Mastin M. Mount, Hydrologic Technician

Education

B.S.

University of Cincinnati; Cincinnati, Ohio; Geography major

Skills and Expertise

Trouble-shooting/problem solving

Water-quality sampling
- Redox constituents (methane, sulfide, and iron species)
- VOC's
- Inorganics
- Pesticides
- Sediment

NAWQA
- Surface-water and ground-water water-quality sampling
- Surface water flow measurement, Biological sample collection

Hydrologic instrumentation
- CR-10 data logger
- Sutron data logger

Logistics
Susquehanna River Spring Flood Synoptic (2 years)
- 8-days of trace element and low-level pesticides sampling from a Winnebago headquarters
- Initiated the idea for and rented the Winnebago
- Procured necessary equipment and supplies
- Worked with others to organize process
Synoptic sampling at Canal Creek (100 piezometers)
- Purchased and prepared necessary equipment and supplies
- Organized and supervised field effort

Equipment Design
- Introduced the idea of using a 2-liter Teflon ground-water bailer for surface-water applications
- Created a design to modify a standard 14-liter churn splitter to use on Fall-Line Toxics trace elements study
- Designed a screw hole template (membrane guard) for Peepers reducing the cost associated with having to redo the peepers after holes were punched into the expensive membrane during assembly

Process Development
- Worked with others on Fall-Line Toxics project to develop specialized sampling equipment and equipment washing processes to reduce/eliminate trace element contamination
- Worked with others on Canal Creek project to develop processes for a small area ground-water tracer array study

Staff Training
- Trained Virginia Fall-Line Toxics project staff in how to sample for trace element and low-level pesticides using ultra-clean equipment and a complicated equipment washing regimen
- Trained Canal Creek project staff in field methods and instrumentation
- Trained ESTCP staff hydrologist in the CR-10 data logging system

Well Drilling/well development
- Worked 2-weeks with a Geologic Division Crew installing deep observation wells in Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Worked with Dan Phelan installing and developing piezometers at Canal Creek
- Worked with Virginia District ground water crew developing installed wells

Surveying
- NAWQA stream reach surveying
- Instrument surveying (Canal Creek well elevation surveying)

Construction
- Initiated process, designed, procured and installed District Laboratory -after management approval
- Initiated process, removed water filtration system from mothballs, procured additional equipment, and installed the   District's first ultra-pure water filtration/de-ionization system after management approval
- Worked with others building decks for district surface-water monitoring stations and District office warehouse
- Built water-quality monitoring platforms from wood and/or steel (welded)
- Remodeled field vans for water-quality work

Current and Recent Projects

Lead Hydrologic Technician

-- Natural attenuation of contaminated ground water in a freshwater tidal wetland, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

-- Ground-water-quality data collection at West Branch Canal Creek wetland, Aberdeen Proving Ground

-- Interagency Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) study demonstrating natural attenuation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater plumes discharging to 3 wetlands.

-- J-field contaminant hydrology study

-- Field staff training in areas of instrumentation, water-quality sampling, and safety

Training

• Motorboat operators Certification Course -2001
• 40-hour OSHA HAZWOPER course 8-hour refresher -2001
• Campbell Scientific CR-10X -PC208W Training Course -2000
• Field Water-Quality Methods for Ground-Water and Surface-Water -1993
• Sampling and Analysis of Organic Contaminants in Surface Water -1991
• Fundamentals of Environmental Sampling and Sample Analysis -1991
• Water Quality Field Techniques -1990

Publications

Spencer, T.A., Olsen, L.D., Lorah, M.M., and Mount, M.M., 2000, Water-quality and water-level data for a freshwater tidal wetland, West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, October 1998 - September 1999: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-282, 184 p.