Marilyn is an Engineer in Training with two years of experience in environmental consulting. Her project work has included hazardous waste/remediation work, construction oversight, air, soil, and water sampling, permitting, and engineering for the food and beverage industry.
Why I Do What I Do
"I love the variety of projects I work on, from wastewater treatment, to environmental remediation projects, and industrial process design. I don’t think I’m the sort of person that would enjoy working on one and only one project for the long term, and fortunately that’s nowhere close to what I do. The variety keeps things dynamic and I’m constantly learning from my peers and mentors. We always say that our people are our number one asset, and it’s absolutely true."
Why I Work at Woodard & Curran
"I have always loved that Woodard & Curran hasn’t changed its mission statement since the firm was founded in 1979. The first line, “to develop and perpetuate an enjoyable, gratifying, and fulfilling place to work,” is unlike any other company’s mission statement that I came across while searching for the right job during my last year in college. I think it’s easy to see that we are striving to achieve this part of the mission in the culture of the company and in the way we work together."
Project Highlights
Manufactured Gas Remediation
Confidential Site, ME
This was one of the first projects I took on after starting at W&C, and it was great to get some field experience right off the bat. This project involved engineering support and remediation oversight at a local Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) site containing oil, tar, and other coal gasification-related materials. On-site remediation activities included installation of a creosote extraction and storage system, removal of liquid coal tar and demolition of an underground liquid product storage tank, removal of over 5,000 tons of coal tar-impacted soils, and stabilization of riverfront shoreline with geotextile and riprap. I also conducted exposure monitoring and air sampling in the working zone and along the site perimeter to determine the impact of site activities on surrounding off-site receptors. It was a great first project, and experience that I have been able to use on many other jobs.
Multi-Phase Remediation
Confidential Superfund Site, MI
For me, the most exciting part of this project has been the range of tasks involved. In the two years I’ve been on the project team, I have had the opportunity to conduct groundwater, porewater, and soil sampling in addition to working with a Soil Vapor Extraction system that Woodard & Curran pilot tested and installed a decade ago. I’m now working with several other engineers and scientists to develop an enhancement plan for a separate source area on-site.
Low-Ozone Testing
Grand Prairie, TX
This project was particularly exciting and challenging for me because it was the first time I was the lead engineer. I ran two days of trials on major process equipment and prepared recommendations for the client based on trial and analytical data that I gathered. It was also a great example of how, even when you are “on your own” at a job site, you always have your colleagues to call on back in the office when something just stumps you.