Education

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Ph.D., Crop and Soil Sciences, Expected May 2019

University of Georgia, Athens, GA

Ph.D. Dissertation Title: “Engineering Hydrologic Flowpaths to Maintain Streamwater Chemistry During Surface Coal Mining and Valley Fill Projects” (Dr. Aaron Thompson, Graduate Advisor)

 

M.S., Forest and Landscape Ecology/Remote Sensing

Duke University, Durham NC

Thesis:  “Spatial and Spectral Characteristics of Landsat TM – Derived Cover Type Trajectories: A Case Study in Western Amazonia” (Dr. Eric Kasischke, Graduate Advisor)

 

B.S., Forestry and Resource Management

University of California, Berkeley, CA

 

Research and Professional Experience

 

US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4, Atlanta, GA, 1999-2012

Ecologist, Wetlands, Coastal and Oceans Branch, January 2009-July 2012

Lead Project Manager, Mining Section, December 2009-July 2012

• Lead project coordinator for Clean Water Act (CWA) § 404 permits in Kentucky.  Reviewed surface coal mine CWA § 404 and SMCRA permit applications, including chemical, physical and biological water quality data. 

• Developed and promoted sound technical recommendations and permit special conditions to minimize the environmental impacts due to proposed surface and underground coal mines.

• Coordinated interagency review and conducted site visits to confirm CWA jurisdiction, assess stream and watershed condition, identify opportunities for additional avoidance and minimization, review mitigation sites and appropriateness of technical design.

• Regional CWA § 404 technical expert on workgroups created pursuant to the Interagency Action Plan developed to strengthen the environmental review of surface coal mine permitting.  Specific workgroups included ASTM Coal Mining Geospatial Data Standards, Corps of Engineer Guidebook for the Functional Assessment of High Gradient Headwater Streams in WV and Eastern KY, mine permit mapping and cumulative impact assessment, and CWA water quality monitoring and site assessment requirements.

• Regional Technical Lead on a research project conducted in collaboration with EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) entitled “Comparative lifecycle and toxicity testing of multiple mayfly species across a gradient of total dissolved solids, with methods development for standard toxicity testing of native species in the central Appalachian coal fields.”

• Regional Technical Lead on EPA ORD Regional Applied Research Effort research project entitled “Minimizing adverse water quality impacts from surface coal mining by improving source identification and control through better understanding of factors affecting TDS production.”

Water Division Technical Lead, Regional Surface Coal Mining Team, Wetlands and Marine Regulatory Section, January - December 2009 

• Primary Regional Technical Lead on the national Interagency Action Plan on Appalachian Surface Coal Mining. Coordinated the collection, development, and application of landscape, state and federal water quality, and surface coal mine permitting data for use in Multi-criteria Integrated Resource Assessment to assess coal mining CWA § 404 permits. The analysis resulted in the heightened review of 50 surface coal mining permits in KY and TN.

• Developed technical recommendations, tools, data, and plans to support and strengthen the Regional review and evaluation of surface coal mine permits, including webinars on source control activities and coal mine BMPs, written input on CWA § 404 permit condition language, mine permit site assessment and data collection methods to analyze the effects of surface coal mining on downstream water quality.

 

Ecologist, Clean Water Enforcement Branch, 2007-2009

Kentucky/Tennessee Enforcement Officer  (0.75 FTE)

• Member of 6-person team responsible for wetlands enforcement and compliance activities in eight southeastern states.  Achievements include the successful negotiation of $560K in civil and administrative penalties and the restoration/mitigation of over 5 miles of streams (primarily high gradient headwater streams) through wetlands enforcement actions.

• Conducted timely and accurate site investigations, post-Rapanos jurisdictional determinations, headwater stream functional assessments, interviews, show-cause hearings, and settlement negotiations.

• Wrote field and site inspection reports, complaints, civil litigation reports, penalty calculations, consent agreements, and final orders for civil and criminal enforcement actions.

• Gave oral depositions and prepared for trial as a fact witness.

Region 4 Water Research Coordination Team Representative (0.25 FTE) 

• Facilitated the alignment of EPA Regional water research needs with EPA ORD research programs through close coordination with EPA Office of Water, ORD, and Regional senior level management.

• Mobilized over 100 Regional staff and managers across EPA to identify top water research priorities.

• Coordinated, summarized, and communicated Regional research needs to senior level management for the EPA ORD 2007-2013 Water Quality Multi-Year Plan under demanding time frames.

• Developed an interagency workgroup and cultivated collaborative alliances among EPA research partners to forge new critical research path to address priority Agency watershed management research needs.

 

Ecologist, Wetlands, Coastal, and Nonpoint Source Branch, 2003-2007

Project Manager (0.5 FTE)

• Reviewed EISs, Public Notices, and Corps of Engineers permit applications for adherence to CWA § 404(b)(1) Guidelines, and developed and promoted sound technical and policy recommendations to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts to waters of the United States.

• Conducted careful collaboration and negotiation with federal and state agencies, and project applicants and opponents resulted in the protection of over 20 miles of high quality and outstanding state resource waters in Kentucky and Tennessee.

• Specific technical and policy expertise includes wetlands policy, natural channel design review, stream and wetland restoration, stream functional assessments, mitigation bank instrument development, CWA § 404/402 permitting for surface coal mines, and antidegradation reviews.

Enforcement Officer (0.5 FTE)  

• Investigated CWA § 404(f) exempt activities and unauthorized discharges of fill and/or dredged material into wetlands and streams in Kentucky and Tennessee.

• Carefully planned and implemented complex site investigations in dangerous and difficult terrain; skillfully interviewed recalcitrant Respondents and conducted fact finding missions; participated in settlement negotiations; and wrote criminal referrals, field reports, complaints, litigation reports, penalty calculations, consent agreements, and final orders. Coordinated state and federal permitting requirements as required by regulation (e.g., water quality certification, endangered species consultations, state historic preservation office reviews, CWA § 404 permitting).

• Six month detail through the Regional Research Partnership Program to EPA ORD/National Exposure Research Lab.  Conducted field and lab research on the impacts of surface coal mining on headwater stream structure and function and downstream water quality, and its implications for headwater stream restoration in the Eastern Coal Field region of Kentucky. Developed sampling design and collected stream water quality, benthic, habitat, and functional data.

 

Environmental Scientist, Standards, Monitoring, and TMDL Branch, 2001-2003

Tennessee TMDL Coordinator/CWA § 319 Grant Project Officer

• Spearheaded a workgroup to develop and implement the Branch’s first standard operating protocol and model TMDL review templates to gain greater staff acceptance and use of the model templates and ensure the consistent review and approval of over 5,000 TMDLs in eight southeastern states. 

• Developed a model work plan and 10-year TMDL-development schedule for 700+ TMDLs to meet Consent Decree (CD) requirements.  Awarded Bronze Star for exceeding CD requirements.

• Review and approval/disapproval of federal and state-developed TMDLs and CWA § 303(d) list of impaired waters.

• Prepare Biological Opinions in support of TMDLs.

• Project Officer for CWA § 319(b) grant contracts for TMDL development support.

 

Ecologist, Planning and Analysis Branch, 1999-2001

• Strategic Environmental Assessment Corps.  Conducted strategic landscape characterization and analytical GIS support to Region 4 clients (RCRA, CAA, Standards and Monitoring, TMDL, and strategic planning staff and managers) to target and prioritize regulatory and environmental protection/restoration activities.

• Southern Forest Resource Assessment (SFRA), EPA Question Manager.  Lead author of Chapter 3, “Forestry Impacts on Water Quality,” a state-of-the-science resource for federal, state, and local resources managers across 14 southeastern states interested in sustainable forest management and water quality.  Engaged federal, state, and local regulatory agencies, academic researchers, and non-profit organizations working on forestry-related water quality issues as part of the USFS-led/multi-agency assessment of southern forest sustainability.

 

US Forest Service, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1997-1999

Landscape Ecology Consultant, USFS Forest Health Monitoring Program

• Organized a team of national experts in Landscape Ecology in a series of workshops to advise the Forest Service on the use and importance of landscape indicators to monitor forest health at regional (Mid-Atlantic) and national scales.

• Conducted a literature review and authored a state-of-the-science report entitled “State of the Mid-Atlantic Forests – Landscape Ecology” which synthesized the findings and recommendations of the expert focus group—including data gaps and research needs—and the region’s forest landscape history for the model interagency ecosystem-based Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment (MAIA).

• Coordinated, compiled, and edited participating MAIA co-author chapters to prepare the final draft report “State of the Forests in the Mid-Atlantic Region.”

 

Duke University, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC, 1995-1997

Teaching Assistant

• Developed and taught labs and several lectures for a graduate level remote sensing course.

 

Earth Research Institute of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, May – August 1995

Research Scientist Intern

• Investigated the ability of SIR-C/X-SAR full polarimetric radar data to distinguish between different levels of biomass in moist tropical secondary forest in Nazare, Brazil.

 

Pacific Meridian Resources, Emeryville, CA, 1988-1994

Manager, Image Processing, 1991-1994

• Managed over $400,000 in image processing contracts, providing deliverables on time and under budget; trained staff in image processing and field sampling techniques.

• Analyzed the extent and nature of hardwood changes and riparian vegetation in CA’s Central Valley; final products included 16 classified Landsat TM images “California Hardwood Rangeland Monitoring Final Report.”

Forester/Remote Sensing Analyst, 1988-1991

• Conducted field work, remote sensing/GIS and statistical analysis to produce and verify old growth forest maps in support of US Forest Service’s PNW spotted owl habitat conservation plan development efforts.  Additional responsibilities included timber harvest plan development, timber marking, and forest inventory.  Worked long hours independently in steep, rugged field conditions throughout CA and the Pacific Northwest.

 

Hammon, Jensen, Wallen and Associates, Oakland, CA, 1987-1988

Forester/Research Analyst.  Collected data, performed policy analysis and generated reports for wide variety of forestry and government clients; surveyed 52 California counties on status of GIS implementation; developed a GIS fact sheet for distribution to potential GIS clients.

 

Western Ecological Services Company, Inc., Novato, CA, 1985-1987

• Environmental Planning Technician, 1987.  Conducted NEPA analyses for multi-state traffic and energy projects.

• Production Coordinator, 1985-1987.  Managed NEPA report production and quality control for 15 person multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm and environmental laboratory.

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Professional Memberships

 

American Geophysical Union

American Society of Mining and Reclamation

American Water Resources Association

National Ground Water Association

Society of Freshwater Science

Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration

Soil Science Society

The Geochemical Society

 

Extracurricular Activities

 

Member of the University of Georgia Chapter of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA)

Member of the University of Georgia Agronomy Graduate Student Association

 

Grants, Scholarships, and Fellowships

 

July 2015 – $80,224 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Contract Award, “Wireless Sensor Networks and Environmental Sensor Evaluation for Continuous Hydrologic Measurements,” EPRI, Palo Alto, CA, EPRI Task ID 1-106900-01-01

April 2015 – $5,000 Decagon Devices, Inc. Grant A. Harris Research Instrumentation Fellowship

August 2014 – $500 CUAHSI Travel Fellowship, Wireless Sensing Bootcamp, Berkeley, CA, August 2015

November 2012 – $2,000 Alliance of Hazardous Materials Professionals Joseph Scarano Scholarship

 

Major Professional Awards

 

EPA Scientific and Technological Achievement Award, Level III, 2013

EPA Bronze Medal, Eastern Kentucky Surface Mining Initiative, Region 4 Water Protection Division, September 2011

EPA Silver Medal, Mountain Top Mining Action Plan Team, Office of Water, September 2010

EPA Bronze Medal, Tennessee TMDL Consent Decree Close Out, September 2010

Health and Ecological Criteria Division Team of the Quarter, October 2008

EPA Bronze Medal, Coxco Site Jurisdictional Determination Team, July 2007

 

Training/Certification

 

Wireless Sensing Bootcamp: From Theory to Practice, CUAHSI Training Course – August 11-13, 2015, Berkeley, CA

Radiation Safety Training for the Use of Non-Medical X-Ray – Certified April 18, 2014 by the State of Georgia

Stream Eco-Geomorphology Assessment, Asheville, NC (64 hrs) – 2011

Surface Coal Mining 101 Workshop, Atlanta, GA (16 hrs) – 2011

National Wetland Condition Assessment Regional Training Workshop, Gulf Breeze, FL – 2008

Natural Channel Design Review Methodology, Shepherdstown, WV (28 hrs) – 2007

Introduction to Federal Wetland Delineation Methodology, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (24 hrs) – 2007

Introduction to Criminal Enforcement (8 hrs) – 2007

Surface Water Identification, Crossnore, NC (32 hrs) – 2007

Wetland Restoration Institute, Daniel Boone National Forest, KY (40 hrs) – 2006

Effective Writing and Editing Skills (16 hrs) – 2006

Environmental Crimes Enforcement Training (8 hrs) – 2005

NEPA Training Course (24 hrs) – 2005

Natural Channel Design (16 hrs and 80 hrs) – 2004, 2005

Collaborative Problem Solving – 2004

Wetland Delineation Training, Conyers, GA – 2003

Introduction to Water Quality Assessments – 2003, 2004

Orientation to Wastewater Treatment Processes – 2002

Clean Water Act 101/Safe Drinking Water Act 101 – 2002

Water Quality Standards Academy (40 hrs) – 2002

Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund – 2000

Processes of Global Change, NASA Earth Science Summer School (40 hrs) – 1996

Synthetic Aperture Radar Technology and Applications, University of Michigan (40 hrs) – 1995

 

Publications

 

Pintoa, P.X., S.R. Al-Abed, C.D. Holdera, R. Warner, J. McKernan, S. Fulton, and E. Somerville.  2015.  Assessing the impact of overburden materials selection from an Appalachian region coal mine in mine water quality using a standard columns leaching test.  Manuscript submitted for publication.

 

Burke, R.A., K.M. Fritz, C.D. Barton, B.R. Johnson, S. Fulton, R.D. Hardy, D.A. Word, and J.D. Jack. 2014. Impacts of mountaintop removal and valley fill coal mining on C and N processing in terrestrial soils and headwater streams.  Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 225(8):2081-2098.

 

Stolte, K.W., B.L. Conkling, S. Fulton, and P.M. Bradley. 2012. State of mid-Atlantic region forests in 2000. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–162. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 203 p.

 

Fritz, K., S. Fulton, B. Johnson, C. Barton, J. Jack, D.A. Word, and R. Burke. 2011. An assessment of cellulose filters as a standardized material for measuring litter breakdown in headwater streams. Ecohydrology, 4, 469-476.

 

Fritz, K., S. Fulton, B. Johnson, C. Barton, J. Jack, D.A. Word, and R. Burke. 2010. Structural and functional characteristics of natural and constructed headwater channels draining a reclaimed mountaintop removal and valley coal mine. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc., 2010, 29(2):673–689.

 

Fulton, S., K. Stolte, and E. Mercer. 2012. Urbanization, Fragmentation, and Land Use Change. Pp. 49-57. In “State of Mid-Atlantic Region Forests in 2000,” K.W. Stolte, B.L. Conkling, S. Fulton, and P.M. Bradley, Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–162. Asheville, NC: U.S.. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 203 p.

 

Fulton, S. and B. West. 2002. Forestry Impacts on Water Quality. Pp. 501-518.  In “Southern Forest Resource Assessment,” D.N. Wear and J.G. Greis, eds.. Gen. Tech. Rep SRS-53. Ashville, NC:  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 635 pp.

 

Pacific Meridian Resources. 1994. California Hardwood Rangeland Monitoring Final Report.  Sacramento, CA:  California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 85 pp.

 

Presentations

 

Fulton, S., G. Davis, N. Burns, J. Richardson, J. Harrison, D. Norton, and T. Olsen. 2010. U.S. EPA Region 4/Office of Water/Office of Research and Development Watershed Index Project: Targeting and Prioritizing to Achieve Environmental Results.  Environmental Protection Agency Region 4, State Water Director’s Meeting, October 2010, Atlanta, GA.

 

Fulton, S., G. Davis, N. Burns, J. Richardson, J. Harrison, D. Norton, and T. Olsen. 2010. U.S. EPA Region 4/Office of Water/Office of Research and Development Watershed Index Project: Targeting and Prioritizing to Achieve Environmental Results.  Multi-Resolution Landscape Consortium Annual Meeting, March 2010, Atlanta, GA.

 

Fritz, K., S. Fulton, B. Johnson, C. Barton, J. Jack, D. Word, and R. Burke. 2007. Do Post-Mining Constructed Channels Replace Functional Attributes of Headwater Streams?  Published Abstract, North American Benthological Society, June 2007, Columbia, SC.

 

Fulton, S. 2007. To Restore or Not to Restore:  A look at stream mitigation in EPA Region 4. Southeastern Water Pollution Biologists Association Conference, October 2007, Folly Beach, SC.

 

Fulton, S. 2007. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2007 Nationwide Permit Program. Georgia Wetlands Conference, February 2007, Atlanta, GA.

 

Fulton, S., G. Hess, and K. Stolte. 1998. Evaluating Landscape Metrics as Indicators of Forest Health. MAIA Working Conference – Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment, 1998, Baltimore, MD.