Wyatt Environmental

Bob Wyatt
Experienced and uniquely qualified to help

In addition to the usual licenses, education and certifications I have more than 30 years of practical first hand experience in managing complex environmental liabilities. I was the designated Program Coordinator on the Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on Consent for the Portland Harbor Superfund Site for 16 years, from 2001 to 2017 when EPA certified the work required by the order was completed. I was also the chair of the multi-party Lower Willamette Group for that entire time and represented it to regulatory agencies, the media, tribal governments, the public, and congressional delegations.

During my tenure in that role I experienced, and managed, every one of the issues that can arise in Superfund sediment megasites with a multi-party group consisting of both private and public organizations. That includes managing the successful construction of a Time Critical Early Action dredging project ahead of schedule, under budget, and through closure of the associated Administrative Order. I also manage Natural Resource Damage issues associated with the Portland Harbor Superfund Site, and have extensive experience supporting cost recovery efforts including allocation, environmental policy insurance litigation, and utility rate cases. 

A Brief Summary of my Background

I began my career in New Jersey in the mid-1980s shortly after Superfund was enacted.  My first years on the job with BCM Engineers were largely spent at Level A and Level B personal protection (fully encapsulated dermal protection with supplied air) investigating environmental impacts with real-time exposure hazards.

When I moved to North Carolina to become Vice President of Front Royal Environmental Services I wore multiple hats. I was the Chief Geologist, responsible for all remedial investigations, hydrogeologic modeling, and regulatory negotiations.  I was also the corporate Health & Safety Officer and wrote Health & Safety plans for all project activities.  I also managed dozens of staff in multiple offices and states.  Front Royal Environmental Services was owned by a parent company, Front Royal, Inc., with subsidiaries that offered insurance and underwriting products.  I provided technical support for environmental insurance products, claims and settlements. I also managed multiple state-led petroleum trust fund projects. 

I left consulting in 2000 to join NW Natural, where my technical skills, corporate officer experience, and insurance background are fully utilized.  I manage NW Natural's Superfund and state regulated legacy environmental liabilities. My current focus is on impacts from former Manufactured Gas Plants (MGPs) and managing the entire Portland Harbor Superfund site.  Some of the key roles I have at NW Natural include:

• Depositions and testimony (insurance litigation & rate cases)

• Strategic planning, integration of legal objectives, cost recovery

• Negotiation of Administrative Orders and other agency Agreements

• Manage $100 million plus program budgets

• Develop accruals, disclosures, claims certifications, audits, financial projections, and associated reports

• Lead technical negotiator with EPA, DEQ, other agencies, and six tribal governments

• Manage Natural Resource Damage issues

• Dredging and source control design and construction management

• Spokesperson for the media, general public, tribal governments, Community Advisory Group, and congressional delegations

Some of my Professional Activities

I have been an active participant in the Sediment Management Work Group for over a decade, and am also a contributing member of the MGP Consortium.  I've been appointed to Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Oregon Division of State Lands advisory committees, and am a regular platform speaker and panelist at a variety of forums, including numerous Battelle International Sediment, MGP, and Environmental Law Conferences.