Dr. H. Haile Tolera

• Effectively liaise with local communities, industry, regulators and Government officials in both Canada and Ethiopia: Geoscience Specialist to provide science and subject-matter expertise on mineralogical and geochemical analytical instruments to establish a Mineral Excellence Center (MEC) Lab at the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines and Energy. The focus of the Lab is identification of industrial minerals, gemstones and precious stones.

Haile Tolera is a Senior Scientist for environmental impact and risk assessment and specialized environmental fate/effect studies, and has more than 12 years of relevant research and work experience. Haile’s graduate studies focused on environmental geochemistry of persistent organic pollutants (PCBs, PAHs), heavy metals and arsenic, while the focus of his post-doctoral studies was organic geochemistry of PAHs – especially in the Great Lakes.

Responsible for developing baseline characterization of site, mine inflow estimates and environmental impact assessment of a proposed feasibility open pit mining operation and associated water and waste management facilities and mine infrastructure, Harper Creek Project, British Columbia. Hydrogeological site characterization, detailed assessment of environmental and geotechnical data for open pit and tailings management facility design. Assessment of passive mine water treatment systems.

With GOwen Environmental Ltd, Association for Environmental Health and Sciences and the International Association of Hydrogeologists, Mr. Tolera coordinates professional development in contaminated and hazardous waste site management to North American and international environmental professionals. Completed professional development in Contaminated and hazardous waste site management (80 Hour).

As part of the NSERC project to develop historical records of contaminants influx in the Great Lakes Region, I investigated past changes in PAH deposition in surface waters in the Toronto area and constructed records spanning the preindustrial era to the end of the 20th century.

Geoscientist and groundwater modeler: Superfund Groundwater Risk Assessment , Kansas, Wichita.

Research assistant to GRACOS, a research project within the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Program of the European Commission.

Investigated and assessed the anthropogenic impact of Metropolitan Toronto on the Frenchman’s Bay and Rice Lake sediments quality. Identified and examined the historical PAHs input in to the sediments and constructed the past 100 years trend and accumulation of PAHs.

Geochemistry Water Quality Water resource monitoring, laboratory testing, interpretation and prediction Water purification and soil and sediment characterization

Organic Hydrogeochemistry Hydrochemistry Soil and Sediment Characterization