Rebecca Countway

Senior Scientist

Venice, CA

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Phone: +1 310-408-7595
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Rebecca  Countway is a Senior Scientist with Intrinsik Ltd.  She has over twenty years of experience as an environmental chemist and risk assessor. Since 2000, Rebecca has been providing technical scientific support and advice to private and government sector clients throughout the United States in the areas of human health and ecological risk assessment. She has managed all aspects of the risk assessment process, including preparing multi-media sampling plans, evaluating the nature and extent of site contamination, modeling chemical fate and transport processes including vapor intrusion, assessing the potential impacts to human and ecological receptors, and communicating the findings to stakeholders. Assessments have involved potential exposures to a variety of metals and organic chemicals at sites ranging from a small pesticide distribution terminal, former oil refineries and distribution center, to large mine sites. In addition, Rebecca has significant field and analytical experience, as well as a strong background in forensic geochemistry – the use of biogeochemical principles to evaluate the source(s) and “age” of hydrocarbons in the environment, and the subsequent application of these principles in understanding the fate and transport of organic compounds in contaminated soils, groundwater, and sediments.

Experience Highlights

• Worked with Southern California Gas Company regarding the Aliso Canyon natural gas leak response. Reviewed extensive air monitoring data sets and developed safe human air exposure levels (reference doses) to various mercaptans for which no safe levels previously existed.
• Conducted vapor intrusion assessments for more than 50 homes in a Southern California neighborhood potentially impacted by petroleum-related compounds, based on soil gas, sub-slab vapor, and air samples.
• Prepared health risk assessments for several unique exposure scenarios to support of a ballast water treatment system dossier application to obtain International Maritime Organization Basic Approval under Guideline 9 (MEPC 57/21, Resolution MEPC.169(57)).
• Participation in several cooperative mediation efforts with regulatory agencies assessing potential risks to human health and the environment at former petroleum production and storage operations areas, and supporting feasibility study development and/or California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process. Specific technical focus on human health.
• Conducted a CERCLA HHRA for the Virgin Islands Department of Natural Resources for a former alumina processing facility, tailored to guide redevelopment plans onsite, and address potential offsite migration of windblown dust to residential and recreational areas.
• Developed Proposition 65 exposure assessments for chemicals associated with printer cartridge use for Hewlett Packard Corporation.
• Conducted a forensic evaluation of PAHs in urban lake and creeks following crude oil spill assessing potential that residual PAHs were related to urban background as opposed to spilled material.

 Education and Professional Qualifications

• M.S., Marine Science, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA
• BA, Summa Cum Laude, Chemistry, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH