Speakers: Dave Folkes, Eric Lovenduski, and Kaitlin Ouverson

Vapor intrusion (VI) mitigation has substantially evolved over the past two decades and will continue to do so in the coming years. In particular, new guidance by ITRC and several states has substantially raised the bar for mitigation design practices. This presentation will provide examples of several systems that meet this bar, including designs based on a sound conceptual site models and the use of key performance metrics to demonstrate successful installation and ensure effective operation over time. This presentation will also summarize several recent developments to improve the cost-effectiveness, reliability, and sustainability of mitigation systems. In addition, methane mitigation is also being required at a growing number of Brownfield sites - similarities and critical differences between VI and methane mitigation will be presented. Finally, new VI mitigation technologies and strategies to improve long-term sustainability, energy efficiency, and lower carbon footprint will be described.

Speakers: Eric Amundsen, JD, Geosyntec and Alena Raymond

For decades, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to explore the environmental impacts of products, processes, and policies. In some cases, the results from LCA studies are used to inform decisions, while in other cases, the results are used to qualify for government incentives or meet certain standards such as low-carbon fuel standards. Emerging federal and state regulations and recently enacted financial incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act explicitly require that an LCA is performed, bringing additional attention to the practice.

This presentation will explain important aspects of LCAs and highlight several fields where LCA use is growing. Two examples will be provided that demonstrate how LCA is used to qualify for clean hydrogen production tax credits and to develop environmental product declarations (EPDs).

Speakers: Kevin Dufresne and Lori Carter

Global companies are actively responding to the decarbonization pressures from governments, end-users, investors, and stakeholders, and making critical changes to create opportunity and value in their transition toward low carbon fuels and energy. Geosyntec supports our clients to look at the bigger picture in the Energy Transition market to deliver informed sustainable water and environmental solutions. Increased demand for local water resources that comes with developing new industrial infrastructure to support Energy Transition projects, particularly in regions where water scarcity is already impacting day-to-day life, can become a limiting factor to decarbonization’s success. The specific industrial infrastructure needed to support Energy Transition projects, such as green and blue ammonia, hydrogen, CCUS, bioenergy, and renewables, will vary but one recurring theme will be an increased demand for water. Unlike past sudden growth events in industry, we are now much more aware of the value of water and its critical role in industry’s social license to operate, and we now have the tools to manage it much more effectively. This webinar will discuss the current state of the Energy Transition market and how its success will go hand-and-hand with the adoption and advancement of smart and sustainable industrial water strategies.

Speakers: Jennifer Field,Ph.D., Professor, Oregon State University and Dylan Eberle, Ph.D., Project Geologist, Geosyntec Consultants

Join us for two fascinating discussions about PFAS Sampling and Analysis.

Assessing and Mitigating Bias in PFAS Sampling Results
Speaker: Dr. Jennifer Field, Oregon State University

An in-depth understanding of PFAS sampling and analytical techniques is valuable to generate defensible data and interpret PFAS results to inform the conceptual site model. PFAS can be inadvertently introduced during or after sample collection, and some PFAS may transform during sample storage. Researchers at Oregon State University collaborated with Geosyntec and others to develop science-based PFAS sampling and analytical recommendations. New research to evaluate bias in techniques for surface water PFAS sampling will be presented, including results of surface microlayer (SML) field sampling to assess PFAS stratification and enrichment at the air/water interface and variability in field measurements using different common PFAS sampling methods.

Developments in PFAS Forensics
Speaker: Dylan Eberle, Geosyntec Consultants

Specialized analytical methods and forensic techniques can be useful as a line of evidence to differentiate among PFAS sources, establish the timing of releases, and determine if the detected PFAS are clearly associated with a distinct process/release or represent anthropogenic background levels. As PFAS monitoring increases, PFAS forensics has emerged as a practice area by adapting techniques established for other complex contaminant mixtures, as well as several novel forensic techniques and analyses specific to the absolute and relative abundance of individual PFAS. This presentation will describe how PFAS forensics can be used to contextualize results, strengthen the conceptual site model, and provide clients and regulators with valuable information when evaluating PFAS detections in environmental samples.

Speakers: Silvia Mancini, Ph.D., P.Geo. and Greg Corcoran, P.E.

Mining companies are increasingly challenged to protect water quality and avoid negative impacts to the environment and local communities. Innovative approaches to managing mine-impacted waters can help the mining sector grow and evolve. Initial mine planning, water treatment improvements, and water reclamation practices can minimize compliance issues, reduce operation and maintenance demands, and assist companies in meeting their sustainability goals. This presentation will describe several water quality challenges that mining companies face and innovative approaches and technologies to mitigate these challenges. Examples include innovative capping solutions, pit lake treatment, Gravel Bed Reactors (GBR), passive treatment systems, and more.

Speakers: Robert (Bob) Anderson, LHG, CWRE and Mark Hanna, Ph.D., P.E., LEED AP

A reliable water supply is increasingly important to meet current and future needs of municipalities, industry, agriculture, and the environment. Using basic concepts of reliability, resiliency, and a “balanced portfolio” of water supplies, presenters will address water supply reliability from the cooperative perspectives of groundwater and surface water hydrology practitioners. Groundwater is often a foundational component of water supply systems and associated watershed functions. Surface water creates the intricate architecture of our water supply, its physical infrastructure, and its connections to ecological health. Case studies will be provided of how new tools and ideas about water supply reliability can be used to solve pressing/critical issues.

Speakers: Julie Konzuk, Ph.D., P.Eng. and Rebecca Daprato, Ph.D., P.E.

Remedial strategies often evolve over time. Particularly at complex sites, remedial performance may not meet expectations and alternative technologies may be tried, with similar results. Millions of dollars and decades can be spent implementing and adjusting the remedial program. Stakeholders may lack consensus on a path to site closure. Taking a step back to re-assess conceptual site model (CSM) limitations and data gaps and identify where and why contaminants persist longer than expected can lead to insights for optimizing the remedial approach and improving performance. This presentation will describe various tools and approaches used to interrogate areas with persistent contamination, how to capitalize on and communicate the extent of natural attenuation to stakeholders, and concepts for beginning a dialogue and developing a path to closure. Case studies will illustrate potential benefits of revisiting the CSM and remedy basis, as well as the process for reaching agreement on a path to site closure, depending on the regulatory framework, stakeholder input, applicability of risk-based closure strategies, acceptable remedial timeframes, and impact on receptors.

Speakers: Jill Cooper, MBA, JD and Lynn McGuire, P.E.

During this webinar, you will learn about the tools and strategies Geosyntec uses to help corporate leaders respond to and align with environment, social, and governance (ESG) and sustainability directives, aspirations, and global initiatives (e.g., the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs), Paris Accord, and Science-Based Targets). Presenters will describe how an analytical framework can be applied to ESG-related activities to reveal how to better contribute to financial success. Data visualization can be used with cost/feasibility and benchmarking data to better inform decision-making. Examples of tools and strategies presented will include risk management and value creation ‘balance sheets’, benchmarking data visualization, marginal abatement cost curves, and more to represent actions and ambitions, generate buy-in, and build support for sustainability actions.

Speakers: Howard Cumberland and Christopher Robb, P.E.

Geosyntec supports large integrated waterfront redevelopment and sediment remediation projects across the United States, Canada and Australia. Our team has delivered comprehensive waterfront solutions that balance environmental remediation, geotechnical requirements, economic factors, and community needs. A conceptual site model of redevelopment objectives and potential environmental impacts to receptors (via soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water pathways) is critical to develop, evaluate, and gain regulatory approval. Engineering design processes and specialty construction solutions have been developed and demonstrated to navigate complex subsurface and in-water environmental conditions. Examples include horizontal barrier systems, buried shoreline structures, sediment capping solutions, approaches to beneficial reuse of soil and other impacted materials, and stormwater improvements. In this presentation, we will showcase lessons learned as lead consultant or engineer of record for an urban waterway project in New York and the Waterfront Toronto project in Canada, a 1,000-acre, $1.25 billion flood protection and redevelopment effort. A third case study will feature the Crab Bank restoration project in South Carolina, which was conducted by ATM, a Geosyntec company.

Speakers: Theresa Gabris, P.G. and Chase Holton, Ph.D., P.E.

Efficient and effective vapor intrusion (VI) pathway assessment and mitigation are driven by a strong understanding of the VI conceptual site model (CSM). This webinar will give an overview of the VI CSM, including a CSM for VI mitigation and its role in mitigation design, introduce advanced techniques to fill assessment and mitigation data gaps, and answer frequently asked questions about VI pathway assessment and mitigation questions.

Speakers: Eryn Torres, M.S. and Jamey Rosen, P.Geo.

This presentation will highlight several benefits of modern environmental data management. Environmental monitoring optimization and plume stability analyses will be presented, including the innovative use of geostatistical tools to reduce monitoring costs and evaluate remediation technology effectiveness. A portfolio of web-based tools will also be presented – these tools allow consultants and project managers to view, validate, and analyze critical data as soon as they are available from the laboratory. Presenters will describe how these technologies have been applied to visualize data from soil, groundwater, sediment, and vapor monitoring and the direct benefits to remediation programs.

Speakers: Matt Vanderkooy, M.Sc., P.Geo. and Chris Shores, P.E.

Geosyntec’s site characterization and remedy design teams faced a hydrogeologically-challenging site with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination. The site had steeply-sloping topography and aquifers that thinned out near a major surface water body which experienced episodes of seasonal flooding. Geosyntec developed a robust conceptual site model by studying the site setting, formulating critical hydrogeological insights, and developing these through iterative field investigations. Investigation results revealed a previously unidentified major PFAS transport pathway at the Site: a set of upwelling groundwater channels. Geosyntec engineers then designed and implemented an innovative, fully passive water treatment remedy for the upwelling groundwater channels. The remedy, a set of flow-through cells, has consistently removed over 99% of target PFAS from influent water.

Speakers: Derek Morley, P.E. and Glenn J. Rix, Ph.D., P.E.

Many dam owners and regulators are transitioning to risk-informed dam safety programs for their portfolios. Risk assessments are a structured and systematic method of understanding potential failure modes, interactions between components of the dam system, and areas of importance and uncertainty. The webinar will describe the techniques and tools used for risk assessment and the benefits of risk-informed decision making (RIDM) for dam owners.

Speakers: Chris Saranko, Ph.D., DABT and Travis Kline, MEM, BCES

Toxicologists and risk assessors face the ongoing challenge of integrating findings from scientific studies to establish the basis for developing sound public policy. This process can result in shifting targets for commercially important chemicals and legacy contaminants. Throughout the process, there are opportunities for public participation and strategies for agency engagement and liability assessment. This webinar will provide an overview of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s scheme for conducting toxicological assessments under the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) and other scientific programs. Presenters will discuss real-world consequences of some recent high-profile IRIS assessments, including trichloroethylene (TCE), benzo(a)pyrene, and ethylene oxide. Presenters will also describe current and near-term future activities of the IRIS Program to address commercially important chemicals including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and plasticizers.

Speakers: Alex McKenzie-Johnson, P.G., L.G., L.E.G. and Spencer Varnado

With changing regulatory, corporate, and societal norms, increased focus has been placed on integrity management of pipeline assets in order to reduce the impacts of pipeline operation to as low as reasonably possible. As a result, pipelines have become safer than ever before. Midstream pipeline operators can continue to improve Integrity Management Programs by efficiently identifying and managing negative impacts before they occur. Examples include geohazards such as landslides and riverine processes, potential ecological and permitting constraints, and cultural resource impacts. Combined with technical know-how for mitigation, and deep knowledge of permitting constraints that could affect the viability of mitigation options, Geosyntec has provided innovative and sound solutions to improve pipeline industry Integrity Management Programs. This presentation will provide examples of integrated approaches, demonstrating early identification of potential geohazards, complexities in the permit process, design and implementation of appropriate mitigation measures, and large-scale effective monitoring techniques that allow for early intervention.

Speakers: Philip Benson, P.E., PMP and Brian Petty, P.E.

Water availability, quality, use, treatment, and discharge are central considerations for new and existing industrial facilities. Integrated planning considers ways to optimize social, environmental, and economic outcomes by expanding the water conversation beyond the facility’s four walls and into the affected watershed. Engineers, scientists, policy experts, and operational leaders must all be involved. This presentation will describe factors to consider and examples of inter-related decision-making regarding water supply, usage, and discharge.

Speakers: Chris Conkle, P.E., G.E. and Rodolfo Sancio, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE.

Geosyntec's clients have critical infrastructure that requires robust real-time monitoring during construction and operation. This work frequently occurs at remote locations and data needs to be presented to our clients as an "early warning system" in a way that allows for decision making in real time. Examples of infrastructure that requires this fully integrated instrumentation / geotechnical decision-making capability are dams, landfills pipelines, and bridges. This presentation will provide background on geotechnical instruments and their uses, as well as an illustrative example of recent project that involved the identification and mitigation of a landslide threatening four operating natural gas pipelines.

Speakers: Aaron Poresky, P.E. and Lee Hauser, P.E.

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) are a broad class of assets ranging from site-scale treatment devices to regional multi-benefit amenities. Asset owners and watershed managers face key challenges in managing aging SCMs, adapting to changing watershed and climatic conditions, and responding to evolving regulatory needs and community expectations. Adopting an asset management approach for SCMs can help maintain regulatory compliance, forecast funding needs to help inform long-term funding strategies, and prioritize expenditures to reduce the lifecycle costs of owning these assets. In addition, an asset management system can be an important foundation for reporting on progress toward watershed goals and/or planning for future capital investment needed to achieve required (and desired) outcomes. With focused investment in asset management, organizations can be better prepared to make decisions in a more holistic manner, considering limited resources, regulatory compliance timelines, equity considerations, and other stakeholder expectations. This webinar will outline a framework for SCM asset management and share case studies of how public and private entities have approached asset management challenges ranging from individual SCMs to a multi-watershed scale.

Speakers: Steve Peene, Ph.D. and Rob Annear, Ph.D., P.E.

Climate change has threatened coastal infrastructure and drinking water supplies globally. Communities, regulators, and industry can examine and mitigate these impacts through the lens of resiliency. Coastal infrastructure planning can draw from detailed data analyses and leverage appropriate and feasible technical approaches. Drinking water source protection planning may be expanded to consider droughts, reduced snowpack, floods, wildfires, and harmful algal blooms. Presenters will describe multiple projects and processes that have been used to quantify current and future scenario risks to coastal infrastructure and drinking water utilities.

Speakers: Brandon Steets, P.E. and Jason Conder, Ph.D.

This presentation will provide an update on two areas of continued client and regulatory interest for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), stormwater management and ecological risk assessment approaches. Regulatory agencies are beginning to evaluate PFAS occurrence in stormwater and transport to aquatic receptors, and develop monitoring programs for PFAS under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) framework. This presentation will describe lessons learned for evaluating and assessing PFAS in stormwater, as well as the effectiveness of passive and active stormwater controls for PFAS. In addition, the latest and greatest research on PFAS aquatic toxicity and implications for ecological risk assessment will be presented. Tools and references to guide the establishment of science-based site-specific screening levels for PFAS will also be discussed.

Speakers: Wendy R. Hovel, Ph.D and Anne Fitzpatrick, LHG

The Portland Harbor Superfund Site includes 9.9 miles of the Lower Willamette River and 2,200 acres contaminated from decades of industrial use. Water and sediment at the site are contaminated with a range of hazardous substances, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins/furans, pesticides and heavy metals. The Record of Decision (ROD) issued by EPA in 2017 described a combined remedy including 265 acres of dredging and capping, 28 acres of enhanced natural recovery, and up to 3 million cubic yards of dredging over 12 construction years at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. Viable management solutions at such sites often require establishing background concentrations that represent wide-ranging contaminant sources unrelated to the site. At sediment sites, assessing background concentrations has the added complication of characterizing upstream surface water and sediment which can recontaminate a site following remediation. This presentation will focus on a robust study to investigate background concentrations of multiple contaminants in sediments, surface water solids, sediment traps, and porewater during pre-remedial design. The investigation design and statistical methods provided a strong foundation for comparing upstream concentrations to re-baselined site conditions and supporting the study’s recommendations.

Speakers: Todd Creamer, P.G., Todd McAlary, Ph.D., P.Eng., P.G. and Helen Dawson, Ph.D.

Join industry-renowned experts, each with more than three decades of experience in tackling the most challenging vapor intrusion problems. The speakers will discuss Geosyntec’s successes in addressing complex issues, look to the future on remaining challenges, and reflect on regulatory expectations, community relations, emerging contaminants, and more. Historically, obstacles to achieve final decisions for vapor intrusion sites were often driven by uncertainties in temporal and spatial variability, background sources, preferential pathways, and long-term site management. Current and future challenges include emerging contaminants, risk management/risk communication, and holistic approaches to implementing and maintaining building health. The speakers will describe examples of creative solutions that have benefitted from applied research and will speak to the value of regulatory credibility to facilitate more effective and lasting outcomes.

Speakers: Nathan Holmer, P.E., S.E. and Terry Holman, Ph.D., P.E.

Even with the advent of enhanced project delivery systems, construction and design are not as integrated and seamless as they could be. In practice, the gaps may be widening. From project concept through design and into construction, the details of constructability are often an afterthought. These challenges are acute in the hybrid space occupied by geotechnical, structural, and construction engineering, and may result in unresolved risks during construction for multiple parties. The Geostructural and Construction Engineering Practice at Geosyntec was specifically developed to bridge these gaps and address specific challenges in the construction sector using an integrated approach. Practitioners with hybrid backgrounds as engineers and contractors work together to provide clients with a full spectrum of engineering services and optimized solutions to critical construction challenges. Join us as we present two project case histories in the geotechnical and structural construction arena that integrated constructibility assessments early in the design process, thereby minimizing challenges in the field, reducing construction costs and schedule slippage, and enhancing safety.

Speakers: Amy Dzialowski and Wendy Key, PG, CEM

Municipalities and the private sector are increasingly seeking to redevelop potentially impaired properties to strengthen local economies, rebuild communities, invigorate urban cores, promote sustainable growth, and improve soil and groundwater quality. However, the complicated environmental conditions and economic distress typical of brownfields sites create a higher potential risk for the stakeholders involved in the revitalization process. Creative environmental assessment and redevelopment strategies can reduce liability and overcome persistent environmental and economic hurdles. Several examples will be described in this presentation: (1) grant funding, including identifying sites that are good candidates for grant funding, and the process of obtaining government or community grants to offset redevelopment costs; (2) environmental conditions assessment and management of environmental hazards; and (3) remediating and/or controlling subsurface impacts identified during redevelopment activities. By rethinking environmental solutions throughout the entire brownfields cycle, we can reimagine more sustainable communities as we bring properties back into beneficial reuse.

Municipalities, water districts, and private interests are investing millions of dollars in implementing various protection and improvement projects geared towards helping our lakes, streams, and estuaries meet their water quality targets and intended use. With such significant investments, it is important that protection and improvement strategies are targeted to the appropriate pollutant sources which are leading to impairments. Misidentified pollutant sources can lead to ineffective recommendations that result in wasted investment. This presentation will discuss various strategies and provide project examples focused on sharing appropriate assessment methods and strategies to target the specific sources of surface water impairment to maximize the benefit received for dollars spent.

Generally, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an extensive family of anthropogenic compounds that have been used in a variety of industrial and consumer applications since the 1940s. The amount of PFAS data being generated is vast and is only going to continue to grow, particularly given the recently proposed EPA National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. It is important to understand that the ability to identify PFAS and the quality of analytical methods varies by laboratory, media, and PFAS sought. This presentation will provide an overview of the range of historical and currently available PFAS analytical methods, as well as the use of analytical data in litigation.