Stephen Bates, Ph.D., CIH, CSP, CET, CMC

Expertise: Environmental Chemistry; Occupational Safety & Health

Professional Profile

Dr. Stephen P. Bates, Environmental Chemist, is an expert in all phases of environmental chemistry specializing in government compliance issues and design and development of biological treatment technologies for hazardous and toxic waste. For the past ten years, Dr. Bates has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Technology at the New York Institute of Technology where he teaches Environmental Instrumentation, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Risk Assessment, Water and Wastewater Treatment, Occupational Safety and Health and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response.

Dr. Bates has over twenty-four years of experience in the chemical, pharmaceutical, medical and polymer and manufacturing industries. Prior to joining ETG, he was the Principal Chemist / Corporate Health & Safety Officer at Roux Associates, an environmental management and consulting firm specializing in the remediation of toxic and hazardous waste and human health risk assessments. Prior to that he was the Manager of Environmental Engineering & Safety at Ruco Polymer Corporation, a division of Bayer Corporation; Manager of Regulatory Affairs at EM Industries, a division of E. Merck; Senior Chemical Safety Inspector at Mount Sinai Medical Center; Industrial Chemist at Horizon Chemical Corporation and Environmental Chemist at Geomet Technologies.

Dr. Bates holds two patents for the replacement of Perchloroethylene in dry cleaning fluid.  He has been nominated for the 2005 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Dr. Bates has written several publications on pollution prevention, chemical safety and continues to perform research on safe and effective alternatives to working with hazardous materials.

Dr. Bates has testified as an expert witness in a two cases.  The first testimony involved the evaluation of the Perchloroethylene exposure to residents in an apartment building from a dry cleaning plant.  The second testimony involved the evaluation of Stoddard solvent exposure to workers and residents in the vicinity of a commercial printing plant.

Dr. Bates is a volunteer with the United States Coast Guard and serves as a Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Flotilla Staff Officer. He is responsible for the planning and administration of Auxiliary programs to support the Coast Guard's Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Programs. This includes support for such things as education programs, spill reconnaissance and sampling, port safety and security.

Dr. Bates is a Certified Industrial Hygienist, American Board of Industrial Hygiene; Certified Safety Professional, Board of Certified Safety Professionals; Certified Microbial Consultant, American Indoor Air Quality Council; Certified Environmental Trainer, Occupational Safety & Health; NESHA; Certified Professional Chemist, American Institute of Chemists; Professional Environmental Auditor, NASHP; Registered Hazardous Substance Professional, NEHA; Certified Environmental Inspector, EAA.   Dr. Bates holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Studies / Chemistry from St. John’s University, a Master of Science Degree in Chemistry from Polytechnic University, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from Greenwich University.  

 Representative Experience

• Principal-in-charge for conducting environmental, health and safety risk assessments and compliance audits involving academic, electronics, chemical, pharmaceutical, hospital and transportation industries. Audits addressed regulations associated with the CAA, CERCLA, CWA, EPCRA, FDA, RCRA, SARA , SDWA, TCSA and OSHA.

• Managed Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments as part of due diligence in connection with property transactions.

• Expert Witness in a lawsuit involving a drycleaner whose Perchloroethylene emissions exceed guidance values. .

• Manager of Environmental Engineering & Safety Manager for the Hooker/Ruco NPL Superfund Site in Hicksville New York.   The groundwater is contaminated with Chlorinated hydrocarbons, Vinyl chloride, Phthalates, and various oligomeric esters. The soil contaminants include PCBs, VOCs, SVOCs and metals.  Responsibilities include:  Direct the on-going hazardous waste remediation projects. Maintain all air and water discharge permits and prepare government reports associated with the ongoing manufacturing operations. Implement pollution prevention programs. UST removal / abandonment, soil remediation, sampling and waste disposal.  Developed programs for process safety management, safety training, workplace safety evaluations, industrial hygiene monitoring and protective equipment programs.

• Provide Industrial Hygiene and Safety services for ten (10) production facilities used to manufacture personal care products and detergents for a multinational manufacturing firm. Industrial Hygiene surveys included air sampling for a variety of substances, Employee Noise Dosimetry, Noise mapping of equipment, Noise abatement strategies and heat stress analysis.

• Managed the operation of PCB contaminated transformers. Responsibilities included inspections as well as preparation of work plans and oversight of the project that consists of flushing and retro filling transformers, sampling, analysis and remediation of soils.

• Implemented Loss Prevention System for an ExxonMobil Tier 1 Consulting firm. Provided project management and training for implementing this incident reduction strategy.

• Maintain a faculty position as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Technology at New York Institute of Technology. Currently teach graduate level courses in Water and Wastewater Treatment, Environmental Instrumentation, Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Risk Assessment, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response and Infrastructure Security. Serve as mentor and faculty advisor for research and development projects including the development of a patent pending non-disruptive technology for the collection and removal of PCBs from riverbeds. Supervise students participating in the Industrial Internship program.  Develop grant proposals for environmental research projects. Serve as Chemical Hygiene and Radiation Safety Officer.

• Performed an Indoor Air Quality Investigation and prepared a Phase 2 site investigation report for a former shoe factory circa 1850 converted to residential cooperative circa 1970 in lower Manhattan later to discover the property is heavily contaminated with Mercury.  Designed Interim Remedial Measure and action plan to allow residents to remain in the building while engineering options were developed. Installed customized air filtration devices to lower airborne concentrations of Mercury to NYCDOH acceptable levels.  Performed a feasibility study on decontamination and removal of elemental Mercury from the floors and ceilings. Developed pilot test protocol and prepared an Engineering Options report and counseled building residents.

• Prepared an Indoor investigation report on behalf of a property management firm. Provided Expert Witness testimony in a case involving the continual release of printing solvents into the air and evaluated the impact on other commercial receptors and tenants.

• Performed numerous residential mold infestation investigations in residential spaces ranging from Estates to single family homes and apartment buildings.

• Managed over 50 asbestos abatement projects involving the removal of insulation from high temperature chemical reaction vessels, heat exchangers, steam boilers, Heat transfer fluid heaters and associated piping. 

• Completed major contaminate cleanup at World Trade Center impact area. Represented insurance interest in the cleanup of contaminates at residential properties. Developed state-of-the-art remediation methods to decontaminate occupied buildings within an expedited time frame. Tasks included investigation, risk evaluation, designing control systems and the development of “first of the kind” preventive measures. Restoration activities included mechanical systems, common areas, elevator shafts and occupied residential space including mold identification and remediation. Tenant management activities included, program meetings and presentations, scheduling and possessions management.

• Principal-in-charge for conducting an indoor air quality investigation involving printing press solvents. Provided an affidavit for the Court and expert witness testimony.

• Performed investigation of a property damage claim with regard to mold. Reviewed laboratory results for the presence of opportunistic and toxic species. Developed a site-specific sampling plan to identify the source of the contamination. Devised a remediation program that involved source removal, HVAC modification and engineering controls as well as air monitoring and substrate testing prior to occupancy.

• Principal-in-Charge of conducting a Mold Investigations on high-rise building in downtown Manhattan, NY.

• Represented Insurance Company for mold investigations in commercial office buildings.

• Managed Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments as part of due diligence in connection with the construction of the Ruco / Bayer Polyester Manufacturing Plant in Georgia   Prepared reports and presentations regarding environmental conditions. Performed pre-construction sampling and remediation programs. Prepared environmental contingency plans and successfully acquired the construction, wastewater and air emissions permits. Implemented the Environmental, Health and Safety Programs for this manufacturing plant that has achieved “No Lost Time Accidents” for over seven years since inception.

• Managed or participated in more than 200 EHS compliance audits for chemical, pharmaceutical, medical, polymer, metal fabrication, painting operations as well as R & D and process control laboratories.  Audits addressed regulations associated with OSHA, EPA and DOT compliance for handling hazardous materials.

• Managed Hazardous Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Program for chemical manufacturing operations with more than 60 separate waste streams.

• Project Manager for the site remediation and excavation of 15,000 cubic yards of Perchloroethylene contaminated soils with groundwater contamination. Supervised the classification, packaging and labeling of over 1200 hazardous waste drums in an abandoned warehouse.

• Developed air emissions inventory for chemical manufacturing facilities, developed air permits and SARA Toxic Release Inventory Reports.

• Prepared feasibility studies for regulatory compliance associated with mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

• Implemented a program at two manufacturing plants to achieve “practice in place” for the Responsible CareÒ Codes of Management Practice. The program addressed the following: Occupational Safety and Health, Pollution Prevention, Process Safety Management, Community Awareness and Emergency Response, Distribution and Product Stewardship.

• Project manager for the testing and removal of underground concrete storage vaults associated with CERCLA remedial activities.

• Developed an innovative aerobic up flow biological reactor for the treatment of high load wastewater from the manufacture of polyester.

• Developed plans for an alternative fuels stream-electric cogeneration plant as part of an industrial infrastructure redevelopment initiative.

• Managed Government Regulatory Affairs programs for compliance with OSHA, EPA, and DOT for an international pharmaceutical and industrial chemical company.

• Responsible for Chemical Laboratory and Operating Room Safety for a major Medical Center. Interfaced with Inspectors from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and various government agencies.  Developed hazardous waste management and recycling techniques for solvent wastes.  Reduced Nitrous Oxide exposures through air monitoring during the maintenance and repair of anesthesia equipment.

• Implemented pollution control and industrial hygiene monitoring systems.  Evaluated ventilation systems and workplace protective equipment for working with hazardous materials.

• Developed environmentally friendly product formulations for industrial cleaners used in various applications ranging from dry cleaning of clothing to washing the walls of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel.

• Participated in the generation of the environmental impact statement required for the licensing of the LILCO Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant.  Perform water analysis and measurement of marine specimens.

• Served on the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association Toxic Substance Control Act Committee and the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication Small Chemical Labeling Committee.

• Patent # 6,273,919 “Biodegradable Dry Cleaning Solvent” January 12, 2000

• Patent # 5,888,250 “Biodegradable Dry Cleaning Solvent” March 30, 1999

• “Aerobic Bacterial Degradation of Complex High Strength Wastewater From Condensation Process Polyester Manufacture Using a Fixed Film Up flow Biological Reactor With Bioaugmentation” – Proceedings of the 49^th Annual Purdue University Industrial Waste Conference, CRC Press Lewis Publishers, May 1994.

• “Ruco Polymer Corporation – Waste Minimization Program” – Proceedings From New York State’s Fourth Annual Pollution Prevention Conference”, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Albany, NY June 1991