Lorne Everett, Chief Scientist and CEO of L. Everett & Associates will be speaking at the Spring conference of the County Counsel’s Association of California in San Diego on May 17. The theme of the conference is Environmental Law and Regulation. Dr. Everett is presenting with attorney Jeffery L. Caufield, a partner with Caufield & James LLP on the topic of Vapor Intrusion Liabilities for Dry Cleaners and Other Facilities: Liabilities, Funding Sources and Technical Issues.
Groundwater contamination from dry cleaners is often a great dilemma for cities and counties because PCE and other chemicals can create serious threats to water supplies and the responsible parties often lack the resources to carry out a thorough site investigation and remediation program. Of added concern is the fact that dry cleaning chemicals like PCE are volatile organic compounds that pose a risk of vapor intrusion into buildings that may overlie the contamination. Vapor intrusion occurs when volatile chemicals in the subsurface, whether in soil or groundwater, migrate upward through the soil and enter into buildings, causing unacceptable chemical exposure for occupants of the buildings. Since dry cleaners are typically located in developed areas, surrounded by commercial and residential neighborhoods, there can be a real risk of exposure due to vapor intrusion.
As a nationally-recognized expert in vadose zone hydrology, Dr. Everett will be presenting new insights into the behavior of vapor-phase contamination due to barometric pumping, seasonal changes in soil moisture and other physical processes that cause significant variability in the flux of chemicals into buildings. Dr. Everett will also discuss the great challenge this dynamic behavior poses for monitoring and for quantifying the magnitude of risks posed by vapor intrusion.
...Riverkeeper and the people of New York City owe Dr. Everett a debt of gratitude.Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Chief Prosecuting Attorney
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