Lawrence McTiernan, PG, LSP

Mr. McTiernan is a Professional Geologist and Massachusetts Licensed Site Professional (LSP) with over thirty-five years of experience in site investigation and remediation. He is currently a Principal Hydrogeologist with Roux, where he has spent his entire professional career. Mr. McTiernan joined Roux in 1989 after receiving an MS degree in Marine Environmental Sciences from the Marine Sciences Research Center at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He also holds a BA degree in Geology from Lafayette College.

Mr. McTiernan has directed, managed, or overseen site investigation and/or remediation projects at dozens of sites in Massachusetts and elsewhere around the country, including Superfund sites in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. These sites have been contaminated with a variety of constituents, including chlorinated solvents, petroleum compounds, PFAS, metals, and PCBs, and his work at these sites has often involved extensive negotiations and other interface with regulatory agencies, at both the federal and state levels. Mr. McTiernan also provides high-level technical and managerial support for environmental litigation projects, and he has served as an expert witness on several occasions, including testifying in court.

• Consultant for performing party for remediation of Operable Unit 2 of the Peterson/Puritan Superfund Site in Cumberland, Rhode Island, including the JM Mills Landfill. Currently representing client as a member of performing parties’ Technical Committee, providing review and critique of remedial design (RD) and remedial action (RA) submittals and overseeing technical and financial aspects of remedy implementation. Other work has included critiquing the EPA’s Proposed Plan on behalf of the client; preparing a white paper proposing a new remedial alternative (evapotranspiration [ET] cap) not included in EPA’s Feasibility Study and presenting that alternative at an EPA public meeting; assisting in development of allocation agreements with other performing parties; and screening and selection of Project Coordinator, RD consultant, RA consultant (engineer-of-record/construction manager), and RA contractor.
• Principal-in-Charge for supplemental remedial investigation, surface water transport element of pre-design investigation, and post-remediation surface water monitoring for Operable Unit 2 of the Industri-Plex Superfund Site in Woburn, Massachusetts. Work resulted from earlier successful demonstration by Roux of the technical infeasibility of record of decision (ROD) interim remedy (pump-and-treat) and the intrinsic bioremediation potential of pond and wetland sediments, during which work Mr. McTiernan was Project Manager. Supplemental remedial investigation included additional source area investigation, vertical profiling of groundwater contamination, sediment remobilization/transport study, delineation/sampling of buried lakebed, and vapor intrusion assessment. Pre-design investigation (building upon earlier sediment remobilization/transport study) involved deployment and maintenance of automated surface water monitoring and sampling equipment at ten locations along a 6-mile reach of a river at and downstream of the Site, hydraulic characterization of river at each station, continuous monitoring of stream flow and water quality, and periodic sampling under both baseflow and storm conditions. Work plans and supporting Project Operations Plans (FSP, QAPP, HASP) were prepared for both investigations. Automated surface monitoring and sampling continued post-remediation as an element of the long-term monitoring plan.
• Project Manager and later Principal-in-Charge for implementation of groundwater remedy at the Fulton Terminals Superfund Site in Fulton, New York. Successfully negotiated and implemented an Expedited Pumping Program (EPP) as an alternative to ROD-specified pump-and-treat remedy for chlorinated VOCs in groundwater. EPP involved short-term (12 weeks) pump-and-treat using a mobile treatment system, periodic sampling of groundwater, and modeling of post-pumping natural attenuation of residual groundwater impacts. Project also included a geophysical survey to determine extent and decay rate of remnants of freeze wall used during soil remedy (conducted by others), which was delaying complete natural attenuation of site groundwater. Successfully argued, based on success of EPP and natural attenuation modeling, that additional active remediation of site groundwater was not necessary, and prepared Construction Completion Report. Performed over ten years of long-term groundwater monitoring supporting eventual delisting of site from the NPL.
• LSP-of-Record and Principal-in-Charge for MCP Response Actions at a Tier 1A former dry cleaner site in northeastern Massachusetts. Site soil and groundwater contain PCE and degradation products, which have also been detected in indoor air of the existing site building. Project has included MCP Phase I and Phase II site investigations (including Method 3 risk characterization); an Immediate Response Action to evaluate the source, persistence, and effects of CVOC discharge to surface water via a storm sewer; Phase III evaluation and selection of remedial alternatives (in situ chemical reduction and sub-slab depressurization); remedial design (Phase IV); remedy implementation (Phase V); and long-term monitoring of natural attenuation (ROS). Also assisted client in negotiations with adjacent property owners, including review/critique of demands for reimbursement of response action costs under M.G.L. c.21E.
• LSP-of-Record for MCP Response Actions at a former asphalt-shingle manufacturing facility in central Massachusetts. Site soil and groundwater are impacted with petroleum hydrocarbons (including extensive LNAPL), and deeper site groundwater is impacted with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs). Project has included excavation and management of ~15,000 tons of buried asphalt and asphalt-impacted soil, completion of a supplemental Phase II investigation reevaluating extent of petroleum/LNAPL impacts and demonstrating off-site source for CVOCs in deeper groundwater, preliminary evaluation of remedial alternatives for LNAPL, excavation and recycling of ~5,000 tons of LNAPL-impacted soil, a preliminary evaluation of Natural Source Zone Depletion for residual LNAPL, and consulting for client during facility demolition.

• Emhart Industries, Inc. v. New England Container Company, Inc., et al., U.S. District Court, District of Rhode Island; Consolidated Civil Action Nos. 06-218, 11-023, 18-316. Expert Report, Deposition, Testified in Court.

• TRW Inc. v. Lloyd’s of London et al., Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. Expert Report, Deposition, Settled Prior to Trial.

• Liberty Mutual Insurance Company v. The Black & Decker Corporation, et al., U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts; Case 96-10804-DPW.1. Expert Reports.