Corporate Training By Zack Academy - Environmental Forensics Techniques

Why Should You Take This Environmental Forensics Techniques course?

This Environmental Forensics Techniques course provides useful information for a large range of professionals dealing with environmental contamination issues, especially legal liability and complex site contamination characterization and cleanup. The goal of the course is to provide the audience with an understanding of the main environmental forensic techniques available to "fingerprint" and track a variety of contaminants (e.g., oil spills, petroleum and chlorinated solvents, metals, PCBs, PAHs, perchlorate) released into the environment, thereby enabling attendees to reconstruct past contamination events. Some of these techniques can reveal multiple releases and are effective when tracking old contamination that may have started decades ago.

This Environmental Forensics Techniques course will include both a formal presentation as well as interactive discussions and practice involving the audience. Alternative discussion topics (based on majority vote) may include more information on certain fingerprinting or certain contaminants as well as brainstorming sessions on case studies – including any from the audience if interested.

Who Is The Intended Audience For This Environmental Forensics Techniques course?

This course is intended for environmental professionals including, but not limited to, environmental consultants, industrial site owners and operators (e.g., manufacturers, mining companies, foundry operators, refineries, dry cleaners), insurance agency employees, environmental lawyers, governmental employees, and environmental students.

Prerequisites:  Basic knowledge of environmental contaminants will be useful background for the successful completion of this course but is not required.

Topics To Be Covered Include:

• What is Environmental Forensics? 
• Discussion of General and Specific Concepts, Applicability and Use
• Classic Techniques
• Historical File Review and Aerial Photograph Documentation 
• Chemical and Isotopic Fingerprinting
• Associate Compounds (Signature Chemicals)
• Mineralogical Fingerprinting
• Emerging and Sustainable Techniques
• Atmospheric Contaminants for Age-Dating
• DNA Fingerprinting - Dendroecology (Tree-Ring Fingerprinting)
• Case-studies

Alternative Discussion Topics Based on Audience Interest:

• Key Attributes for Successful Expert Witness Investigation and Testimony
• Mock Trial (example) - Chinese Drywall Liability
• Sustainability and Environmental Forensics
• Environmental Forensics and Monitored Natural Attenuation

Important: 

• Please bring a pen or pencil and notepad
• Drinks and snacks will be provided throughout the day
• Please wait to receive a course confirmation email (roughly one month prior to the class) before making any travel arrangements