INTERA Incorporated services

INTERA`s site assessment and investigation services are designed to provide clients with the technical information needed to make sound business decisions. Since many site investigations are regulatory-driven, our scientific and engineering professionals offer in-depth experience with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and bring to our clients an up-to-date understanding of environmental regulations and procedures.

Modeling expertise is one of the technological capabilities on which INTERA`s reputation is founded. We are a leader in the development and application of quantitative modeling techniques for evaluating groundwater flow and contaminant transport problems. Over the last 32 years, we have developed public domain groundwater flow and transport modeling programs such as SWIFT and SWIFT-II. These models were the first capable of treating variable fluid density, dual porosity (i.e., fractured media), and multi-chain radionuclide transport in three-dimensional cartesian or two-dimensional radial coordinates. We developed the first fully three-dimensional direct (i.e., adjoint) sensitivity analysis software called GRASP. All of these tools were considered state-of-the-art at the time they were developed, and some still are today.

INTERA`s auditing services focus on gauging the risk of potential environmental liabilities. We have conducted audits at a wide variety of facilities across the country, addressing hazardous materials, hazardous waste, solid waste, water quality, air quality, and health and safety issues. Whether the audit is being performed for one of our client`s existing facilities or for a new facility or site being considered for acquisition, we systematically and objectively determine compliance with all applicable regulations, as well as with corporate environmental policy goals, as appropriate. This allows clients to establish priorities within existing environmental programs and plan for the future.

The most effective remedial actions result from the right combination of site investigations, evaluation of remedial alternatives, effective design engineering, and capable implementation. Since every contamination problem is unique, INTERAs knowledge and experience with a wide range of remedial approaches and technologies allow us to apply the best available methods. Our capabilities enable us to provide turnkey remedial solutions, from design, construction, and operation of remedial systems to final site closure. INTERAs solutions arise from careful identification of remedial action objectives and regulatory drivers, determination and application of appropriate standards and technologies, informed selection of remedial options, and thorough evaluation of final technical and economic alternatives.

Water resource planning is one of the more complex activities because it often includes competing interests and limited resources. It is a combination of technical issues that are inherently quantitative balanced with other issues that are qualitative in nature, such as public perception, stakeholder support, or environmental suitability. INTERA is experienced in developing decision support methods for water resources that allow a transparent assessment of both qualitative and quantitative performance metrics in alternatives analysis. We are experts in communicating complex technical concepts to a non-technical audience using a tried and true stakeholder communication process.

The effective management of water resources frequently requires quantitative assessments of aquifer availability, aquifer sustainability, and the mechanisms of recharge and discharge, including the interaction of surface water and groundwater. These assessments require a detailed analysis of aquifer flow dynamics. Numerical models provide the best means to quantitatively represent the essential features of the actual groundwater system. Through a quantitative understanding of cause and effect relationships, these models are used to make predictions and forecasts for a defined set of conditions. When properly developed and applied, groundwater models enable complex water availability analyses to be conducted and facilitate informed water resources decision-making.

INTERA has solved many water resource problems for clients throughout the southern and western U.S. that include municipal water suppliers, state and federal agencies, and industry. Our services focus on providing predictions of the future hydrologic-system conditions needed to make sound decisions regarding water resource management using state-of-the-art data acquisition and modeling technology.

INTERA has over 20 years of experience in the development and application of statistical and geostatistical tools to hydrologic and hydrogeologic data. Our personnel have developed statistical models for time series data such as rainfall and ET, groundwater and surface water data, wetland and lake-level data, water quality, and short term and long term water demand.

Site characterization studies of potential or existing sites for isolating radioactive or other wastes require careful program design and planning, methodical plan implementation, accurate and thorough fieldwork, and detailed analysis of the site characterization data that is collected. INTERA`s experience includes planning and implementing geological and hydrogeological testing programs for radioactive waste disposal facilities around the globe. We are internationally recognized for our expertise in designing, managing, and conducting geologic formation testing programs and have developed and employed some of the most technologically advanced testing equipment and interpretive software in the world.

In the mid 1970s, INTERA began to apply sophisticated petroleum reservoir engineering technology to the area of groundwater flow and transport. Under contract to the United States Geological Survey, we developed the first groundwater code to couple flow, energy transport, and contaminant transport in three dimensions, accounting for density and viscosity effects. In 1976, we modified this code into a radionuclide transport code, called SWIP, to support the evaluation of radioactive waste repositories.