Dr. Kirk’s expertise lies in the aqueous and biogeochemistry of mined materials, and their evaluation and assessment throughout the mine life cycle. She is experienced in mine planning, operations, and closure; geochemical modeling and characterization; design of geochemical sampling and analytical programs; mined land reclamation; and environmental assessment.

Her experience includes the development and implementation of laboratory test methods for assessment of metal mobility, acid generation potential, and seepage attenuation for various materials. Dr. Kirk has completed environmental geochemistry investigations and surface water characterization projects throughout the United States, and in Canada, South America, and Africa. She provides agency liaison, strategic and expert witness support for permit development, regulatory compliance, and closure projects.

Dr. Kirk serves as Affiliate Professor in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Montana State University. She is a registered Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Washington, and a Qualified Person for 43-101 evaluation. A registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and a member of the Acid Rock Drainage Technical Committee (ADTI), Dr. Kirk is also the co-chair of the American Exploration and Mining Association (AEMA) Technical Committee. She participates as a member of the International Mine Water Association (IMWA), The International Network to Prevent Acid Rock Drainage (INAP), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Selenium Working Group and the North American Metals Council Selenium Working Group.

Katharine Seipel is a Senior Environmental Scientist responsible for project management and oversight for a variety of Enviromin's projects. Ms. Seipel has 18 years of experience in environmental consulting, and her service areas include environmental due diligence, custom geochemical characterization, and biogeochemical stabilization of mined materials. She has extensive experience in project design and implementation, data management, reporting, and regulatory engagement and is MSHA certified.

Ms. Seipel has a strong background in bioremediation of subsurface chlorinated solvent and petroleum contamination sites and has the general knowledge to provide support to a variety of environmental management projects. She has prior experience with laboratory-based sampling of mining waste-rock geochemistry, asbestos property inspections, and has contributed to numerous environmental documents of varying size and application. Ms. Seipel has also worked in an international setting as conference support staff and document preparer for internationally significant publications, and brings strong German language skills to the Enviromin team.

Ms. Seipel's primary professional interest is to help improve ESG implementation in mining through meaningful technological advances. Specific topics of interest include (1) better predictive testing for acid rock drainage, (2) meaningful integration of microbial ecology and functional diversity in predictive geochemical testing, remedial actions, and facility design, (3) application of novel strategies (e.g., cemented paste tailings), and ultimately (4) helping define sustainability metrics and material pipelines that allow distinction and marketing of mined materials from ESG responsible sites.

Kate is a member of the Acid Rock Drainage Technical Initiative Committee and is certified under both MSHA and OSHA.

Mr. Wologo's time as a researcher on naturally occurring geochemical tracers for modeling groundwater-surface water connections in permafrost bound watersheds within the Yukon River Basin in Alaska, USA and Yukon Territory, Canada yielded experience in both the field and the lab, sampling surface and groundwater, conducting lab incubations, and operating laboratory instruments and related QA/QC processes.

Mr. Wologo’s data evaluation skills utilize Microsoft Excel and R.Studio. He has five years of experience working in laboratory settings, both research and commercial, and is currently using his laboratory and field skills in support of Enviromin’s innovative water treatment and mine closure services. Mr. Wologo manages projects in bioremediation and waste stabilization.

Dr. Spietz joined our staff in 2022 and is an expert in microbial ecology and physiology, biogeochemical cycling, and microbe-mineral interactions. She has extensive field experience and has studied hot springs, wildfire-impacted forest soils, urban lakes, high-alpine glaciers, salt marshes, open and coastal ocean, and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Dr. Spietz has experience applying microbiological and molecular biology skills to better understand natural systems and their responses to petroleum spills and subsequent bioremediation efforts. To do so, Dr. Spietz uses a suite of traditional culture-independent molecular tools and culture-dependent laboratory-based approaches combined with cutting-edge correlative microscopy, spectroscopy, and molecular-based techniques.

Dr. Spietz is affiliate faculty at Montana State University's Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology. In her previous research, she investigated the microbial ecology of subsurface ecosystems and the potential for microbial biomining applications. Through her former research and current work at Enviromin, she strives to find creative, sustainable, and cost-effective approaches to minimizing the impact of mining on aquatic and terrestrial systems. At Enviromin, Dr. Spietz oversees microbiology and molecular bioscience aspects of our projects and works together with Ethan Wologo to oversee laboratory operations.

Ms. Bozeman is an environmental geochemist responsible for data collection, assembly, and analysis for a variety of projects at Enviromin. Ms. Bozeman worked for Enviromin from 2012 through 2015 before pursuing her M.S. in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona and rejoining the Enviromin team in 2021. She is MSHA underground miner certified and brings Spanish language skills to Enviromin. Ms. Bozeman’s experience with mining-related geochemistry includes geochemical modeling of remediated mine sites and data analysis and reporting in support of mine permitting. She also has experience with experimental design, conducting batch and column scale investigations, and use of laboratory analytical instruments. She has conducted field work in a variety of settings in support of mine permitting and remediation projects and has a particularly strong background in arsenic remediation. Ms. Bozeman has developed strong skills in relevant modeling and data analysis software including R studio, PHREEQC, Geochemist’s Workbench, and Google Earth. She also has experience in OriginLab, ArcGIS, Netpath, MATLAB, and Visual MINTEQ. Additionally, Ms. Bozeman brings strong teaching, public speaking, and project management skills to the Enviromin team.

Alexandra (Lexi) Gilbertson holds a BS in Biotechnology from Montana State University with a focus in microbial systems. She is HAZWOPER-certified and has conducted field sampling for Enviromin projects. As Enviromin’s Biotechnologist, Lexi has played an integral role in column construction and sampling, DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), batch experiments, data entry and analysis, and general laboratory upkeep and inventory. Lexi additionally assists Ethan Wologo with lab management and training lab personnel.

Ms. Scott recently graduated from Montana State University with a B.Sc. in Microbiology and a minor in Genetics. Prior to graduating, Courtney worked as a Laboratory Technician for Enviromin and has grown into her current role of Environmental Microbiologist. Courtney brings a variety of skills to our laboratory team including molecular techniques, experience with batch and column bioreactors, and field sampling experience. Ms. Scott is excited to continue helping with column construction and sampling, molecular work, and data analysis.

Mr. Williamson received a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Astrobiology from Montana State University in 2023. As an undergraduate, Ryan researched the biomining of pyritic ores by methanogens, a project aimed towards using microorganisms to harvest trace metals from rock waste. Ryan is excited to use his background in chemical engineering and microbiology to assist with reactor design, residence time/reaction rate calculations, and laboratory work.

Dr. Simone Durney is an Ecologist with Enviromin, a division of RESPEC, where she conducts quantitative analyses and ecological risk assessments on a variety of projects. She brings extensive knowledge of community and population ecology in response to global climate change and other environmental triggers, such as increasing temperature and wildfire intensity. Simone utilizes both field and laboratory data to evaluate risks and drivers of ecosystem dynamics.

Simone is a recent PhD graduate from Montana State University in the Department of Ecology, where she evaluated butterfly and flowering plant populations interactions to their environment. While in graduate school, Simone became a seasoned data manager and statistical analyst with a passion for understanding natural systems. She has a strong belief in conducting high quality innovative and ethical science to apply findings to practical use.