Client Spotlight: Rick McGregor
As the President and Senior Technical Advisor of InSitu Remediation Services Ltd (IRSL), a Canadian based company specializing in the remediation of impacted soil and groundwater, Rick McGregor is responsible for all aspects of IRSL’s business. Well-positioned to lead IRSL in its long-term goals, McGregor is proud of the positive impact the company is making on the environment. With a philosophy focused on minimizing humanity’s ecological footprint, McGregor and his team pride themselves on going above and beyond to leave each site better than they found it. He begins, “We started IRSL with the vision of using technology and innovation to change the world by making land usable again, remediating it back to its original condition. We believe our work benefits more than just our clients. With more usable, clean spaces, communities can do more, and our work inspires people and businesses to invest value back into their neighborhoods.”
McGregor founded IRSL 13 years ago, after years of extensive experience as a Hydrogeologist and Geochemist. To prepare for a career in environmental remediation he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Earth Science and his MSc in Hydrogeology/Geochemistry from the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He then went on to earn an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University, and an advanced certificate in Strategic Decision Making and Business Management from the London School of Economics. He would later add a certificate in International Business from MIT Sloan School of Management. As one might expect with someone with such an impressive academic background, to stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technology, McGregor regularly attends numerous conferences and seminars, and lectures at various educational facilities.
When it comes to working with REGENESIS®, McGregor says he has used their full-suite of products extensively, and appreciates the wide range of solutions and superior quality. He shares, “During my career I have used REGENESIS products on hundreds of sites in over 10 countries. They offer an excellent and diverse range of remedial reagents of high quality, they support their products well, and are realistic in the application of their products. While we use all of their products, most of our work is with PlumeStop and PetroFix.” With regard to PetroFix, he says the innovative carbon amendment has been used extensively on numerous sites throughout Canada. He continues, “We have applied PetroFix at over 25 sites in Canada in a variety of geologic settings, including glacial till, glaciofluvial and fractured rock environments. The site applications included using direct push technology as well as through injection wells, depending on the geology. At a couple of sites, we have injected PetroFix near surface water bodies. We were able to do this due to the relative control we have over the mitigation of PetroFix during injection. Our analysis of the PetroFix sites we have sampled post injection has shown excellent distribution in heterogenetic environments, which is the key to in-situ remediation. The post injection results are reflected by the homogeneous distribution, which have been excellent to date, with the vast majority of sites reaching remedial targets for the sites after just one injection.”
As both the founder and President of IRSL, McGregor focuses on the company’s long-term success, and feels he and the company are on track to succeed in three key areas. “We want to be consistently well respected for our approach, innovation, and transparency – while continuing to be realistic with our clients.” He also enjoys the plan implementation and collaboration involved in working with clients. He shares, “I enjoy implementing innovative and successful plans for groundwater remediation and sharing these solutions with up-and-coming scientists and engineers.” When asked about the most demanding part of his work, he offers, “Educating clients and property owners about the challenges of groundwater in general, and specifically in-situ remediation, can be challenging.” He also realizes help is on the way. “Fortunately, we are seeing more innovative products that are better suited for the challenges of a heterogenetic subsurface and more acceptance of the technologies.” Looking ahead to the future, he sees technology playing an even larger role. He adds, “As new technologies emerge to allow for better distribution and reaction of the reagents, the use of in-situ technologies will just continue to increase with time. And while no one product is a silver bullet with in-situ remediation and all products have pros and cons, it is vital you educate yourself. ”
Outside of work, McGregor enjoys volunteering for a number of professional organizations, and he is also active in several sports, such as golf and hockey. When asked how he would encourage others to join his field of study, he feels the industry is always evolving, and suggests now is an ideal time to explore environmental remediation for those who want to help preserve our natural resources. He concludes, “I would encourage people to join the field soon, since it is developing all the time. It’s an industry that is open to a wide variety of skills- plus you are helping to restore valuable resources, such as groundwater and soil.”
REGENESIS is proud to have Rick McGregor, President and Senior Technical Advisor of InSitu Remediation Services, as a valued client and partner in environmental remediation, and they appreciate his expertise and leadership in implementing PetroFix and providing successful remediation outcomes for REGENESIS and its clients.