalyst's land development, energy, and water practices.
• ICF International: Public-sector-focused consulting firm with a large environmental and energy practice covering NEPA/CEQA documentation, climate adaptation, and water resources—directly comparable to Catalyst's federal/state agency and energy client base.
• Brown and Caldwell: Employee-owned environmental engineering and water-focused consulting firm serving public water utilities and agencies. Highly comparable to Catalyst's Water practice and its public-sector water quality, supply, and stormwater work.
• Rincon Consultants: California-based environmental consulting firm specializing in CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological resources, permitting, and planning for public and private clients across the Western US—a near-direct comparable to Catalyst by size, geography, and service mix.
• Ascent Environmental: West Coast environmental consulting firm providing CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological and cultural resources, permitting, and planning services to California public agencies and private developers—closely comparable to Catalyst in geography, scale, and service portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global AEC and environmental services giant with a large environmental planning, permitting, water, and remediation practice across the US. Catalyst competes with AECOM in the same public-sector and energy client RFPs, but AECOM operates at vastly greater scale and offers broader multidisciplinary services.
• Stantec: Large multinational engineering, environmental, and consulting firm with significant North American water resources and environmental permitting practices. Overlaps with Catalyst's water, energy, and conservation service lines for public-sector clients.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy with a sizable environmental and water practice serving utilities, energy, and government clients. Comparable to Catalyst in remediation, environmental impact, and water resource work, though at much larger scale.

Emerging players

• Montrose Environmental Group: Publicly traded environmental services firm focused on testing, advisory, and remediation services with overlap to Catalyst's site assessment, remediation, and energy practice areas—particularly for upstream and midstream energy clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catalyst-environmental-solutions

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catalyst Environmental Solutions