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Richard O. Richter, Ph.D., P.E.

Managing Engineer

Exposure Assessment & Dose Reconstruction

(949) 242-6015 tel
(949) 242-6099 fax

Orange County

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Professional Profile


Dr. Richard Richter is a registered civil engineer with more than 35 years of environmental experience, specializing in the environmental fate and transport of hazardous substances and applied environmental chemistry. He has used this expertise to estimate both indoor and outdoor exposure concentrations used in assessing current and past risks. When necessary, he has used his experience in experimental design to reconstruct past exposure conditions to obtain actual, measured concentrations of chemicals. Dr. Richter is an expert in the areas of exposures to toxic chemicals, chemical fate and transport, water and wastewater treatment, regulatory compliance, and site characterization, risk assessment, and remediation.

Dr. Richter has managed numerous site investigations, risk assessments, and remedial actions involving property transfer assessments, hazardous waste facilities, and underground storage tanks. Dr. Richter’s regulatory experience includes interactions with personnel at EPA, the California EPA (DTSC, OEHHA, SWRCB), and several California regional air pollution districts and water quality control boards. Using the latest EPA guidance, Dr. Richter has managed several risk assessments for hazardous waste incinerators along the Gulf Coast. He has conducted major risk assessments in southern California, including the Stringfellow, Del Amo, and Montrose Superfund sites, a petroleum bulk storage facility, and a major metals recycling facility. He has served on several national and local peer review committees regarding direct and indirect exposures to air toxics.

Since 2006, Dr. Richter has taught the computer modeling class “Environmental Applications of Air, Water and GIS Programs” at the University of California, Irvine, Extension. From 1990 to 1999, Dr. Richter taught the graduate class “Hazardous Waste Remediation” at U.C., Irvine. From 1985 to 1988, he taught a graduate class in advanced wastewater treatment at the University of Southern California. From 1978 to 1983, he was an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Washington State University, where he taught undergraduate and graduate classes and conducted research.

  • Ph.D., Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1978
  • M.S., Civil/Environmental Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1974
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 1970
  • Sigma Xi, Research Society of North America

    • Registered Professional Engineer, California
    • Certificate Hazardous Materials Management Program, 1987
    • Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response 40-hour training program
    • Hazardous Waste Operations Management and Supervisor 8-hour training program