[Company Logo Image]  Hurst & Associates, Inc.

        Geochemistry ~ Environmental Forensics ~ Mineralogy
 

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Our Mission

    The mission of Hurst & Associates, Inc. (HAI) includes the integration of geochemical, mineralogical, statistical, and educational techniques to resolve issues related to:

  • Estimating ages and identifying sources of environmental releases;
  • Monitoring the fate/transport of contaminants in the environment;
  • Developing mineral resources; and
  • Industry-Community relationships.

    The addition of industry-community relationships is a response to continuing requests by Earth Science professionals who need the results of technical studies that deal with environmentally sensitive issues disseminated to nontechnical personnel, such as the lay public.  The primary task involves the accurate translation of technical jargon into language that preserves the meaning and significance of the report's findings.  

    Lastly, our mission has always included the exploration of new research directions, the results of which are presented at professional meetings, published in peer-reviewed literature, and incorporated in university course curricula. 

Company Profile

HAI was founded in 1997 by Dr. Richard W. Hurst, whose experience in the fields of geochemistry and mineralogy dates back to 1968 when he was an undergraduate at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.  Following Ph.D. and Postdoctoral work in Geology (University of California Los Angeles, 1975, and Santa Barbara respectively), he joined the Faculty at California State University, Los Angeles in 1978, focusing his research efforts on forensic isotope geochemistry. In 1980, he began to consult in the private sector, employing his techniques to resolve environmental problems and as correlation tools in petroleum exploration.  The result, HAI’s clientele and project involvement have been diverse.

Scientific techniques employed range from detailed statistical evaluation of data provided by the client to applications of more sophisticated isotopic and geochemical techniques.  Because each client’s situation is unique, project and sampling designs are tiered to satisfy client needs while being cost-effective.  The following list provides an overview of representative forensic geochemical and expert consulting services offered to clients by HAI:

  • Hydrocarbon and fuel oxygenate (e.g. MTBE) fingerprinting via high resolution gas chromatography
  • Estimating ages of hydrocarbon releases 
  • Environmental fate and transport of heavy metals, chlorinated solvents (including perchlorate), nitrates, pesticides, and saline fluids
  • Evaluation of aquifer continuity and groundwater commingling
  • Sediment transport and provenance using quantitative X-ray diffraction
  • Resource (petroleum, mineral) evaluation
  • Expert witness testimony
  • Litigation support and apportionment of liability
  • Industry-Community relationships:  Workshops on forensic geochemistry and communicating technical data to lay personnel

Contact Information

Please contact us to obtain more information or requests for quotations.

Telephone
805-492-7764
FAX
805-241-7149
Postal address
9 Faculty Court, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-2934
Electronic mail
General Information: info@hurstforensics.com or alasrwh@aol.com
Sales:  sales@hurstforensics.com
Customer Support: support@hurstforensics.com
Webmaster: webmaster@hurstforensics.com

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Last modified: 09/08/02