Charles Van Ness

Remediation Construction Cost Estimation, North Carolina — Developed cost estimates for removal, remediation, and ecological restoration of sediment affected by light nonaqueous-phase liquid and dense nonaqueous-phase liquid in a wetland adjacent to a historical wood treatment facility.

Greenhouse Gas Inventory, Buffalo, New York — Utilized citywide data to develop a preliminary inventory, and subsequent costs, of city-owned emissions of greenhouse gases utilizing the EPA Local Greenhouse Gas Inventory Tool, based upon the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standards.

Water Quality Monitoring, Lake Champlain — Monitored up-current and down-current water quality during cable laying operations on Lake Champlain. From a small research vessel, collected data and water samples using a multiparameter sonde and a Niskin bottle.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Sites, Confidential Locations — Evaluated fate and transport of PFAS, identifying source locations and transportation pathways in surface water and groundwater.

Historical Imagery Analysis, New York — Using historical aerial imagery, identified areas of sediment erosion and deposition. Identified areas of potential contaminant accumulation as a byproduct of outfall discharges, as well as secondary potential contamination sources.

Contaminated Soils Remediation, Puerto Rico — Managed construction for remediation of contaminated soils throughout a community experiencing disproportionate environmental impacts. Worked with client, subcontractors, community members, and EPA while documenting remediation activities and ensuring adherence to the agreed remediation plan.

Site Characterization, Ohio — Spearheaded hand auger sampling on a large-scale project with a short time frame. Communicated with project management staff regarding material and personnel needs. Coordinated three 2-person teams, and collected 3+ interval samples from 100+ boring locations, with 150+ samples collected in a single day.

Historical Flooding Model, Cuyahoga River Watershed, Ohio — Investigated historical flooding patterns as a potential pathway for environmental contamination spread. Because direct water surface elevation measurements were limited, a random forest model was trained, which correlated upstream and downstream discharge to onsite water surface elevation. This model was then applied to historical upstream and downstream discharge to determine a maximum daily water surface elevation on site. Water surface elevation values above a given threshold were noted to determine total number of days with flooding inundation over the period of interest.

Wetland Prediction, Lower Genesee Watershed, New York — Developed a predictive geostatistical model to determine the location of agriculturally disturbed wetlands within the Lower Genessee watershed using a combination of remote sensing, GIS, and R.

Stream Network Nutrient Spatial Variance Model, McRea Creek, Oregon — Constructed a spatial model to analyze nutrient concentrations in McRea Creek emulating a prior study while utilizing the existing synoptic nutrient data in combination with stream network shape and digital elevation data. Utilized a stream network-specific kriging model to predict nutrient data using ArcMap and R.

Aquifer Recharge Study, Highland, Utah — Performed a study to inform the selection of a new location for potential aquifer recharge. Evaluated monitoring well depths using historical well records, performed groundwater sampling, and installed monitoring equipment in wells and potential aquifer recharge point to track inflow, infiltration, and effects on aquifer elevations.