EDUCATION

M.S. - Pennsylvania State University, Master of Environmental Engineering, Magna cum Laude, 1974 

B.S. - University of Pittsburgh, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Magna cum Laude, 1973

  PROFESSIONAL LICENSES

Registered Professional Engineer: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Kansas

  PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Solid Waste Association of North America, Vice Director, Landfill Management Technical Division
National Solid Waste Management Association

  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Managed/directed a broad range of projects including feasibility studies, site characterizations, permitting projects, facility designs, construction-related services, compliance management programs, operations consulting, and remedial projects.  Selected project experience includes the following:

• Served as Engineer-of-Record and Project Director for major permit amendments for the expansion of a number of landfills in Texas.  These projects included various innovative designs (optimizing base grades through use of waste-as-ballast, alternate liner design demonstrations, alternative final cover systems, surface water management techniques, etc.).  These projects also entailed the completion of numerous other components of the permit applications, as well as presentations at various public meetings and hearings.

• Managed the cost-effective design and permitting of numerous facilities with various agencies — state, local and federal.  Facilities included landfills, medical waste incinerators, landfill gas-to-energy plants, transfer stations, and material recovery facilities.  Permitting procedures varied from lengthy adjudicatory hearings to administrative approvals by the agencies.  Agency approvals included solid waste permits, water quality permits, air quality permits, 404 permits from the Army Corps of Engineers, local government approvals, etc.

• Directed environmental assessments of more than 400 landfills (as well as incinerators, material recovery facilities, transfer stations, and hauling operations) in over 30 states. These evaluations were for various reasons, including acquisition appraisal and investment consideration. These assessments included systematic evaluations of facility compliance with federal and state regulations and permit conditions as well as site capacity reviews and various other financially significant matters.  In addition to regulatory compliance assessments, these evaluations commonly included cost estimates for upgrading and liability assessments.

• Directed a feasibility study for the assessment of bioreactor technology at a major urban landfill.  The study evaluated site-specific benefits for increased waste capacity, enhanced landfill gas production, and on-site disposal of leachate. The potential benefit of a reduced post-closure period was also considered.  In addition to these technical considerations, cost impacts and other constraints (regulatory, contractual, etc.) were also evaluated.

• Project Director for various landfill closure projects, including alternate final cover designs, landfill closure and post-closure plans, closure and post-closure cost estimates, and final cover testing programs.

• Project Director for various closed landfill redevelopment projects including the redevelopment of closed landfills into (1) an apartment complex , (2) commercial real estate, (3) the vertical expansion of a landfill over a closed landfill, and (4) a sports complex with ball fields and an equestrian center. These landfill redevelopment projects included various geotechnical, environmental and regulatory aspects.

• Project Director for various projects, including landfill design modifications; landfill gas management and monitoring; location restriction demonstrations; operating plan revisions; hazardous waste exclusion programs; storm water pollution prevention plans; and spill prevention, control, and countermeasure plans.

• Directed other consulting projects including remedial investigation/feasibility studies, hydrogeologic evaluations, alternate source demonstration (ASD) groundwater studies, gas control and recovery systems, surface water management programs, flood studies, mapping, surveying, ecological surveys, and archaeological studies. 

• Developed procedures for implementing operational enhancements (e.g. airspace management programs) at Subtitle D Landfills.  Assisted in implementing related changes in landfill operations (e.g., phasing changes, application of alternative daily cover, beneficial use of selected waste materials, etc.).

• Expert witness, presenting technical data before state legislative subcommittees and task forces.

• Technical expert in state district court and at adjudicatory hearings for various permitting actions and transfer stations.

• Implemented programs for managing compliance of dozens of facilities with a myriad of federal, state and local regulations.  Led efforts resulting in an outstanding compliance record for all facilities in a multi-state region.

• Project Manager for the design and initial development of a non-hazardous industrial waste landfill in Mexico. This included construction plans and specifications, construction quality assurance, landfill phasing plans, installation of monitoring wells, and the development of waste acceptance plans.

Publications

“Optimizing the Value of Landfill Gas through Energy Recovery and Carbon Credits”, presented at the Annual New Mexico SWANA Solid Waste Management Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico, August 2009.

“Technologies for Utilizing Landfill Gas and Optimizing Carbon Credits” presented at the 2009 Texas Public Works Association Annual Conference, El Paso, Texas; June 2009.

“Optimizing the Value of Credits from the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Landfills”, presented at the Annual TxSWANA Solid Waste Management Conference, Laredo, Texas, April 2008.

“Conventional and Emerging Technologies for Utilizing Landfill Gas – a 2006 Update” presented at the 2006 Texas Public Works Association Annual Conference, Mesquite, Texas; May 2006.

“Conventional and Emerging Technologies for Utilizing Landfill Gas”, presented at the EPA Landfill Gas-to-Energy Workshop, Fort Worth, Texas; March 2005.

“Current Challenges and Opportunities in Solid Waste Management,” presented at the Annual TxSWANA Municipal Solid Waste Management Conference, Brownsville, Texas, March 2004.

“EPA’s Proposed Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) Rules:  Status Update and Related Landfill Design Optimization Strategies,” presented at the Annual TxSWANA Municipal Solid Waste Management Conference, El Paso, Texas, April 2003.

“MSW Landfills and the Clean Air Act: Unraveling the Maze and Maintaining Compliance with our Most Challenging Rules,” presented at the Annual TxSWANA Municipal Solid Waste Management Conference, Wichita Falls, Texas , March 2002.

“Post-Closure Use of Landfills for Golf Course Development,” presented at the SWANA Annual Municipal Solid Waste Management Conference, Austin, Texas, January 2000.

With James Aardema, “Post-Closure Use of Landfills for Golf Course Development,” presented at the SWANA Annual Municipal Solid Waste Management Conference, Austin , Texas , January 2000.

“Pursuing Opportunities in the Post-Subtitle D Era,” presented at the SWANA 34th Annual International Solid Waste Exposition, Portland , Oregon , September, 1996.

“After Subtitle D: Pursuing Opportunities and Managing Risks,” presented at the Ninth Annual Municipal Solid Waste Management Options for Texas Conference, Austin, Texas, December 1995.

With D.G. Vonacek, “Design and Operation of a Landfill Gas Control System for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills,” presented at the Eighth Annual Municipal Solid Waste Management Options for Texas Conference, Austin , Texas , January 1994.

“Upgrading and Operating Existing Sanitary Landfills in Accordance with the Subtitle D Regulations,” presented at the Solid Waste Management Options for Texas Conference, Austin , Texas , November, 1989.

“Development of a Sanitary Landfill in a Mixed Hydrogeological Setting,” presented at the Annual National Solid Waste Management Association Technical Conference, Salt Lake City , Utah , October, 1982.

“Regulation of Utility Waste Disposal Practices,” Power Engineering, November, 1981.

With J.C.  Hayward , R.G.  Knight, and E.  H.  Rothfus, Engineering Evaluation of Projected Utility Waste Disposal Practices, EPRI 89 1728, September 1982.

With R.G.  Knight and P.  H.  Rothfus, FGD Sludge Disposal Manual, Second Edition, EPRI 89 1685-a, September, 1980.