Specialties
Conceptual Site Model Development; Contaminated Media Investigations and Assessments; Groundwater Assessment and Remediation; Remedial Design; Regulatory Strategy & Stakeholder Engagement; Remedial Program Management; Remediation System Operation and Optimization; Treatability and Pilot Studies; Vapor Intrusion Assessment and Remediation; Brownfield Redevelopment Planning and Design
Practice Areas
Contaminated Site Assessment and Cleanup; Environmental Management
Education
BA, Earth Sciences & Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Cruz; Licensed Geologist: Washington #21029184; Professional Geologist: California #9288
Client Service
Lea’s expertise spans conceptual site model development, groundwater transport evaluation, and strategic design and optimization of soil and groundwater remediation systems.
Clients benefit from Lea’s rare dual perspective from her tenure (2023–2025) as a technical expert at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where she gained insight into federal CERCLA (Superfund) and RCRA program priorities and processes. Her work consistently marries technical excellence with regulatory strategy, making her a trusted advisor to both clients and agencies.
Lea has led high-profile remediation projects, including managing the remedial program for a complex Superfund site in Northern California. The site involved a large, comingled chlorinated solvent plume in a densely developed commercial, federal, and residential area. During this project, she and her team optimized the groundwater extraction networks, piloted an in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) remedy, and managed a vast monitoring and reporting program. They also evaluated vapor intrusion risks across the 1-square-mile plume. Under her guidance, the program secured USEPA approval to reduce monitoring and reporting frequency, consolidate five facility-specific reports into a single annual report, and transition from active to passive groundwater sampling. These contributions significantly reduced the time and resources required to demonstrate remedial progress.
On behalf of clients, Lea designs and implements innovative, cost-effective approaches to characterize contaminant distribution in the subsurface. To do this, she uses advanced site characterization tools to collect high-resolution site data and employs this data to develop detailed conceptual site models (CSMs). These CSMs in turn serve as the foundation for evaluating remedial strategies and supporting remedial design. Lea also oversees the preparation of investigation reports that document field work and summarize findings within the context of the CSM.
To address contaminants at active sites, she has designed and implemented a range of innovative remedies, including ISCO, in situ bioremediation, in situ chemical reduction, and chemical-reducing permeable reactive barriers. Her deep technical expertise in hydrogeology and geology, combined with her strategic mindset, makes her a key contributor to the success of contaminated site assessment and cleanup programs.
Contact Lea at Lea.Kane@Geosyntec.com.
