Senior Environmental Engineer Go Back Letter to Employers: SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE Management: - Project Manager, Senior Engineer, and Section Manager. Technical: - Extensive experience in coordinating efforts, planning, engineering, field work, scientific research, and regulatory support projects. - National and international experiences in environmental protection, water resources, drinking water, storm water and wastewater treatment and conveyance systems. Recognitions: - Served as a juror on the Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental Award Program for the year 2002. - Served on DOE and NOAA research proposals review panels (2002) (Bioremediation and Biotechnology). - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water Tribute of Appreciation award in 1991. Work Experiences: - US, Europe, Africa, Middle East. Contact Information E-mail: bekdashf@saic.com Target Work Locations: #1 - washington, DC #2 - , CA Willing to Relocate- Yes Date Available: 5/1/05 Resume: EDUCATION Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, 1993. Diplôme de Spécialisation Post-Universitaire, Irrigation, IAM, Italy, 1978. Diploma of Ingénieur Agricole, American University of Beirut, 1977. Bachelor of Science, Agriculture, American University of Beirut, 1977. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 06/1995 to Present ; Section Manager Senior Engineer; Science Applications International Corporation, 11251 Roger Bacon Dr; Reston VA Managed multiple projects for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), States, DOE, DOD involving engineering evaluations; computer modeling; designing, and estimating technologies and compliance costs. Managed several subcontractors, prepared work plans, developed budgets and schedules, and monitored technical and financial progress. Developed and negotiated task management plans, performed quality control of deliverables, prepared and presented customer briefings, oversaw technical and financial performance. Conducted desk top and field studies in the areas of energy and power plants, urban and rural drinking water, wastewater, storm-water, and guidance manuals and reviews of human and animal emerging pathogens and endocrine disruptors chemicals in solid wastes, soils and natural waters. Recruited, hired, oriented, mentored and evaluated the performance of junior staff. - Lead technical-person in charge of evaluating designing and costing standard and emerging technologies in areas related to water/wastewater treatment plants and power plants.. - Developed a forward design and cost RO/NF membrane model that is based on water quality and hardware need for the defined water quality including pre and post treatment. The model can generate designs and costs for sea and brackish water desalination membrane systems as well as low pressure membrane systems for the removal of specific water contaminants. - PM for Software Program to Ascertain Radionuclide Residual Concentrations – SPARRC. SPARRC uses a multi-document interface (MDI) and associates each technology with a specific interface. The model allows users to input raw water characteristics and process variables and receive instant results with respect to total waste, sludge and backwash volumes and contaminants concentrations, and treated and finished water characteristics. Available for download at http://www.npdespermits.com/sparrc. - Designed and estimated costs for the Colorado River desalination project - Designed and estimated costs for six alternative solutions to treat 0.5mgd waste streams generated in the wet scrubbing and manufacturing processes at KIMMCO fiberglass plant, Kuwait city. The proposed solutions included chemical pretreatment, variable pore size membrane filtration, use of multistage flash evaporators (MSF), biological treatment, GAC filtration and changes in the manufacturing process itself. - Project Manager (PM) for the Water Treatment Engineering Cost Manual and Computer Model (36 technologies); the work include design criteria, generation of direct, add-on and indirect capital costs and operation and maintenance costs. The model simulates based on water quality and flow required sizes and number of pumps, equipment, valves, pipes, instrumentation and control hardware, HVAC and housing. - Provided the State of California with technical wastewater expertise in cases related to domestic wastewater treatment plants, process optimization and treatment techniques. Served as an expert witness for the State of California in a landmark wastewater treatment case. The position of the State of California prevailed against powerful lobbying and nationally and internationally known treatment experts. The work required coordinating with various regulatory reviews inspections and careful review of permit applications in light of a comprehensive environmental program. - Conducted process specific opportunity assessments (PSOA) to determine the most feasible way for a facility to minimize the reliance on hazardous chemicals, remain in compliance with discharge limits and drinking water requirements. Facilities included mining, industry, drinking water and domestic wastewater treatment entities. Examples, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Navy Air Station at Kingsville, Texas, meat processing factory, Oakland, Ca. More than 30 drinking water and 6 wastewater treatment facilities. - Developed designs and cost estimates for cooling towers and cooling water intake structures and related technologies (under section of 316b of the Clean Water Act (CWA) power generation and industrial facilities discharge rules). The technologies included: underwater pipe laying, velocity caps, fanning of intakes, underwater construction of intake structures, deepening of intake canals, passive screens, travel screens with and without fish baskets, wet cooling towers (mechanical and natural draft with various building material), and costs of wetlands restoration and other mitigation measures. - Developed sampling plans and protocols and QA/QC plans for laboratories testing for specific pathogens and indicator microorganisms present in disinfected CSO discharges. The prescribed analytical techniques included conventional methods and innovative methods (PCR, real time probes etc.) - Provided technical support for two forecast economic studies, “The Central Asia Energy Demand and Economic Prospects@ and “The Levant Energy Demand and Economic Prospects@. Both studies looked into the potentials of economic development at regional level (the Middle East and beyond and the ex-Soviet central Asian States plus Iran). Also, both studies looked into various regional development scenarios, available and needed energy (oil and natural gas), natural and human resources, political systems, points of conflict and possible conflict resolution mechanisms. - Co-authored a strawman paper submitted to DOE on research needs in the area of water use by power plants. - Developed Technology and Cost documents for the removal of contaminants from drinking water sources. - Brayton Point power plant NPDES permit review and cost estimate of compliance with 316b rule. - Developed preliminary engineering design and cost models for emerging Arsenic removal drinking water treatment technologies. Including activated alumna, modified activated alumna, granular ferric hydroxide, ion exchange, greensand, activated alumina, granular ferric hydroxide, Sorb 33®, Media G2® and AAFS-50®. - Instructor at Camp Darby base (US army, Italy), covering a course on hazardous waste and hazardous material management to local personnel at the base (in Italian). The program trains personnel on how to identify, evaluate, manage and control environmental hazards through many pollution prevention steps and proper ways of seeking professional and technical support in the collection, transport, treatment, recycling, minimization, and disposal of the hazardous and non-hazardous chemical, biochemical, biological, general and solid and mixed wastes. - Technical editor for an ORD document titled “Controlling Disinfection By-Products and Microbial Contaminants in Drinking Water@. - Wrote the Guidance Manual for Treating Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in Solid Wastes and Soil for ORD EPA - Wrote the Removal of Endocrine Disruptor Chemicals During Drinking Water Treatment Manual for ORD EPA. - Provided technical support to NAVSEA in selecting appropriate technologies and contractors for the Navy robotic underwater hull cleaning operations. - Analyzed the cost assumptions for 13 fish protection measures proposed by a nuclear power facility including Strobe Light System, Diversion Louver System, Submerged Offshore Intake, Wedgewire Screens Outside Embayment, Fine Mesh Screen, Gunderboom System, Mechanical Draft Cooling Tower, Natural Draft Cooling Tower, Dry Cooling System, Variable Speed Pumps, Variable Speed Pumps With Condenser, Cooling Water Bypass, Cooling Water Bypass With Condenser. In addition three non-technology proposed management and mitigation practices (Smelt Restocking, Flounder Restocking and Survival Study, Scheduled Outages). - Project manager (PM) for a series of guidance manuals published by EPA to assist both States and Public Water Systems (PWSs) in complying with the Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (IESWTR) and Stage 1 Disinfectant and Disinfection Byproduct Rule (DBPR) drinking water regulations. The Manuals are available at http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/mdbp/mdbptg.html and include: - Alternative Disinfectants and Oxidants Guidance Manual (1999) - Microbial and Disinfection Byproduct Simultaneous Compliance Guidance Manual (1999) - Disinfection Profiling and Benchmarking (1999) - Guidance Manual for Conducting Sanitary Surveys of Public Water Systems; Surface Water and Ground Water Under the Direct Influence (GWUDI) of Surface Water (1999) - PM in charge of developing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) new flow paradigm for drinking water model systems. - Investigated the environmental impacts of treated effluents from a lead smelter in Montana, and provided assistance in developing for EPA power generation industry profile. - Designed studies to determine the efficacy of disinfecting discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) into the Boston harbor. Investigated and wrote a paper on CSOs disinfection efficiency and feasibility. - Conducted screen modeling to determine the impacts of sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) discharges into three rivers in Cincinnati, Ohio. - Developed compliance cost estimates for the costs associated with proposed water quality standards in California (Toxic pollutants), Alabama (toxic pollutant and dissolved oxygen) - Assessed nutrients and toxic pollutants impact from point and nonpoint sources, and modeled water quality including fate and transport of pollutants, effects of BMPs for the purpose of developing Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). - Wrote a review paper on the Santa Monica bay epidemiological study. The study evaluated microbial population in storm drains and incidents of infection among swimmers near discharge areas. - Investigated, researched and reported on new innovative disinfection technologies including continuous wave Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, pulsed UV, modulated UV, gamma irradiation, Photoassissted heterogeneous catalytic oxidation (PHCO), biological filtration, membrane filtration and mixed oxidants. Principal author “Ultraviolet Light Disinfection Technology in Drinking Water Application _ An Overview”. Washington, D.C. EPA 811-R-96-002 1996. Second author of the 1996 EPA document Ground Water Disinfection and Protective Practices in the United States. - Successfully marketed innovative ideas for multi-disciplinary projects with EPA, air force and the Navy and secured funds from EPA’s Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water for more than seven consecutive years after loosing the contract to another firm. 10/1991 to 06/1995: ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST, LAI Arlington, Virginia; Environmental Manager III Labat Anderson Incorporated LAI, 8000 Westpark Drive McLean, Virginia 22102; 06/1989 to 10/1991; ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST, ICAIR/Life Systems Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. Records Manager; Life Systems Incorporated, Cleveland Ohio; Responsible for design and implementation of strategies for short-term, task-specific program needs. Structure problems for systematic analysis, and formulate recommendations for action. Duties included the review of proposed national policies and regulations regarding environmental protection, and pollution control. Reviewed proposed and final draft Federal Register notices and support documents on point source and non-point source pollution regulations promulgated under the Clean Water Act, and National Primary Drinking Water regulations promulgated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, for accuracy and consistency. - Reviewed regulations support documents including Health Criteria documents for phase II and phase V contaminants, lead and copper, radionuclides, the GWR rule, deepwell injection control rule, pulp and paper rule etc. - Advised EPA’s regulation managers of potential problems in regulation records and possible solutions. - Compiled, reviewed and indexed new scientific data in addition to private citizens', regulated communities', and industry submissions. Assist the public, industry and other Government personnel in locating regulatory supporting material related to specific areas of the CWA and SDWA regulations that impact their functions. Supervised three technical assistants. 02/1989 to 12/1993: RESEARCH ASSISTANT University of Maryland College Park; - Conducted exploratory laboratory experiments on domestic wastewater sludge treatment using Endogenous Nitrate Respiration (ENR) and cyclic aerobic/anaerobic and aerobic/anoxic treatment. - Conducted research that combined basic theoretical and environmental knowledge, GIS, and mathematical modeling to evaluate transport of non-point source pollution. - Wrote the draft manual “Operation and Maintenance of On-farm Waste Management Facilities”, an extension service guide. Prepared and submitted a proposal tilted “Scrubbing Air Pollutants Using Artificially Established Wetlands” to Maryland Department of Natural Resources. - Wrote and submitted two research and opinion papers titled “The Need for Denitrification Process at Wastewater Treatment Plants” and “The Effects of BMPs on Nutrient Loading Reduction in Ground and Surface Water” to Senator Gerald W. Winegrad of Maryland. 02/1987 to 02/1989: The Embassy of Oman, Washington, D.C. Embassy of the Sultan of Oman, Mass. Ave Washington DC 20008; Compiled data, conducted research and wrote and translated reports on a variety of topics, including economic, political issues. Reviewed architectural, structural drawings and specification documents for the new embassy site in D.C. 05/1979 to 02/1987 Dar Al-Handasah (Shair & Partners); Project coordinator; Dar Al-Handasah (Shair & Partners), 3 Water Lane Richmond-Upon-Thames, TW9 1TJ United Kingdom; Concentration areas included water hydro-geologic, hydrologic and hydraulic studies, resources management, water balance studies, preliminary design, and final design for, water supply, sewerage, water and sewage treatment facilities, irrigation, urban and rural storm water management, soil erosion, and water quality assessment projects. As a field resident engineer coordinated the efforts of diverse engineering and scientist groups and client representatives. Served as a groundwater resources expert, worked on river training projects, earth-fill dams’ studies, reviewed water and wastewater treatment designs, designed water supply and wastewater networks, irrigation networks, conducted water resources studies, supervised and recommended water and wastewater development projects. Evaluated the environmental impacts of industrial development. Recommended measures aimed at proper use of water resources and at preserving the environment in many arid and semi-arid countries. Resident Project Coordinator: Peoples' Democratic Republic of Yemen. Feasibility study for integrated rural development in the Middle Plateau Area. Formulated project, negotiated with government. Design criteria set up, a detailed field work program, job description and duty assignments for consultants/experts. Prepared outlines of reports. Performed field work supervision. Identified surface and ground water sampling points. Reviewed consultants' reports to determine feasibility and technical viability per the defined scope of work. Recommended legislative measures aiming at preserving the scarce ground water resources. Prepared inception, interim, and draft final reports, as well as an extensive final technical report on water harvesting systems, irrigation, and soil conservation. The study included the development of water resources, water quality and quantity monitoring, water supply and treatment, roads, crop production and protection, livestock, soil conservation, mechanization, irrigation and agricultural extension. Population served 115,000 in a project area of 1525 km2 of which 8000 ha were to be cultivated under permanent irrigation. Short-Term Water Resources Expert: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs. Mecca Planning. Identified and classified, available water resources for various domestic, industrial and agricultural uses, including recycled water. Evaluated available ground water amounts and projected the required amounts according to the regional urban master plan. Designed networks for water collection and distribution for Mecca, its environs and selected village cluster centers. Designed flood protection measures. Performed a comprehensive study on the environmental impact of Haj (pilgrimage season) on the water resources, and recommended measures aimed at conserving the water resources and protecting aquifer water from overdraft and pollution. The project consisted of planning studies for water resources including quality and quantity monitoring, environmental conditions, utilities (water, wastewater treatment, power generation and solid waste collection) and infrastructure and preparation of comprehensive development plans for Mecca region (covering a 5000 km2 area) comprising a regional master plan, directive and execution plans for the Holy City of Mecca, its environs, Mina, Muzdalifa, Arafat and selected village cluster centers. Project Engineer: Federal Republic of Nigeria. River Hadejia Improvement. Studied the environmental effects of industrial and domestic waste water disposal into the river. Performed analysis of soil, water, suspension, and bed sediment test results for the purpose of determining water classification, as well as an analysis of sedimentation and erosion processes under different hydraulic regimes. Evaluated and analyzed hydro-meteorological data. Conducted a rainfall-runoff study and hydraulic water balance computations to identify four hydraulic regime alternatives and respective costs. Prepared progress and final design reports. The study included evaluation of hydrological data of Hadejia River, draining an area of 61 000 km2. Detailed water quality and quantity monitoring, and identification and design of appropriate works of water use. in a 400 km reach. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Middle Valley Irrigation Project. Computed pipe line and channel sizes. Designed pertinent hydraulic structures, such as over-chutes, siphons and out-falls. Supervised construction and provided technical solutions to on-site problems. Resident Engineer: Republic of Iraq. Al-Khair River Development Project, Baghdad, & Nahrawan Industrial Complex Water Supply. Negotiated with the government to conceptualize alternative proposals. Planned and managed data collection, including soil and water sampling and testing for the different field teams. Assessed water quality monitoring program. Carried out discussions with government officials on submission of progress reports and planning and environmental report. Prepared progress reports and played a major role in the design and write-up of the planning and environmental report, particularly the four alternative proposals, including estimated costs, the identification of the organizational structure of the Al-Khair River Parkway and the required personnel. The study included assessment of four different planning alternatives with preliminary and detailed engineering design. Detailed design of the 20 km river channel including inlet and outlet pumping stations, training and protection of the Tigris River, training and lining of Al-Khair River, road and utility crossings, impact planning on Baghdad in the vicinity of the river, as well as environmental protection measures and landscaping aspects along the river banks. The Nahrawan industrial complex project, included preliminary design, final design and tender documents for industrial and domestic water supply networks of 11,000 m3 per day capacity and a water treatment plant of 4800 m3 daily capacity. Other Duties Prepared technical proposals for consulting services. Performed tender analysis for selection of contractors. Jeddah Sewerage and Water Supply Systems, Saudi Arabia. Collected data, identified six alternative solutions for sewage collection, including a comparative analysis of pipe-laying cost using mini tunneling techniques versus use of several pumping stations. Prepared inception report, participated in the preliminary design of non drinking water network. Reviewed design calculations and final design drawings for the treatment plant. The project major components consisted of drinking and non-drinking water networks, sewage collection network, sewage treatment plants with tertiary treatment allowing reuse of effluents for landscape irrigation in the Greater City of Jeddah covering an area of 33,000 ha and serving a population of over 3,000,000. Muna Utilities Projects, Saudi Arabia. Conducted water resources field survey to serve a transient population of 3.5 million pilgrims. Yanbu Water, Sewerage, and Stormwater Drainage, Saudi Arabia. Preliminary design of storm water and sewerage networks, covering an area of 9000 ha and serving an estimated population of 390,000. Irrigation using uncontrolled flows, Jordan Valley Project, Jordan. Irrigation using uncontrolled flows. Computer model for water balance, feasibility study and tender documents for irrigating about 6000 ha in the valley by using uncontrolled winter flows from Yarmouk river, Zarqa river and other tributaries and the controlled discharge from King Talal and Wadi Shueib reservoirs. Worked on cropping patterns, project cost estimation and bill of quantities. Shidiya Phosphate Mines, Shidiya, Jordan. Estimated ground water availability and suitability for industrial and domestic use. The project components were a master plan for water supply and distribution network, stormwater drainage, refuse disposal and wastewater collection and treatment for a new town of 5000 population and an area of about 700 hectares. The work included the design of water supply for industrial use within the mine, and the evaluation of groundwater availability and quality. Amman Stormwater Drainage, Jordan. Participated in the preliminary design of a flood control system serving 8000 ha. Gongola Dams and Irrigation Projects, Nigeria. Conducted hydrologic study including flood flows of 250 km2 catchment area, cross drainage design capacities and synthetic computation of river flows. Conducted water balance studies for the two dams of a total capacity of 80 million m3. Designed an irrigation network including 30 km of main water channels of 3 m3/sec capacity and a network of 250 km of earth channels. Worked on cropping patterns and water requirements for an area of 6000 ha. The project included a detailed feasibility study for two rock fill dams with a height of about 50 m each, serving about 6000 ha of agricultural land. Sokoto University Sewerage Scheme, Nigeria. Designed chlorination facility for a sewage treatment plant serving a population of 24,000. Kafin Chiri River Irrigation Project, Nigeria. Calculated water requirements for an area of 3000 ha and designed its cropping pattern. Erosion Control, Cross River State, Nigeria. Prepared final design and tender documents for surveys, engineering design and tender preparation of river banks and shorelines erosion control of several towns located in the Delta region. Lebanon National Waste Management Plan, Lebanon. Designed urgent sewerage networks for two cities. The project was part of a master plan for collection and safe disposal of wastewater and solid waste for all Lebanon. Maadi Housing Project, Egypt. Designed drinking, fire fighting, and irrigation networks. Provided technical support in the write-up of the final design report. The project included drinking and fire hydrant water networks, sewage collection networks for a residential area of 15 ha consisting of 2000 units in addition to a 400 room hotel, offices, large shopping and recreational centers. Mount Kassioun Development Project, Syria. Designed drinking water network for an area of 2600 ha. The project comprised final design and tender documents for sewerage, water supply, stormwater drainage, irrigation and reforestation for a new suburb of Damascus serving a population of 120,000. Sanaa Water Supply, Yemen Arab Republic Prepared and checked as-built drawings. The project consisted of a review of design and supervision of construction for the first phase whose design was executed by WHO and financed by the World Bank. Other LANGUAGES Arabic and Italian. AWARDS Honors AND COMMENDATIONS Juror Army Corps of Engineers Chief of Engineers Design and Environmental Award Program 2002. Tribute of Appreciation Certificate (1991) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the promulgation of the Phase II priority chemicals of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Commendation letter (1992) from the Office of the General Counsel for assisting the office in providing litigation material in three lawsuits against EPA. EPA's position prevailed in all three lawsuits. Commendation letter (1992) from Al Havinga of OGWDW for assisting him in the process of regulating 33 contaminants in drinking water. University of Maryland Graduate School Competitive Grants Award for presenting two technical papers 1993 and 1991. Commendation letter (1990) from Dr. William Magette, Maryland Extension Service, on the quality and contents of the draft Operation and Maintenance Manual for On-farm Waste Management Facilities. ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) award (1994) from LAI for assisting in the write up of public education material that address the issue of lead leaching from submersible pumps into well drinking water. ABCD award (1993) from LAI for cooperating on the Engineering, Drinking Water proposal for EPA. Group Award (1992) from LAI on training its employees on environmental and regulatory issues related to Drinking Water. Team Proposal Award (1992) from LAI. PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Member of the American Association of Cost Engineers International Member of the American Water Works Association AWWA. PUBLICATIONS Bekdash, F and M. Moe 2005 In press. A Tool for Budgetary Estimation of Cooling Tower Unit Costs Based on Flow. USEPA Office of Science and Technology. Chao, K and F. Bekdash 2000. Estimating Costs for EPA Drinking Water Regulations. American Society of Costing Engineers (AACE) International. Presented at the annual meeting Calgary Canada. Parrotta, M and F. Bekdash 1998. AUV Disinfection of Small Groundwater Supplies@. JAWWA Vol 90 No. 2. pp.71-81. Bekdash, F, Kurth, L and L. Solomon 1996. Ultraviolet Light Disinfection Technology in Drinking Water Application_An Overview. Washington D.C. EPA 811-R-96-002. Shirmohammadi A., Bekdash F. A. and Magette W. L. 1994. Environmental Evaluation of Agricultural Practices Using Modeling and GIS Technology. Presented at the XII C.I.G.R. World Congress and AgEng. 94 Conference. August 29 - September 1, 1994 Milan, Italy. Bekdash, F. A. et al., 1993. Three Pixel Window for the Delineation of Spatial Features in a DEM. Presented at the 1993 International Winter Meeting sponsored by ASAE Chicago, Illinois December 1993. paper #93-3549. Bekdash, F. A. et al., 1991. Best Management Practices (BMP) Evaluation Using GIS-CREAMS Linkage. Presented at the 1991 International Winter Meeting sponsored by ASAE Chicago, Illinois December 1991. paper #91-7516. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING Communication course. SAIC 2000. Project Management I SAIC 1997