Tom Mohr

Thomas Mohr is the principal author of the acclaimed book, "Environmental Investigation and Remediation: 1,4-dioxane and Other Solvent Stabilizers in the Environment" (by Mohr/DiGuiseppi/Stickney), published by Taylor and Francis Group (CRC Press) in 2010. The book was the culmination of seven years of research and networking on the subject of 1,4-dioxane and other solvent stabilizers, and is now the leading reference on the subject, with copies housed in more than 100 university and corporate libraries in more than a dozen countries.

Mohr continues his work on 1,4-dioxane and has given many conference presentations and webinars on 1,4-dioxane. He is advising an ESTCP grant project team led by CDM's Pat Evans that was funded to pilot test an innovative in situ chemical oxidant release technology targeting 1,4-dioxane. His most recent publication was a 2012 article in EPA's Technology News and Trends on point-of-entry treatment systems (POETS) to remove 1,4-dioxane from domestic wells. Mohr has been retained as an expert witness for several 1,4-dixoane groundwater contamination court cases in California and Florida. Mohr was the statewide President of the Groundwater Resources Association of California in 2006 and 2007 and served on GRA's Board of Directors for 10 years.

Before focusing on the contaminant hydrogeology and forensic aspects of chlorinated solvent release sites, Mohr worked extensively on landfill groundwater contamination, landfill management, and landfill gas-to-energy projects for two California municipalities. Mohr has published on improvements to laboratory methods for 1,4-dioxane analysis, perchlorate isotope forensics, leveraging stable isotopes of water for investigating origins of nitrate contamination, anaerobic biodegradation of gasoline, and other topics.

Tom works at the Santa Clara Valley Water District as Senior Hydrogeologist where he manages county-wide groundwater monitoring and salt and nutrient management plans, and was previously the District's Solvents and Toxics Cleanup Liaison. He was the principal investigator for the District's Study of Potential for Groundwater Contamination from Past Dry Cleaner Operations in Santa Clara County, and was the District's project manager on a major perchlorate case that impacted hundreds of domestic wells.

Mohr served in the Peace Corps in Botswana where he planned and managed labor-based drought relief projects that employed 2,200 people, including hand dug wells and building dams, and distributing food donated by USA. He studied at UC Davis, and makes his home in Santa Clara with his wife and three young children.