As a demonstrated leader in the occupational and environmental health professions since 1975, Carnow Conibear continues to be an intelligent resource for protecting the health, safety and environment of businesses, employees and the public.
Carnow Conibear Features
  • 45 years of environmental engineering, industrial hygiene and occupational medicine multidisciplinary consulting
  • An extensive knowledge of regulatory policies and standards
  • Upper management direction of projects and audit programs
  • A large and diverse array of clients and experience in completing unique and challenging projects


Carnow Conibear is a City of Chicago-certified WBE firm.

45 Years of Environmental and Occupational Consulting Services
  • 2020 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), the Illinois Governor’s Office, and the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health MidAmerica Center for Public Health Practice publish the Illinois State Health Improvement Plan.
  • 2020 Carnow Conibear Metra Contract Extended One Year and Increased budget increased.
  • 2018 Carnow Conibear receives General Services Administration Environmental Services Blanket Purchase Agreement. Renewed 2019 and 2020.
  • 2018 Carnow Conibear is awarded Multi-Year Contract for Managing Environmental Consulting Services for Chicago Public Schools.
  • 2018 Carnow Conibear Carnow Conibear surpasses 100 No Further Remediation Letters (NFRs) from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Site Remediation Program.
  • 2018 Carnow Conibear Awarded Multi-Year Water Quality Testing Services Contract for all Chicago Public Schools.
  • 2018 Carnow Conibear is awarded a Multi-Year Chicago Housing Authority Environmental Consulting Services Contract.
  • 2017 Carnow Conibear is selected as Environmental Consultant for new multi-million dollar City Colleges of Chicago Daley College Advanced Manufacturing Center.
  • 2017 Carnow Conibear is selected by Northwestern University as Preferred Vendor for Environmental Testing and Analysis Services.
  • 2017 Carnow Conibear is selected as Chicago Park District consultant. Received Extensions in 2018 and 2019.
  • 2017 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 3-Year Professional Services Contract with Metra.
  • 2017 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 2-Year Environmental Consulting Services Contract from Housing Authority of Cook County.
  • 2016 The Frank R. Lautenburg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act is approved by Congress.
  • 2016 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 2-Year Term Contract with City Colleges of Chicago. Received renewal in 2018 and 2020.
  • 2016 Carnow Conibear is awarded Public Building Commission of Chicago Multi-Year Term Environmental Consultant Renovation & Demolition Contract.
  • 2016 Carnow Conibear is awarded Public Building Commission of Chicago Multi-Year Term Environmental Consultant Environmental Engineering Services Contract.
  • 2014 Carnow Conibear is awarded a Multi-Year Chicago Housing Authority Environmental Consulting Services Contract.
  • 2014 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 5-Year Term Contract with City of Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management.
  • 2014 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 2-Year Environmental Consulting Services Contract from Housing Authority of Cook County. The contract was extended in 2015 and 2016.
  • 2014 Carnow Conibear is selected to be Environmental Consultant for new multi-million dollar Malcolm X College Development.
  • 2013 Carnow Conibear is selected by the Board of Education of School District U-46 for 3-Year Professional Services Agreement.
  • 2012 Carnow Conibear is awarded a Chicago Department of Aviation/ O’Hare Modernization Program Contract.
  • 2012 Carnow Conibear is awarded a 4-Year Professional Services Contract with Metra.
  • 2010 Carnow Conibear is awarded a Public Building Commission of Chicago Multi-Year Term Environmental Consultant Renovation & Demolition contract.
  • 2010 Carnow Conibear is selected by Metra to perform air quality monitoring on Metra passenger cars and train stations.
  • 2010 Carnow Conibear is awarded a Public Building Commission of Chicago Multi-Year Term Environmental Consultant Environmental ABC Services contract.
  • 2009 Carnow Conibear performs employee exposure monitoring for U.S. firm in Brazil factories.
  • 2008 Carnow Conibear performs asbestos and hazardous materials inspection of entire Michael Reese Hospital Complex after it is named as a possible Olympic Village site.
  • 2005 Carnow Conibear becomes the first licensed commercial radon testing firm in Chicago.
  • 2004 Dr. Conibear serves on the Joint Illinois House-Senate Task Force on Mold in Indoor Environments.
  • 2001 St. Charles East High School is shut down due to extensive mold contamination. Carnow Conibear hired to develop and oversee mold remediation. The school is reopened one year later.
  • 2000 Carnow Conibear performs hazardous materials surveys and oversees abatement of several Northwestern Memorial Hospital buildings prior to demolition.
  • 2000 Carnow Conibear inspects and oversees clean-up of large-scale mercury spills in Northern Illinois following natural gas meter replacement.
  • 1998 Carnow Conibear performs mold surveys and oversees cleanup of major hotel chain in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Georges.
  • 1997 Carnow Conibear starts Midway Airport Redevelopment – an 8-year project removing Underground Storage Tanks and remediating contaminated soil.
  • 1997 Carnow Conibear performs asbestos and lead survey of entire Old Chicago Post Office.
  • 1994 Carnow Conibear works for BRK Brands on the issue of carbon monoxide detector alarms in Chicago homes.  A random sample of homes in the City are selected and tested for CO resulting in a presentation at an ASHRAE meeting in 1995.
  • 1994 Dr. Conibear is appointed to the National Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) as the Public Health member.
  • 1993 Chicago becomes one of the first cities in the nation to require carbon monoxide alarms in housing.
  • 1993 Carnow Conibear performs mold remediation services for major hotels in Hawaii following Hurricane Iniki.
  • 1993 Carnow Conibear certified as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE) by City of Chicago.
  • 1992 Carnow Conibear performs emergency environmental investigation in flooded tunnels during downtown Chicago Flood.
  • 1991 Following Hurricane Andrew, Carnow Conibear performs mold investigations and assists with remediation in hospital and retail settings.
  • 1991 Carnow Conibear oversees asbestos abatement in 250 Chicago Public Schools over the next 10 years.  In 1997, Carnow Conibear acts as the general contractor for more than $70 million of asbestos abatement in the Chicago Public Schools.
  • 1986 The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act is passed regulating the management of asbestos containing materials in schools
  • 1980 “Superfund” (CERCLA) is created, funding the cleanup of uncontrolled or abandoned hazardous waste sites.
  • 1978 Carnow Conibear performs its first asbestos inspection, design and removal projects.
  • 1978 The manufacture of lead-based paint is banned.
  • 1977 Carnow Conibear performs a large epidemiologic study on the health effects of aluminum smelting on workers in Kittimat, Vancouver.
  • 1977 Congress passes Clean Water Act (CWA), regulating discharge of pollutants to US waterways.
  • 1976 Congress passes Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), regulating the manufacture of all chemicals produced or imported in the US.
  • 1976 Congress passes the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), creating “cradle-to-grave” regulations for hazardous waste.
  • 1975 Dr. Carnow and Dr. Shirley Conibear form Carnow, Conibear & Assoc., Ltd., an occupational health and safety consulting firm. Dr. Conibear plays major role in running the firm, a pioneer in women-managed business at the time.
  • 1974 Dr. Carnow serves as a member of the National Academy of Sciences’ Panel on Non-renewable Resources and Polycyclic Organic Matter, and is Chair of the National Research Council’s Panel on Sox for the National Academy of Science.  His epidemiologic research on the health effects of sulfur dioxide is later used to amend the Clean Air Act.
  • 1973 EPA develops NESHAPs to protect public from asbestos and other hazardous air pollutants.
  • 1970 Congress passes Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), regulating workplace safety.
  • 1970 Dr. Carnow founds and becomes Director of the Environmental Health Resource Center of the State of Illinois Institute for Environmental Quality.  Over the course of eight years, it will issue seventeen documents used by the State of Illinois for standard setting.
  • 1970 Congress passes Clean Air Act (CAA), regulating air emissions.
  • 1969 Dr. Carnow becomes Chair of the Chicago Clean Air Coordinating Committee and a member of the City of Chicago Board of Health Air Quality Standards Committee.
  • 1966 Dr. Bertram Carnow becomes the Medical Director of the Chicago Bronchopulmonary disease Registry.  Data from this registry will be used to perform some of the first epidemiologic studies of the effects of air pollution on lung diseases.


    •