Bio
Ms. Samantha Dietz is a certified ecologist with a background in ecological research and conservation, field sampling, and statistical analyses. Ms. Dietz’s deep understanding of a variety of ecological systems, proficiency with the statistical program R, and attention to detail allow her to effectively support a variety of projects, including ecological modeling, risk assessments, and natural resource damage assessments.
Relevant Experience
Ecological Risk Assessment
Ecological Risk Assessment, Edgerton, Ohio — Supported a Level III ecological risk assessment at a RCRA site evaluating risk to wildlife from metals in soils for current and projected conditions after targeted soil removal.
Ecological Risk Assessment Peer Review, Elmira, Ontario, Canada — Assisted with a third-party review of ecological risk assessment methodology and associated documents evaluating DDT, dioxins, and furans to provide recommendations for the client’s path to liability resolution.
Ecological Risk and Biological Evaluations, Canfield, Ohio — Supported the preparation of Level I and Level II ecological risk assessments for soil, sediment, and wildlife tissue at a metal plating facility, adjacent wetland, and nearby creek.
Former Landfill, Chatham, New Jersey — Supported the remedial design of a superfund site by evaluating risk to wildlife receptors from metals in surface soil and sediment for current and projected post-remediation conditions.
Ecological Risk Assessment, Southwest United States — Performed an ecological risk assessment for PCBs following state technical guidance. Modeled exposure and risk for avian and mammalian receptors from soil.
Ecological Modeling
Analytics for Mesocosm Study, Confidential Location — Worked with a team using AQUATOX© to model and analyze ecosystem-level effects of a specific herbicide in mesocosms.
Ecological Model of Estuary System, California — Assisted in the preparation of a technical user guide for a Bayesian network relative risk model that relates pesticide and other chemical inputs to fish mortality in an estuary ecosystem.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment Regarding PCBs, United States — Worked with a team to model the population-level effects of PCBs on various ecological endpoints in support of the preparation of expert reports.
Environmental Analytics
Mine Facilities Evaluation, Alaska — Conducted statistical analysis to evaluate the spatial and temporal distribution of metals in various media surrounding mine facilities in the Alaskan Arctic.
Centredale Manor Restoration Project Superfund Site, Rhode Island — Assisted with the preparation of data visualizations and quality assurance of analyses for an ecological baseline predesign investigation to characterize constituents of concern in various media types.
PFAS/Emerging Contaminants
PFAS Fish Consumption Advisory Regulatory Tracking, United States — Reviewed and compiled state fish consumption advisories (FCAs) as they pertain to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Ensures Integral’s interactive PFAS map “fish tissue” section reflects current FCAs.
Integral’s Monthly PFAS Alerts, United States — Assisted with the preparation of Integral’s monthly PFAS newsletter, which summarized developments in PFAS research, technology, and regulation.
Regulatory Toxicology for PFAS, United States — Critically reviewed and provided technical comments on government regulations related to PFAS toxicology for various projects and clients. Examined the scientific basis for proposed regulations and evaluated adherence to established guidance.
Litigation Support
Litigation Support, Chemical Impacts on Fisheries, California, Oregon, and Washington — Supported an expert report that evaluated potential effects of an emerging stormwater contaminant. Identified and reviewed potential baseline stressors of threatened and endangered fish populations to support a causation assessment.
Exposure Assessment Regarding PCBs, United States — Assisted with data management, data exploration, and document review regarding potential exposure to PCBs via inhalation of indoor air in support of the preparation of expert reports.
Multiple Contaminants in the Environment, United States — Supported the preparation of a technical review of the literature on contaminants in fish and the derivation of formulas that allow the accurate conversion of contaminant concentrations between fish tissue types.
Confidential Site, Ohio — Led research task to identify and compile publicly available information related to key focus areas of a natural resource damage claim in northeast Ohio. The information summaries and analyses were used to support an expert report.
Planning and Permitting
Effects of Proposed Desalination Plant on Estuarine Fish Populations, Texas — Provided analytical support for a desalination plant permit application by tabulating sediment data and calculating hazard quotients that were protective of the benthic invertebrate community using published state and federal toxicity benchmarks.
Education & Credentials
M.S., Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 2019
B.S., Biological Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2015
Certified Ecologist (CE), Ecological Society of America
Continuing Education
First Aid/CPR/AED Certified
OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER
Insights & News
Morro Bay Equity Strategy