Adapting to the Challenge of PFAS Remediation at Impacted Sites

Webinar Summary

This webinar will address the formidable challenges of PFAS contamination in groundwater and other impacted media. The session will begin with an overview of the problem and a review of PFAS chemistry, emphasizing their persistent nature and resistance to degradation compared to other contaminants. It will then examine conceptual models that elucidate the fate and transport of PFAS in the subsurface, with particular focus on matrix diffusion and sorption processes. Attendees will gain insights into ex situ pump‐and‐treat systems along with various PFAS treatment alternatives (including destruction), as well as emerging in situ treatment strategies—including permeable sorption barriers—that offer rapid risk reduction. The webinar will conclude by summarizing current research trends that have led to the development of PFAS Monitored Retention and PFAS Enhanced Retention strategies for the remediation community.

Speaker Profiles

Dr. Randy Sillan, P.E., BCEE, is an Associate Vice President with AECOM and is the Strategic Site Closure practice leader and supports development of conceptual site models and management strategies at PFAS and other sites.  Randy has over 26 years of experience as an environmental consultant and remediation engineer with degrees in mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, and hydrological sciences from the University of Florida. Dr. Sillan has led AECOM’s non-aqueous phase liquid (NAPL) Technical Practice Group, co-instructed the National Ground Water Association’s (NGWA’s) NAPL short course, is a past chair and on the committee that writes the Environmental PE Exam for NCEES, and is a program evaluator of environmental engineering programs for ABET accreditation.

Jeffrey McDonough, P.E., BCEE, is an Associate Environmental Engineer with CDM Smith and is presently serving as the PFAS Remediation Discipline Director within the PFAS and Remediation Practices. Jeff has over 19 years of experience as a consulting environmental engineer, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Jeff sits in Denver, CO and supports CDM Smith’s global technical services group on PFAS and other remediation issues.

Dr. Charles Newell is a Vice President of GSI Environmental Inc. in Houston, Texas, USA. He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES), a Certified Ground Water Professional by the National Ground Water Association (NGWA), and an Adjunct Professor at Rice University.  Dr. Newell has co-authored more than 25 technical papers on PFAS fate, transport, and remediation, and has led multiple PFAS research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. He received the 2014 SERDP Project of the Year Award (as Co-PI), the 2016 ITRC Environmental Excellence Award, the 2020 Foundation Achievement Award from the Association for Environmental Health and Science Foundation (AEHS), and the 2024 Gordon Maskew Fair Award from AAEES.

Webinar Format

This webinar will include a moderated Q and A session following the speaker’s presentation. The session is open to environmental engineering and science professionals across all sectors and career stages. Our objective is to offer special insights on leading edge solutions for graduate and undergraduate students as well as early to mid-career environmental professionals who are considering specialty certification.

AAEES Board Certified Individuals: Attend this event and earn 1.5 PDHs towards your PDH requirements for maintaining your specialty certification.

Click here to register for this event.