CEP-IT In Action Thangasamy Saminathan
Thangasamy Saminathan, CEP-IT since August 2023, is currently working as an Environmental Resources Analyst in the permitting/section of the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection. His major duties at WVDEP are to issue underground injection control permits to industries, review and approve remediation plans, and coordinate the new e-Permit online system. As a researcher, he focuses on phytoremediation for heavy metals and organic pollutants to find out molecular regulators for remediation. He currently serves as a reviewer of many SCI journals for genetics, remediation and molecular biology.
Member Profile
Name: Thangasamy Saminathan, CEP-IT
Title: Environmental Resources Analyst
CEP-IT Since: 2023
Functional Area: Environmental Permitting, Remediation and Research
Company/Agency: West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
Location: Charleston, West Virginia
Expertise: Plant breeding, genetics, molecular biology, coal mine reclamation, phytoremediation, ePermit system development, review remediation and groundwater protection plans (GPPs), UIC permit writer, site visits and sampling, scientific reviewer of SCI journals.
On the Importance of Being a CEP-IT
Being a CEP-IT provides my employer more confidence that I have expertise in different environmental areas. Also, it gives me an opportunity to explore more environmental career opportunities with more monetary benefits.
CEP In Action Douglas Parker
Douglas Parker, CEP since 2009, is currently the Environmental Manager with E.L. Robinson Engineering conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews for transportation projects, building training courses for transportation topics, and writing federal grants for transportation projects. Most recently, he completed one of the first Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) studies in West Virginia (http://kyovaipc.org/harvey_road_connector_study.php). He is currently providing document review (draft and final Environmental Impact Statement, Natural Resources Technical Report, Community Impact Assessment, Economic Impact Analysis, Land Use Scenario Assessment, GeoEnvironmental Report, etc.), for the NCDOT project R-2553 US 70 Kinston Bypass – a 21 mile upgrade of US 70 to interstate standards. The project is state funded and the USACE is the lead federal agency. As part of the R-2553 project, he coordinated the creation of the first Burial Treatment Plan in North Carolina that details how the various laws will be properly applied to ensure that any human remains that may be found on the Civil War Wyse Fork Battlefield will be treated respectfully.
Member Profile
Name: Douglas Parker, CEP
Title: Environmental Manager
CEP Since: 2009
Functional Area: Environmental Assessments
Company: E.L. Robinson Engineering
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
Expertise: UST assessment and remediation, Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Environmental Condition of Property Reports for Department of Defense, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for transportation, former industrial site assessment and remediation
On the Importance of Being a CEP
Being a CEP provides my clients with the confidence that I have the proven expertise to provide the services they need.
CEP Emeritus In Action Rich Reaves
Stop and smell the flowers
Rich Reaves, CEP since 2014, recently retired from Jacobs, where he worked on natural resources projects across North America. His work focused primarily on Department of Defense and other Federal agency NEPA analyses, wetlands ecology/permitting, and threatened and endangered species issues. He is very interested in native plants and in particular native plants along roadsides. He volunteered to assist the Georgia DNR and DOT in establishing ecologically sensitive areas within transportation rights-of-way to manage these areas to benefit the rare flora growing there.
Member Profile
Name: Rich Reaves, CEP
Title: Senior Ecologist, retired
CEP Since: 2014
Functional Area: Environmental Documentation
Company: Jacobs
Location: Marietta, Georgia
Expertise: NEPA, Threatened and Endangered Species, Wetlands, Permitting/Regulatory
On the Importance of Being a CEP
The CEP credential provided peer-reviewed validation of my capabilities to clients. It also offers a means of giving back to the profession through participation on the ABCEP certification review board and working with folks to further their careers.
CEP In Action Corry Platt
Playing in the mud
Corry Platt, CEP since 2002, works on sediments-related projects across North America. He deals with contaminated, polluted, and clean sediment along with the ecological impacts and practical construction-phase realities. He is the technical lead on the Black River Dredged Material Reuse Facility in Ohio where he's striving for beneficial reuse solutions to the prohibition on open lake disposal in Lake Erie. The leading project objective is to identify cost-efficient methods to dewater dredged sediments making them suitable for incorporation into the recycled soil market - "making spoil into soil." The project is funded through a Healthy Lake Erie grant to the City of Lorain by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Building upon bench tests, an innovative technology pilot study is underway assessing the function of a GeoPool, which he describes as a one-acre above ground swimming pool with a filter fabric liner. Balancing dredge production rates and slurry delivery, polymer dosing, clarified water quality, dewatering and solids consolidation, and residual solids texture, strength, chemical and nutrient concentrations, and invasive plant seed abundances are being tracked as the pilot occurs.
Member Profile
Name: Corry Platt, CEP
Title: Director - Sediments, Coastal & Brownfield Restoration
CEP Since: March 2002
Functional Area: Environmental Documentation
Company: Coldwater Consulting
Location: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
Expertise: Sediments, Water Quality, Permitting/Regulatory, Construction
On the Importance of Being a CEP
My CEP credential enabled me to initially receive a promotion, served as assurance to obtain professional liablity insurance coverage when I was independent, facilitated teaming opportunities with fellow CEPs, substantiated my KSAs when working in legal proceedings, and provides me ongoing pride from the peer-reviewed endorsement of my KSAs. Being active in ABCEP has broadened my horizons, network, and awe of the inspiring work of our peers.
CEP In Action Elizabeth Johnson
Lead the Environmental Land Stewardship Program
Elizabeth Johnson, CEP since 2007, worked on the Environmental Land Stewardship Program (ELSP) in Orange County Florida. The ELSP applies to an area of land located in southeast Orange County which is about 33,000 acres in size, and is known as the Innovation Way Overlay. The geographical area of the area is generally bounded by State Road 417 on the west, State Road 528 on the north, the Econlockhatchee River on the east, and the Osceola County line on the south. This land area is designated primarily for rural use in the Future Land Use Element and the Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan. This means that only one house per ten acres could be built.
In 2005, Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty proposed the vision of a regional high-technology corridor linking the University of Central Florida to the Orlando International Airport.
This high technology corridor concept, vital to the economic growth of the greater Orlando metropolitan area and diversification of the region's economic and employment base, requires higher development densities and intensities than can be accomplished with the rural future land uses that were designated for the Innovation Way Overlay.
Although greater density and intensity of development is necessary to achieve the economic goals of the high technology regional corridor, there are substantial areas of ecologically important lands located within the Innovation Way Overlay, and the need for economic diversification and development must be balanced with the protection of the environment.
The vision for the Innovation Way Overlay incorporates the high technology corridor concept and includes protection of ecologically important lands. This balancing of high technology/high value economic development with environmental protection requires innovative urban form, multimodal transportation concepts and infrastructure, and sustainable development practices.
The primary purpose of the ELSP is to provide protection for the area's environmental resources while allowing opportunities for sustainable economic development.
Member Profile
Name: Elizabeth Johnson, CEP
Title: Environmental Programs Administrator
CEP Since: June 2007
Functional Area: Environmental Documentation
Company: Orange County Government
Location: Orlando Florida
Expertise: Wetlands Regulations, Water Quality
On the Importance of Being a CEP
Being part of ABCEP and a CEP has provided me with professional growth opportunities that otherwise may have not been presented.
CEP In Action Heidi Pruess
Lead the State of the Environment Report, Mecklenburg County, NC Project
Mecklenburg County produces a State of the Environment Report biennially. The State of the Environment Report (SOER) has been produced since 1987, initiated as a description of data results. Evolving the SOER to provide data trends and recommendations has been possible due to the cooperation of numerous department staff and the integration of outcome oriented communications. The SOER is a tool for understanding our environmental condition while identifying strategies for ensuring that we have clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and healthy land on which to live and recreate. We have taken the opportunity, through the SOER, to encourage involvement from our residents and local officials to become a part of helping to make Mecklenburg County a Sustainable Community. In my role as editor of the SOER, I have been able to utilize my network of CEP peers as resources in making this report a successful asset for the Mecklenburg County community.
Member Profile
Name: Heidi Pruess, CEP
Title: Environmental Policy Administrator
CEP Since: 2006
Functional Area: Environmental Operations
Company: Mecklenburg County, Land Use and Environmental Services
Location: Charlotte, NC
Expertise: Environmental Sustainability
On the Importance of Being a CEP
Credible credentialing for environmental professionals in the area of Sustainability is a scarce and valuable asset. Employers seeking to be the best and truly set themselves apart from others will seek out credentialed professionals to be on their staff. Being a CEP has afforded me with a strong code of ethics and credible credential that has ably matched my work with those employers that are seeking the same.
