H. Patrick Penders

Mr. Penders is a Roux Principal Scientist with a BS in Marine Science from Stockton State College (1978). He has over thirty-five years of experience in the implementation of soil and groundwater investigations and remediation under both Federal and State programs. His expertise is wide-ranging and involves providing environmental management and strategic planning services associated with environmental investigation and remediation, facility decontamination and demolition, merger and acquisition/due diligence, cost estimating, liability assessment, and settlement negotiations.

For the past twenty years, Mr. Penders has assisted clients and legal counsel in regard to pollution claims, including source and timing evaluations, forensic investigations, damage assessments, cost reviews, and future cost estimating.

• Principal-in-Charge of investigation, remediation, and closure activities at dozens of railroad and bus transportation sites in the northeast. Sites include PCB-containing transformer substations, regional storage yards, passenger stations, maintenance and layover yards, mainline tracks, and bus maintenance facilities. Activities included soil, groundwater, and free product remediation; negotiation with regulatory agencies; and successful completion of cost-effective remedial solutions.
• Project Director on a due diligence project for a major petroleum company for the divestiture of retail service stations throughout the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions of the United States. The purpose of the project was to complete an assessment of over 1,000 retail service stations with the intention of divesting both the property and the liability. Provided the client with strategic insights for developing and managing the overall project. Completed over 200 Phase Is and conducted over 60 phase IIs within a ten-month period, finishing ahead of schedule and on budget.
• Principal-in-Charge of the decontamination and demolition of a former fiberglass manufacturing facility. Scope of work included surgical demolition of furnaces to remove chrome-based refractory brick (RCRA hazardous waste); a building implosion of a 140-foot tower; decontamination of the former manufacturing process equipment contaminated with phenol, formaldehyde, and mercury; asbestos abatement; lead paint abatement; general demolition; and waste disposal activities.
• Managed emergency response operations at more than 100 spill sites and participated in more than 400 emergency response incidents. Participated in numerous train derailments, pipeline release, shipping accidents, and waterway spill events during the emergency response, investigative, and remediation phases. This included managing several major oil spills and several significant pipeline releases (each more than 500,000 gallons) occurring on both navigable waterways and sensitive wetlands areas. Activities conducted included the management of a work force of over 300 individuals, and 15 vessels and petroleum recovery ships.
• Consulting expert for insurance claims nationwide associated with both recent and historical chemical releases to soil and groundwater. Reviewed claim/expert reports and assisted in settlement negotiations. Provided independent estimates of future costs, allocation of costs for sites with multiple potentially responsible parties (PRPs), and opinions on the reasonableness of past expenditure.
• Project Director for the design and construction of a 15-acre phytoremediation project to mitigate zinc leachate in a former industrial landfill. Project included planting of approximately 15,000 hybrid poplar trees, willows, and several indigenous species on the landfill utilizing augers. Agronomic analyses were performed, and appropriate soil nutrients and amendments were added during planting. Managed all aspects of construction, including day-to-day operations of three contractors, field change orders, and cost tracking. Operation and maintenance activities at the Site include viability audits for the trees, addition of amendments and nutrients as required, irrigation system inspections, and insecticide spraying. The trees have an approximate 90% survival rate.