Kurt Herman, M.Eng., P.G.
Principal
Mr. Herman is a principal at Gradient with approximately 20 years of academic and professional experience in the environmental field. He advises clients on complex environmental issues that draw upon his multidisciplinary background in economics, environmental engineering, and geology. He has led site characterization, remediation, and/or decommissioning efforts at dozens of sites in the US and abroad. He has provided expert testimony regarding environmental response actions, environmental response costs, contaminant fate and transport, and historical state of knowledge, including industrial operations and waste disposal practices.
Mr. Herman has experience with a wide range of chemicals in the environment, including PCBs, PFAS, chlorinated solvents, TENORM, petroleum hydrocarbons, and NAPLs. He has provided consulting and expert support at more than 100 former manufactured gas plant (MGP) and related sites.
Superfund Site Remedial Investigation: Directed an extensive multimedia (soil, groundwater, soil gas) investigation of chlorinated solvents released in a downtown residential/commercial area. Report accepted by agencies (US EPA, DNREC) without comment.
Environmental Liability Cost Estimation: Developed environmental liability cost estimates for a portfolio of sites using probabilistic modeling techniques, including stochastic (Monte Carlo) methods, and incorporated cash-flow modeling. Estimates were prepared for regulatory disclosure and used for a settlement valuation.
Superfund Site Cost Allocation: Developed PRP cost allocation involving former MGP and wood-treating operations. Performed a forensic evaluation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)/NAPL contaminant releases to sediment, which included a source-mixing model used for source apportionment.
Risk-Based Remediation Strategy: Developed a conceptual risk-based remedy (dual-phase extraction) for soil and groundwater contamination at a former pharmaceutical manufacturing facility. Coordinated the plant’s decommissioning and demolition.
NCP Consistency Evaluation: Evaluated the NCP consistency of response actions performed at one of the nation’s largest groundwater NPL sites.
Reasonable and Necessary Cost Determination: Provided expert testimony on the appropriateness of response costs allegedly incurred at a waste oil recycling site.
Remedy Cost Evaluation: Evaluated the need for and environmental liability costs associated with a US EPA-led, time-critical removal action for a former MGP site. Used probabilistic cost modeling techniques to develop a range of cost estimates for the proposed remedial actions in support of settlement negotiations.
Herman, K; Flewelling, SA; Bittner, AB; Tymchak, MP; Swamy, M. 2015. “Alternate Endpoints for Remediating NAPL-Impacted Sites.” Presented at EPRI/AWMA Env-Vision Conference, Crystal City, VA, 19p.
Lewis, A; Bittner, AB; Herman, K; Dube, EM; Long, CM; Hensel, BR; Ladwig, KJ. 2015. “Framework for Evaluating the Relative Impacts of Surface Impoundment Closure Options.” Presented at World of Coal Ash (WOCA) 2015, Nashville, Tennessee, May 5-7, 3p.
Herman, K; Wannamaker, EJ; Jegadeesan, GB. 2012. “Sediment PAH allocation using parent PAH proportions and a least root mean squares mixing model.” Environ. Forensics 13:225-237.
Herman, K. 2012. “Environmental Liability Cost Estimation (ELCE) at MGP Sites.” Presented at the MGP Consortium, Savannah, GA, January 25, 28p.
Herman, KD; Bittner, A. 2010. “How Much Tar is in the Mud? Reducing Uncertainty in Characterizing the Distribution and Mass of DNAPL in Sediments.” EPRI MGP Symposium, San Antonio, Texas, 1p.