James Graham, PG

James also helps clients permit commercial-scale renewable-energy projects including developments subject to the United States National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), manage work associated with inactive and closed mines, and implement site restoration projects. In addition, he supports litigation regarding remediation, including participating in depositions, presenting scientific information, and testifying.

With expertise in a variety of soil and groundwater investigation and remediation techniques, James addresses many types of brownfield projects. In addition, he often manages monitored natural attenuation, building demolition, cap installation and maintenance, and soil excavation, treatment, and landfarming. He handles CERCLA and voluntary cleanup projects across the United States.

For more than 20 years, James managed a CERCLA mine project where he was responsible for managing tailings and acid-rock drainage, screening chat using x-ray fluorescence (XRF), and sampling sediment. He also managed the closure of mine adits while managing soil, groundwater, and surface-water investigations at the mine. He oversaw SHPO compliance and demolition activities and managed the monitoring of a tailings retention dam and retention ponds. He also supported litigation, stormwater permitting, compliance monitoring, and plugging of mine seeps.

With extensive experience leading NEPA permitting projects, James helps clients with developing capital projects including pipelines, transmission lines, and wind energy facilities. He contributed significantly to the first commercial-scale offshore wind facility on the outer continental shelf of the United States. In the course of this work, James forged, led, coached, and mentored teams of geologists, engineers, biologists, archaeologists, geophysicists, environmental scientists, industrial hygienists, and construction crews.

To advance the state of the practice, James contributes to new thinking on how to investigate and remediate petroleum constituents, chlorinated hydrocarbons, metals, pesticides, nitrate, hexavalent chromium, lead-based paints, and asbestos-containing materials. He also develops new strategies to achieve regulatory closure and is instrumental in supporting energy transition strategies for clients.