The Site Remediation Changemaker

Skyler's fascination with earth sciences propelled him into a dynamic career with WSP’s site investigation and remediation team. Together with his colleagues, he leads the charge with per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances, using “fingerprinting” technology. This innovative approach not only identifies PFAS impacts, but also traces their pathways through the environment.

Watch the full interview below to learn more about WSP’s expert hydrogeologist.

In what ways is your work at WSP having an impact within communities?

Long term benefits of what we do as environmental consultants is we have remedies at these environmental sites that last. When we design a cleanup, we don’t want it to just check the box and move on. We want this remedy to last, down the road. We want this to be something to protect human health and the environment.

What are some of the new trends you’re seeing in remediation?

Digital transformation, machine learning and AI are increasingly playing a role in site investigation and remediation. Where we have these large historical data sets, we can identify patterns that we normally wouldn’t see or maybe haven’t noticed before. It just lets us understand our sites better and leverage that bigger data set to understand what we can do in the future.

What does a typical workday look like for you as a hydrogeologist in the site investigation and remediation team?

On a day-to-day basis, it’s a very interdisciplinary role as a consultant where we look at the dirt, the rocks, the chemistry and the water, and we have to understand them all within the context of each other to be able to assess where problems are, and translate that into predictions. So, at the end of every site investigation, we have to come up with a solution, a remedy, and a lot of times that’s what this modeling goes to support.

Additional Content

Machine learning helps fingerprint PFAS to build effective remediation plans

Skyler Sorsby and Paul Hurst discuss how WSP professionals analyze PFAS contamination data at a quicker pace and efficiently prioritize cleanup efforts through the use of machine learning algorithms.

Webinar - Machine Learning: A New Lens on PFAS Environmental Dynamics

Register for this WSP Snack & Learn Webinar on September 10, where Skyler Sorsby and Paul Hurst will explore an inhouse PFAS fingerprinting tool developed by WSP. This innovative technology leverages advanced multivariate algorithms to characterize and manage PFAS contamination at various sites.