Commitment

Environmental

Sustainable Standards

Michels is committed to good corporate citizenship and environmental leadership for a healthy environment. This commitment drives our operations and provides our customers with safe, reliable, and responsive construction services conducted in an environmentally responsible manner. We hold ourselves accountable to the high standards that have guided Michels since 1959 and believe our strategic, thoughtful actions today allow us to positively impact tomorrow.

A worker works at the edge of the Upper Mississppi River.

Our Commitment

We firmly believe our commitment to the environment benefits our customers, shareholders and the communities we serve. As we adapt to a changing world, we maintain current practices and find new ways to strengthen our focus on innovative infrastructure solutions and environmentally sound practices.

Environmental Policy

Environmental Cornerstones

These 12 cornerstones represent Michels’ commitment to our Core Values and support our culture of continuous improvement. These foundational principles are built into our day-to-day work activities:

Approved Limits of Disturbance

Always identify and stay within approved project limits, right-of-way and approved access points.

Spill Prevention & Reporting

Always follow proper spill prevention measures for storage, containment and fueling. Maintain spill kits. All spills must be cleaned up and reported internally, regardless of size.

Waterways, Shorelines & Wetlands

Always identify resources and conduct job activities to minimize adverse impacts to water resources.

Wildlife, Sensitive Species & Cultural Resources

Always avoid or minimize interference with nesting birds, wildlife, sensitive species and marine mammals, including their habitats. Follow cultural resources avoidance, reporting and mitigation measures.

Keep Roadways Clean

Always keep roads clean from tracked sediment (street sweeping) and utilize rock construction entrances or other approved tracking pads.

Restoration

Always leave the site with pre-construction or better conditions. Return contours and seed according to applicable seeding window.

Waste Management & Recycling

Always follow waste minimization and best practices (e.g., label containers, separate waste types, track shipments). Identify opportunities for salvage, reuse and recycling.

Erosion & Sediment Controls

Always install and maintain erosion and sediment controls according to specs. Report compromised controls for maintenance. Ensure fills or spoils are managed with proper controls.

Clean Dewatering

Always know allowable discharge locations and limits. Use properly sized dewatering structures or filter bags to discharge clean water to vegetation areas.

Invasive Species

Always inspect equipment and vessels for presence of invasive species and aquatic vegetation upon removal from the site. Follow state procedures for equipment and vessel movement and decontamination.

Reduce Vehicle Idling

Always consider when vehicles/equipment can be shut off to reduce emissions and fuel costs. Equipment should only idle during extreme weather and if necessary for specific equipment job functions.

Know Job-Specific & Permit Requirements

Always review and follow job-specific requirements and applicable permits. Attend required training on environmental protection, restoration and mitigation measures.

A crew builds a cofferdam on the Missouri River

Sustainability Initiatives

Michels uses a hybrid crane to move large boulders

Greenhouse Gas Reduction

On average, Michels replaces 5% of our construction vehicles and equipment with newer units powered by engines that meet or exceed EPA Tier 4 emissions standards.

Green Masters

Michels participates in this voluntary program for improving environmental performance, earning green professional status for the construction industry. The Green Masters Program identifies nine key areas that define business sustainability: energy, carbon, water, waste management, transportation, supply chain, education and outreach, workforce and governance.

Michels operates a recycle crushing plant alongside an interstate highway to turn used concrete into aggregate

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Michels continues to recycle tons of construction debris, such as concrete and asphalt, in our non-metallic mining operations. By repurposing used concrete and asphalt into usable aggregate, we help save space in landfills and preserve natural resources.

Wisconsin Green Tier Program

Michels promotes continual environmental improvements at corporate support facilities across North America. In 2015, we were accepted into the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s Green Tier Program, which recognizes superior environmental performance and sustainability initiatives that go above and beyond regulatory requirements. As part of the program, we use an Environmental Management System (EMS) at our corporate campus in Brownsville, WI, equivalent to ISO 140001, which manages our commitment to environmental compliance, pollution prevention and continual improvement.

Building a Better Wisconsin
Our Core Values
Core Values in Action
Living by Core Values

R1VER Milwaukee office building near a river.

Aggregates being poured by a Michels dump truck.

Four Michels crew members stand together

A collection of images depicting those who have displayed Michels Core Values.

Contact Us

Thank you for taking time to learn more about who we are and what we do. If you need additional information or are in need of a solution not addressed on these pages, please submit a message with your contact information.