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Neil P. Swanson

Neil P. Swanson
Consultant

Neil P. Swanson

Consultant

Mr. Neil Swanson is a geochemist with 8 years of environmental consulting experience.  He has experience with environmental geochemistry; geochemical modeling, including PHREEQC applications; organic and inorganic fate and transport; environmental forensic methods; hydrologic systems and evaluation of storm runoff models; groundwater modeling and characterization; environmental compliance; and field collection of surface water, sediment, soil, and biota.  He uses R statistical software and Python to perform quantitative data analysis and prepare graphical representations of complex environmental data.  Mr. Swanson is proficient in incorporating multiple lines of evidence to produce eff...

Mr. Neil Swanson is a geochemist with 8 years of environmental consulting experience.  He has experience with environmental geochemistry; geochemical modeling, including PHREEQC applications; organic and inorganic fate and transport; environmental forensic methods; hydrologic systems and evaluation of storm runoff models; groundwater modeling and characterization; environmental compliance; and field collection of surface water, sediment, soil, and biota.  He uses R statistical software and Python to perform quantitative data analysis and prepare graphical representations of complex environmental data.  Mr. Swanson is proficient in incorporating multiple lines of evidence to produce effective conceptual site models (CSMs) to aid in comprehensive site characterization and remedial design.

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Introducing Integral's Sediment Newsletter: The Benthic Zone

Press Release

April 01 2022

Unraveling Sediment PCB Signatures in Disparate Data Sets for Source Allocation

White Paper

March 28 2022

Coastal Management: Integral Contributes to Ocean Technology to Monitor Hypoxia for NOAA

Press Release

March 16 2021

Data Analysis

Optimization of Wave Buoy Monitoring Locations for Wave Field Prediction, Alaska Implemented machine learning methods to optimize placement of wave measurement buoys to provide the most important data for wave propagation modeling to a location within a model grid where a wave energy converter (WEC) may be located.  Wave field predictions allow for WECs to achieve maximized energy conversion across a wide range of ocean conditions.  Further, accurate wave forecasts enable prediction of wave energy production necessary for optimal management of wave energy microgrids that can help reduce dependence on nonrenewable energy sources.
Improving the Efficiency and Effectiveness for Marine Energy Permitting: A Toolkit and Engagement for Success Developing an easily accessible online toolkit that integrates relevant regulatory, scientific, and spatial marine energy data to increase regulators’ understanding of marine energy projects, devices, and their potential environmental impacts while reducing permitting time and costs of marine energy projects.
Automating the Collection of Publicly Available Data for Environmental Investigations Served as task lead in identification of publicly available groundwater use and water quality data to support an evaluation of water distribution systems.  Eliminated the need to manually access, scroll through, and download individual results through programmatic applications scripted in Python, greatly reducing time spent obtaining and piecing together data sets for analysis.
Automating Workflow for Summarizing and Reporting Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Confidential Location Worked with project team to establish data management and reporting workflow to automate the summarization and reporting of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) results as they would be routinely received from the laboratory.  Used R statistical software to take the data from the database, prepare the data for analysis, and create formatted data tables and report figures customized by sample location.
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, Confidential Location Providing technical support in the analysis of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater and drinking water. Prepared isomer profiles of PFAS samples in support of ongoing investigations.
Third-Party Analytical Data Quality Review, Confidential Location Worked with project team to provide extensive third-party review of 8 years of analytical chemistry data records from three laboratory instruments to identify and evaluate the impacts of improper laboratory practices. Examined raw instrument files, laboratory data packages, hard copy documentation, and the laboratory’s information management system database to assess conformity with analytical methods, laboratory standard operating procedures, and best laboratory practices.
Pre-feasibility Support of a Large Open-Pit Gold Mine, Nevada Served as task lead in the partial completion of a predictive pit lake geochemical model using Microsoft® Excel and PHREEQC software to support environmental impact evaluation of a proposed open-pit mine in Nevada. The geochemical model will be used to predict the formation of a pit lake and changes in water quality over time. Provided technical support and quality assurance checks during preparation of the humidity cell report.
Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico Conducted quality assurance and data completeness assessments of multiple studies related to the Gulf of Mexico Deepwater Horizon accident.

Forensics

Superfund Cleanup and Natural Resource Damage Assessment Allocation, Portland, Oregon Co‑leading the chemical forensics evaluation to support allocation within a sediment Superfund site involving more than 100 parties. Forensics analyses are focused on evaluating the distribution and potential sources of PCBs (congeners and Aroclors), dioxins and furans, PAHs, pesticides, and metals in the Superfund site.  Analyses include mapping of chemical distributions and interpolations, chemical fingerprinting and comparison to source profiles from literature using similarity analyses, dimension-reduction techniques (principal component analysis), clustering (hierarchical, k-means, k-medoids), and linear mixing and unmixing evaluations.
Sediment Cleanup Allocation Support, Port Angeles, Washington Led the chemical forensics evaluation to support allocation of sediment impacts at a Model Toxics Control Act site in Port Angeles, Washington.  Forensics analyses focused on PAHs, PCBs, and dioxins and furans.  Analyses included chemical fingerprinting and comparison to source profiles from literature using cosine similarity, evaluation of diagnostic ratios of PAHs, and unmixing evaluations.
Former Wood Treatment Facility, Columbus, Mississippi Performed forensic analysis, including fingerprinting and principal components analysis, to delineate potential sources of dioxins and furans onsite and offsite of a former wood treatment and storage facility located in Columbus, Mississippi, which is contaminated with creosote and pentachlorophenol.
Lower Duwamish Waterway Cost Allocation Support, Washington Provided key technical support for site-specific cost allocation associated with cleanup of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. Support included compilation and analysis of disparate historical data sets, including chemical fingerprinting analyses, to support the characterization and environmental distribution of metals, PCBs, and PAHs in the waterway.
Nutrient Forensic Studies, Confidential Locations, Hawaii Conducted forensic studies to determine sources of nutrients (primarily nitrogen) to sites that were leading to NPDES permit exceedances into adjacent marine waters. Studies included the use of isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen, as well as nutrient profiles, for delineating potential sources.

Site Investigation

Blackwell Zinc Site, Blackwell Oklahoma Currently serving as project manager for a groundwater remediation project under Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality oversight at a former zinc smelter site. Project management responsibilities include project coordination and planning, regular correspondence regarding project status with the client and lawyers, review of monthly invoicing, coordination of project backlog, and preparation of change orders. Technical responsibilities include daily monitoring of groundwater treatment facility well field operations; weekly composite calculations of wastewater treatment plant influent for laboratory analysis, and verification that weekly results are below threshold criteria; utilization of Surfer® 3-D software to monitor monthly groundwater elevation data of aquifer drawdown and potential sewer vulnerability; semiannual monitoring of surface water results, and verification that results are below threshold criteria; and monitoring of general plume water quality data and verification of plume stability prior to each 5-year review. Provided geochemical modeling support in identifying future remedy alternatives. Provided technical support for the completion of the groundwater remediation unit’s first and second 5-year review reports. Assisted in planning the ecological habitat assessment for the Legion Park tributary according to Oklahoma regulations. Assisted in completion of the 2015 update to the Remedial Action and Compliance Monitoring Plan. Responsible for drafting quarterly project progress reports and annual data reports for the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
Former Wood Treatment Facility, Meridian, Mississippi Led development of the Phase II RCRA Facility Investigation report for a former wood treatment and storage facility in Meridian, Mississippi, which is contaminated with creosote and pentachlorophenol. Played a critical role in evaluating historical data collected since the facility closed in 1986 and integrating that data with data collected during the Phase II investigation (2016–2018) to define the nature and extent of facility-related contaminants of potential concern. Developed the preliminary conceptual site model (CSM), which identified key physical, chemical, and biological processes that collectively drive site risks, to support the risk assessments and corrective measures study.
Former Wood Treatment Facility, Columbus, Mississippi Assisted with the development of the remedial investigation report for a former wood treatment and storage facility in Columbus, Mississippi, which is contaminated with creosote and pentachlorophenol. Provided detailed data analysis and support for the development of the CSM, including direction for the development of a Leapfrog 3D model integrating all surface and subsurface chemical and physical data collected at the site. Developed the preliminary CSM, which identified key physical, chemical, and biological processes that collectively drive site risks, to support the risk assessments and corrective measures study. Performed forensic analysis, including fingerprinting and principal components analysis, to delineate potential sources of dioxins and furans onsite and offsite. Led the development of the work plan for offsite soil sampling in residential yards to collect surface and subsurface soil samples for dioxins and furans using incremental sampling methodology. Provided technical support in the development of the Operable Unit 1 feasibility study and subsequent removal action work plan.
Lower Duwamish Waterway Pre-Design Studies, Washington Led a public outreach survey to characterize waterway use activities to support refinement of sediment recovery categories for assignment of remedial technologies. The survey focus was identifying current and potential future waterway uses and activities that might disturb the sediment bed to a degree that could alter projected recovery potential and thereby inform the need for recovery category refinement.
Berry’s Creek Superfund Site, Meadowlands, New Jersey Provided project management and technical support for the RI/FS of a 12-square-mile, watershed-based Superfund site in northern New Jersey under EPA oversight. Task lead in the refinement of the water balance, including characterization of upland freshwater inputs based on multiple years of in-system measurements and optimization of a Storm Water Management Model runoff model. Utilized R Programming and Microsoft® Excel knowledge to provide data analysis and develop key graphics in support of the report text and majority of appendices (sediment, surface water, hydrodynamics and sediment transport, chemical CSM, and biological characterization). Provided field and laboratory assistance for 5 years of collection of biological samples in support of the remedial investigation, including acting as field lead for collection of fiddler crab, mud crab, grass shrimp, and Phragmites.
Groundwater Remediation Support at a Manufacturing Facility, Cottage Grove, Minnesota Oversaw the drilling for multiple extraction wells using Sonic drilling methods. Performed air monitoring, characterization of soil borings, and collection of composite soil samples for chemical and geotechnical analysis to support development of the well specifications.
Emergency Response at a Bulk Chemical Storage Facility, New Orleans, Louisiana Provided technical support for completion of the Risk Evaluation/Corrective Action Program (RECAP) onsite work plan under Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality oversight to address any contamination to soils and groundwater from a chemical spill that occurred in a bulk storage facility as a result of flooding during Hurricane Isaac. Assisted with the preparation of RECAP reports documenting the onsite and offsite results of the soil and groundwater characterization. Provided litigation support by developing figures to visually depict the spatial distribution of onsite concentrations of volatile organic compounds.
Terminal 117, Seattle, Washington Provided field assistance during subsurface soil sampling at the Donovan Street right-of-way at the Terminal 117 early action area of the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site under EPA oversight. Responsibilities included documenting field activities, collecting split soil samples, and transferring data from core log data forms to digital format. Observed procedure and documentation of soil core logging. Assisted with the compilation of appendices to the Terminal 117 data report.
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