Senior Staff Profiles

John J. Trela, Ph.D., President
Dr. Trela has more than 30 years experience in hazardous waste management, soil and ground water remediation, litigation support, regulatory compliance, and the environmental aspects of real estate transactions.  Before joining TRC Raviv, Dr. Trela was Assistant Commissioner of the NJDEP's Hazardous Waste Management Program with responsibility for the oversight of the $2.5 billion public and private cleanup program.    During his tenure with the NJDEP, Dr. Trela developed and implemented many new and innovative programs including the responsible party hazardous waste site cleanup program and the NJPDES ground water permit program.  He authored the New Jersey Ground Water Standards and served as the chairperson of an NJDEP task force responsible for developing statewide cleanup standards.

Dr. Trela is an expert on soils and ground water investigations and remediation under a broad spectrum of regulatory programs such as RCRA, CERCLA, ISRA, Spill Fund cleanups, and NJPDES ground water permits.  He has published and lectured extensively on environmental cleanup and hazardous waste management issues.  His reputation as an effective witness has led to his frequent appearances before legislative bodies, in court and in administrative forums.  Dr. Trela has served as an advisor to the USEPA, the Coalition of Northeast Governors, New Jersey Institute of Technology and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Kenneth B. Siet, Vice President & Regulatory Compliance Manager
Before joining TRC Raviv, Mr. Siet was employed by the NJDEP as Chief of the Bureau of Ground Water Pollution Abatement, where he was responsible for the development of many of the ground water and soil regulations that are in effect today.  He continues to participate in the preparation of regulatory guidelines while serving on RCRA and CERCLA advisory committees at the USEPA and NJDEP.  Mr. Siet is thoroughly familiar with New Jersey's environmental regulations and is able to provide clients with an in-depth understanding of the regulatory requirements pertaining to their sites.  His expertise has been invaluable in helping clients develop comprehensive, cost-effective approaches to compliance.  He is particularly adept at assisting clients with issues relating to ground water, major oil refineries, Superfund, and RCRA corrective action.  He has testified as an expert witness on environmental issues in both state and federal court.

Marc Faecher, Vice President & General Counsel
Mr. Faecher assists clients in the acquisition and development of environmentally impaired properties using TRC’s Exit Strategy® environmental liability elimination program, coupled with TRC’s full-service, turn-key expertise in environmental remediation, engineering, risk management and real estate development.  He routinely works with corporations and developers throughout the greater NY/NJ Greater Metropolitan area in structuring programs designed to manage cleanup liability and to redevelop underutilized Brownfield sites.

Prior to joining TRC, Mr. Faecher was a partner in a major New Jersey law firm where he regularly represented clients before the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in permitting and enforcement actions.  Mr. Faecher also handled pollution remediation matters, including compliance with the Industrial Site Recovery Act ("ISRA") and the recoupment of cleanup costs via cost recovery litigation, insurance coverage litigation and through State and Federal Brownfield and Innocent Purchaser Grant programs.

Mr. Faecher is a member of the environmental sections of the New Jersey and American Bar Associations. He is admitted to practice before the New Jersey State and U.S. District Courts, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and in the District of Columbia.  Mr. Faecher received his J.D. Degree from the American University, Washington College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Muhlenberg College.

Dawn M. Pompeo, Vice President, ISRA Compliance
Ms. Pompeo has over 20 years experience involving environmental compliance and real estate transactions. Before joining TRC Raviv, Ms. Pompeo was employed by the NJDEP as  Bureau Chief of the ECRA Program.  As a result of Ms. Pompeo's familiarity with the technical and administrative aspects of the NJDEP’s current ISRA program, she is able to provide clients with investigative strategies and remedial alternatives designed to streamline the NJDEP ISRA compliance process.  Her extensive experience helps clients to comply with the regulatory and technical  requirements of the ISRA program in a timely and cost-effective manner.  Ms. Pompeo's expertise allows her to evaluate properties for potential environmental liabilities and to effectively and efficiently assist clients with satisfying their due diligence and innocent purchaser defense requirements as related to property acquisitions.

Nidal M. Rabah, Ph.D., P.E., Director of Engineering
Dr. Rabah has more than 20 years of experience in environmental engineering and planning, soil and groundwater remediation, water resources engineering and planning, and litigation support. He is a licensed Professional Engineer and a Certified Project Management Professional. Prior to joining TRC Raviv in 2005, Dr. Rabah served as the Director of Engineering at the Remedial Technology & Engineering, Inc. (RTE) and an Associate of PMK Group where he oversaw the development and implementation of remedial strategies, design and technologies. He also served as the Manager of the Engineering Group at Dames & Moore, Inc. in New Jersey.

Dr. Rabah has in-depth experience in the planning and management of large-scale, multi-faceted remedial investigation/feasibility study and engineering and environmental construction management projects. He has led complex multi-million dollar environmental remediation and Brownfield Redevelopment programs at numerous industrial, commercial and public facilities, utilities & MGP facilities, airports, fuel depots, and landfills under various state and federal regulatory programs. He has extensive experience in the design, implementation and operation & maintenance (O&M) of a wide-range of soil, groundwater and free product remedial technologies and systems. He is experienced in groundwater flow and transport modeling.

Dr. Rabah managed large international infrastructure development and capacity building projects including water, wastewater, and solid waste strategic and master plans that were sponsored by international institutions such as the World Bank, UN Development Program, and US Agency for International Development. He also served as a Technical Expert on many projects and environmental litigation cases in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. He developed technical strategies, evaluated the fate and transport of contamination, used modeling and forensic analyses for plume age dating, prepared exposure and cost estimates for settlement negotiations and liability allocation, and provided expert testimony in depositions.

Daniel A. Nachman,Vice President
Mr. Nachman joined TRC Raviv in 1996, after 17 years with Geraghty & Miller, Inc.  At TRC Raviv, he is responsible for the technical and regulatory aspects of investigative and remedial projects, and directs the firm's ground water supply efforts.  With  Geraghty & Miller, Mr. Nachman directed a wide range of ground water supply and contamination investigations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  He supervised Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) projects at a variety of petroleum, chemical, electronic, and pharmaceutical facilities, and developed ground water supplies for municipalities, private water companies, and industries.  He has been the director and principal negotiator for cleanup projects under a broad range of federal and state regulatory programs, including CERCLA, RCRA, ECRA/ISRA, and the New Jersey Spill and Water Pollution Control Acts.  Mr. Nachman has lectured at various courses and seminars and has made presentations in English and Spanish on behalf of clients at public hearings.  Mr. Nachman is currently the principal lecturer at an annual 4-day course in Hydrogeology that the firm has presented through Rutgers University since the late 1980s.  He has served as an expert in various aspects of environmental litigation.