Sustainability starts with resources, and Argos has no resource more valuable than its people. A sustainable workforce begins with a promise to make sure every employee goes home each night in the same condition they arrived to work that morning. This promise means having a strong and dynamic safety program and culture. While many of these tools (such as Safety Meetings, DOT Mock Audits, and DriveCams) have been part of Argos for a few years, there is a new digital tool that has just recently been implemented called Job Safety Analysis (JSA for short). This tool was developed as an app for sales, operations and the quality teams to have on their phones. It allows them to answer a series of questions on a job site about the site’s safety. The JSA author is also able to take pictures and include them in the report. These reports are tracked and then shared with the drivers who will be entering the site. This entire process is digital and requires no paper.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

 
The Houston division looks to attract vendors that have sustainable practices that they can then implement within Argos. A current area of focus is moving many of their traditional paper processes to digital. Houston has moved to a completely digital hiring process and they are meeting with key raw material vendors to move each vendor to digital ticketing.

Twice every semester, the members of the Houston team are able to give lectures at Texas A&M University to third-year civil engineering students on construction materials. They use this opportunity to discuss the need for the students to develop sustainable practices throughout their engineering careers. The current growth track for Texas surpasses the ability of their natural resources to support a growth using existing practices.
The Houston team’s challenge to these students is to look for opportunities to develop sustainable products by looking for resourced raw materials (such as dredged fines along the coast), recycled products (such as crushed concrete) and other unique environmentally conscious solutions.

Nature and Wildlife

Members of the Houston team are proud to participate locally in a civic leadership group called Houston Stronger. Houston Stronger has been the primary advocacy group for flood control initiatives throughout the region. Houston Stronger raised funds to set up a PAC to push the initial $2.5B Harris County flood control bond, which was successfully lobbied in Washington DC and Austin (Texas state capitol) for sustainable legislation. It is seen throughout the region as the primary flood advocacy group in the area. Argos Houston General Manager, Rob Van Til, sits on the board of directors for Houston Stronger.

Sustainability Projects

Huntington Bayou Federal Flood Risk Management Project

Project Hunting (the Hunting Bayou Federal Flood Risk Management Project), is a $100 million flood damage reduction project under construction along Hunting Bayou from U.S. 59 to downstream of North Wayside Drive. Current and future project elements include:

• Excavating a stormwater detention basin on a 75-acre site near the northeast corner of Homestead Road and Loop 610
•  Widening and deepening about 4 miles of Hunting Bayou
•  Replacing or modifying approximately 20 bridges

When this project is complete, most neighborhoods near the bayou will see water surface elevation reductions of 3-4 feet for the 1 percent (100-year) flooding event. The number of homes and businesses subject to the 1 percent (100-year) flooding event would drop from 5,100 to 650, and all homes and businesses will benefit from the reduced frequency and depth of flooding.
Memorial Park Land Bridge Project
The prairie restoration, which adjoins the Land Bridge, re-introduces endangered native Gulf Coast prairie and additional wetlands to areas north and south of Memorial Drive. A new network of trails will provide safe crossing for people and wildlife. Both prairie and wetlands serve important habitat and stormwater management functions and are a key part of the Park’s ecological restoration to ensure resiliency.

Together, the Land Bridge and Prairie will distinguish Memorial Park and Houston, serving as an icon to all of a greener and more resilient future. Completion is projected for late 2022. Memorial Drive will remain open throughout the duration of the project.