Bio
Mr. Daniel Claycomb has more than 35 years of experience as a geologist for engineering and environmental consulting firms specializing in quality assurance oversight services in response to environmental emergencies, emergency response planning, and preparedness documents relating to sampling, analytical, and data management programs. Mr. Claycomb served in the role of Sample Management Team Lead for 2 years of sampling activities associated with the Deepwater Horizon incident where he was the point of contact for scheduling and coordinating sampling activities with the U.S. Coast Guard. Mr. Claycomb has been a lead field auditor for over 25 years and has conducted more than 200 field audits of environmental field programs for multimedia sampling events, remedial excavation activities, and remedial system installation activities. Mr. Claycomb also managed a multiyear waste vendor auditing program for a large oil and gas client at disposal facilities located across the United States. Mr. Claycomb specializes in providing technical support for environmental litigation cases; risk-based investigations and corrective actions; Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program (Act 2) and Management of Fill Policy; coordination of sampling and laboratory activities on large-scale sampling projects; sediment and surface water quality investigation and quality assurance oversight in major surface waterbodies; and environmental investigations involving vapor intrusion, subsurface soil, rock exploration, and groundwater contamination.
Relevant Experience
PFAS Investigation and Remediation
PFAS Investigation and Remediation Sampling, Claymont, Delaware — Designed and implemented an investigation and remediation sampling plan at an electrical substation where Class B aqueous film forming foam was used to extinguish a transformer fire. Soil samples were collected to delineate PFAS impacts to soil, confirm successful remediation, characterize excavated soil for disposal, and evaluate background soil levels.
Sediment Investigation
Sediment Quality Investigation, Niagara River, Niagara County, New York — Conducted a sediment quality investigation for a public utility as part of the renewal of its operating license. The two objectives of the sediment quality assessment were to document the extent of sedimentation and the physical and chemical quality of sediment encountered in the investigated surface waterbodies. Sampling activities in the Niagara River (both upstream and downstream of Niagara Falls) and within two large onsite waterbodies were conducted using a boat and a 220 ft crane equipped with ponar dredge samplers and sediment corers.
Site Investigation
Hexavalent Chromium Investigation, Western United States — Managed multiple projects for an energy company involving assessment of hexavalent chromium usage and potential impact to soil and groundwater as well as human and ecological receptors. Assessment activities included searching legal and engineering files, visiting site to confirm existing data and fill in data gaps, preparing investigation work plan and quality assurance project plan, evaluating and summarizing investigation data, and attending meetings with the regulatory agency.
Pentachlorophenol Investigation, Colmar, Pennsylvania — Managed a precedent-setting investigation for a national utility company. Prepared and implemented a strategic soil and surface water sampling plan to determine the horizontal and vertical extent of pentachlorophenol migration from a storage area at the facility. Upon completion of the investigation, an innovative remedial approach was recommended for the site.
PCB Investigation, Western United States — Managed the preparation of a request for proposal for the delineation of PCB impacts to soils at multiple compressor stations for a large energy client. Visited sites in Wyoming and Colorado, as well as supervised site visits to Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. Tasks included compiling and assessing existing data, identifying data gaps, developing the scope-of-work to fill in the data gaps, and defining the sampling and quality assurance procedures to be used in collecting additional information.
Multimedia Investigations at an Aeronautical Research and Design Facility, Southeast Florida — Managed and participated in field activities for several multimedia sampling events at a major aeronautical and aerospace research and design facility. Investigative activities were conducted to provide the client with a baseline of environmental conditions prior to divesting multiple parcels on the site including manufacturing and testing areas, wastewater treatment facilities, office complexes, water production fields, numerous surface waterbodies, and recreation areas. Prepared reports of findings for use by the client’s legal counsel and real estate personnel in selling these parcels.
Risk-Based Soil and Groundwater Investigation, Northern North Carolina — Managed a risk-based soil and groundwater investigation of a major plastics manufacturing facility. The investigation was designed not only to characterize and delineate constituents of concern but also to provide the necessary data to conduct a site-specific risk assessment. Successful implementation of the investigation and risk assessment limited remediation requirements to one constituent at a localized area on the site.
Ecological Risk Assessment
Biological and Vegetation Sampling Program, Southeast Florida — Implemented a biological and vegetation sampling program at several solid waste management units at an aeronautical research and testing facility. Analytical results from the sampling program were used in the development of an ecological risk assessment presented to EPA.
Emergency Response
Oversight of Sampling Activities for the Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico — Managed staff that was responsible for the QA/QC oversight of sampling activities for the first 6 months of the Deepwater Horizon Incident. Responsibilities consisted of overseeing the production and implementation of field sampling protocol, training field sampling personnel, and auditing sampling activities. Subsequently, assigned the Sample Management Team Lead role and coordinated sampling and laboratory activities with project stakeholders for 2 years.
Oversight of Sampling Activities for the TVA Fly Ash Release, Kingston, Tennessee — Managed senior staff conducting quality assurance oversight services in response to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) release of more than a billion gallons of fly ash to the Emory, Clinch, and Tennessee rivers. Staff provided oversight of multimedia sampling, including groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, fly ash, waste materials, air, and various biological specimens. Also managed and provided senior technical review for the preparation of more than a dozen sampling plans and more than 40 standard operating procedures (SOPs) used by the field sampling teams.
Oversight of Sampling Activities for Fly Ash Release, Bangor, Pennsylvania — Managed a field sampling program that was implemented in response to a release of 100 million gallons of fly ash slurry that spilled across a power plant property and into the Delaware River. The project required a rapid implementation of comprehensive measures to assess, contain, and remediate the fly ash spill and to provide information regarding site status, analytical data, cleanup plans, and ongoing progress reports to regulatory agencies and to the general public. The sampling programs consisted of surface water sampling program (more than 5,500 samples over 4 months); municipal water intake sampling program (8 Municipal Water Utility intakes spread over 75 miles); residential well sampling program (232 residential wells sampled in Pennsylvania and New Jersey); and a special, round-the-clock, high-frequency stormwater sampling program spanning approximately 80 miles of river and lasting for the duration of high water flow.
Data Quality Assurance
Field Auditing Program for Groundwater Sampling for CCR Rule Compliance, United States — Conducted a multiyear field auditing program for an electric generation company at plants located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Arkansas, and Texas. The auditing program focused on groundwater sampling being conducted for compliance with federal and state requirements associated with the Coal Combustion Residuals Rule (CCR Rule).
Multimedia Field Auditing Program for Manufacturing Facility, Southern Connecticut — Conducted numerous field audits of multimedia sampling activities at a Fortune 500 company in southern Connecticut. Audited field activities that included soil sampling and monitoring well installation utilizing the rotosonic drilling method, conducted a test pit program in a former landfill in Level B personal protective equipment, performed groundwater sampling utilizing the low-flow purge and sample technique, and installed a soil-vapor extraction system.
Field Auditing Program for a 10-Year Sampling Program along Thousands of Miles of Natural Gas Pipeline, Eastern United States — Conducted independent third-party auditing of a 10-year surface and shallow subsurface soil sampling investigation along thousands of miles of natural gas pipeline in eastern United States. Audited numerous characterization and remediation field crews in several different states to assess compliance with project control documents and client goals.
Waste Vendor Audit Program, Nationwide — Managed a multiyear waste vendor auditing program for a large oil and gas client at disposal facilities located across the United States. Audit program consisted of both onsite and offsite audits. Coordinated with client and disposal facility personnel, assigned internal technical and operational leads, assisted in risk rankings, and reviewed and approved all final reports.
Remedial Investigation
Precedent Setting Lead Remediation Project, Southwestern Pennsylvania — Managed a precedent setting multiyear/multimillion-dollar lead assessment and remediation project. Affected media included soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water. Developed a background standard for soils at offsite properties. Project also included wetlands delineation, human health and ecological risk assessment, and NPDES permitting. Project was enrolled in Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Act 2 program.
Remedial Design and Construction
Co-design and Installation of Groundwater Pump and Treat System for Petroleum Hydrocarbons, Canton, New York — Co-designed and installed a groundwater pump and treat system for a petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated site. The system utilized two pumping wells from which contaminated water was extracted and treated via an air stripping tower and granular activated carbon. Effluent discharges to subsurface and surface waters were permitted under the New York State NPDES permitting system.
Education & Credentials
B.S., Earth Science, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, 1987
Professional Geologist:
State of Pennsylvania Certification No. PG-000210-G
State of Delaware Registration No. S4-0000848
State of New York License No. 000404
State of Tennessee License No. 5965
Continuing Education
OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER
Transport and Fate of Contaminants in the Subsurface, Stevens University, 1990
Groundwater Pollution and Hydrology, The Princeton Course, 1992
Multimedia Exposure Assessment Modeling, Allison Geoscience, Gainesville, Georgia, 1993
Advanced Environmental Law, Penn State University, 1997
Leadership Development Certificate, Penn State University School of Graduate Studies, 2018
Professional Affiliations
The Geological Society of America, Member, 1993