Client Spotlight: Elizabeth Denly, PFAS Initiative Leader & Chemistry Director for TRC

As PFAS Initiative Leader & Chemistry Director for TRC, a global consulting and engineering firm providing environmental solutions, Elizabeth Denly, ASQ CMQ/OE is involved in virtually every aspect of TRC’s PFAS program(s), from company-wide initiatives and strategies, to technical work with analytical laboratories and clients. She begins, “I’ve been with TRC for almost 22 years. Currently, I am responsible for leading our national PFAS initiative, working to unite TRCs PFAS programs across the company in order to improve communication, efficiency, and delivery to our clients, and guide them with the development and implementation of creative PFAS strategies.” In addition, Denly leads a PFAS team of TRC scientists and engineers within TRC’s Center of Research and Expertise (CORE) to stay current on PFAS science and regulations. This involves developing and expanding broad knowledge and technical expertise in PFAS, leading to cutting-edge technical advances and addressing the evolving federal, state, and local regulations. She also provides leadership to TRC’s chemists in support of various reports and data. She continues, “As Chemistry Director, I provide technical leadership to TRC’s chemists, including oversight and technical support for the preparation of data validation reports, data usability assessments, and quality assurance project plans for TRC projects throughout the country.”

Denly chose a career in environmental remediation because it allowed her to combine her interest in the environmental field with chemistry and emerging contaminants. She continues, “After I graduated college with my Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from the University of New Hampshire, I worked in several analytical chemistry laboratories, learning how to prepare and analyze samples of water, soil, and air using gas chromatograph/mass spectrometers (GC/MS) and GC/flame ionization detectors (FIDs).  After working in the labs for several years, I switched to the consulting side and found I was able to continue utilizing many of my analytical chemistry and data analysis skills. I have found my career in the environmental field has allowed me to be a part of a wide variety of opportunities and helped me grow as a professional.” Throughout her nearly 30-year career, Denly has seen the environmental remediation field evolve. She shares, “I believe the focus of environmental remediation projects will drift away from chlorinated solvents to the emerging contaminants that are directly impacting human health and the environment. The Department of Defense and other major stakeholders will rein in spending on historic contaminants and reallocate funds to protect drinking water resources from currently detected and newly detected emerging contaminants.”

When it comes to working with REGENESIS®, Denly has experience working with several products, including PlumeStop®, HRC®, PetroFix®, and RegenOx®. She shares, “Overall, we have had good success with REGENESIS products. Recently, we injected PlumeStop at a site to address low levels of chlordane in groundwater. Thus far it seems to be working well in areas where we were able to get good injection point areal coverage. We also used HRC to effectively degrade a TCE plume while controlling the buildup of daughter products cis-1,2-dichloroethene and vinyl chloride below a building with vapor intrusion issues. Currently, the plume below the building is > 90% remediated, and vapor intrusion from contaminated groundwater is no longer an issue. We have also had success in using REGENESIS products in combination. For example, in 2020 we used a mixture of 3-D Microemulsion, CRS®, and BDI PLUS® on a rapid turnaround brownfield site to treat low level chlorinated ethenes.  Although we had limited monitoring, it appeared to be effective.”

As she continues to see positive results in her day-to-day work, Denly realizes she is also helping to achieve long-term goals as well. She continues, “For me, future goals include expanding our footprint in the PFAS market. As the regulations expand both at the federal and state level, we want to help clients prepare for these regulations, mitigate any risks they may have, and make sure they have a plan in place.” When asked what she enjoys most about her work, Denly says that beyond winning new PFAS work, it’s all about the people. “I love the people I interact with on a daily basis at TRC, and I’m constantly amazed at how much I learn from them.  I find it rewarding when we can respond to and mitigate our clients’ concerns, and the more challenging the project, the better, because that’s when we can truly collaborate.”

Residing in Westford, MA, where she lives with her husband and son, Denly works from home when not commuting to the Lowell, MA office. Although her role with TRC sometimes requires long hours, she manages to find time to read, visit the ocean, and hang out with her family. She continues, “I admit I am a workaholic. But I do belong to a book club, which forces me to read at least one book a month, and I am president of my synagogue, which is rewarding and challenging. I was also chair of the water commission in my town for 9 years.” Her interest in her field also includes serving on the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) PFAS team, where she led the development of the Naming Conventions & Physical/Chemical Properties fact sheet. In addition, Denly was the recipient of the 2017 ITRC Industry Affiliates Program Award for her contributions to the PFAS team.  She adds, “Serving on the ITRC PFAS Team has become one of my most rewarding professional experiences.” When asked how she would encourage others to join her field of study, she feels her early experience in a laboratory setting was extremely helpful. She concludes, “As a chemist, the most important step I took was to start my career in the environmental analytical laboratory.  Learning the intricacies of what happens in a lab, what can go wrong, how the instruments work, what causes matrix interferences, etc., helped me become a more informed data user, and has allowed me to help clients and our project managers interpret data, especially when outliers or anomalies appear.”

REGENESIS is proud to have Elizabeth Denly, PFAS Initiative Leader & Chemistry Director for TRC, as a valued client and partner in environmental remediation, and they appreciate her expertise and leadership in providing successful remediation outcomes for REGENESIS and its clients.