EDUCATION

M.S. Geological Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1977

B.S. Geological Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1973

  PROFESSIONAL LICENSES

Professional Engineer Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina

Certified Professional Geologist (AIPG #7404)

  PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

American Society of Civil Engineers

American Institute of Professional Geologists

Solid Waste Association of North America

  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Mr. Isenberg has over 30 years of consulting experience involving a wide variety of geotechnical and civil engineering projects including solid waste facilities, earthen and concrete retaining structures, dams, mine tailing basins, earthen embankments, power plants, buildings, and studies of soil and groundwater contamination. He has been involved as a Project Director, Project Manager, or Lead Geotechnical Engineer in the siting, design, construction quality assurance/control of new facilities, slope stability and settlement evaluations of old landfills and landfill expansions, subsurface investigation, redevelopment and remediation of older municipal and private waste landfills, foundation design for buildings, and studies of soil and groundwater contamination. Mr. Isenberg has worked on well over 150 landfills throughout the United States, as well as in Puerto Rico, New Zealand, Australia and Israel. Examples of his project experience include:

  LANDFILL DESIGN AND PERMITTING

• Prince William County Sanitary Landfill, VA.  Project Manager/Project Director for providing CQA and design services for two recent expansions to this existing facility that was designed by SCS. The work involved supervision of the Resident Engineer and technicians, and preparation of final engineering certification. Also involved in development of a Part A Permit Amendment for Facility Boundary Modification to incorporate new property, in developing a schedule for final closure of the landfill phases to meet regulatory requirements and engineering evaluations of improvements to ballfields that are present on an older landfilled area.  Currently, involved in Part B Amendment for the Phase II and III expansions.

• Page County, VA, Battle Creek Landfill and Stanley Landfill.  Project Director for engineering and environmental support on all aspects of work related to the active Battle Creek Landfill and the closed Stanley Landfill. We are providing consulting services on issues related to landfill operations and permitting, groundwater investigation, landfill gas migration, and construction.

• Honeygo Run Reclamation Facility, Perry Hall, MD.  Project Director for full-time construction quality assurance (CQA) activities for construction of the Southern Expansion, which included construction of a benched, 1:2 sloping, 25-foot high by 900 foot long mechanically stabilized earthern (MSE) perimeter road retaining wall.  The MSE wall, which is designed to retain solid waste, involved three types of HDPE uniaxial geogrids with a secondary wrap geogrid and welded wire facing.  Provided guidance on lab and field testing of structural backfill materials to meet design specifications which were provided by Tensar® Corporation. 

• Henrico County, VA, Springfield Road Landfill.  Project Manager for the design of a 30-acre expansion, including design of a double liner/leachate collection system, operational plans, Part A and Part B permits, wetland assessments and site hydrogeology, and the first permitted “piggyback” landfill in Virginia under Subtitle D regulations.  Involved in closure and post-closure engineering for the expansion area and 67 acres of existing landfill area.

• Prince George’s County, MD:

  • Brown Station Road Landfill.  Project Director for a long-term, multi-discipline engineering contract dealing with design, evaluations, permitting and investigations. Projects have included construction management/construction quality assurance for a new landfill gas to energy plant facility, landfill gas compliance monitoring, operations and maintenance of existing landfill flare systems, design and installation of new dedicated groundwater well sampling devices, groundwater sampling and analysis, design of a new scale and scalehouse facility, design of a new administration building and review of the existing materials recovery facility contract and equipment.

  • Brandywine-Lapin Rubble Landfill.  Lead geotechnical engineer/designer to provided technical guidance and preliminary design for a proposed rubble landfill. This included landfill base liner and grading, final cap design, leachate collection, MD permitting. Presented expert testimony at the County special exception hearing for this proposed new rubble landfill.

• Israel:

  • Tel Aviv, Hiriya Landfill Rehabilitation.  Head of Planning for engineering modifications to a large, inactive sanitary landfill located near Tel Aviv. The project involves field investigations, evaluation of biogas quantity and quality, leachate levels and quality, slope stability, methane migration, and working with an international team of landscape architects to develop a rehabilitation plan. The landfill, which is a prominent landmark in the area, will become the centerpiece of the proposed Ayalon Park Project. SCS is teaming with Tahal Engineering, the largest civil firm in Israel.  A major feature of the rehabilitation work involved a 10 to 20 meter high pile-supported, concrete retaining wall built against the waste.

  • Negev Desert, Effe Landfill, Central Waste Disposal Facility.  Project Manager/Lead Designer for developing General Engineering Design for this proposed 5000 ton per day regional landfill facility for TAMAR Regional Council. This work was performed under a teaming agreement with Tahal Consulting Engineers, Tel Aviv. Work included development of design, permitting and construction plans, airspace/volume and lifespan calculations, slope stability and leachate generation modeling, design plans and engineering report.

• Guayama, Puerto Rico, Guayama Landfill Closure.  Project Manager and Lead Geotechnical Engineer for designing a final closure system for this existing facility in southern Puerto Rico. Developed design drawings and details to meet Puerto Rican regulations, which are based on Subtitle D requirements.

• Landfill Gas Pipeline, SC.   Project Director for the design, permitting and construction of a 9-mile long pipeline to carry LFG from the Palmetto Landfill to an automobile manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, SC. The pipeline route was selected so as to stay within existing SC/DOT right-of-way limits. Design elements included several road crossings, two river crossings and preventing disturbance of existing buried utility piping. SCS prepared specifications and contract drawings and monitored construction progress.

• Hampton, VA, Big Bethel Landfill.  Project Task Manager for the engineering design of a 238-acre landfill expansion involving design, engineering analyses, phasing plans, and Part B Permit Application submittal to VDEQ. The design was for a "zone of saturation" facility.

• Amelia County, VA, Maplewood Landfill.  Project Manager for the design and preparation of permit documents for a 400-acre sanitary landfill in central Virginia. The work involved Part B state permit application, including design of base grades, double-composite synthetic liner, leachate collection features, phasing, earthwork balance, stormwater controls, gas management, access roads and other necessary operational features.

• Washington County, MD, Forty West Sanitary Landfill.  Project Manager for the master plan design, Phase III permitting, Phase II boundary modification, and construction documents for a new 180-acre landfill. Included design of all landfill infrastructure, citizens drop off facility, final grading, base grading, bottom liner system, final cover system, slope stability and settlement evaluations. Performed supplemental geotechnical and stability analyses, responded to MDE and public comments, attended public meetings, participated in pre-bid meetings, and provided engineering support during construction.

• Oakland, MD, Garrett County Landfill.  Project Manager for the design of a 20-acre sanitary landfill and 5-acre rubble fill for Maryland Environmental Services. Efforts involved design of base grades, composite synthetic liner utilizing a geosynthetic clay liner, leachate collection and recirculation system, gas management and other site features.

• Baltimore County, MD, Eastern Landfill Closure.  Lead Designer and Geotechnical Engineer for designing closure grades and final capping system for a portion of this landfill. The work included evaluation of different geomembranes; ultimately, PVC was selected as the geomembrane that best met the project requirements. Developed all plans, specifications, and material quantity estimates.

• Dorchester County, MD, Hunting Ridge Construction and Demolition Landfill.  Project Manager for the investigation, design and permitting and construction quality assurance for an expansion. The work involved Phase I, II, and III permit documents in accordance with Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) regulations, and including design and monitoring of groundwater monitoring wells; County site plan approval; archaeological permit; and wetland delineation.

• Harford County, MD, Abingdon Landfill Cover Improvements.  Project Director for designing improvements to the existing cover of this 15-acre closed landfill. Work included: delineation of waste limits and soil cover thickness; landfill gas monitoring; sampling and testing of groundwater, surface water and sediments; evaluation of alternative cover materials, and end-use options for the site.

• Montgomery County, MD, Oaks Landfill.  Project Manager for a multi-year contract that includes the design of the final closure system for this 130-acre site, and construction engineering/CQA services. The work included: final cap design and grading plans; design of stormwater controls, landfill gas controls, and erosion and sediment features.

• Howard County, MD:

  • Carrs Mill Landfill.  Project Director for closure of this sanitary landfill (closed in 1977) including final cover, gas control and groundwater remediation. Work included delineation of waste limits, soil cover thickness, estimated waste depth, estimates of long term settlement, HELP modeling for leachate generation, and landfill gas and groundwater monitoring and testing.

  • New Cut Landfill.  Project Director for design of landfill closure features including final cap, active LFG control and groundwater remediation using pump and treatment technology for this 40-acre site. The work included delineation of waste limits, soil cover thickness investigations, wetlands mapping, review of historical information and gas and groundwater monitoring and testing. Site investigation work is underway.

  • Alpha Ridge Landfill.  Project Director for construction quality assurance activities related to closure of this 70-acre facility. The work involved construction of a combination soil and geomembrane cover system, landfill gas collection wells and header piping, landfill gas flare, groundwater pump-and-treatment system and other related features. Also, involved in estimating landfill settlement and in developing landfill specifications for earthwork and geosynthetics.

• Bowie, MD, Sandy Hill Creative Disposal Project.  Program manager for this two-phased project to investigate impacts of landfill gas on groundwater quality. Involved development and implementation of a monitoring plan to sample groundwater, soil, gas and leachate, and establish methods to evaluate the results.

• Hamilton, New Zealand, Horotiu Landfill Expansion.  As part of the City’s plan to expand this landfill, Mr. Isenberg provided expert testimony in public hearings held by Environment Waikato (in the City of Hamilton) on the application of geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) in landfill bottom liner systems. Also, at the City’s request, reviewed permit application drawings for the landfill expansion and provided technical comments to the design engineer on the bottom liner system design and other elements.

•  Cincinnati, OH, Rumpke Sanitary Landfill.  Lead Geotechnical Engineer for evaluating veneer stability and settlement of a proposed expansion to this existing landfill. Involved modeling of various waste slope and depth configuration and preparation of engineering report to support permit application documents.

• Watertown, NY, Development Authority of the North Country Landfill.  Lead geotechnical engineer responsible for evaluating slope stability of this existing facility to assist in design of a planned expansion. Involved slope modeling, laboratory of geomembranes for interfacial friction and preparation of final recommendations for permit design submittal.

• Niagara Falls, NY, Model City Hazardous Waste Site and Fort Wayne, Indiana, Adams Center Secure Landfill.  For these two hazardous waste facilities, provided geotechnical-engineering evaluations of interior and perimeter earth berms, internal drainage systems, and final cover design. Performed slope stability analyses for filling configurations, evaluated internal geosynthetic drainage system and geotechnical properties of soil borrow.

  CONSTRUCTION QUALITY ASSURANCE

• Fauquier County, VA, Corral Farm Landfill.  Certifying Engineer for CQA services during construction of the first cell of this lined landfill. Construction included a stormwater pond and lined leachate collection pond, access road and maintenance building. Construction is complete, certification provided and landfill is operational.

• Town of Chapel Hill, NC, Orange Regional Landfill.  Provided CQA and geotechnical services during construction of a new cell. The work involved supervision of SCS’ Resident Engineer, reviewing CQA reports and testing, and advising the contractor on use of bentonite to reduce soil permeability.

• Greenville, SC, Palmetto Landfill and Hilton Head, South Carolina, Hickory Hill Landfill.  Project Manager and certifying engineer in for the CQA of two lined facilities for Waste Management Inc. Involved project management, technical reviews, field and laboratory testing, staffing and scheduling, report reviews, site inspections, preparation of final documentation report and professional engineering certification.

• York, PA, Modern Landfill.  Project Manager and certifying engineer for construction of HDPE-lined Cells 4 and 5, deep leachate transmission piping, gas extraction wells, closure capping of old and new areas, and other CQA activities. Also, involved as senior advisor on construction of Cells 6 and 7, design of final cover system, and final capping work.

• Oakland, MD, Garrett County Landfill.  Provided technical support and guidance to the Maryland Environmental Service during construction of this new facility. The efforts included review of construction documentation, site visits, response to contractor questions and design clarifications.

• Hibbing, MN, Hibbing Taconite Mine.  Provided full-time field-testing and observation during construction of a 50-foot-high, clay core, earthen dam to retain mine tailings. Performed density and moisture testing of soils, monitored pneumatic pore pressure devices and settlement plates, and observed earthmoving and compaction operations.

• Philadelphia, PA:

  • Tullytown Resource Recovery Facility.  Provided project management, certification engineering, and geotechnical overview of construction quality control and testing for over 3 years including 12 cells or about 150 acres of this above-grade, synthetic double-lined facility. Personnel management, scheduling, cost control, and certification of construction as-builts. Involved as project manager and certifying engineer for activities related to closure capping of filled cells.

  • GROWS Landfill.  Project Manager for construction quality assurance activities related to closure of this 62-acre, 200-foot high facility with an earthen cover. The work involved monitoring of field activities, quality assurance testing, supervising resident engineering personnel, and developing a final documentation/certification report for closure. Construction was accomplished over a two-year period using the owner’s forces.

  GROUNDWATER INVESTIGATION AND REMEDIATION

• Sheffield, IL, Hazardous Waste Site.  Task Manager for design and analysis of a low-permeability cut-off wall to isolate groundwater, along with a leachate extraction system. Elements included evaluation of several technologies to install the cut-off wall for removal of contaminated soils.

• Ironton, OH, Goldcamp Disposal Area.  Under EPA’s ARCS contract, provided technical review of the Remedial Action/Remedial Design plans and specifications prepared for Allied Signal. This involved deep soil-bentonite perimeter cutoff wall design and pumping well system to contain NAPL’s (Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids).

• Paynesville, MN, Paynesville Landfill.  Evaluated hydrogeologic conditions for proposed expansion and site improvements. Worked with state and federal regulatory agencies to secure necessary permits, and developed a site investigation program for the expansion and long-term monitoring plan.

• Elk River, MN, Elk River Landfill.  Evaluated site geology and hydrogeology for a proposed landfill expansion onto a synthetically lined site. Developed a monitoring program for investigating the location and movement of volatile organic compounds encountered in groundwater samples

• Beltsville, MD and Deepwater, New Jersey, Dewatering System Evaluation.  Provided technical review and consultation to RUST Remedial Services for well point dewatering systems at the BARC Site (Maryland) and at the Dupont Site (New Jersey) for remediation efforts.

  GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

• Minneapolis/St. Paul Metropolitan Areas, MN, Earthwork Observation/Testing.  Involved in over 200 development projects including foundation engineering evaluations, retaining wall design and construction, subsurface investigations, groundwater studies, construction observation and lab testing, Designed shallow and deep foundation systems, installed monitoring wells, performed slope stability, developed earthwork quality control specifications, and performed forensic studies of foundation distress.

• Staten Island, NY, Power Authority of the State of New York.  Geotechnical engineering design and supervision of exploration program for fossil power plant site situated on fly ash, including layout, depths and sampling techniques for drill holes into soil and rock, as well as laboratory tests.

• Los Angeles, CA, Sheldon-Arletta Landfill Re-development.  Geotechnical engineering support for re-development on an old, deep sanitary landfill into baseball fields. The landfill is over 150 deep in places, and has over 25 feet of soil cover in place. Settlement has been measured at up to 5 feet in a 6 year period.

• Sherburne County, MN, Fossil-Fuel Generating Plant.  Performed feasibility study using a wide-range of flexible polymeric membranes (PVC, EPDM, CPE, CSPE, PE, and rubber products) to control seepage through ash basins and possible filter designs to direct seepage.

• Kouts, IN, Rollin M. Schaffer, Units 14 and 15.  Development, supervision, and performance of field tests to measure permeability of a thin, beam-injected, cement-bentonite slurry wall used to control seepage through settling basin dikes. This was the first application of this technology in the United States.