Bio
Dr. Nicholas Santella has 23 years of experience in the environmental science and engineering fields. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles regarding environmental chemistry, transport, and risk management. He has also been a coauthor or participant in New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), ASTM International, and Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council standard and guidance development. Dr. Santella’s areas of specialization include tracer hydrology, analytical and numerical modeling, environmental chemistry, probabilistic risk analysis, environmental site assessments, geographic information systems, and environmental forensics.
Relevant Experience
Vapor Intrusion
Vapor Intrusion Assessments, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania — Developed and performed programs for soil gas and indoor air sampling as well as vapor intrusion risk assessments at multiple complex industrial, retail petroleum, and solid waste sites using the Johnson and Ettinger model and other methodologies.
PFAS/Emerging Contaminants
Wastewater Planning, United States — Assist a governmental client with holistic wastewater planning efforts. The technical evaluation includes the interpretation of data on emerging contaminants in various media, climate impacts, and other technical and regulatory considerations.
PFAS CSM and Groundwater Modeling, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — Developed a PFAS conceptual site model (CSM) that included wastewater, background, and point sources for multiple PFAS compounds at a large industrial site. Performed a groundwater fate and transport assessment for source areas that included a sensitivity analysis of the strength of partitioning and age of release on plume development and stability.
Evaluation of PFAS Emissions, United States — Supported a governmental client in assessment of PFAS emissions from industrial facilities. Produced technical memoranda for internal planning on a wide range of PFAS compounds, PFAS toxicity and methods for toxicity estimation, and modeling methods for atmospheric fate and transport assessments.
Site Remediation
Third-Party Review of CERCLA Removal Actions and Risk Assessment, West Virginia — Provided a third-party technical review of a multidecadal history of EPA removal actions and risk assessments at a riverine PCB remediation site. Included an evaluation of PCB and dioxins and furans data in multiple environmental media and of PCB biomarker data for legal counsel.
CERCLA PRP Technical Support, Georgia — Provided technical support to legal counsel for a PRP for several large Superfund sites. Tasks included the forensic analysis of PCB-, PAH-, and metal-impacted soils and sediments as part of the site listing and initial allocation of liability; the provision of strategic direction during remedial investigation design; and support in selection of interim removal actions.
Bedrock Trichloroethene (TCE) Investigation, New Brunswick, New Jersey — Served as technical director of the evaluation of bedrock plume at a multifamily apartment complex. Used extensive published literature on flow controlled by jointing to develop an efficient sitewide investigation, including a vapor intrusion investigation and several hundred feet of bedrock drilling.
Compliance Activities for a Closed Municipal Landfill, Raritan, New Jersey — Performed air permitting, perimeter air monitoring, and groundwater investigations at a closed municipal landfill. Assisted council in negotiating an administrative consent order.
CSM Report, Bridgeport, New Jersey — Authored a CSM document by comprehensively evaluating site conditions and remedial progress at a complex chlorinated solvent remediation site. Evaluated the effectiveness of electric resistance heating and pump and treat remediation and developed recommendations for remedial optimization and monitoring.
Management of a CERCLA Fractured Rock Remediation Site, New Jersey — Managed the activities of a Superfund site, which included scheduling, coordination, and the implementation of treatment system performance monitoring, groundwater sampling. Also managed the preparation of quarterly and annual reports to EPA, NJDEP, and the client.
Groundwater Assessment of a Large and Complex Hexavalent Chromium Site, New Jersey — Performed project oversight, data management, and reporting for the characterization and groundwater remedial design of a chromium waste disposal site. Focused on the characterization and mitigation of discharge of impacted groundwater to estuarine surface water.
Data Management and Analysis for a Large Brownfield Site, New York — Developed and maintained an extensive database of soil and sediment analytical data and developed and implemented statistical methods for data evaluation and display for a large brownfield site in accord with risk-based environmental standards.
Regulatory Compliance
Wastewater Treatment Consulting, Kennet Square, Pennsylvania — Counseled a client regarding the multistep evaluation of the root cause of wastewater permit violations, available technologies for upgrades, a cost–benefit evaluation, and the optimal sequencing of capital investments.
Mining Reclamation Plan and Residual Waste Disposal (Expert Opinion), Maryland and Pennsylvania — Assisted a large hard-rock quarry mining operation in Maryland and Pennsylvania with a proper disposal plan and best management practice for managing residual, fine-grained mining sediment. Solutions included OSHA and mining regulation air monitoring plan for silica and other airborne contaminants and working material into a reclamation plan.
PCB Trackback Study, Delaware — Led an effort to identify sources of PCBs within the service area of a county sanitary sewer network as part of a pollution minimization plan associated with a municipal NPDES permit.
Litigation Support
Expert Testimony on the History of PFAS Waste Management, United States — Provided expert reports and testimony regarding historical waste management practices as they pertain to PFAS related to several manufacturing facilities.
Expert Opinion for PCE Source Litigation, Washington, DC — Evaluated the source location and PCE impacts to indoor air for a large redevelopment project in support of real estate litigation.
Forensic Modeling of a Groundwater PCE Plume, New Jersey — In support of an insurance claim, designed a data collection program and performed a numerical modeling study to constrain the date of release at a former dry-cleaning facility.
Forensic Sediment Sampling, New Jersey — Implemented a forensic sediment transport investigation of a high-profile environmental remediation site. Services included reviewing depositional features to identify sampling locations, performing sampling activities via watercraft, and analyzing compound ratios from source to downstream deposits.
Portfolio of Unsaturated Zone Fate and Transport Modeling, New Jersey — Modeled unsaturated zone fate and transport, which included the development of plans for data collection and unsaturated and saturated zone fate and transport modeling to develop New Jersey Site Remediation Program alternate remediation standards for the soil-to-groundwater pathway at multiple sites.
Fate and Transport
Groundwater Fate and Transport Modeling, Delaware — Completed a multiphase development and calibration of a large-scale groundwater flow and contaminant transport model for a tidally influenced remediation site. Developed a plan for additional data collection to support recalibration and validation as requested by a regulatory agency. The final modeling product fulfilled a work plan element and supported project closure.
LNAPL Recovery Modeling, New Jersey — Calibrated and implemented a site-specific light nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL) recovery model to facilitate prediction of long-term remedial system performance.
Hydrologic Tracer Investigations, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Maine — Planned and implemented tracer studies in groundwater, rivers, and indoor and outdoor air, which included sampling, laboratory analysis, and data interpretation. Applications included an evaluation of in situ chemical oxidation programs, groundwater dating, and the quantification of atmospheric gas exchange rates and advection or dispersion properties of the Hudson and East rivers and Newark Bay. Results of some of these studies were ultimately used for the calibration of the Port of New York/New Jersey Operational Forecast System.
Modeling
Validation of a Critical Infrastructure Protection Decision Support System, United States — Developed validation methods and collected various infrastructure system data for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The success of an initial project led to a larger contract to serve as a third-party reviewer of critical infrastructure modeling research at LANL for the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate.
Climate Impact Assessment
Evaluation of Sea Level Rise Risk, Delaware — Under contract with the state, contributed to an assessment of sea level rise impacts to DNREC-regulated sites.
Assessment of Natural Disaster Hazardous Materials Risk, United States — Evaluated the risks, prevention options, and remediation methodologies for hazardous material releases associated with natural disasters at storage tanks and other facilities. Directed four part-time staff in conducting surveys and performing data analysis.
Technical Writing
Evaluation of Veterans' Interests in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education, United States — Led the development, programing, and piloting of an extensive electronic survey of veterans utilizing Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits. Conducted focus groups and synthesized input from a team of subject matter experts.
Education & Credentials
Ph.D., Geochemistry, Columbia University, New York, New York, 2005
B.S., Chemistry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1999
Professional Geologist, Delaware (SF-0001297), Pennsylvania (PG005289)
Continuing Education
OSHA 8-Hour HAZWOPER Supervisor