Environmental Modeling

At SES we take the time to pinpoint the technical and regulatory issues confronting our clients, to develop and implement the most pragmatic and cost-effective approaches. This begins with data analysis. Our tools include the latest in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and web-based data systems. SES has partnered with Summit Envirosolutions in the use of a suite of data interpretation products from the Geographic Environmental Management Systems (GEMS™) to production wellfield data analysis in the form of REALFLOW™ . We use advanced statistical tools for basic data statistics as well as geospatial data statistics to evaluate what is known about a project site and what data gaps remain. Through these tools we can provide efficient yet state-of-the-art technical analysis of the environmental issues for our clients.

Environmental modeling is another of the technological tools we utilize for our clients. Working to pinpoint the technical issues at hand for our clients, SES uses numerical analysis to quantify a site’s environmental impacts to soil, air, or water. We utilize public domain codes for this analysis such as ATRANS, MT3DMS, HELP, and Johnson-Ettinger’s indoor air model to name a few. We are also able to adapt to develop our own models of chemical and groundwater fate and transport in the environment.

Snohomish County: Arsenic Contamination

SES professionals were able to effectively investigate and evaluate the fate and transport of arsenic bearing soil at a former metals recycling site in Snohomish County. The site contained a large area of waste material that contained elevated concentrations of metals that were of concern to both the Dept. of Ecology and the prospective purchaser. SES engaged sophisticated data analysis of the form of arsenic present using scanning electron microscopy at Portland State University and sequential laboratory extraction techniques for arsenic to evaluate arsenic migration. Modeling of arsenic transport identified that arsenic would not produce impacts to drinking water quality in the nearby sole source aquifer. This was verified by installation of a monitoring well in the area of the arsenic bearing soil. The property transaction was completed in a very timely manner and a set of client-favorable site closure criteria was developed with Ecology in keeping with the data analysis.