Publications

• 2021, “Functional Equivalency? Assessing Groundwater Discharges Under County of Maui,” The Environmental Law Reporter (with Steven L. Hoch, Philip T. Tringale and Elizabeth Kimbrel)

Chemical Release Fate and Transport Hydrogeologist

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Ms. Shipman is a senior director and hydrogeologist. Her previous experience managing U.S. Air Force and Navy base cleanup work transformed to directing environmental work at five military base conversions. Ms. Shipman is experienced in strategy development for environmental compliance and management, regulatory agency negotiation and community and public outreach. She has provided expert testimony in California Superior Court regarding UST cleanup, vapor mitigation, and closure and deposition testimony in US Federal Court cases in California regarding sources and fate and transport of solvent releases to groundwater and environmental compliance of industrial operations. She directs litigation support projects that include groundwater flow and fate and transport modeling, cost allocation apportionment, and 3D GIS modeling of watersheds. Dorinda’s expertise includes site characterization, human and ecological risk evaluation, and remediation and risk management for dry cleaners and solvents, USTs and petroleum hydrocarbons, and manufactured gas plant, shipyard and military base contamination. Example projects: Underground Storage Tank (UST) Vapor Impacts, San Mateo, CA Project manager for a site with vapor intrusion into indoor air by soil gas impacted by methane and VOCs from former leaking underground storage tanks. Performed investigation and monitoring, remedial planning and cost estimating, and designed and implemented vapor mitigation system. Provided technical support and expert testimony in California Superior Court for successful application for default judgment and assignment of California UST Fund rights from the UST operator to client. Confidential Superfund Cost Allocation, South Gate, CA Senior director and hydrogeologist represented a defendant in a multi-party cost-allocation case for comingled groundwater plume contaminated by PCE, TCE and daughter products and 1,4-dioxane. Successfully demonstrated that defendant did not contribute to the Superfund site cleanup and that other surrounding sites were impacting client property. Dry Cleaning Facility Mediation Support, Los Angeles, CA Provided technical support to the plaintiff for a federal case involving PCE released from a dry-cleaning operation. Prepared an expert report providing opinions on likely release of PCE to soil, reasonableness of past costs incurred for regulatory response, NCP compliance and estimated cleanup costs of soil and groundwater contamination. Reviewed and provided opinions on defendant's expert's opinions. Confidential Superfund Cost Allocation, Whittier, CA Provided technical support to a minor defendant in a multi-party cost-allocation case for comingled groundwater plume contaminated by PCE, TCE and daughter products and 1,4-dioxane. Provided expert report to demonstrate that contamination under defendant's property were released by historical operations on defendant and upgradient properties which was not migrating to the Superfund site plume. Provided opinions on PRP plaintiff's proposed cost allocation framework for minor defendants group. Response to Alleged Solid Waste Violations, Monterey County, CA Evaluated regulatory requirements, conducted site reconnaissance and soil sampling and testing to assist a litigation matter between a property owner who alleged that a former tenant left waste buried on the leased property with possible release to WOTUS. Prepared a technical memorandum in response to a notice of violation (NOV) letter which resulted in County regulators reversing the NOV and the property owner withdrawing the alleged waste disposal. Recent Publications/Presentations 2021, “Functional Equivalency? Assessing Groundwater Discharges Under County of Maui,” The Environmental Law Reporter (with Steven L. Hoch, Philip T. Tringale and Elizabeth Kimbrel) 2020. "Chase Center arena in San Francsico excels above and below ground". ASCE Civil Engineering Source (with Lori Simpson)