ERT: Geology and Hydrogeology
ERT’s geoscientists have strong foundations in geology, hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, and geophysics, that provide advanced services in aquifer testing, fracture trace analysis, multivariant geospatial analyses, three-dimensional visualization analyses (3DVA), groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling, and more. Other high-level services include water quality assessments of groundwater and streams and lakes, evaluation of contaminant impacts, and impact mitigation. The team is knowledgeable and experienced with a variety of contaminants that include metals, PCBs, pesticides, light non-aqueous phase liquids and dense non-aqueous phase liquids, Chlorinated, BTEX and PFOA/PFAS compounds in both soil and groundwater.
Routine services provided to EPA Regions include:
- Assessment and mitigation of potential environmental impacts in rural settings and mining sites including analysis, design and implementation of slope stability, erosion control and surface water conveyance systems
- Groundwater assessments applying hydrochemical and geochemical principles
- Applying field adaptive strategies to soil and groundwater assessment using rapid assessment technologies of direct push, MIP, MiHPT, CPT, UVOST, TarGOST, etc.
- Planning and implementation of surface and shallow sub-surface field investigation programs
- Groundwater monitoring program development, implementation and ancillary support
- Water well design and construction; including aquifer testing program planning, implementation and interpretation
- Planning and implementation of hydrogeological field investigation programs
- Interpretation of hydrogeological monitoring and characterization data, including geology, geophysics, hydraulic testing, piezometric time series, and groundwater chemistry
- Data integration into conceptual site models (CSMs) to explain site conditions, inform the remedy decision process, and for integration into numerical models
- Multivariant geospatial analyses and statistical support using Geographic Information Systems and 3DVA modeling software packages as a part of CSM development
- Advanced data analysis using 3-D numerical groundwater flow and contaminant transport models to further explain site conditions and compare remedial options
