Nicole T. Sweetland

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Dr. SweetlandNicole T. Sweetland, PhD, PG

Principal Hydrogeologist, DBS&A
President, Geo-Logic Associates*

Santa Barbara, California

Email

(805) 683-2409

Nicole T. Sweetland, PhD, PG, is a Principal Hydrogeologist of DBS&A and the President of GLA. Dr. Sweetland works closely with her clients to develop effective strategies to resolve environmental concerns related to contaminated soil, groundwater and indoor air and is able to quickly integrate complex technical and legal issues and lead her team in providing efficient solutions for her clients. She has provided expert support to clients on contaminant issues including at landfills, industrial facilities, refineries, gasoline stations, and dry cleaning facilities. Dr. Sweetland has a wide variety of experience in hydrogeology, including flow through unsaturated and saturated materials, applications of numerical models, contaminant fate and transport, site investigations, remedial actions, indoor air vapor intrusion and environmental forensics. Dr. Sweetland has worked in numerous hydrogeologic settings at complex soil and groundwater contamination sites throughout the U.S.

Her contributions to and respect by the scientific community are demonstrated through articles published in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at technical conferences, and through serving on the editorial boards of Ground Water (current), Environmental Forensics, and Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation. She has presented at professional organizations on a variety of topics, including: “Vapor Intrusion from Groundwater Plumes: Critical Technical and Regulatory Issues”, “Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Controversy at the Pavillion, Wyoming Natural Gas Field”, Live demonstration of expert deposition techniques, “From Pre-Filing to Expert Discovery in a Complex Environmental Case, and “The Final Preparations Including Trial in a Complex Environmental Case.” Dr. Sweetland was invited to instruct the undergraduate Geography/Environmental Studies course on Water Quality at the University of California, Santa Barbara, during the spring 2015 semester.

According to one attorney client, she is, “Extraordinarily responsive, very easy to work with, dependable to a fault, always willing to provide feedback in the way of how we can reach our goals.”​

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  • Education

    PhD, Hydrology, University of Arizona

    MS, Hydrology, University of Arizona

    BS, Geology, University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Registration / Certification

    Professional Geologist, California

    Licensed Geologist, Washington

  • Specializations

    Contaminated soil, groundwater, and indoor air at landfills, industrial facilities, refineries, gasoline stations, and dry-cleaning facilities

    Contaminants of concern: chlorinated solvent, petroleum hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE), nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL), dense nonaqueous-phase liquid (LNAPL), methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE), fly ash, Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate, Acid Mine Drainage, Pesticide

    Remediation technologies: reductive dechlorination (ERD), chemical oxidation (ISCO), chemical reduction, Biogeochemical Reductive Dehalogenation (BiRD), containment approaches, indoor air vapor intrusion mitigation, source control, off-site natural attenuation

    Hydrogeology, including flow through unsaturated and saturated materials, applications of numerical models, contaminant fate and transport, site investigations, indoor air vapor intrusion, and environmental forensics

    Defense of federal action under RCRA and CERCLA

    Environmental forensics

    Indoor air vapor intrusion

  • Affiliations

    National Ground Water Association (NGWA)

    Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRAC)

Select Publications and Presentations

Journal Articles

M.L. Brusseau, N.T. Nelson c, Z. Zhang, J.E. Blue, J. Rohrer, T. Allen. 2007. Source-zone characterization of a chlorinated-solvent contaminated Superfund site in Tucson, AZ. Southwest Hydrology 90 (2007) 21–40.

Blandford, N. and N.T. Sweetland. 2005. Is your remediation system a source of groundwater contamination? Southwest Hydrology 4(3):10-11.

Sandrin, S.K., M.L. Brusseau, J.J. Piatt, A.A. Bodour, W.P. Blandford and N.T. Nelson. 2004. Spatial variability of in situ microbial activity: Biotracer tests. Ground Water 42(3):374-383.

Nelson, N.T., Q. Hu, and M.L. Brusseau. 2003. Characterizing the contribution of diffusive mass transfer to solute transport in sedimentary aquifer systems at laboratory and field scales. Journal of Hydrology 276(1 4):275-286.

Brusseau, M.L., N.T. Nelson, and M. Costanza-Robinson. 2003. Partitioning tracer tests for characterizing immiscible-fluid saturations and interfacial areas in the vadose zone. Vadose Zone Journal 2:138-147.

Brusseau, M.L., K.M. Bronson, S. Ross, N.T. Nelson, and T.D. Carlson. 2003. Application of gas-phase partitioning tracer tests to characterize immiscible-liquid contamination in the vadose zone beneath a fuel depot. Vadose Zone Journal 2:148-153.

Brusseau, M.L., Z. Zhang, N.T. Nelson, R.B. Cain, G. Tick, and M. Oostrom. 2002. Dissolution of non-uniformly distributed immiscible liquid: Intermediate-scale experiments and mathematical modeling. Environmental Science & Technology 36(5):1033-1041.

Nelson, N.T. 2002. Groundwater assessment under the Department of Interior natural resource damage regulations. Southwest Hydrology 1(4):19.

Nelson, N.T., M.L. Brusseau, T.D. Carlson, M.H. Young, G.R. Johnson, and P.J. Wierenga. 1999. A gas-phase partitioning tracer method for the in situ measurement of soil-water content. Water Resources Research 35(12):3699-3707.

Nelson, N.T., M. Oostrom, T.W. Wietsma, and M.L. Brusseau. 1999. The partitioning tracer method for the in situ measurement of DNAPL saturation: Influence of heterogeneity and sampling method. Environmental Science and Technology 33(22):4046-4053.

Nelson, N.T. and M.L. Brusseau. 1996. Field study of the partitioning tracer method for detection of dense nonaqueous phase liquid in a trichloroethene-contaminated aquifer. Environmental Science and Technology 30(9):2859-2863.

Book Chapters

Brusseau, M.L., J.W. Rohrer, T.M. Decker, N.T. Nelson, and W.R. Linderfelt. 1999. Contaminant transport and fate in a source zone of a chlorinated-solvent contaminated superfund site: Overview and initial results of an advanced site characterization project. In: Field Testing of Innovative Subsurface Remediation and Characterization Technologies, M.L. Brusseau and D. Sabatini eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.

Brusseau, M.L., Q. Hu, N.T. Nelson, and R.B. Cain. 1999. A diffusive tracer-test method for investigating the influence of mass transfer processes on field-scale solute transport. In: Field Testing of Innovative Subsurface Remediation and Characterization Technologies, M.L. Brusseau and D. Sabatini eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.

Brusseau, M.L., N.T. Nelson, and R.B. Cain. 1999. The partitioning tracer method for in situ detection and quantification of immiscible liquids in the subsurface. In: Field Testing of Innovative Subsurface Remediation and Characterization Technologies, M.L. Brusseau and D. Sabatini eds., American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.

Conference Proceedings

Stephens, D.B. and N.T. Nelson. 2000. Observed natural attenuation of TCA in groundwater. In Proceedings Second International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds, Monterey, California, May 22-25, 2000. Battelle Press, Columbus, Ohio.

Nelson, N.T. and M.L. Brusseau. 1997. Advanced characterization of a superfund site: tracer tests and contaminant monitoring. Pp. 255-257. In: Proceedings of the American Chemical Society National Meetings, Environmental Chemistry Division, San Francisco, California, April 13-17, 1997. Vol. 37(1), American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.

Balistrieri, L.S., P. Edelmann, R. Ortiz, C.M. Moore, N.T. Nelson, and M. Wright. 1995. Metal fluxes across the sediment-water interface in terrace reservoir, Colorado. Pp. 216. In: Proceedings: Summitville Forum ’95 Special Publication 38 Colorado Geological Survey.

Ortiz, R.F., P. Edelmann, L. Balistrieri, C.M. Moore, N. Nelson, and M. Wright. 1995. Transport of metals into and through terrace reservoir, south central Colorado, April-September 1994. Pp. 191. Proceedings: Summitville Forum ’95 Special Publication 38 Colorado Geological Survey.

Contributed to the Following Reports

Brusseau, M.L. 1997. Advanced characterization study to improve the efficiency of pump and treat operations at Air Force Plant 44: An integrated field, laboratory, and modeling approach. Interim Progress Report (Year 2) submitted to Wright-Patterson AFB, U.S. Air Force. March 1997.

Brusseau, M.L. 1996. Advanced characterization study to improve the efficiency of pump and treat operations at Air Force Plant 44: An integrated field, laboratory, and modeling approach. Interim Progress Report (Year 1.5) submitted to Wright-Patterson AFB, U.S. Air Force. February 1996.

Brusseau, M.L. 1995. Advanced characterization study to improve the efficiency of pump and treat operations at Air Force Plant 44: An integrated field, laboratory, and modeling approach. Interim Progress Report (Year 1) submitted to Wright-Patterson AFB, U.S. Air Force. September 1995.

Presentations

Sweetland, N.T. Vapor Intrusion from Groundwater Plumes: Critical Technical and Regulatory Issues. Invited Presentation at 2015 National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Groundwater Summit. San Antonio, Texas, March 16-18, 2015.

Sweetland, N.T. 2015. Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Controversy at the Pavillion, Wyoming Natural Gas Field. Invited Presentation at CLE Hydraulic Fracturing: Impact of California’s SB4 Regulations Conference. San Francisco, California, January 23, 2015.

Sweetland, N.T. 2014. Live demonstration of expert deposition techniques as a participant in Return of the Titans (Part I): From Pre-Filing to Expert Discovery in a Complex Environmental Case, and (Part II): The Final Preparations Including Trial in a Complex Environmental Case. Two-part session at American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources’ 22nd Annual Fall Conference, Miami, Florida, October 9, 2014.

Sweetland, N.T. 2009. MTBE products liability litigation: The role of hydrogeologic investigation. International Network of Environmental Forensics Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, August 31 – September 2, 2009.

Sweetland, N.T., and S.J. Cullen. 2009. Remediating impacted ground water at the basin and regional scale. Presentation at the National Ground Water Association Ground Water Summit, Tucson, Arizona, April 20-22, 2009.

Sweetland, N.T., M.I. Kaplan, D. Davis, A. Molina, and D.B. Stephens. 2007. Analysis of Potential Plaintiffs’ Exposure in a Toxic Tort. 2007 NGWA Ground Water and Environmental Law Conference, National Ground Water Association, Dublin, Ohio, July 24-25, 2007.

Umstot, T., N. Sweetland, B. Casadevall, D. B. Stephens, M. J. Huggins, and D. E. Potts, 2006. Field Data and Modeling MTBE Remediation by SVE: Case Study in Southern California. Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Organic Chemicals in Ground Water: Prevention, Assessment, and Remediation Conference. National Ground Water Association, Houston, Texas.

Sweetland, N.T., T.G. Umstot, J. Ayarbe, and D.B. Stephens. 2006. Processes Influencing the Transport of Perchlorate Through the Vadose Zone. Presentation at the Perchlorate 2006: Progress Toward Understanding and Cleanup Symposium, Groundwater Resources Association of California, January 26, 2006.

Sweetland, N.T., J. Sterling; and J. Bowden. 2005. Innovative Tools for Internet Accessible Environmental Databases. Presentation at the EIMS–Environmental Information Management Systems Conference, Groundwater Resources Association of California, January 26, 2005, San Jose, California.

Davis, D.W. and N.T. Sweetland. 2004. Rethinking Traditional Approaches for Groundwater Remedial Actions – Rancho Cordova Case Study. Presentation at the Cl04 2004 — Perchlorate in California’s Groundwater, Groundwater Resources Association of California., August 4, 2004, Glendale, California.

Sweetland, N.T., T.G. Umstot, and D.B.Stephens. 2004. Distinguishing Operational Releases Versus Spills for Insurance Allocation. Poster presentation at the Investigation and Remediation of Dry Cleaner Release Sites, April 7, 2004, Sacramento, California.

Blandford, T.N. and N.T. Sweetland. 2003. Rethinking Traditional Approaches to Hydraulic Capture in Preparation for the Next Series of Emerging Chemicals of Concern in Groundwater. Poster presentation at the 1,4 Dioxane and Other Solvent Stabilizer Compounds in the Environment, Groundwater Resources Association of California, December 10, 2003, San Jose, California.

Stephens, D.B. and N.T. Nelson. 2000. Observed natural attenuation of TCA in groundwater. Tenth Annual West Coast Conference on Contaminated Soils and Water, March 20-23, 2000, San Diego, CA.

Nelson, N.T., M. Oostrom, T.W. Wietsma, and M.L. Brusseau. 1999. The partitioning tracer method for the in situ measurement of DNAPL saturation: influence of heterogeneity and sampling method. Presented at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado, October 25-28, 1999.

Nelson, N.T., M.L. Brusseau, M.H. Young, T.D. Carlson, and P.J. Wierenga. 1997. Demonstration of a gas-phase partitioning tracer test for the in-situ measurement of soil water content. Presented at the American Geophysical Union National Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 8-12, 1997.

Hu, M.Q., N.T. Nelson, and M.L. Brusseau. 1997. A diffusivity tracer-test method for investigating the influence of diffusion-mediated processes. Presented at the American Geophysical Union National Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, May 27-30, 1997.

Nelson, N.T., M.L. Brusseau, and J. Silva. 1997. Field test of water-partitioning tracers to measure bulk water content. Presented at the American Geophysical Union National Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, May 27-30, 1997.

Nelson, N.T. and M.L. Brusseau. 1997. Advanced characterization of a superfund site: tracer tests and contaminant monitoring. Presented at the American Chemical Society National Meetings, Environmental Chemistry Div., San Francisco, California, April 13-17, 1997.

Nelson, N.T. and M.L. Brusseau. 1996. Field demonstration of partitioning tracers for detection of dense nonaqueous phase liquid in groundwater. Presented at the Geological Society of America National Meeting, Denver, Colorado, October 28-31, 1996.

Nelson, N.T. and M.L. Brusseau. 1995. Field demonstration of SF6 as a tracer for investigating contaminant transport in a TCE-contaminated aquifer. Presented at the American Geophysical Union National Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 10-15, 1995.