Environmental Consultant

Sean Blacklocke

Work Experience

2008-current Independent Environmental Consultant

Chairman, International Water Quality Trading Workshop Series, International Water Association - Delivering a series of workshops on water quality trading to delegates of the International Water Association’s Annual Diffuse Pollution Conference. The series begins in 2009 in Korea, continues in 2010 in Canada and ends in 2011 in New Zealand. The final products include a book on water quality trading and a draft resolution for submission to the European Commission for consideration for formal adoption into European Union public policy.

Project Manager, HYDROFOR Project, University College Dublin (Republic of Ireland) - Managing a multi-year, multi-million dollar project to assess the effects of forestry enterprises on Ireland’s water resources and to develop alternatives to efficiently mitigate those effects. The project is supported by COFORD Ireland (the National Council for Forest Research and Development) and the Environmental Protection Agency and is housed jointly in University College Dublin’s School of Biology and Environmental Science and its School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering. Project partners include University College Cork, the National University of Ireland - Galway and Ireland’s Marine Institute.

Principal Investigator, Political Economy of ‘Green Business’ in Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency (Republic of Ireland) - Drafting a first-of-its-kind report on ‘Getting the Incentives Right’ in the ongoing development of Ireland’s Green Business Initiative, which is led by the Environmental Protection Agency. The white paper outlines issues critical to the success of such initiatives and proposes recommendations for programme management tailored to the Irish political economy.

Subconsultant, Hedonic Pricing Study of Indian River Lagoon, FL Residential Waterfront Properties, Hazen & Sawyer, P.C. - Worked as a sub-consultant to economists with Hazen & Sawyer, P.C. to develop a series of econometric models to valuate waterfront property amenities in the Indian River Lagoon community in Florida. The models were developed via the SAS statistical software package and were incorporated into a larger watershed valuation study led by Hazen & Sawyer.

2003-2008 Project Manager & Senior Economist, Camp Dresser & McKee Inc.

Lead Economist, Hedonic Pricing Study of Maryland’s Residential Coastal Properties, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District - Led a team of engineers and economists in developing a series of econometric models to explain and predict the differentials in property values attributable to Maryland’s coastal amenities and the impact of erosion on these amenities. The study’s models were developed via the SAS statistical software package and presented in part in the ArcMap geographic information software package.

Project Manager, Further Economic Characterisation of River Basin Districts in Ireland for Water Framework Directive Programmes of Measures Development, Dublin City Council (Republic of Ireland) - Piloted Ireland’s first ever cost-effectiveness analysis of water pollution control measures and drafted Ireland’s first guidance document on conducting cost-effectiveness analysis of water resources management measures. The work was conducted pursuant to the requirements of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive. The pilot cost-effectiveness analysis drew on a comprehensive assessment of European Union, Irish, and Irish local authority water resources management programmes and regulations.

Vice Chairman and Trustee, International Conference on Water Framework Directive Implementation, Sponsored by the International Water Association and Engineers Ireland (Republic of Ireland) - Co-hosted and coordinated a four-day conference in Dublin, Ireland on implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Europe. The Conference featured 37 guest speakers and nine session chairpersons and was attended by 160 delegates from 16 countries. The event was sponsored by the International Water Association and Engineers Ireland.             

Lead Economist, Eastern River Basin District Project, Dublin City Council (Republic of Ireland) - Developed methodologies for and oversaw the applications of the economic analyses required under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive in Ireland’s Eastern River Basin District. Economic analyses required under the Directive include cost-effectiveness analysis, incidence analysis, economic impact assessments, and cost-benefit analysis. The optimization outputs of the cost-effectiveness analysis of water resources management measures were made usable by the District’s river basin managers via the Project’s web-based river basin management system.

Project Manager, Economic Characterisation of River Basin Districts in the Republic of Ireland, Galway County Council, Carlow County Council, Limerick County Council,  and Cork County Council via respective Regional River Basin District Projects (Republic of Ireland) - Drafted summary economic characterisations of river basin districts respectively for four of Ireland’s River Basin District Projects, the products of which were published as separate chapters in each Project’s river basin district characterisation reports. The reports were required under Article 5 of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive. Ireland ranked tops in the European Union for compliance with this reporting requirement.

Principal Investigator, Investigation into Market-Based Alternatives for Achieving Water Quality Standards in U.S. Watersheds, Multiple Funding Sources - Continuing a decade-long ongoing effort to assist the United States Environmental Protection Agency in the development of its Water Quality Trading Policy. The most recent segment of the project consisted of a survey to assess the attitudes about water quality trading in the conservation nonprofit community and provided a framework for conservation groups to buy and sell or retire surplus water pollution reduction credits. The study was published by the American Water Resources Association and the Water Environment Federation.

Project Manager, Economic Analysis of Water Use in Ireland, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government (Republic of Ireland) - Designed and managed a study required of the Republic of Ireland under the European Union’s Water Framework Directive.  The study provided an overview of the economic benefits and costs associated with the utilization of water resources in Ireland. Benefit estimation work included economic impact assessments and water use valuations of major water users, both nationally and for each river basin district in Ireland. Cost estimates included extensive accounting of the costs and costs recovery associated with the provision of water and sewerage services, as well as estimates of externalised environmental costs due to water pollution.  The work also included projections of water demand and costs of water services. In addition to and in the context of this initial overview of current and projected water resources costs and benefits, the study provided a framework for incorporating future economic analyses into Ireland’s Water Framework Directive planning and decision-making processes.

Lead Economist, Santa Clara Valley Water District Water Use and Conservation Baseline Study, Santa Clara Valley Water District - Designed and oversaw the implementation of a study to create a water-use and conservation database for the Santa Clara Valley Water District in California. The work included designing a non-residential survey study, overseeing the training and activities of onsite surveyors, conducting statistical analysis of survey data, authoring interim and final reports of study findings, and making presentations on the study methodologies and results to the client and a myriad of interested stakeholders.

Economist, Water Demand Forecast for Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico Water and Sewer Authority - Contributed to a study to develop residential and non-residential water demand models and make water demand forecasts through the year 2030 for each of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipalities.  Analysis consisted of a review of previous reports of Puerto Rico water demand and supply (in Spanish) and the construction, application, and explanation of econometric water demand models for Puerto Rico’s residential and non-residential sectors.

Economist, Water Demand Forecast for the Colorado Statewide Water Supply Initiative, Colorado Water Resources Board - Assisted with a project to identify future potential water supply deficits in the State of Colorado’s eight water basins. As a part of this project, CDM generated the water demand forecasts that will be used for the demand side of the study.  Work included constructing and applying econometric water demand forecast models for a variety of water uses.

Economist, Water Demand Forecast Methodology for California Water Planning Areas, California Bay Delta Authority - Contributed to a study to develop a uniform methodology for forecasting future water demands in California counties and planning areas. This work included assimilating large sets of water use data from a variety of databases and constructing econometric water demand forecast models.

Biologist, California Environmental Water Account Environmental Impact Statement / Environmental Impact Report, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Bay-Delta Authority - Contributed an analysis to estimate the population impacts to a set of Northern and Central California endangered and potentially endangered species that would likely result under various water allocation scenarios. The contribution was to the California Environmental Water Account / Environmental Impact Statement / Action Specific Implementation Plan, a plan that aims to make dry-weather provisions for water-critical environmental needs while mitigating any consequent water supply impacts on cities, farms and businesses.

1997-2003 Independent Environmental Consultant

Principal Investigator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water’s Confined Animal Feeding Operations Policy Analysis, Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Property and Environment Research Center - Completed a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed rule to revise effluent limitations and guidelines for confined animal feeding operations. The analysis highlighted the significant net social costs estimated to be associated with the proposed regulations and detailed a non-regulatory alternative that would simultaneously reduce compliance costs by millions of dollars and expedite water quality improvements in agricultural watersheds by several years. The work was published by the Mercatus Center’s Regulatory Studies Program, and a non-technical version was published as a book chapter for the Property and Environment Research Center by Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Principal Investigator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Water’s Effluent Trading in Watersheds Policy Analysis, the South Carolina Office of Ocean and Coastal Resources Management, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the Center for Policy and Legal Studies at Clemson University - Conducted a study to estimate the cost-savings and water quality improvements associated with incorporating an effluent trading policy into the South Carolina Pee Dee River total maximum daily load process. Among the findings were potential cost savings of $1.6 million over the five-year permitting period and a 3 percent increase in modeled dissolved oxygen levels at the river’s water quality limited stream segment. The final version of the study was published in summarized form as a book chapter by Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.

Principal Investigator, National Fisheries Observer Program Funding Strategy, National Marine Fisheries Service’s Fisheries Statistics and Economics Division - Prepared an in-house discussion paper on potential alternative funding sources for onboard commercial fisheries management programs (observer programs) throughout the United States. The analysis revealed a number of viable private-sector funding sources that could supplement or substitute funding for programs currently relying predominantly on general government appropriations.

Principal Investigator, National Park Service’s Yellowstone National Park Snowmobile Ban Policy Analysis, Consortium of snowmobile outfitters in the West Yellowstone Community - Performed a review of a National Park Service environmental impact statement that recommended a regulatory action alternative to ban snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park. The review highlighted shortcomings in the Service’s cost-benefit and economic impact analyses and ultimately contributed to the Service’s reversal of its snowmobile-ban policy and selection of a more environmentally and economically balanced action alternative.

Principal Investigator, South Carolina Environmental Agencies’ Environmental Dispute Resolution Policy Analysis, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, South Carolina Sustainable Universities Initiative at the University of South Carolina, and the Strom Thurmond Institute of Government and Public Affairs at Clemson University - Prepared a series of white papers on the potential for facilitation and mediation to serve as alternatives to South Carolina standard procedures for environmental rule and regulation development, public natural resource allocations, and third-party administrative appeals. South Carolina’s environmental agencies have significantly increased their use of mediation and facilitation since the completion and distribution of the papers.

Editor, Environmental Network Room Web Site, Henry Hazlitt Foundation - Edited articles related to market-based environmentalism for the Environmental Network Room Web Site, the environmental section of the online publication Free-Market.net.

1997-2001 Assistant to the Director, Clemson University's School of the Environment, Environmental Science & Policy Program

Assisted with the administration of the University’s Environmental Science and Policy degree program and hosted the University’s Environmental Policy Forum series.

1992-1997 Policy Analyst, Regulatory Inspector, and Field and Laboratory Technician, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

Researched policies for establishing market-based water pollution permitting in South Carolina. As a regulatory inspector, inspected operations of wastewater treatment plants for regulatory compliance; investigated fish kills, storm water runoff pollution problems, and toxic spills; reviewed storm water pollution prevention plans and inspected marinas and construction sites for regulatory compliance. And as a field and laboratory technician, he monitored and analyzed wastewater effluents and river, stream, lake, and estuary water quality and measured, calculated, and reported stream flows.

1991-1992 Contract Fisheries Biologist, National Marine Fisheries Service

Reviewed logbooks and inspected commercial fishing operations for regulatory compliance; sampled, identified and catalogued north Pacific marine mammals, fin fish, and invertebrates; and calculated and reported fishery statistical data for fish stock impact assessments.

1989-1991 Research Assistant, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Sampled, identified, and catalogued north Atlantic fin fish and invertebrates; calculated fishery statistical data for final reports; charted migrations of radio-tagged fin fish by air and sea; monitored water quality in rivers, streams, estuaries, cultured ponds, and aquariums; monitored juvenile fish-feeding bioassay; and cultured, radio-tagged, and restocked fin fish to wild populations.

 

 

 

 

¨ Formal academic training and 20 years professional experience in applied environmental science, statistics and economics

¨ Managed multiple studies related to both the United States Clean Water Act and the European Union Water Framework Directive

¨ Frequent contributions to professional water resources management literature as author and peer reviewer