Geologist
CurrentI work in environmental geology for the Geological Serv.Unit of the Dept. of Toxic Substances Control. We characterize releases of hazardous chemicals to soils and ground water (GW) & propose remedies. 1. We do this by looking up the chemicals & how they were used, transported & stored in the study area & any potential spills or leaks. 2. Then we work with an environmental consultant hired by the Co. who had the release, to agree on a work plan (WP) to find out where spill(s) or releases (s) occurred. The WP has locations/depths for borings to be drilled, soil vapor (SV) probes (some chemicals migrate as a vapor) & GW wells, if necessary. The WP specifies the objective & scope, the lab methods that will be used to analyze the soil, SV, or GW samples collected as wells as health and safety, disposal, maps, figures, tables.3. A report is produced from the WP's implementation which shows the lab reports, maps & figures with concentrations in soil, SV & GW. It determines where the chemicals migrated to, or even that no release occured. The WP-report cycle has to be repeated commonly because there were data gaps or the chemicals have migrated off the property.4. Finally, they submit a proposal to remedy the problems by excavation, removing them by soil vapor extraction, in situ treatment, extracting or treating GW or leaving the soil in place because it doesn't pose a surface hazard or GW (these are just a few example remedies). We then comment, revise &/or approve of the remedy proposal & they implement it. Many times they will continue to monitor to make sure the remedy continues to work. There are many other legal, design, chemical,engineering & physical facets which I cannot go into for the sake of brevity. The depressing & somewhat monotonous part is that the whole process takes years & that sometimes companies fight us legally, administratively, politically, & sometimes with personal attacks.
