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Expert has conducted geochemical and hydrogeological evaluations of natural attenuation at a number of industrial and refining facilities. His expertise as a contaminant hydrogeologist and geochemistry has allows him to evaluate the fate and transport of chemical in groundwater in complex environments. Expert is currently working on a site using high fructose corn syrup as a carbon source for the degradation of 1,2 DCA in groundwater. The results of the initial pilot testing and an assessment of the site geochemistry have allowed the shutdown of the current groundwater remediation system at a substantial cost savings to the client.

Expert has extensive experience in the application of chemical fate and groundwater flow modeling. His experience includes Modflow, MT3D, AT123D, FEFlow, FEMWater, RBCA Tier 1, 2 and 3 model applications, PHREEQE, Minteq, HELP, and Fractran.

Expert also has extensive experience in the application of three dimensional (3D) visualization and geostatistical analysis of subsurface geologic structures, groundwater flow, and chemical (plume) distributions. Expert currently utilizes the most advanced environmental visualization system available (EVS, Ctech.com) for many of his projects including 3D images and video presentations for litigation. Expert is currently developing a 3D interactive video presentation for a legal case in Michigan.

Adequately addressing environmental risk is an integral part of remediation at both the Federal and State levels. RBCA has become the standard for the application of risk to environmental sites. The majority of fate and transport models developed by Expert have been utilized in assessing risk. Expert is adept at developing conceptual models of chemical migration and groundwater flow and quantifying these conceptual models using a wide range of fate and transport models. Expert has worked closely with risk professionals to develop effective remediation solutions at Superfund, RCRA, and state RCBA sites. In addition, Expert has employed 3D visualization techniques, both image and video presentations, to effectively communicate risk and aid in negotiations with state and federal regulators.

Expert is currently working with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Ontario Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority, and the City of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada, in developing source water protection plans. Expert's role is to provide peer review to stakeholders and to conduct detailed technical review of the Tier 1&2 and Tier 3 Source Water modeling reports.

Expert also developed a regional groundwater flow model of the Heuco Bolson aquifer system which runs from southern New Mexico, through El Paso, Texas and into Juarez, Mexico as part of a model to evaluate the potential impact of historic hydrocarbon releases from a refining complex in El Paso, Texas. By conducting transient groundwater flow simulations and chemical transport modeling, Expert was able to demonstrate that natural attenuation of benzene limited its migration in the shallow bolson aquifer, thereby eliminating any potential risk to municipal groundwater supply for the city of El Paso, Tx.


As a contaminant hydrogeologist, Expert specializes in understanding and developing conceptual and quantitative models of the environmental fate of chemicals. Expert's graduate thesis at the University of Waterloo involved conducting a natural gradient tracer test using the herbicide Diclofop-methyl, a methylated post emergent herbicide, which degraded abiotically (via hydrolysis) to a carboxylic acid then biologically to a phenol.

Recently, Expert completed a groundwater fate and transport modeling evaluating the fate of DNBP (CAS Registry Number 1068-27-5) in a complex multilayered aquifer system in southern Alabama. Based on an evaluation of the geochemistry of the various aquifer units and the construction of a fate and transport model, Expert effectively demonstrated that the DMBP plume was naturally attenuating, and, therefore, did not pose a risk to downgradient receptors.

Understanding the geology of a site, particularly in a complex geologic environment, is critical to understanding the movement of groundwater and chemicals as well as the vulnerability of aquifer to surface releases of chemicals. Expert has conducted site investigations throughout the United States and Canada and has worked in varied geologic environments, including, fractured bedrock environments along the North Eastern US Coast and Midwest, karst environments, glacial environments in the Great Lakes Region, crystalline bedrock in northern Ontario Canada, deltaic environments in the Gulf Region, aeolian & lacustrine environments in the Central Midwest, Southwestern United States, and Coastal Regions.

Expert conducted geologic fracture mapping of a quarry site in south eastern Michigan. The quarry is currently being used for the disposal of fly ash. Expert conducted detailed mapping of fractures and joints along the walls of the quarry and developed a dual porosity fracture flow model to predict the migration of fly ash constituents upon completion of landfilling.

Expert has conducted environmental investigation work and designed remediation systems at numerous facilities including, refineries, chemical plants, pharmaceutical plants, agricultural, research facilities, and terminals. He has experience working at a variety of facilities and understands the importance of the unique constraints posed at different plants.

Expert has addressed the remediation of contaminated soils using various techniques including natural attenuation, chemical oxidation using peroxide / fentons reagent and permanganate, enhanced bioremediation using numerous substrates such as high fructose corn syrup, dairy whey, and molasses, and, as a last resort, excavation and disposal.

An understanding of chemical fate and transport is critical to addressing projects related to environmental forensics. Many litigation projects or insurance claims involve arguments addressing the time of travel of chemicals in subsurface environments or the potential impacts of historic chemical releases. Expert has been involved in numerous cases dealing with the historic migration of chemicals and potential impacts to current receptors. Recently, Expert has been providing opinions on numerous cases in the Gulf Coast region related to historic oil drilling activities dating back to 1901. He is also developing a 3D video presentation for a litigation case in the north central region involving the migration of chemicals from a historic degreaser and their alleged impact to a nearby municipal well.


TexTin Superfund Site, Texas City, Texas (USEPA Region 6)
Technical information obtained following the signing of the Record of Decision (ROD) for the site supported the selection of a new site wide remedy. Expert developed a regional groundwater flow model to evaluate an alternative remedy for Operable Unit No. 1. The groundwater flow model was developed to evaluate the potential off-site migration of low pH groundwater containing elevated levels of lead, arsenic, and cyanide. In addition, a vertical dilution model was developed to identify areas of potential leaching, which exceeded the Remedial Action Cleanup Levels (RACLs). Expert was responsible for the evaluation of new and historic information, model development, evaluation of potential remedial options, and presentations to USEPA and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC); now the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and played an active role in negotiating the final revised remedy with USEPA and TCEQ. As part of this project, Expert conducted over 12 hours of technical presentations to the PRP group as well as USEPA and TCEQ. Expert’s modeling work resulted in a reduction in the amount of soil requiring stabilization (i.e., 800,000 cubic yards to 1,200 cubic yards), which realized a reduction in remediation costs of approximately 30 million.
Muskegon Chemical Superfund Site, Whitehall, Michigan. (USEPA Region 5)
Expert is presently working with Koch Industries (Koch) to develop a closure strategy for the Muskegon Chemical Superfund Site in Whitehall, Michigan. Historically, a pump and treat remedial option has been utilized at the site for the removal of dissolved phase chlorinated solvents. Concurrently, the City of Whitehall is in the process of developing additional groundwater resources for municipal supply, which include the utilization of a municipal supply well near the Site. Expert has been retained by Koch to evaluate the well head protection plan (WHPP) developed by the city’s consultant and to develop a more detailed three-dimensional geologic model and groundwater flow model to look at alternative municipal pumping scenarios which will not effect groundwater gradients at the site.
Fermilab National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, Illinois
Expert has provided ongoing technical consulting to Fermilab since 1992. Initially, Expert developed a groundwater transport model as part of a vulnerability analysis to evaluate the migration of tritium from the Main Injector ring through the unsaturated glacial tills and bedrock groundwater systems. This model is still the current model used by Fermilab to evaluate radionuclide migration across the site. In addition, Expert has provided technical oversight of the influence of the laboratory’s Neutrino Main Injector (NuMI) tunnel on the regional bedrock aquifer and developed a groundwater flow model to calculate the capture zone of the proposed tunnel. The results of these model simulations were used to determine specific construction and shielding criteria for the NuMI tunnel.
Refinery, El Paso, Texas
Expert developed a groundwater flow and chemical transport model for a 500-acre refinery complex in western Texas. His responsibilities included review and interpretation of all available site-specific and regional geologic and hydrogeologic information, conceptual model development, and all aspects of the numerical modeling activities. The groundwater flow model represented a complex analysis incorporating both a complex geologic environment located adjacent to the Rio Grande river as well as the influence of 100 years of active municipal pumpage from the Hueco Bolson aquifer system on both the United States and Mexican sides of the border. The primary purpose of this model was to:


1. Evaluate both the historic and future migration patterns of a subsurface dissolved phase hydrocarbon plume consisting of BTEX, predominately benzene and MtBE, and,
2. To predict any potential risk from the groundwater hydrocarbon plume associated with possible future pumping scenarios for municipal supply in the Hueco Bolson aquifer system.
DuPont Niagara Plant, Niagara Falls, NY (RCRA, RFI, USEPA Region 3)
Expert designed a groundwater remediation system to ensure hydraulic containment of chlorinated solvents and DNAPL in a fractured bedrock aquifer system near Love Canal. The site included two adjoining chemical plants (DuPont and Olin Chemical) with a history of chlorinated solvent releases. This work was conducted as part of an ongoing RCRA facility investigation.

The primary objective of this investigation and hydrogeologic analysis was to evaluate the extent of DNAPL chemicals and dissolved-phase chlorinated solvents in the groundwater and to determine the proportion of chemical constituents from each plant. The results of the analysis calculated the proportion of DNAPL-related chemicals from the DuPont plant and determined the optimal design of a hydraulic containment system, which could prevent future off-site chemical migration without exceeding the current wastewater treatment system capacity of the plant.