Breen Geosciences

Frank Breen started Breen Geosciences in 1998 with a vision to break the mold in environmental consulting. He had no interest in building a large firm with multiple offices, extensive staff, and layers of management. Instead, he focused on creating a nimble operation where clients work directly with the expert managing their projects, and where flexibility allows him to respond effectively to each situation. That approach has guided his work ever since.

Breen is a hydrogeologist with 36 years of experience and a master’s degree from the University of Waterloo. Throughout his career, he has worked on a wide range of environmental projects, including Federal Superfund sites, state and provincial cleanup projects and Brownfield redevelopment.
On the way, he draws on his experience in hydrogeology, geology, geochemistry, risk assessment, and litigation support to devise solutions that actually work. He has developed groundwater and contamination transport models and strategies for remediation of impacted sites, and has even provided expert testimony in some of the most challenging cases in environmental matters in North America. Much of this work has been his own, offering him the freedom to do everything practically and in a hands-on manner that some larger firms would not.

“My goal has always been to serve clients directly, combining expertise, innovation, and independence to solve complex environmental challenges while fostering trust that lasts,” says Breen.

Flexibility defines Breen’s practice. He shapes his role to fit what each client actually needs. Sometimes, he takes on a project from start to finish. He often joins an existing team for a short-term role or works independently under a 1099 contract. He sometimes acts as the primary contractor, coordinating specialized subcontractors. Whatever the situation, he stays directly involved, responds quickly, and takes responsibility for the results.

This approach has earned trust over the past twenty-five years and fostered long-term relationships with municipalities, manufacturers, and legal teams. Breen GeoSciences has stayed nimble and focused, proving that independence isn’t a limitation but a way to deliver flexible, clear, and technically precise work.

Staying Independent, Delivering Big for his Clients

Breen has consistently approached consulting with the principle of putting clients first, a commitment shaped by his training and early experience. When he began his career, the University of Waterloo was a hub for innovation in contaminant hydrogeology. Scientists like John Cherry, James Barker, and Doug McKay were broadening the knowledge on the movement of contaminants in groundwater. Working in such an environment helped Breen develop a strong technical foundation and a problem-solving mindset.

As he entered the environmental consulting field, Breen observed that big firms were acquiring small and mid-sized firms, and consultants were being evaluated based on hit-rate numbers and quarterly sales. Observing this change, he realized that focusing on business metrics often compromised relationships with clients, and he sought to do things differently.

This became the foundation of Breen GeoScience, a practice rooted in client trust based on deep technical involvement, allowing clients to collaborate directly with Breen as he drives each project forward. He has never relied on formal proposals. When a client brings a problem, he offers a block of time, signs an NDA, and provides his perspective. If the client finds the work useful, they continue. If not, they leave with insights they can still use. Every engagement is built on trust rather than transactions.

Over time, that philosophy has fostered long-term partnerships. Many of Breen’s clients have worked with him for over twenty years; his newest client has been with him for seven years. In a field where contracts change hands and teams come and go, continuity is rare and illustrates the value Breen brings to every project. Passing its 25th anniversary, Breen Geosciences proves that strong client relationships and a focus on trust create lasting impact.

Tackling the Toughest Environmental Problems

Among Breen’s recent projects, one of the most significant ongoing projects is located on the East Coast, one of North America’s largest sites impacted by Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) which are highly recalcitrant in environmental systems. Breen is currently evaluating the geochemistry of treatment wetlands for address PFAS chemicals in surface runoff and groundwater.

At multiple locations, Breen has integrated surface water movement models with those of groundwater movement to measure damage to natural resources. His work helps clients and defendants understand the level of contamination and informs the development of restoration projects. Such attempts are usually twofold, involving both controlling the floodwaters and ensuring that PFAS and other chemical constituents are not discharged into the soil and that residential lands are not impacted.

Litigation support is another area that benefits from Breen’s technical insight. He has played a role in legacy oil field litigation in Louisiana, working with defendants to address issues related to legacy oil field production. Over the course of 20 years of litigation, Breen has helped reduce liability costs for his client by over 125 million dollars. His technical input allows legal teams to understand what remediation is possible, what timelines look like, and how costs should be calculated. Such clarity can spell the difference between confusion and resolution in high-stakes cases.

Breen’s expertise translates into inventive solutions for complex site challenges. At a former pharmaceutical plant in western Michigan, he developed a bioremediation method that utilized high-fructose corn syrup as a carbon source to stimulate microbial activity and accelerate the breakdown of 1, 2-dichloroethane (DCA). Breen developed an innovative approach using the existing groundwater pump and treat system to deliver substrate resulting in the reduction of DCA levels by two-orders of magnitude within a 10 month period of time. This approach succeeded in areas where previously attempted conventional remediation strategies had stalled. Mr. Breen has provided technical consulting to Fermilab from 1992 to 2004, beginning with the development of a groundwater transport model to evaluate tritium migration from the Main Injector ring through glacial tills and bedrock—a model still relied upon for radionuclide-migration assessments. He also conducted groundwater flow and transport modeling to evaluate the Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) tunnel’s influence on the regional bedrock aquifer, producing a capture-zone model that informed key construction and shielding requirements. His broader radionuclide fate-and-transport experience includes serving on multidisciplinary teams assessing the feasibility of monitored natural attenuation (MNA) for radionuclides, where he develops numerical models, evaluates geochemical controls on radionuclide mobility, and analyzes long-term monitoring data in accordance with EPA’s MNA framework. At another Midwestern site, he developed and evaluated a geochemical process to sequester radium in low-pH groundwater.

Breen also evaluated a dewatering system at the Malone Superfund Site and has served as the hydrogeologist at the Tex Tin Superfund Site. Since 1999, he has conducted groundwater flow and transport modeling at Tex Tin in Texas City, providing the technical basis for amending the site’s Record of Decision and supporting the selection of a new sitewide remedy. He developed regional groundwater and vertical dilution models to evaluate chemical migration and leaching potential, helped negotiate technical outcomes with USEPA and TCEQ, and later updated the original groundwater model to demonstrate that the proposed remedial measures would remain effective. Breen continues to serve as the project’s lead hydrogeologist, providing ongoing technical direction and oversight.

At another Superfund site, Breen’s early modeling efforts reduced the required soil stabilization volume from 800,000 cubic yards to just 1,200 cubic yards—saving approximately $30 million—and helped enable the successful redevelopment of the property. Breen also conducted modeling at the Dura Avenue and Stickney Tyler Superfunds sites evaluating the implementation of engineered barriers to limit the migration of leachate into the Ottawa River in Ohio. Mr. Breen’s Superfund site work spans complex hydrogeologic, geochemical, remedial design, and cost-allocation challenges at multiple EPA sites nationwide. At the Muskegon Chemical Superfund Site in Michigan, he supported Koch Industries by evaluating the city’s wellhead protection plan and developing detailed 3-D geologic and groundwater flow models to ensure municipal well development would not alter site gradients. For the Crystal Chemical Site in Texas, he conducted geochemical modeling, and mass-balance analysis of an apatite-based reactive barrier for arsenic, ultimately demonstrating the technology’s limited capacity and prohibitive cost, leading to adoption of an alternative hydraulic containment remedy. At a former chemical plant near Love Canal, he characterized DNAPL and dissolved chlorinated solvents in fractured bedrock, apportioned sources between two responsible plants, and evaluated the hydraulic containment systems ability to operate within treatment capacity limits. For a Landfill Site in New York, he developed a quantitative cost-allocation model that reduced his client’s liability from 90% to 50%, saving approximately $4 million. Additional work includes groundwater modeling for remedial design and performance evaluation at the Bridgestone Centerville Iowa Site, and development of a conceptual and numerical flow model for the Zinc Smelter Repository in Kansas to diagnose seepage and assess remedial options such as constructed wetlands. In Alabama, Breen developed a groundwater flow and transport model to address the migration of dinitro-butylphenol (DNBP) in order to evaluate the human health and ecological risks associated with impacted groundwater to surface waters downgradient of the site. His work was reviewed and accepted by Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM).

In Oklahoma, Breen evaluated the impact of a petroluem pipeline release into a fractured shale. Breen conducted an investigation to delineate the extent of impact to help develop a long term cost estimation using a thermal desorption remediation. This project was later showcased in an episode of “Dirty Jobs”.

At a refinery in El Paso, Texas, Mr. Breen developed a comprehensive groundwater flow and chemical transport model for the 500-acre facility, integrating complex geologic conditions near the Rio Grande and the effects of a century of municipal pumping from the binational Hueco Bolson aquifer. His work included reviewing all regional and site-specific hydrogeologic data, developing the conceptual model, and performing all numerical modeling to evaluate both historic and future migration of BTEX and MtBE plumes and assess risks under potential future municipal pumping scenarios. The modeling demonstrated that the hydrocarbon plumes had reached steady-state conditions, supported a monitored natural attenuation remedy, and showed that the plumes did not pose a risk to municipal water supplies.

At a refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas Mr. Breen conducted an assessment of the performance of the groundwater remediation system for the Eastern and Western Refineries, including hydrogeologic control of shallow and deeper groundwater systems, LNAPL recovery, LNAPL mass recovery, optimization to recovery efforts, regulatory reporting, and remediating biofouling in recovery wells.

Another aspect of his work is project management. Breen has managed remediation and compliance at a manufacturing facility in Iowa for over 20 years. His duties have also involved organizing subcontractors, planning long-term cleanup plans, and, most recently, helping prepare the property to be closed and sold. That process involves addressing environmental concerns, aligning with regulatory expectations, and ensuring the site can enter the market without lingering liabilities.

Beyond managing individual projects, Breen is often requested to perform “cold eye reviews.” Insurance companies, Fortune 500 manufacturers, and refineries have invited him to provide an independent assessment of remediation efforts already underway. His role is to evaluate whether the methods are technically valid, the costs are reasonable, and there are opportunities for greater efficiency. These reviews frequently save clients substantial sums while providing clarity and confidence in complex situations.

Practical Technology for Meaningful Results

Breen continues to embrace technology to enhance his firm’s capabilities and deliver exceptional results. The firm uses advanced modeling platforms—including sophisticated 3D conceptual modeling tools—along with data-visualization systems, data-management solutions, and project-management platforms that rival those of major multinational consulting firms. Developing effective conceptual site models requires internal consistency among geologic, hydrogeologic, and geochemical frameworks. Breen has found that many conceptual models he has reviewed contain critical inconsistencies—for example, geochemical interpretations that conflict with groundwater gradients or models that fail to honor the limits of the hydrostratigraphy. When these elements are not properly integrated, significant data gaps can emerge, undermining remedial strategies or risk assessments.

By contrast, Breen integrates these disciplines into coherent, defensible conceptual models and uses advanced 3D visualization to transform complex data into clear, intuitive graphics that help clients, attorneys, and regulators understand subsurface conditions and make confident, informed decisions. He couples these conceptual-modeling tools with server-based, open-source data-management systems, enabling efficient and rapid review of decades of investigation and monitoring data—an essential step in validating conceptual models and supporting stakeholder decision-making.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has also become part of Breen’s client-focused toolkit. Litigation often involves reviewing decades of historical site records, a task that can overwhelm even large teams. To address this challenge, Breen is developing AI applications that ingest large volumes of historical documents and allow users to query specific information such as remediation timelines, regulatory correspondence, and site activities. By transforming static archives into searchable, structured data, the technology provides clarity that would otherwise take weeks or months of manual review. Still, Breen’s practice is never about technology for its own sake. Every tool—whether a 3D visualization platform or an AI-driven document-review system—is adopted only when it makes the client’s path more transparent, efficient, or cost-effective. Innovation is pursued when it adds genuine value, not when it simply looks impressive on a corporate slide deck.

Continuing the Work That Matters

Breen GeoSciences has always focused on what matters most to clients: clear answers, practical solutions, and responsible environmental stewardship. Clients rely on Breen not only for his technical expertise but also for the technical assurance that comes from demonstrating sound scientific decision-making.

Working directly on each project allows Breen to quickly identify unique challenges and develop solutions that hold up in the real world. New technologies and methods are adopted only when they enhance clarity, efficiency, or defensibility. The firm’s guiding principle is simple: use the right tools for the right reasons, and always in service of better outcomes for the client.

Looking ahead, Breen GeoSciences continues to embrace the curiosity and technical rigor that have defined its work for more than twenty-five years. Emerging contaminants, complex hydrogeologic settings, and evolving regulatory expectations are opportunities to apply experience in new ways and help clients navigate environmental challenges with confidence.

Every assignment is viewed as an opportunity to solve problems, foster trust, and deliver results that make a meaningful difference.