Meet members of our staff and learn about what they are doing in their professional and personal lives to help shape a more resilient, sustainable world.  In this edition, we hear from National Practice Leader, Contaminated Sites, Rob Kupchanko.

Rob (right) conducts a contaminated soil vapour screening for hydro-carbons using a Photo–ionization Detector (PID)

Rob Kupchanko believes that land should be treated as a limited resource. In his 25-year career, Rob has seen an evolution in society’s perception of end-use capabilities when it comes to contaminated site assessments and remediation.

“The shift from standard ‘dig and dumps’ by removing contamination from lands to leaving contamination in place and developing passive or active in-situ remediation systems is a recent phenomenon.”

An improved understanding of contaminated sites and the impact of climate change has promoted more awareness of site resilience, especially where consequences can be catastrophic from more intense storms, flood, and fire events.

By utilizing the expertise of multi-disciplinary specialists in hydrogeology, hydrology, toxicology, terrestrial and aquatic biology, and climate science, Rob believes that in-situ remedial solutions informed by science has become the new normal for contaminated sites assessment.