Stephanie Ayers
Consultant

Stephanie Ayers is an environmental consultant with 12 years of experience addressing issues for diverse oil and gas activities.  Ms. Ayers has direct experience with preparation and submission of environmental impact and environmental site assessment (EIA/ ESA), rare/threatened/endangered species protection & mitigation planning, property acquisition and divestiture due diligence,  remediation and corrective action design and implementation and HSSEQ management.  Ms. Ayers has developed HSE management policies, plans and procedures; basic risk analyses; emergency management plans; gap analyses and feasibility investigations.  Her experience has also encompassed document review and auditing, creating environmental aspects registers and performing the associated environmental audits, creating a unique journey management plan and procedure, providing stewardship of multi-million dollar contracts and formulating solutions for unique international regulatory issues.  Ms. Ayers is also a Certified Trainer.  She has worked on projects in Albania, Algeria, Ecuador, Venezuela, Russia, South Africa, and Great Britain, as well as across the United States.

Stephanie has recently joined the Acorn International staff bringing nine years of experience with another consulting firm in Houston, progressively being promoted to the Senior Environmental Consultant and Project Manager.

Professional Experience

Specific Experience in Environmental Impact Assessments\Environmental Site Assessments
Ms. Ayers has participated in or led environmental impact assessments and environmental site assessments worldwide.  She has specific experience working with environmentally sensitive terrestrial and marine areas, as well as harsh and remote locations which include:

• Performed Regulatory and Environmental Compliance tasks including reviewing and auditing work plans, data collection/data analysis, reports, health and safety monitoring plans,  protection and mitigation plans, and third party environmental data for compliance and gap analysis, Sakhalin Island, Russia
• Stewarded Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species (RTE-Russian Red Book species) protection and mitigation plan, which included the Critically Endangered Korean-Okhotsk Western Grey Whale, Endangered Stellar Sea Eagle, and Endangered Stellar Sea Lion, Sakhalin Island, Russia.
• Stewarded environmental subcontract and coordinated milestones with 52 International  sub-consultants,  including MMO’s, scientists, experts and field observers, Canada, US, Russia
• Project Manager or Project Scientist for more than 200 Phase I and Phase II ESAs. Tasks included creating proposals, creating schedules, overseeing and performing field work, sampling procedures; logistical coordination of equipment and technicians; develop sampling plans and supervise the execution of procedures.  Supervised field tasks, data collection, remedial action and construction.  Composed reports.
• Participated in offshore Environmental Impact Assessment for FDPSO, Republic of Congo
• NEPA Environmental Assessment for Dredging Operations; performed site evaluation, soil and water sampling for an environmentally sensitive property located along Owl Creek in Virginia Beach.

Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Management Systems Programs

• Developed health, safety and environment management plans and procedures within the context of the specific environmental setting and regulations;
• Performed risk analyses for Amerada Hess
• Emergency management plans for British Gas, Stratic, Amromco, Equator Exploration, Interoil Peru (English/Spanish), Murphy
• Gap analyses for DanaGas, Amromco, Equator Exploration, Interoil Peru (English/Spanish), Murphy, Nabors, Prosafe
• Feasibility investigations for Amerada Hess
• Due diligence and document review DanaGas, British Gas, Amerada Hess, Stratic Amromco, Equator Exploration, Interoil Peru (English/Spanish), EOG, MODEC, Murphy, ProSafe, Nabors, Allis-Chalmers, Diamond Oilfield Services, Gulfstream Services
• Environmental aspects registers for Amromco, British Gas, Amerada Hess, Stratic
• Journey management plan for Modec, Murphy,  DanaGas
• Created shipboard waste management and emissions monitoring plans; created gap analysis document between Murphy, Prosafe and Nabors; created environmental aspects register for Azurite FDPSO, Congo
• Created HSE management systems plans, policy, and procedures for RBA, British Gas, Stratic, Amromco, Equator Exploration, Interoil Peru (English/Spanish), Murphy, DanaGas, Amerada Hess, SonaHess, MODEC, Prosafe, Bankers Petroleum, BP
• Safety & Health Audits for shipyard and fabrication yard and engineering offices in Houston and Corpus Christi, Texas

Waste Remediation / Corrective Action

• Bioremediation Landfarm and Thermal Desorption Design:  Designed bioremediation landfarm in Albania to work in conjunction with thermal desorption unit for 200 well workovers within a year at a significant cost and time savings. Performed audit of International Regulatory Compliance and brought deficiencies up-to-date; reviewed existing HSE reports and third party environmental data for compliance and gap analysis
• Created Shipboard Waste Management Plan for Azurite FDPSO, Offshore, Republic of Congo
• Created Emission Monitoring and Management Plan for Azurite FDPSO, Offshore, Republic of Congo
• RCRA Hazardous Waste Management, Shell Oil Company: Completed State and Federal EPA reporting requirements for more than 10,000 retail facilities in 27 states.  Completed EPA and state RCRA Biennial/Annual Waste Reporting forms.
• RCRA Biennial Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Reporting, Shell Oil Company: Completed State and Federal EPA reporting requirements for 6,000 Shell facilities in 10 states. Compiled necessary information and transportation manifests to complete EPA and state RCRA Biennial/Annual Waste Reporting forms.

Emergency Response

• Pipeline Spill Remediation, SONAHESS, El Gassi, Algeria:  Site Consultant for 31,367 barrel oil spill. Oversaw and participated in field work and sampling for more than 100,000 m3 of contaminated soil in 3 locations. Coordinated remediation equipment and personnel needed for harsh environment. Oversaw field personnel, field tasks, data collection.  Developed remediation course and supervised its execution in remote Sahara Desert.
• Koch Oilfield Sampling and Delineation of Pipeline Spill, Refugio, TX:  Geologic Project Scientist Supervised field crew and drill rig.  Responsible for logging 126 borings, defining sediment layers, classification and general composition of sediments, screening more than 400 samples with a TPH analyzer and spectroscope for concentration of organic volatiles, and assisted in capturing soil samples.  Oversaw field tasks, field crew, data collection, sampling techniques, remedial action and composed reports.  Coordinated equipment and technicians.
• Sludge pit stabilization, Houston, TX
• 1000 gallon Diesel spill, Houston, TX
• Well Blow-Out, Laurel, MS

Technical Manuals

• Technical Manual for Generating RCRA Biennial/Annual Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Waste Reporting, Shell Oil Company Headquarters, Houston, TX:  Project Scientist /RCRA Certified Professional  responsible for writing the manual outlining step-by-step instructions for how to complete each state and federal, annual/biennial, hazardous and non-hazardous waste reporting and a brief explanation of RCRA guidelines.
• Petroleum Products Testing Procedures and Practices Manual, City of Virginia Beach, VA: Sole responsibility, researched and wrote entire report, advised the City of Virginia Beach on testing procedures and practices for petroleum products.

Soil and Water Studies

• Soil and Groundwater Monitoring and Sampling for Landfill, Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX:  Collected soil and water samples to determine concentration and migration of contamination. Oversaw field tasks, field crew, data collection, sampling techniques, remedial action and composed reports
• UST/AST Management Program, City of Virginia Beach, VA:  Task Manager for upkeep, input and submission of database between the client and Department of Environmental Quality. Responsible for timely and accurate completion and updating of required reports, interim authorization for remediation, and site closures on a 6 year Capital Improvement Plan.
• Release Detection of Underground Storage Tanks, City of Virginia Beach, VA:  Performed soil and water sampling for leaking underground storage tanks at 12 different sites throughout the City of Virginia Beach, as well as 20 additional non-leaking sites.  After each site inspection, individual reports were prepared for the City, and when necessary, recommended remediation; also assisted with site characterizations and SPCC Plans. 
• Sedimentation Study, Protected Historical City of Williamsburg, VA:  Gathered water and sediment samples from retention pond.  The study included the classification, description and analysis of sediments, followed by research on the points of origin for the sediments and possible contamination.

Prior Professional Experience

Rudall Blanchard Associates – Senior Environmental Scientist/Project Manager
Led a variety of environmental assessment assignments and worked as a seconded member of ExxonMobil’s SHE team in supporting the Sakhalin-1 project for a period of over six years.

Aviles Engineering Corporation – Environmental Scientist/Project Manager
Developed and performed Environmental Site Assessments and Soil and Groundwater Monitoring activities.

Philip Services Corporation – Environmental Scientist/Project Manager/Assistant Driller
Developed and performed Environmental Site Assessments; Wrote  petroleum technical manuals; Responded to Emergency situations; supervised environmental team, supervised drilling rig.

URS Consultants. – Environmental Field Technician/Technical Researcher
Performed Environmental Site Assessments; Petroleum Storage Tank monitoring  and Soil and Groundwater Monitoring activities.

Education

2005/Bachelor of Science/Environmental Science; Geology, University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, Cum Laude with double honours

Certification and Training

Certified Instructor for Core Compliance / SafeGulf / SafeLand
TWIC card recipient
RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Certification & Refreshers
40-Hour OSHA HAZWOPER Health and Safety Training & Refreshers
Basic Plus Industrial/Chemical Plant Health and Safety Training & Refreshers
Project Management 201
Certified Visual Emissions Evaluator