Ryan Zernis

Results-driven Senior Environmental Geologist with experience in assessing environmental impacts health and safety, environmental, social, and governance. Successful at developing and managing environmental programs, conducting environmental assessments, assessing environmental liability and risk for companies and development sites, and educating public on environmental issues.

Possesses excellent communication and problem-solving skills and is valued and respected among peers, management, and clients. A practical approach to solving environmental issues while operating safely and efficiently, maintaining compliance with regulatory drivers, and strives for establishing an equal business stature with clients.

Ryan provides clients with functional and managerial experience in environmental soil, air, and hydrogeologic investigations. Clients worked with include: municipalities, school districts and public colleges, public and private companies, land developers, and oil and gas companies throughout the west. Ryan is the senior technical review of compliance documents and reports for submittal to state and federal regulators.

• Comprehensive Site Characterizations and Assessments – USA, Ryan gained experience conducting hundreds of ASTM compliant Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments for real estate transactions and due diligence; National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reports for telecommunications, school districts and public colleges, oil and gas, land developments, wind and solar farm, and municipalities. He successfully assisted multiple clients enter into Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) Voluntary Clean Up Program (VCUP) and effectively receives no further action determinations (NFA/NADs) for many sites around Colorado. Manages assessments and remediation of asbestos in soil and unpermitted landfill projects with multiple regulatory drivers within Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming; finalize and close out projects with regulatory NADs and unrestricted land use. Complete asbestos surveys of various governmental, commercial / industrial, and municipal facilities.
• Unpermitted Landfill Remediation – Larimer County – City of Fort Collins, Ryan managed a team assisting The City of Fort Collins for the Bobcat Ridge Natural Area project in Larimer County, Colorado. The project was launched following the city’s acquisition of an unauthorized historical landfill, necessitating professional assistance to determine its contents. A subsequent evaluation revealed the existence of regulated asbestos-contaminated soil (RACS), a situation further exacerbated by the Cameron Peak Fire, which rendered the asbestos-containing material friable. The team devised remediation plans to either permit the historical landfill or eliminate the waste. They aided Fort Collins in crafting a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the remediation of the RACS and the extraction and disposal of the refuse. The safe extraction of the RACS required the building of a temporary road. Post the RFP issuance, the team carried out multiple environmental assessments, including Cultural and Biological Assessments, Wetland Delineation, and Stormwater Management Plan and Inspections. They also prepared and submitted a 404 Clean Water Act Permit package, successfully securing the necessary permits. The team supervised the abatement contractor to ensure the remediation adhered to Section 5.5 of the Solid Waste Regulations of the CDPHE-HMWMMD. The project concluded with the achievement of a No Further Action determination from the CDPHE, indicating unrestricted use closure.
• Retail Petroleum – Colorado and Wyoming, Ryan served as the project manager for Colorado Department of Labor and Employment – Oil and Public Safety (CDLE-OPS) state-lead program and has successfully assisted various clients with the Petroleum Brownfields Program and Petroleum Storage Tank Fund. He conducted and managed subsurface assessments, groundwater/fate and transport modeling and remediation activities for CDLE-OPS and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) at retail gasoline stations.
• Environmental Sampling and Monitoring – Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, Ryan managed the collection of samples, interpret data points, and make technical recommendations for soil, water, and soil vapor gas impacts from urban, industrial, residential, and commercial facilities, and from oil and gas production activities. He is experienced in conducting operations and maintenance on methane mitigation systems and remediation systems in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Ryan is accomplished in preparing and technical review of regulatory forms and reports for commercial development and oil and gas operations, for site investigations / waste characterizations, and site closures
• Data Collection, Methane Seepage – Colorado, Ryan collected data for a multiple-year and multiple-client, including CDPHE and Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) study on methane gas seeps including abandoned coal mines in La Plata and Archuleta Counties, Colorado. He was instrumental in a compliance study in Raton Basin, Colorado, that involved natural methane gas seeps. Tasks included assisting with data management and reporting, sampling natural springs, and investigating natural methane seepage.
• Colorado Geological Society Fracture Trends – Colorado, Ryan collected fracture trends for the Tertiary Animas Formation and Cretaceous Fruitland, Pictured Cliffs, and McDermott Formations. This data is published with the Colorado Geological Society.
• Acidic Mine Drainage – Colorado, Ryan assisted the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in collecting background water and soil samples for a study in the Silverton Caldera, Colorado, for acidic mine drainage and the experimental use of Bio-Char for remediation and neutralizing acidic waste from historical abandoned mines. This data is published with the USGS.

• 40-hour OSHA (29 CFR 1910) HAZWOPER
• 8-hour OSHA HAZWOPER Refresher Training

• Wyoming Board of Professional Geologists, Professional Geologist (P.G. 4028)
• Florida Board of Professional Geologists, Professional Geologist (P.G. 2989)
• Texas Board of Professional Geoscientist, Professional Geoscientist (Geology #15045)
• CPDPHE-certified CABI, #21946 – not active
• CPDPHE-certified Project Designer, #21946- not active