Environmental Engineer

EDUCATION

Doctorate, Environmental Science and Engineering, University of California

M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Detroit

B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Detroit

SUMMARY

Dr. Hopkins is a degreed engineer with over 40 years of professional experience managing engineering, environmental, nuclear, mining, and industrial projects. Dr. Hopkins has directed preparation of planning documents and site-specific health and safety plans, trained field personnel, participated in readiness reviews and management self-assessments and conducted field oversight for drilling projects and soil vapor extraction pilot studies at Material Disposal Areas G and L at Technical Area 54 at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL).

Dr. Hopkins was the LANL Material Disposal Area (MDA) Focus Area Lead and the TA-54 Environmental Restoration Lead who obtained NMED approval of Site Investigations for MDAs G, H and L at TA-54 and oversaw development of Corrective Measure Evaluations for closing the three MDAs. He played a lead role in developing the Root Cause Analyses and Extent of Condition review for the LANL drum that exploded at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in 2014. He has developed Permit Modification Requests and RCRA Closure Plans for LANL’s Environmental Compliance Program. In 2017, he was part of a team that compared the TRU Operating Record vs. the electronic data in WCATS. He also participated in preparation of the 2013, 2015 and 2017 Biennial Hazardous Waste Reports.

Dr. Hopkins developed a Project Execution Plan for DOE NA-21 Global Threat Reduction Initiative for reactor conversion projects. He has been responsible for review of design basis documents and plans and specifications for a uranium mill and tailings ponds project and In-situ Recovery projects in New Mexico and Wyoming. He assisted in development of Technical Reports for NRC licensing applications for uranium mill and in-situ recovery projects. He was the Site Closure Manager for Rocky Mountain Remediation Services at Rocky Flats and planned and directed Corrective Actions at Rocky Flats and Rocky Mountain Arsenal.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Navarro Research and Engineering

White Sands, Mew Mexico

Consultant

2018-Present

Assisting NASA in developing its Hazardous Waste Permit Renewal Application

Los Alamos National Laboratory (COMPA Industries)

Los Alamos New Mexico

Subject Matter Expert

2014-2018

Assisted LANL’s Regulatory Compliance RCRA Team in developing modifications to the site’s Hazardous Waste Facility Permit. Played a lead role in developing the root cause analysis and a major Extent of Condition review for the LANL drum that exploded at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in 2014 (the latter was a key regulatory submittal to the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) in response to the event). Co-developed and coauthored the LANL Facility’s 2015 and 2017 RCRA Biennial Hazardous Waste Report to NMED and EPA. Quality Assurance Reviewer for numerous LANL internal procedures and regulatory agency submittals.

Navarro Research and Engineering

Los Alamos New Mexico

Senior Engineering Consultant

2011 – 2014

Provided technical support to LANL’s RCRA Permitting and Compliance Team. Updated the General Part A Permit Application for the Laboratory’s Hazardous Waste Facility Permit, developed an Alternative Analysis for Open Burning of Explosives Contaminated Waste and QA’d the Work Plan for Soil Vapor Monitoring for the Transuranic Waste Facility.

As part of the Master Task Order proposal, developed a plan to safely retrieve 3800 drums and 200 fiberglass reinforced plywood boxes containing transuranic waste retrievably stored below grade and a plan to safely excavate and macro encapsulate an underground storage tank containing liquid mixed low-level waste.

Co-developed and coauthored the LANL Facility’s 2013 RCRA Biennial

Hazardous Waste Report to NMED and EPA.

North Wind

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Consultant, 2009 – 2010

Developed project management plans and project execution plans for LANL’s role in converting U.S. research reactors from weapons grade fuel to low enriched uranium fuel and developing the capability for the U.S. to manufacture medical radioisotopes.

Formed and chaired a team of uranium corrosion and high explosive experts to develop a white paper that demonstrated the high risk involved in excavating or stabilizing disposal shafts at MDA H containing depleted uranium and high explosives.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory

Richland, Washington

Senior Consultant, 2008– 2009

Supported NNSA’s Office of Global Threat Reduction (NA-21) in drafting the Acquisition Strategy, Project Execution Plan, Program Requirements Document, Environmental Requirements Document and NRC license applications for a new high density, low enriched uranium fuel fabrication facility.

Member of the Integrated Project Team that met with fuel fabricators and National Laboratory Project teams charged with developing low enriched uranium fuels, developing manufacturing processes to manufacture the fuels and outlining the required reactor conversion processes.

Strathmore Minerals Corp.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Consultant, 2008– 2012

Responsible for review of design basis documents and plans and specifications for a uranium mill and tailings ponds project and In-situ Recovery projects in New Mexico and Wyoming.

Reviewed historic designs in order to provide a design basis for a new mill that would protect workers and the environment.

University of California, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos, New Mexico

Material Disposal Area Focus Area Lead and TA-54 EM Lead, 1998 – 2008

As the Material Disposal Area (MDA) Focus Area Lead, responsible for hiring, managing and developing multi-disciplinary engineering staff to characterize and remediate ten MDAs.

As Project Leader, directed planning activities and managed RCRA field operations and safety programs for site investigations at MDAs G, H and L that contain radioactive and hazardous waste. Obtained NMED approval of Site Investigations for the three MDAs.

As LANL Subject Matter Expert for closure and remediation of LANL MDAs, oversaw development of alternatives for closing MDAs, proposed remedy selection, negotiated cleanup levels and oversaw development of baseline risk assessments for three MDAs in order to meet Compliance Order on Consent deadlines. The alternatives evaluations included evaluating remedies over a 1000-year performance period to ensure that groundwater standards were not exceeded in the regional aquifer and that air standards were not exceeded at site boundaries.

Worked closely with the DOE client, State regulatory agency and Stakeholder groups to reach consensus on scope of LANL site investigations and selection of final site remedies.

Rocky Mountain Remediation Services

Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site, Golden, Colorado

Site Closure Group Manager (Environmental Restoration), 1992 – 1997

Directed the environmental restoration portion of the site's Ten-Year Plan for site wide closure activities. Prioritized cleanup and closure activities based on risk and developed an accelerated action plan for the cleanup of actinide-contaminated surface soils at the site.

Supervised, managed and trained multi-disciplinary engineering and technical staff responsible for preparing feasibility/corrective measure studies and treatability studies and implementing accelerated actions relating to environmental restoration activities.

Chaired site peer review committees on actinide migration and groundwater cleanup to ensure the DOE, EPA, CDPHE and stakeholders that cleanup standards would be achieved, that proper decisions were made and that public funds were allocated in a cost-effective manner.

Managed the design and construction of reactive barrier walls to treat three groundwater plumes contaminated with volatile organics and metals.

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