April Abate-Adams
Topsfield,Massachusetts
Summary
Environmental project manager with 25 years of experience. Expertise in Clean Water Act compliance and permitting, hardrock mining compliance and permitting, environmental consulting, water quality, hydrologic assessments, mine reclamation/remediation, and environmental impact assessments.
Proven track record of leading successful projects and providing guidance to stakeholders. Recognized for fostering team collaboration and adapting to changing project requirements.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
1
1
Certificate
Work History
Clean Water Act Program Manager
Utah Army National Guard
05.2022 - 08.2024
- Managed multiple Spill Prevention Plans (SPCC) and Industrial Stormwater Permits (ISWPPP) for all National Guard properties within the State of Utah.
- NEPA reviews for undertakings within the organization
- Managing quarterly sampling and inspections
- Responsible for creating and management of annual staff training under Clean Water Act requirements
- Managing summer intern projects
- Point of contact with state and EPA regulatory inspectors
- Supply purchasing
- Developed project workscopes and budgets for outside contracting
- Managed consultant contracts and timelines.
Senior Hydrogeologist
State of Utah - Department of Natural Resources - Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
05.2013 - 05.2022
- Oversaw the regulation of the state's non-coal mineral resources under the Utah Mined Land Reclamation Act.
- One of six regulators for the State of Utah for mineral mine permits in assigned territory.
- Interacted with a multitude of other government entities involved in mining projects such as the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah School Institutional Trust Lands, Utah Department of Water Quality, Utah Division of Air Quality.
- Assist companies and public stakeholders with understanding the regulatory process in obtaining new large, small and exploration mining permits.
- Extensive experience working with CEOs, VP of Operations, State Legislators, County and City Personnel, Elected Officials, Interagency Counterparts from state and federal agencies, Governor’s Office of Energy & Development, Governor’s Office of Public Lands Policy Coordination, and Regulatory Affairs personnel from private industry.
- Review mine plans for regulatory compliance with the Utah Administrative Code R647 rules and the Utah Mined Land Reclamation Act 40-8.
- Provided technical guidance to companies, individuals, and consulting firms to assure sites were in compliance with the rules while achieving the minimal amount of environmental impact as is feasible.
- Calculate and assure that reclamation bonds were in place for all permitted mine sites.
- Work with attorneys in the state Attorney General’s office on bond forfeiture sites.
- Provide tours of regulated mining operations to state legislative staff.
- Advise companies, legislators, attorneys, public sector professionals on regulations and mandates in place for current conservation issues and sensitive species challenges facing Utah such as Greater Sage Grouse, the White River Penstemon flower, and cultural resources.
- Oversee the cleanup of mines in default forfeiture sites by working with contractors starting from the bidding process up through the cleanup process.
- Performed inspections, reporting, and citation issuance at mine sites.
- Spearheaded the development of a GIS-based interactive web-based mapping tool for all hard rock mines permitted within the State of Utah.
Environmental Scientist II
State of Utah - Department of Natural Resources - Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
09.2008 - 05.2013
- Coal Regulatory Program. Oversaw the regulation of Utah coal mineral resources under the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA).
- Technical Reviews of new coal mine permit applications and existing permit reviews to meet regulatory compliance with SMCRA.
- Prepared Cumulative Hydrologic Impact Assessments for new coal mine permits. Undertaking complex hydrologic studies of aquifers, pump test data and stormwater runoff modeling.
- Reviewed water sampling data for compliance with SMCRA.
- State government representative participant at public meetings with local water user groups affecting farming and ranching communities.
- Conducted inspections of permitted coal mining operations in the State of Utah.
- Oversaw the plugging and reclamation of a series of methane gas vent wells located in Carbon County, Utah.
Project Geologist
Stantec Consulting and Engineering
10.2004 - 09.2008
- Performed numerous Phase I investigations for a variety of clients including: industrial, private, commercial, and agricultural.
- Investigations were conducted all over the United States for environmental due diligence assessments.
- These assessments were used to gauge environmental liability for potential real estate transactions.
- Prepared Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans and Spill Control and Countermeasures plans for Oil and Gas industry clients.
Environmental Scientist I
Geologic Services Corporation
12.1999 - 01.2004
- Installation, logging and sampling of groundwater monitoring wells at leaking underground storage tank sites, geoprobe soil logging and sampling.
- Monitoring well sample data evaluation of contaminant plumes in groundwater and surface water.
- Managed a large-scale community program to provide alternative potable water to residents affected by a release of gasoline that contaminated the private well supply in Charlton, MA.
- Managed a large-scale Superfund sampling program in New Bedford, MA. Responsible for coordination and sampling groundwater monitoring wells, landfill gas sampling, surface water gauging and sampling.
Education
B.S. - Environmental Geology
06.1999
Certified Public Manager Program Graduate -
07.2018
Skills
- Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plans
- Industrial Stormwater Permitting
- NEPA Technical Reviews
- US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Permitting,
- Hardrock Mine Permitting and Leasing,
- UST/AST State Permitting
- Mined Land Reclamation
- Remedial Clean Up Assessments
- Hydrologic and Geologic Technical Evaluations
- GIS User
- Regulatory Field Inspections
- Environmental Compliance Audit Evaluations
- Project Management Workscoping and Budgeting
- Environmental monitoring
- Environmental impact analysis
- Water quality analysis
- Climate change adaptation
Accomplishments
- Prepared numerous SPCC and SWPPPs for industry clients and military facilities.
- Led remediation, enforcement, and reclamation actions at over 60 mine sites in the State of Utah
- Experience leading collaborative efforts to permit controversial mining operations working with multiple stakeholders such as affected public, industry, local municipalities, state, and federal land management agencies
Affiliations
- 2010 Association for Women Geoscientists- Salt Lake Chapter, President, Past President
- 2014-2016 Utah Geological Association - President-Elect, President, Past President
Certification
- Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program for Utah State Government Employees
Timeline
Clean Water Act Program Manager - Utah Army National Guard
05.2022 - 08.2024
Senior Hydrogeologist - State of Utah - Department of Natural Resources - Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
05.2013 - 05.2022
Environmental Scientist II - State of Utah - Department of Natural Resources - Division of Oil, Gas and Mining
09.2008 - 05.2013
Project Geologist - Stantec Consulting and Engineering
10.2004 - 09.2008
Environmental Scientist I - Geologic Services Corporation
12.1999 - 01.2004
Northeastern University - B.S., Environmental Geology
State of Utah - Certified Public Manager Program Graduate,
Committees Served On
- Uintah Basin Sage Grouse Management Local Working Group
- Utah Rare Plants Working Group – Mitigation and Monitoring Subcommittee
- Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) - Salt Lake Chapter Leadership Committee – National Grassroots Climate organization lobbying for aggressive policies at the Federal level to push for zero emissions by 2050.
Publications & Presentations
- Utah Needs A Climate Resiliency Commissioner, Deseret News, August 2, 2024: https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/08/02/utah-salt-lake-climate-resiliency-commissioner/
- Permitting Reform is the Key to Clean Energy, Salt Lake Tribune, June 21, 2023: https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2023/06/20/april-abate-adams-permitting/
- “Conservation Breeds Mining and Sage Grouse Success”, A. Abate, M. Sanders, B. Maxfield Poster 2016 Sagebrush Ecosystems All Lands All Hands Conference Salt Lake City, UT
- “Mineral Mine Interactive Mapper for Utah” Presenter: Utah Geologic Information Council 2018 Annual Conference Vernal, Utah A GIS-based interactive web-based mapping tool for all hard rock mines permitted within the State of Utah.
Committees Served On
- Uintah Basin Sage Grouse Management Local Working Group
- Utah Rare Plants Working Group – Mitigation and Monitoring Subcommittee
- Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL) - Salt Lake Chapter Leadership Committee – National Grassroots Climate organization lobbying for aggressive policies at the Federal level to push for zero emissions by 2050.
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