October 2005 Meeting Abstract
Applying Cutting Edge Academic Research and Emerging Technologies to “Real World” Solutions
The Buffalo Association of Professional Geologists (BAPG) is pleased to announce that its monthly dinner meeting will be held at the Millennium Hotel (formerly Four-Points Sheraton) located at 2040 Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga, New York on October 19th,2005. The topic of the dinner presentation and discussion will be “Applying Cutting Edge Academic Research and Emerging Technologies to “Real World” Solutions” presented by Paul M. Tornatore, P.E. from Haley & Aldrich of New York.
The presentation will focus on describing the thought process and the logistics of implementing “non-traditional” remedial technologies while overcoming regulatory hurdles. The case study for the presentation is a site located in North Hollywood, California impacted by a Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether (MTBE) plume. This project has recently won the National Ground Water Association’s (NGWA) 2005 Outstanding Ground Water Project Award for Ground Water Remediation.
A MTBE plume contaminated a portion of the San Fernando Groundwater Basin, which is the source of the municipal and domestic water supply for the communities in Northern Los Angeles County. This plume threatened a number of water supply wells, much like the well-publicized Santa Monica case of the late 1990s. To remediate this contamination, a collaborative team of experts, led by Haley & Aldrich of New York designed an innovative solution combining the efforts of researchers in multiple fields taking emerging technology to the field. The collaboration succeeded in receiving precedent-setting acceptance by the regulatory community to both protect and preserve the precious groundwater resource. A series of several advances in characterization, diagnostics and process design culminated in one very significant first: an inexpensive and environmentally-responsible biological remedy for MTBE contaminated drinking water.
Implementing a pumping system to contain groundwater was embraced by the regulators and local Watermaster, but steps to move the project forward with treated groundwater re-injection often met resistance. Because water is considered such a premium in California, its regulators are wary of any process that might damage or deplete this precious resource. That the remedial action was biological in nature raised considerable attention, despite the fact that the organism was indigenous to the site. The plan involved re-injecting oxygenated treated groundwater back into the aquifer, a process that had previously never received regulatory approval. The success of the project was made possible by the persistent efforts of the project team. Despite the complexity and dynamic nature of the project, the team worked with regulators to recognize and demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the remedial action, gaining their acceptance and support.
Through a collaboration of wide-ranging expertise, the project yielded a simple solution to meet the complex challenges of this region. Perhaps most promising is what this collaborative approach means for future remediation projects, where working in harmony with nature provides the least expensive and most efficient methods for safeguarding our most elemental resources.
Paul M. Tornatore, P.E. is a Vice President and Senior Consultant at Haley & Aldrich with 30 years of diverse process and management experience. Paul provides multi-faceted consulting services to Haley & Aldrich clients on a variety of topics including program management strategy, design engineering practices/procedures, equipment and materials selection for hazardous environments and technology alternatives. In addition, Paul specializes in technology transfer, the application/development of innovative treatment processes and design of integrated process treatment systems for control of chemical and biological contaminants. As an engineering expert, Paul has been asked to provide opinions on a variety of cases related to environmental, forensic and process claims.
Please RSVP as soon as possible as this meeting has a possibility of filling to capacity.
Michael C. Alfieri
BAPG Executive Vice-President