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Richard J. AMZ 513226 -5329 <br />Professional Qualifications <br />Dr. Abitz is a geochemist with over twenty years of experience in the environmental services sector of <br />private and government organizations. His broad experience encompasses project and personnel <br />management, analysis of chemical and radiological data, modeling of soil /water systems and radioactive <br />waste streams with experimental methods and geochemical computer codes, risk assessment, and <br />development of remedial work plans for CERCLA and RCRA sites. His technical expertise includes the <br />application of geochemical principles, experimental methods, and computer models to problems involving <br />the solubility and mobility of hazardous and radioactive elements in the environment, evaluation of <br />environmental and human risk associated with exposure to contaminants in air, soil and water media, <br />remediation techniques for waters and soil contaminated by hazardous and radioactive wastes, and the <br />design and treatment of mixed and radioactive waste streams. <br />As an environmental consultant, Dr. Abitz has used his management and project skills and knowledge of <br />geochemical processes to perform and complete project work on a number of high profile milestones. At <br />the DOE Savannah River Site, he supported the prime contract transition and assisted with the preparation <br />of the $1.6 billion baseline spending package for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). <br />As an EPA subcontractor supporting the Bluewater Valley Downstream Alliance, he provides geochemical <br />expertise on groundwater remediation at the Homestake uranium tailings site north of Milan, NM. For the <br />Navajo and Sioux Nations, and the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District (Texas), he serves as <br />a technical expert and has evaluated the impact of proposed in situ uranium mining on the community <br />groundwater supply. <br />At the Fernald, Ohio superfund site, Dr. Abitz was the site geochemist responsible for the integration of <br />technical tasks associated with preparing remediation work plans, collecting soil, water and air samples, <br />data validation, data analysis and modeling, in situ measurements for 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 231U activity using <br />sodium iodide and high - purity germanium detectors, developing an estimate of the Curie inventory for the <br />on -site disposal cell (OSDF), and preparation of the residual risk assessment and soil certification reports. <br />He also served the Fernald site as a senior consultant to the DOE Technology Development Program and <br />managed active research projects at several universities. These projects included laboratory studies on the <br />mobilization and removal of contaminants from soil /water systems, such as passive removal of uranium <br />from groundwater using inorganic and organic media. <br />Dr Abitz also has extensive experience at other DOE sites. At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), he <br />developed waste analysis and radioactive material management plans for transuranic and low -level mixed <br />wastes generated, treated, and stored on site. For the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL), Dr. <br />Abitz evaluated the waste characterization program for high -level radioactive and hazardous waste <br />processed at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). Dr. Abitz also directed geochemical studies at <br />the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) that evaluated the composition and origin of saline groundwater and <br />brine in the repository strata. <br />Education and Training <br />B.A., Geology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California; 1981 <br />M.S., Geology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; 1984 <br />Ph.D., Geology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; 1989 <br />Environmental Risk Assessment Communication and Application Workshop, INEL <br />