Join RMAEP Utah at Geosyntec's offices in downtown Salt Lake City on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm to learn about remedial design characterization through injection process monitoring with John Fontana of Vista GeoScience!

In-situ remediation has become a widely used approach for treating contaminated soil and groundwater, yet its success depends heavily on how well subsurface conditions are understood and how effectively treatment reagents are delivered to impacted zones. This presentation provides an overview of current best practices for remedial design characterization (RDC) as it relates to injection-based in-situ remediation.

Topics will include an overview of common in-situ treatment approaches, reagent selection considerations, and injection delivery methods, with a focus on the challenges that often limit performance. Chief among these challenges are accurately defining the vertical and horizontal extent of contamination and understanding the hydraulic properties that control reagent distribution in heterogeneous soils and bedrock.

Advances in high-resolution site characterization (HRSC) technologies now allow practitioners to evaluate contaminant distribution and subsurface conditions at a level of detail that was not possible using traditional drilling and sampling alone. When integrated into remedial design, these data can improve injection targeting, reagent placement, and overall treatment effectiveness. The session will discuss how higher-density, three-dimensional datasets can reduce uncertainty and help avoid common causes of underperforming or failed in-situ remedies.

The presentation will also highlight practical considerations for applying injection technologies across varying geologic settings and summarize key concepts from recent Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) guidance on optimizing injection strategies and in-situ remediation performance. A brief case history will be presented to illustrate how incorporating HRSC into remedial design can improve contact between contaminants and treatment reagents—an
essential factor in achieving cleanup objectives.

John Fontana is President and CEO of Vista GeoScience and has more than 35 years of experience in environmental investigation, drilling, and in-situ remediation. His work focuses on high- resolution site characterization (HRSC), conceptual site model development, and the design and implementation of injection-based remediation systems in complex geologic settings. John is a Certified Professional Geologist, Certified Well Driller, and a licensed water well driller in multiple states. He has authored or co-authored over 100 technical presentations, papers, and training workshops and has supported large-scale investigation and remediation projects for Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and commercial sites. He currently serves on an Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC) guidance document team focused on advanced site characterization tools and was previously nominated to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board panel evaluating hydraulic fracturing impacts on drinking water. John holds a B.S. in Geology, Oceanography, and Physics from Cal Poly Humboldt.

Lunch will be served at this event. Please email [email protected] with any dietary restrictions by February 12, 2026.