CNYAPG January 2016 Mr. Seth Pitkin (Stone Environmental) 21

CNYAPG
January 2016
Mr. Seth Pitkin
(Stone
Environmental)
In this Issue:



January 2016 Meeting Announcement
President’s Message
Upcoming Events
21 January 2016 Meeting
Mr. Seth Pitkin, Stone Environmental will present:
“High Resolution Site Characterization: The Path to Successful Remedies and Reduced Cost”
The passage of CERCLA in the United States in 1980 created, nearly instantly, what is today a $9 billion annual industry in that country
which is still growing. Knowledge of the fate and transport of industrial chemicals in the subsurface was extremely limited in the 1980s and
most of the early practitioners in the new industry came from, or were influenced by, the water supply and wastewater disposal fields. The
conceptual models and scales of measurement from these fields were inappropriate for assessment and remediation of chemicals in the subsurface as recognized by a few early pioneers like C.V. Theis and John Cherry. These models and approaches became embedded in the
field and are still prevalent today. In the 1980s, pumping and treatment (P&T) of groundwater comprised between 80% and 90% of Superfund groundwater remedies. In large measure these remedies failed to meet the goal of aquifer restoration and as of 2011 P&T comprised
only 20% of remedies. Understanding of the nature of contaminant behavior in the subsurface has increased tremendously, largely due to
academic research, and new, more effective investigatory and remedial technologies have been developed. The 14th Edition of the Superfund Remedy Report (November 2013) stated that “…the continued increase in the selection of in situ groundwater technologies suggests a
role for recently-developed characterization techniques, such as high-resolution site characterization (HRSC)”. HRSC has great promise to
shorten project life cycles, improve Conceptual Site Models, increase remedy effectiveness and reduce life cycle costs.
Data which are insufficient in terms of quantity, proper placement and sample scale (usually too large) lead directly to erroneous Conceptual Site Models which in turn lead to bad decisions and remedies that either don’t work, underperform or are overdesigned. These situations
result in the waste of money and other resources, a lack of protectiveness, as well as failing to alleviate the owner’s liability.
HRSC requires making measurements at scales that encompass the spatial structure of the key variables (e.g., hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head, contaminant concentration, geochemistry etc.), and while direct sensing tools are an important part of HRSC, these tools alone
are insufficient. HRSC requires small sampled volumes and close sample spacing of both high and low permeability media, in the source
zone and in the dissolved plume. It may be necessary to identify all of the contaminant phases: Non Aqueous Phase Liquid (NAPL), solute,
gas and sorbed.
(continued on page 3)
Please RSVP by Friday, January 15th to reserve your seat
and to help us provide a reliable count to the chef at Casa Di
Copani.
Location:
Time:
Cost:
RSVP:
Dinner costs for students who RSVP will be offset by sponsorships
by O’Brien & Gere, Gould Groundwater Investigations, and
Parratt-Wolff.
Casa Di Copani, 3414 Burnet Avenue, Syracuse, New York
5:00—6:00p.m. social hour: 6:00-6:30p.m. dinner; 6:45p.m. technical presentation
$20 members with RSVP; $25 at the door and for non-members; $15 for students; $3 presentation only
Bonnie (Parratt Wolff) bolney@pwinc.com or (315) 437-1429 by Friday 15 January 2016
Next meeting - January 21, 2016 - Dr. Diana Boyer (SUNY Oswego)
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CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016
CNYAPG
Newsletter
The CNYAPG Newsletter is a
monthly publication of the Central
New York Association of Professional Geologists dedicated to
sharing upcoming events, delivering regular articles of interest and
providing the Membership a forum
for discussion.
The newsletter is prepared by the
Officers and Board of Directors of
CNYAPG (listed below).
Officers:
Guy Swenson, President
guy.swenson@obg.com
Paul Freyer, Vice President
paul.freyer@obg.com
Todd Marsh, Treasurer
stratigraphy@hotmail.com
Sean Pepling, Secretary
spepling@pwinc.com
Board of Directors:
Lynette Mokry
l.mokry@fpm-remediations.com
Jennifer Belonsoff
jbelonsoff@geiconsultants.com
Gerry Gould
ggould@gouldgw.com
Calvin Prothro
prothro@sunyocc.edu
Zeno Levy
zenolevy@gmail.com
George Thomas
george.thomas.5624@gmail.com
Graham Bradley
graham.bradley@oswego.edu
President’s Message January 2016
New Year’s Resolutions
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. It is not because I don’t think I need to improve myself, I just
get busy and forget. Since it is the beginning of the New Year I will offer up some potential resolutions to consider.
Resolve to be political because it affects our lives and the lives of others. I don’t mean political in
the sense of donations to political campaigns. I mean political in the sense of taking the interest and
time to participate in society to make it better. This participation doesn’t have to be with national
politics. It can be local politics, a school board, CNYAPG, or even where one works. But be an active participant in activities that make a difference. Take an active role in society.
Resolve to take risks. Resolve to take risks that have meaning in one’s life. Not empty risks that offer nothing beyond a check mark on the list of life’s activities. Take professional risks by making
decisions that go beyond comparing results to look up tables. Accept challenges that have a risk of
failure. Be honest with clients. Challenging oneself daily.
Resolve to be kind to a rock. They have a hard life. Sitting around outside year after year, being hit
with hammers by geologists searching for inner meaning, rarely considered cute as some animals are
or getting cared for in a house. But without rocks we would not have a career. So maybe this year
take some time to pick up and appreciate a rock. And if no one is looking you might even pet it a
little.
Resolve to leave the office at, or before, 5 PM, not every day, but regularly. No this is not an attempt
to shirk professional responsibilities, but a reminder that there is a world outside work. Work hard
but don’t make it one’s life day after day. Work overtime when it is necessary, but only when it is
extremely necessary. Then end the overtime and experience the rest of the world.
Resolve to spend more time doing geology than business administration. Maybe a foolish thought
for someone who is in consulting, since business is what consulting is really about. But as scientists
we got into consulting more for the science than for the business. So do some geology. That is what
makes work enjoyable. There are plenty of people who enjoy business and administration and are
better at it.
Resolve to become an active member of CNYAPG. Join the Board of Directors. Volunteer to help
organized the monthly meetings. Help organize a symposium. Be a leader in providing Central New
York geologist with new opportunities to share our experiences.
Resolve to drink beer. Okay that this is a pretty easy resolution, but this in a little broader context.
Share a beer or two with other geologists. It is easy to forget to relax when there are so many responsibilities at home and at work. But as a geologist it is important to make contact and keep in touch
with other geologists. We can often learn new and different ways to address technical and professional challenges over a beer. And as a minority profession, compared to engineers, it serves as a
reminder that we have a support base in other geologists. The CNYAPG Monthly Meetings offer the
opportunity to satisfy this resolution because we have both beer and other geologists at the meetings.
Resolve to schedule fieldwork only for nice weather days. This is more of a dream than a resolution
since the reality is that we live in Central New York and clients and regulatory agencies tend to play
a big role in project schedules. What this is really about is our staff and trying to make their jobs a
little easier. After all they are the ones doing most of the work. Resolve to find ways be aware of our
staff’s efforts and to try to make their work a little easier.
(continued on page 4)
CNYAPG Renewals Due
CNYAPG’s membership period follows the CNYAPG meeting year from September through August. Renewals are due in September. To renew or become a new member, simply complete the
membership form, which is attached and also available on our website at www.cnyapg.org! Membership is only $25 per year and all money received is used in support of our organization.
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CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016
Upcoming Events of Interest
Date
Organization
Description
January 6
EBC of CNY
January 20
HMAPG
HMPGA Monthly Meeting, Century House, 997 New Loudon Road, Latham, NY
www.hmpga.org
January 21
CNYAPG
Mr. Seth Pitkin, Stone Environmental - TBA
CNYAPG Monthly Meeting, Casa DiCopani, Burnett Avenue, Syracuse, NY
www.cnyapg.org
February 3
EBC of CNY
Mr. Tim Gavin, Atlantic Testing Laboratories—Water-Based Investigations
EBCCNY Monthly Meeting, Double Tree, 6301 Route 298, East Syracuse, NY
http://hancocklaw.com/events/
January 21
CNYAPG
Dr. Diana Boyer, SUNY Oswego- TBA
CNYAPG Monthly Meeting, Casa DiCopani, Burnett Avenue, Syracuse, NY
www.cnyapg.org
Dan Wears, Onondaga County Emergency Management — Emergency Preparedness/
Management Update
EBCCNY Monthly Meeting, Double Tree, 6301 Route 298, East Syracuse, NY
http://hancocklaw.com/events/
It is critical that data sets provide clear insight into the mechanisms sustaining the plume. For example, is NAPL still present in the source
zone? If so, where is it located and how much is present in a relative sense? Is a significant quantity of contaminant mass present in the
immobile pore water in low permeability layers within the flow system? If so, is this mass located throughout the footprint of the dissolved plume? What fate mechanisms are significant: biodegradation, abiotic degradation, hydrodynamic dispersion, retardation etc.?
HRSC is best applied using transects normal to the direction of transport. Application of Triad Approach principles reduces the time and
costs associated with HRSC. This means using real time measurement tools, managing and interpreting data in near real time, using dynamic work strategies and a life cycle CSM. Another important concept borrowed from the Triad Approach is the use of collaborative
data platforms. This essentially means using screening level tools such as MIP and LIF to reduce the overall spatial uncertainty associated
with the data and then using definitive tools such as the WaterlooAPS, soil coring and onsite laboratory analyses to manage the analytical
uncertainty and the relational uncertainty. This approach can both speed up site characterization and lower the cost.
Appropriate use of technologies such as WaterlooAPS, Membrane Interface Probe, LASER Induced Fluorescence, on-site laboratories,
geophysical techniques, detailed chemical profiling of aquitard materials and others facilitate the collection of the types and density of
data which allow for the level of understanding of site conditions which is required for successful and cost effective selection, design and
implementation of the combinations of remedial technologies required to meet remedial goals. In addition, the ability to adequately determine the flux of contaminant mass across key planes is taking on greater importance in terms of assessing the effectiveness of remedies as
well as assessing the level of risk posed to potential receptors. Research has shown that the vast majority (e.g., 75%) of contaminant mass
flux occurs through a very small portion (e.g., 5 to 10%) of the plume cross sectional area. Identifying these zones allows for targeted
remedial efforts to control mass transport, both reducing cost and increasing protectiveness.
HRSC results allow for more “surgical” application of remedial technologies thereby making remedies more cost effective. However,
application of a single “high resolution” technology does not result in a high resolution investigation. Multiple tools and techniques are
required to address the various questions posed by a given site.
Seth holds a B.S. in Geology from The Evergreen State College and a M.Sc. in Hydrogeology from the University of Waterloo. He has
particular expertise in DNAPL site characterization in both porous media and fractured rock flow systems. With 30 years of experience he
is a leader in the area of High Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) as well as Triad-style investigations. He developed and delivers
HRSC training and DNAPL site investigation training both nationally and internationally. Pitkin is a participant in the University Consortium for Field Focused Groundwater Research and has commercialized technologies developed at the Universities of Waterloo and
Guelph. At Stone he was in charge of all subsurface contamination projects, served as Program Manager and technical expert on investigations in both porous and fractured media. Through contracts held by Tetra Tech and by ICF, Seth has provided training to EPA staff in
all regional offices, has participated in optimization reviews on sites and has provided support on the development of Conceptual Site
Models through the use of 3-D Visualization of existing site data. At Cascade Technical Services he is taking on the lead role in the provision of high quality, state-of-the-science site characterization services to the environmental consulting community.
Seth Pitkin, M.Sc.—National Director of Site Characterization Services – Cascade Technical Services
Formerly Principal Hydrogeologist / Vice President - Stone Environmental
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CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016
President’s Message (continued from page 2)
Resolve to take all your vacation days. I doubt we will lie on our deathbed wishing we had spent more time at work. Vacations offer time
to interact with the rest of the world outside work. So working vacations do not really meet the criteria because one’s mind is not focused
on non-work. Vacations with family are special because they offer one of the few times when your family can have your attention for an
extended period of time. Vacations offer time to experience new places and meet new friends. Vacations remind you of what the rest of
the world is about. And geology vacations are acceptable if it is not part of your job.
Resolve to do something new every day. Step outside our comfort zone and trying something new. A new food, a new route to work, a
new way to solve a technical problem, a new friend, a new way to interact with a special someone in your life. Get out of life’s rut and
risk something new. It may not always be good, but it keeps one alive and growing as a person.
Happy New Year!
Guy Swenson
CNYAPG President
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CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016
NYSGA Guidebook Giveaway
Dr. Valentino (SUNY Oswego) is the NYSGA executive secretary and inherited the
inventory of NYSGA guidebooks a few years ago. The storage space that he was using
has been taken away and this has opened an opportunity to give away the NYSGA
guidebooks. Over the past two years, Dr. Valentino has given away more than 1,000
NYSGA guidebook volumes. These are the annual conference volumes that are no
longer sold by the association and include geology from all over NYS. The goal is to
find homes for all remaining volumes by the spring. CNYAPG will have NYSGA
guidebooks available at our next dinner meeting on January 21, 2016, so please help us
clean out Dr. Valentino’s garage by taking any guidebooks that would be of interest to
you or someone that you know.
CNYAPG
Governance
Membership Renewal
CNYAPG’s membership period
follows the CNYAPG meeting year
from September through August.
Renewals are due in September. To
renew or become a new member,
simply complete the membership
form, which is attached and also
available on our website at
www.cnyapg.org. Membership is
only $25 per year and all money
received is used in support of our
organization.
Join CNYAPG at our social networking groups on Facebook and
LinkedIn . These sites (always under development) will provide
online forums for discussion, as
well as another way to inform our
members and networking opportunities. For more information about our
social media sites e-mail us at
cnyapg@gmail.com.
Directions to Casa DiCopani
The CNYAPG was founded in
1993 to strengthen and advance
the
geological
sciences.
CNYAPG
conducts
regular
meetings on the third Thursday
of each month from September
to May. Meetings feature dinner
and
distinguished
speakers
whose presentations invite comment and discussion.
CNYAPG meets the third Thursday of the month from September through May
at Casa DiCopani, located in East Syracuse New York.
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www.cnyapg.org
www.twitter.com/cnyapg
CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016
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CNYAPG Monthly Newsletter
January 2016