Larry E. Roberts LG, LHG
Mr. Roberts has over 25 years experience in a wide range of environmental geologic and hydrogeologic investigations serving in both technical and senior management roles. He has performed hydrogeologic studies throughout Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, California, and Texas to evaluate potential impacts from a wide variety of contaminant sources on soil, groundwater, and surface water quality. He has performed numerous state and federal remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) and remediation projects. Mr. Roberts has been responsible for investigation/remediation projects at wood-treating facilities, bulk fuels terminals, refineries, pipeline rupture locations and pumping stations, airports, service stations, and landfills. Mr. Roberts has also been responsible for public water supply investigations and has also conducted numerous organic geochemical studies using “forensic fingerprinting” techniques. Mr. Roberts also provides litigation support services, and regulatory negotiations. His relevant project experience includes:
WATER SUPPLY
Vashon-Maury Island Groundwater Management Study
King County Health Department, Vashon Island, WA
Project manager for a comprehensive groundwater management study of Vashon-Maury Island in Puget Sound. The study was used as the basis for the development of a groundwater management plan for the island. Project activities included evaluation for precipitation, stream flow, surface and groundwater quality, water levels, and shellfish quality data, sensitive areas mapping, water balance calculations, and report preparation. Responsibilities also included regulatory agency/citizens action committee liaison.
HYDROCARBON INVESTIGATION, REMEDIATION, AND FORENSIC GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES
Harbor Island Superfund Site
Bp\Atlantic Richfield Company, Seattle, WASenior site manager for a large Washington state MTCA RI/FS, remedial design and cleanup for a PLP on the Harbor Island CERCLA site. The Harbor Island site involves soil and groundwater contamination of the uplands with TPH, metals, and other constituents. The project is being conducted under MTCA and is designed to be consistent with CERCLA. Regulatory issues include development of soil and groundwater cleanup levels, points of compliance, the use of risk assessment results in evaluating cleanup levels, the impact of background contamination on remedial actions, the interfacing of MTCA and CERCLA, and evaluation of marine sediment and surface-water impact in the Duwamish River/Puget Sound. Responsible for strategic planning, work plan development and implementation, data interpretation, report preparation, remedial design, and implementation, litigation support, extensive agency negotiations, and forensic geochemical studies to determine contaminant sources and timing of impacts.
ARCO Service Station 4466
ARCO Products Company, Issaquah, WA
Project manager of Washington State MTCA RI/FS at a service station with groundwater contamination in a designated sole-source aquifer with municipal water supply wells located immediately downgradient of the site. Responsible for work plan development, implementation, data interpretation, report preparation, “fast track” remedial design and implementation to protect public water supplies, and regulatory agency negotiations.
Tacoma Industrial Area
Dial Corporation, Tacoma, WA
Project manager of site investigation at a bleach manufacturing facility that had USTs located in Tacoma, Washington. Project activities included well installation and soil and groundwater sampling. Responsible for data evaluation and demonstration of in-situ degradation of hydrocarbons and neutralization of caustics. Obtained letter of no further action (NFA) from Ecology.
Organic Geochemical Study
Mobil Oil Company, Dallas, Texas
Project manager/field geologist for large-scale hydrocarbon organic geochemical study, including forensic analysis of oils and source rocks. Responsible for project scoping, field sample collection from multiple sites in 20 states, coordination of laboratory analysis, data management and interpretation including gas-chromotography, GC-MS, and stable carbon isotopes, and report preparation.
Pipeline Explosion and Train Derailment
GATX Corporation, San Bernardino, CA
Project manager of investigation and remediation of major gasoline pipeline rupture in San Bernardino, California. Responsible for drilling, soil sampling, air monitoring, “fast track” remedial design and implementation, and report preparation. Acted as the primary liaison between the client and the overseeing regulatory agencies in this politically sensitive project.
LaGloria Refinery
Tyler, TX
Project manager/field geologist for the installation and evaluation of pilot and full-scale liquid hydrocarbon recovery systems at a refinery in Tyler, Texas. Responsible for monitoring and recovery well design and installation, interceptor/recovery trench design and installation, hydrocarbon recovery system installation and operation, borehole logging, sampling, data evaluation, forensic analysis of oils to determine sources and report preparation.
Harbor Island
GATX Corporation, Los Angeles, CA
Project manager/field geologist for site investigation/feasibility study at a bulk fuels terminal, Port of Los Angeles, California. Oversaw borehole logging, monitoring well installations, soil and groundwater sampling, and aquifer testing. Also responsible for determination of free-phase/dissolved hydrocarbon plume, tidal influence, report preparation, and remediation system design.
Chevron Pipeline
Chevron Oil Company, Boise, ID
Field geologist responsible for system design and installation of free-phase hydrocarbon recovery system at a pipeline pumping station and tank farm. Responsibilities also included data evaluation.
Emergency Response /Cleanup
Western United States
Task manager/field specialist for emergency response/cleanup of numerous oil and chemical spills throughout the United States. Responsibilities included recovery/cleanup system design, installation and operation, staff management, and business development.
Chevron Refinery
Chevron Oil Company, El Segundo, CA
Project manager for surface impoundment characterization and remedial action at a large refinery in Los Angeles, California. Responsibilities included overseeing field sampling and remedial system design and installation.
GENERAL
Nuclear Fuels Facility
Confidential Client, Eastern WA
Field supervisor/technical advisor for the hydrogeologic characterization of a nuclear fuels facility in Eastern Washington. Responsibilities included oversight of drilling, soil and groundwater sampling, aquifer testing, data interpretation, and report preparation.
LANDFILLS
Mission Canyon Landfill
Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Los Angeles, CA
Served as task manager and field geologist responsible for evaluation of regional and site hydrogeology to determine potential impacts on groundwater from the Mission Canyon Landfill located in Los Angeles, California, as part of the required Solid Waste Water Quality Assessment Tests. Successfully conducted investigations in logistically sensitive areas. Responsible for geologic mapping, drilling, soil and groundwater sampling, aquifer testing, monitoring well installation, geophysical profiling, data interpretation, and report preparation.
Spadra Landfill
Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Los Angeles, CA
Served as task manager and field geologist responsible for evaluating of regional and site hydrogeology, located at Spadra Landfill in Los Angeles, California, as part of the required Solid Waste Water Quality Assessment Tests. Responsible for drilling, core sampling, soil and groundwater sampling, permeability testing, monitoring well installation, geophysical logging, data interpretation to determine potential impacts to groundwater, and report preparation.
CERCLA
Idaho Pole Company Superfund Site
Idaho Pole Company, Bozeman, MT
Managed remedial investigation, remedial design, and remedial action activities at an operating wood-treating facility that utilizes petroleum and pentachlorophenol in Bozeman, Montana. This project entailed collecting additional site design data, preparation of technical impracticability memoranda, design and installation of an above-ground land treatment unit, soil excavation, design and installation of groundwater pump and treat systems, enhanced in-situ biological treatment, and soil flushing. Responsibilities also included extensive regulatory agency and PRP negotiations including implementing modifications to the selected remedies presented in the ROD. Served as liaison between PRP representatives, regulatory agencies, and client.
Harbor Island Superfund Site
ARCO Products Company, Seattle, WA
Senior project manager for on-going state-lead (MTCA) RI/FS and remedial action for a bulk fuel terminal located within a CERCLA Superfund site. Responsible strategy and work plan development consistent with CERCLA, implementation, data interpretation, report preparation, remedial design and implementation, litigation support, and extensive regulatory agency negotiations.
Martin Marietta Superfund Site
Martin Marietta Corporation, The Dalles, OR
Field geologist and technical advisor for activities associated with construction of CERCLA landfill at an aluminum reduction facility. Responsible for installation of groundwater interceptor trench, monitoring well trouble shooting, replacement, and abandonment. Also responsible for work plan development, and regulatory agency negotiations.
BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT
Mr. Roberts has managed many projects that have involved redevelopment of contaminated properties to increase their value, utilization, or change in service. An example project is summarized below.
Mixed-use Brownfields Redevelopment, Seattle, Washington
Site manager responsible for design, construction, and operation and maintenance of soil and groundwater remedies during and post construction of a mix-use (retail and residential) brownfields redevelopment project on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Contamination is related to a former drycleaners. Project activities have involved detail evaluation site investigation/remediation actions by previous consultants, and extensive negotiation with Ecology to successfully change a negative working relationship to positive. Also, successfully achieved partial site closure from Ecology for completed remedial actions.
LITIGATION/NEGOTIATION EXPERIENCE
Mr. Roberts has provided litigation support for numerous state and federal cases. He has also provided limited courtroom testimony.
Mayer v. City of Seattle and Holcim
Superior Court of Washington for King County
Case involved alleged liability for groundwater and surface water contamination resulting from buried cement kiln dust (CKD). Responsibilities included data/literature review and declaration preparation.
Saathoff and Brown. v.Kitsap County
Superior Court of Washington for Kitsap County
Case involved alleged liability for property damage by stream erosion. Responsibilities include data evaluation in support of testimony.
AIG Frontier Village Partners, L.P. v. Van Waters & Rogers, et al
Superior Court of Washington for Snohomish County
Case involved alleged liability for groundwater and soil contamination by a TCE release. Responsibilities include data evaluation in support of testimony.
Gabriela C. Aquirre et al v. Browning Ferris Industries Inc., et al,
156th Judicial District Court, San Patricio County, Texas
Case involved alleged contamination from a landfill. Responsibilities include data evaluation in support of testimony.
Mike Adalis et al. v. Neighborhood Development Corp. et al.
State of Texas District Court, Harris County
Dispute involved alleged liability for ground water contamination of a municipal water well. Responsibilities include data evaluation in support of testimony.
Ken Gronvold Construction, Inc. v. Time Oil Co.
Superior Court of Washington for King County
Case involved substantial compliance and due diligence issues related to cost recovery for remediation of UST contaminated soils. Responsibilities included declaration preparation and data evaluation in support of expert testimony.
City of Vancouver v. Judith Griffee et al.
State of Washington Superior Court, Clark County
Dispute involved alleged liability for ground water contamination of a municipal water well. Responsibilities included site data evaluation for support of expert testimony.
Tal-Tex., et al v. Southland Corporation, et al.
District Court of Dallas County, Texas
Dispute involved alleged liability for ground water contamination of municipal water well by USTs. Responsibilities include site data evaluation including evaluating appropriateness of remedial actions.
Proctor v. Lockheed
California Superior Court, Santa Clara County
Case involved identification of source and timing of impacts from TCE and PCE. Responsibilities included site data evaluation for support of expert testimony.
Washington Water Power v. Underwriters at Lloyds
State of Washington Superior Court, Spokane County
Case involved identification of source and timing of impacts from #6 fuel oil. Responsibilities included site data evaluation for support of expert testimony.
Valley Isle Produce, Inc. d.b.a. VIP Food Service v. Shell Oil Co. et al.
United States District Court, District of Hawaii
Case involved alleged offsite damages from petroleum releases.
Kemner et al.,v. Monsanto Co.
Supreme Court of Illinois
Case involved actions brought for injuries allegedly due to train derailment and dioxin spill against various defendants including chemical manufacturer. Responsibilities included testimony regarding appropriateness of site remedial actions.
AGENCY NEGOTIATIONS
Many of these negotiations have resulted in hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars in savings to the client. As an example, alternative remedies were successfully negotiated for a wood-treatment Superfund site in Montana that saved the company in excess of 6 million dollars. The agency was convinced that the site conditions assumed in the Record of Decision (ROD) and resulting selected remedies were inappropriate for the site.
Negotiations with state and federal agencies include the following:
• Washington Department of Ecology
• Montana Department of Environmental Quality
• EPA Regions VIII and X
• Texas Water Commission
• California Regional Water Quality Control Board
• California Department of Health