Where There's a Will, There's a Way

Well, it's been a while! I have been refraining from posting because I wanted to clear some things up in regards to my research (I swear I wasn't putting it off!). When I initially got in contact with my on-site advisor, I thought that my internship would be easily complementary to the focus of my SRP, but having been here for a good deal of time, I have realized that this company does not operate on such a macro scale as I initially thought. What I mean by that is that instead of doing power distribution on a large scale (as they say on their website: "With the redevelopment of older intercity sites more and more municipalities choose to improve the aesthetic appeal of their neighborhoods. Casne Engineering assists City’s and electric utilities with the detailed coordination required to develop construction cost estimates, bid documents, and construction engineering that provides smooth relocation of overhead electric, telephone, cable TV, and fiber to underground ducts and manholes along with other the overhead utilities relocated underground http://www.casne.com/highvoltage/services3.html), the power distribution that they do is mostly on a small scale, such as placement of wiring and junction boxes and such within a building or complex, usually working with Boeing, Sea-Tac airport, etc (at least from what I have seen thus far). In terms of wastewater collection and treatment and water systems, I have seen a little bit more of this on a macro scale, but they are only conducting a few such projects right now (although they are projected to do more municipal projects in the future). So far I have done work with control systems, the IT department, and arc-flash analysis and power system design. It has given me insight as to the general process (how projects are initiated and completed and what regulation and steps are in between), however I want to make sure that I am getting the most out of my internship in relation to my research. I have decided to try and integrate the two things, by focusing on the processes on a small scale and then relating them to the large scale impact on the environment. I will use the time I spend with my on-site adviser and his colleagues to examine the larger scale environmental issue created by such infrastructures, and to further investigate if there is a balance between the need for infrastructures and the need for conservation of habitats. Does the company take this (balance between the need for infrastructures and the need for conservation of habitats) into consideration, beyond the framework of laws and regulations? What policies are in place within the company? Is new technology helping to minimize the environmental impact of these infrastructures, and if so, how?