He will present “Environmental Sequence Stratigraphy (ESS): Geology-Focused Conceptual Site Models as a Best Practice for Groundwater and Geotechnical Projects.”
The meeting will be held at the Aviators Restaurant at the Sacramento Executive Airport in Sacramento, California.
Rick is a Senior Principal Geologist based in California with more than 30 years of experience focused on developing improved understandings of subsurface conditions to solve contaminated site problems and improve groundwater management programs.
An innovator in groundwater characterization, remediation optimization, and groundwater basin management, Rick developed ESS technology, a geology-focused approach that improves the definition of groundwater flow and contaminant migration pathways. This approach is used to produce robust geologic models, and, ultimately, supports conceptual site models that more accurately represent the heterogeneous conditions underlying most groundwater-contaminated sites.
GRAC offers education and technical leadership in effective resource management that protects and improves groundwater supply and quality.
About the Presentation
The most challenging element of any groundwater and geotechnical project is the uncertainty of the subsurface. The complexity of the subsurface has confounded the progress, delayed remediation goals, and caused project-budget overruns for many remediation efforts at contaminated soil and groundwater sites worldwide. In 2022, the Air Force Civil Engineering Center (AFCEC) conducted an enterprise-wide evaluation of the elements that affect remediation successes and concluded that the conceptual site model (CSM) overwhelmingly has the greatest impact on the restoration effort. Geology-focused CSMs (applying concepts of ESS) have proven to be a best practice for resolving the challenges of geologic heterogeneity. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized this best practice in their 2017 Groundwater Technical Issue Paper. This geology-focused approach applies not only to environmental restoration projects but is also relevant and beneficial to groundwater resources/sustainable groundwater management and geotechnical projects.
More Information
Learn more about GRAC’s Sacramento Branch Meeting.
Learn more about GRAC.
For consultation about groundwater remediation and ESS, contact Rick at rick.cramer@geosyntec.com.
Learn more about Rick: Rick Cramer, PG (geosyntec.com)
