Andrew Baris, PG

Mr. Baris is an Executive Vice President and Principal Hydrogeologist with over 35 years of environmental experience. He holds an MES in Groundwater Quality Management from the University of Oklahoma and a BA in Geological Science from SUNY Geneseo. Mr. Baris has been responsible for the development and implementation of remediation programs at sites ranging in complexity from small retail gas station releases to large-scale refineries and manufacturing facilities. His expertise includes identification and remediation of historical contamination sources; contaminant fate and transport; soil vapor assessment and mitigation; risk assessment; NAPL remediation strategies; and assessment of appropriate remediation costs. He has been retained as a technical expert on multiple cases.

• Program manager for portfolio of remediation projects for a major oil company. Portfolio comprised of over 20 major projects, including oil terminals, former refineries, service stations, and special assignment projects; with annual spending typically ranging between 20 and 30 million dollars. Responsible for technical team development, implementing programs to satisfy client safety and control system requirements, and overall program management.
• Project Principal and Project Manager for the RI/FS at a 1,300-acre aluminum smelter facility/Superfund Site in Columbia Falls, Montana. Responsible for evaluation of EPA hazard ranking system scoring of the Site, scoping of the RI/FS, development of the RI/FS Work Plan, implementation of Phase I and II Site Characterization programs, and human health and ecological risk assessments. The technical scope of work includes geophysical survey of the Site, soil gas surveys, use of incremental sampling methodology for soil sampling, and drilling installation of 50 monitoring wells, including 17 deep monitoring wells up to 300 feet in depth. The program includes collection of over 1,000 samples for laboratory analysis from various media, including soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater; as well as a baseline human health and ecological risk assessment. Areas of concern being addressed by the RI/FS include the manufacturing area, wastewater percolation ponds, six onsite landfills, and various surface water features.
• Project Principal for the investigation and remediation of a multi-million gallon release of petroleum hydrocarbon product from a former refinery and petroleum storage terminal in New York City. The project involved numerous Consent Order and Consent Decree deadlines for investigation activities, reports, and design submittals, with significant penalty stipulations if work was not performed on schedule and according to specifications. Technical and management responsibilities included oversight of field investigations, remediation system design and construction, data analysis, report preparation, and permitting negotiations with the NYSDEC, NYCDEP, NYCDOB, NYCDOT, and NYC Fire Department. Technical aspects included detailed spill volume modeling, aquifer testing, numerical groundwater modeling, and evaluation of remedial alternatives. Remediation design and construction included a 27-well dual-phase (product and water) extraction system, force mains through NYC streets, two 500-gpm groundwater treatment plants, discharge facilities, and product storage facilities. Includes evaluation of soil vapor intrusion and development and implementation of targeted soil vapor mitigation measures in a complex urban environment.
• Project Principal of an evaluation of environmental conditions and a focused groundwater investigation at a former aerospace manufacturing facility in Wallingford, Connecticut to verify that remediation has been performed at certain release areas in accordance with the RSRs adopted by the CTDEP. The evaluation of environmental conditions and focused groundwater investigation was performed under the LEP Program. Former operations at the facility were primarily related to the manufacturing and testing of flow meters. Based on the results of the focused groundwater investigation, LEP verification was provided to the CTDEP that the former release areas at the Site have been remediated in accordance with the RSRs adopted by the CTDEP.
• Project Principal for the comprehensive investigation and remediation of an 850-acre former refinery, and active petroleum storage and pipeline transfer facility in Providence, Rhode Island. Areas of concern include former refinery process areas; active and former tank farms; active and abandoned oil/water separators; and drum, refinery sludge, acid waste, and tank bottom disposal areas. Technical aspects include design and implementation of a 600-gpm groundwater extraction and treatment system to prevent off-site migration, geophysical surveys, groundwater and separate-phase product modeling, human health and ecological risk assessments, wetland delineation and restoration, product recovery system design and implementation, phytoremediation, and large-scale excavation and disposal projects.

• Retained as an expert witness for a confidential petroleum hydrocarbon case in New York City. The case involves a former oil terminal that was condemned and taken by the City of New York for purposes of constructing a municipal wastewater treatment facility. The site environmental conditions as of the taking date were evaluated to develop opinions with respect to environmental remediation costs that would have been incurred for various redevelopment scenarios being considered prior to the City’s taking of the property.

• Retained as an expert witness on behalf of a petroleum product delivery company alleged to have caused contamination at a service station due to tank overfill incidents. The work involved review of the site assessment and remediation activities at the Site to differentiate the contamination and associated remediation costs attributable to the tank overfills from the contamination caused by leaking tanks and other sources.

• Retained as a consulting expert on behalf of one of the defendants in a multi-million dollar class action suit against multiple industrial property owners and operators in Nassau County. The complaint alleges personal injury and property diminution due to groundwater contamination and impact to the water supply aquifer. Primary contaminants of concern are chlorinated solvents.

• Retained as expert witness in a confidential case involving apportionment of contamination at a former alumina refinery site, evaluating the standard of care in constructing the waste disposal areas at the refinery, and evaluating the appropriateness of proposed remedial measures and costs. Prepared expert reports and provided testimony at deposition.