Simon Zhao is a professional agrologist in British Columbia with 17 years of experience in the environmental consulting and over 15 years in Contaminated Sites in northern British Columbia. Simon has participated in site investigation and remediation, reclamation, waste management, environmental monitoring, and environmental permitting at a variety of projects including liquid natural gas, mining, petroleum, forestry, hydroelectricity, and transportation on properties within First Nation reserve lands and traditional territories. Simon has the grasp of provincial and federal environmental legislation (e.g., provincial EMA, ERAA, CSR, EPMR, OGWR, HWR, BCWQG; federal CCME CEQG; and associated Protocols, technical guidance (guidelines), and manuals). In addition, he supported geotechnical investigation and construction inspection, and mentored articling agrologists.

Simon had experience managing various upstream, midstream, and downstream environmental projects. His Ph.D. study developed a protocol to assess the compaction potential resulted from mechanical timber-harvesting and site preparation for British Columbia forest soil. He also developed a soil compaction index to evaluate site productivity for the regional forests.

North Shore Environmental Consultants Inc., Fort St. John, BC   Since April 2024

Senior Environmental Consultant

• Stage 1 & 2 PSI
• DSI/Remediation
• CoR1 & CoR2 Application

DWB Consulting Services Ltd., Fort St. John, BC   Feb 2021 – March 2024 

Senior Assessment and Remediation Specialist / Project Manager

• Qualified Environmental Professional – Contaminated Sites, Site C Clean Energy Project
• Stage 1 PSI/Phase 1 ESA
• Stage 2 PSI/Phase 2 ESA
• DSI & Remediation
• CoR Part 1 Application
• Mine site environmental management plans
• Proposal and cost estimate preparation
• Staff technical training: PSI/ESA field techniques and report writing

Fluor Canada Ltd., Calgary, Alberta   Aug 2019 – Jan 2021                                                     

HSE Technical Specialist III (LNGC worksite: Kitimat, BC)

• Media (soil, groundwater, surface water) quality assessment and construction compliance support
• Waste Management (characterization and disposal)
• Quality control of permitted onsite landfill
• Review and approval of contractors’ technical reports and environmental work plans (EMPs, EPPs)
• Stage 2 PSI, DSI & Remediation
• Environmental monitoring

SNC-Lavalin Environmental & Geoscience, Terrace, BC        Sep 2013- Jul 2019

Environmental Specialist

• Waste management (waste and hazardous waste characterization and disposal)
• Stage 1 & 2 PSIs/Phase 1 & 2 ESAs
• DSI
• Long-term groundwater monitoring
• Monitoring well decommissioning
• Environmental Monitoring
• Geotechnical Monitoring
• Staff field technic training
• Office H&S coordinator

SNC-Lavalin Environment & Water, Fort St. John, BC                                            Sep 2010 - Aug 2013

Intermediate Reclamation Specialist

• Stage 1 & 2 PSIs, DSI
• Schedule B Site Reclamation Assessment
• Reclamation report writing

BC Ministry of Forests and Range (research Branch), Victoria BC   Jul 2009 -Jan 2010

Contractor

• Restoration of Forest Soil: Long-term Productivity Results, Kamloops, BC Field and Lab
• Soil properties and tree growth investigation

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC   Oct 2004 – Aug 2010

Co - Instructor (Faculty of Land and Food Systems)

• Sustainable Soil Management.
  • Co-designed the course structure, offered lectures, coordinated with guest speakers, and marked exams and homework

Honorary Research Associate (Faculty of Land and Food Systems)

• Assisted Supervision of M.Sc. Student.
  • Team member of online soil education course “Visual Soil Lab Modules”

Co-PI (Faculty of Forestry)

• Cost effective Indictors of Soil Physical Condition: Natural variation in the relative bulk density and associated tree growth as measures of forest productivity and ecosystem resilience. Forest Investment Account (FIA) – Forest Science Program (FSP). Forest sites in Interior BC, Canada. Field work, lab test, data analysis, and manuscript writing

Research Assistant (Faculty of Forestry)

• Soil Conditions and Tree Growth in BC’s Forests: Factors affecting ecosystem response to forest practices. Forest Investment Account (FIA)- Forest Science Program (FSP). Forest sites in Interior BC, Canada. Proposal writing, Lab test, data analysis, and manuscript writing

Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China   Sep 1992 – Aug 2004

Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Prataculture (Oct 2003 – Aug 2004)

• Course Instructor: Grassland Management. Course for the 4th year undergraduates

Lecturer, Faculty of Prataculture (Aug 1998 – Sep 2003)

• Course instructor: Grassland Management

Member of Education Delegation (Jun – Aug 2001)        

• Teaching of Vocational Education Teachers (TVET) for Ethiopia, Ziway, Ethiopia
• Course instructor: Livestock Nutrition (Fundamentals of Animal Nutrition and Basics for Dietary Rations; Strategy of Ruminants Fattening; Ammonification of Crop Stalk for Ruminants)

Instructor, Faculty of Prataculture (Sep 1995 – Jul 1998)

• Course instructor: GW- BASIC Programming (1st year undergraduates)

Research Assistant, Faculty of Prataculture (Sep 1992 – Jun 1995)

• Grassland-based beef cattle fattening program. Gansu Provincial Government Fund, Gansu Bureau of Animal Husbandry, Gansu, China. Proposal writing, Lab test, data analysis, and manuscript writing
• M.Sc. thesis

PUBLICATIONS

Zhao, Y.H., M. Krzic, C.E. Bulmer, M.G. Schmidt, and S.W. Simard. Relative Bulk Density as a Measure of Compaction and Its Influence on Tree Height., Can. J. For. Res. 40: 1724-1735, CANADA, 2010

Zhao, Y., M. Krzic, C.E. Bulmer, and M.G. Schmidt. Maximum Bulk Density of British Columbia Forest Soils from the Proctor Test: Relationships with Selected Physical and Chemical Properties., Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 72: 442–452, UNITED STATES, 2008