Nicole Ott

Superfund Cleanup and NRDA Allocation, Portland, Oregon Serving as principal in charge and leading expert team to develop technical reports for allocation within a sediment site involving in excess of 100 participating and nonparticipating parties.  As lead expert on more than 10 reports, working closely with counsel, developed historically relevant opinions for 1940s to 1970s era steel mill, examining several other, often overlooked source areas, including streets, sewers, upstream parties, and lesser-known industries.  Managing a team of 20+ experts and several support staff to produce expert reports and reply documents over an overlapping deliverable schedule within three phases each for six river segments.  Contributed to several expert reports in addition to those prepared as lead author.

Tasks to generate client deliverables include writing and reviewing expert team’s reports and developing mass loading estimates and release score methodology in collaboration with technical staff and counsel.  Reviewed and responded to opinions advanced by averse party experts, under a tight time frame, involving rapid synthesis of petitions submitted by other parties.  Deliverable preparation also included collaboration with industry expert, extensive photographic research, forensic evaluations for PCBs and dioxins/furans, and topographic and chemical examination of fill materials.

Early supporting tasks during sitewide RI/FS and pre-design investigation stages included development of sampling strategy and technical review with an eye toward the client’s perspective of work products produced by common consultants. These products include data compilation, chemistry interpolation, sediment deposition evaluations, cost estimates, and historical summaries. Compiled and synthesized relevant information to respond to disclosure questionnaires and supplemental information requests and to generate comments on allocation team-generated deliverables. Evaluated trustees’ NRD proposal relative to sediment chemistry, sources, and operational history to prepare response documents, cross-checking trustee calculations and responding to incorrect assumptions, with more than 50 percent reduction in damages allocated to client. Communicated findings to end client and attorneys and participated in multiple collaborative teams with counsel.

Lower Duwamish Waterway Predesign Studies, Seattle, Washington Interviewed waterway users to identify highly trafficked areas of the site and berthing areas. Compiled lines of evidence for natural recovery designations in surface sediments. Evaluated changes in sediment chemistry to support natural recovery evaluations in order to revise prior feasibility study designations with new data. Updates to recovery category designations were considered with respect to new information gathered after the feasibility study. Also evaluated changes in sediment chemistry to support natural recovery evaluations. Communicated findings to client and directly to EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Various CERCLA Site Support Worked on various Integral teams writing nature and extent text, developing cost estimates, managing field sampling preparation, and overseeing map and data table production. Work has involved communication among members of multiple teams and contractors as well as completion of quality assurance steps for deliverables. Sites include Berry’s Creek (New Jersey), San Jacinto River Waste Pits (Texas), Passaic River (New Jersey), and Frenchtown Mills (Montana).

MTCA Evaluations at Neighboring, Downgradient Properties, Woodinville and Port Angeles, Washington For two separate clients, evaluated impacts to downgradient properties defined as a part of an MTCA site. For one property, served as Principal in Charge overseeing collection of soil and groundwater samples to define the downgradient extent of a petroleum plume. Developed data report for client to provide to MTCA customer. Worked with end client and attorney to develop work product meeting client objectives pertaining to data generation. On the second property, communicated with MTCA customer’s consultant to convey progress to client, and advised client on next steps.

Former Fertilizer Manufacturing Facility, Residential Yards Removal Action, Guanica, Puerto Rico With client and outside counsel, negotiated an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent with EPA Region 2 for a removal action addressing PCB-impacted soil in offsite properties.  Serving as project manager responsible for staffing, team coordination, client communications, and EPA correspondence.  With Engineer of Record, delineated excavation extents and developed key work plan elements.  Project planning involves consideration of several unique constraints, including inclement weather, community outreach, neighborhood impacts from previous natural disasters, paucity of municipal data including land ownership and utility infrastructure maps, potential presence of endangered flora and fauna, sourcing of materials and labor on-island, and identification of suitable landfill space. Work elements to include soil sampling, soil excavation and backfilling, and stormwater source control assessments.

Former Fertilizer Manufacturing Facility, Residential Yards Removal Action, Guanica, Puerto Rico With client and outside counsel, negotiated an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent with EPA Region 2 for a removal action addressing PCB-impacted soil in offsite properties.  Serving as project manager responsible for staffing, team coordination, client communications, and EPA correspondence.  With Engineer of Record, delineated excavation extents and developed key work plan elements.  Project planning involves consideration of several unique constraints, including inclement weather, community outreach, neighborhood impacts from previous natural disasters, paucity of municipal data including land ownership and utility infrastructure maps, potential presence of endangered flora and fauna, sourcing of materials and labor on-island, and identification of suitable landfill space. Work elements to include soil sampling, soil excavation and backfilling, and stormwater source control assessments.

Former Fertilizer Manufacturing Facility, Residential Yards Removal Action, Guanica, Puerto Rico With client and outside counsel, negotiated an administrative settlement agreement and order on consent with EPA Region 2 for a removal action addressing PCB-impacted soil in offsite properties.  Serving as project manager responsible for staffing, team coordination, client communications, and EPA correspondence.  With Engineer of Record, delineated excavation extents and developed key work plan elements.  Project planning involves consideration of several unique constraints, including inclement weather, community outreach, neighborhood impacts from previous natural disasters, paucity of municipal data including land ownership and utility infrastructure maps, potential presence of endangered flora and fauna, sourcing of materials and labor on-island, and identification of suitable landfill space. Work elements to include soil sampling, soil excavation and backfilling, and stormwater source control assessments.