Dr. Christopher P. Grobbel has completed numerous in-field scientific studies and served as an expert witness in dozens of state and federal cases since his work as an expert within Michigan’s landmark environmental justice case, NAACP v Governor Engler, State of Michigan (1991-1992), Michigan Citizens for Water Conservation v Nestle Waters North America, Inc. (2001-2017), and numerous other cases. He is the co-author/founder of Michigan’s award winning citizen planner program – providing basic land use planning/zoning training and environmental education to local units of government; university professor teaching environmental impact studies and numerous environmental law and policy courses; expert witness in environmental cases and controversies since 1991; and has been a professional environmental consultant and/or former Michigan governmental environmental quality analyst/enforcement specialist since 1985.
Dr. Grobbel is a returned Peace Corps volunteer (Ecuador 1987-88 omnibus), and an experienced frontline worker in numerous environmental and social justice battles. Dr. Grobbel has also served as a qualified expert in dozens and dozens of state and federal lawsuits.
Christopher P. Grobbel, Ph.D.
Email: grobbelenvironmental@gmail.com
Phone: 231.499.7165
DR. CHRISTOPHER P. GROBBEL
CURRICULUM VITAE
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EDUCATION
Ph. D. Environmental Policy and Law, Michigan State University, Resource Development Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1998, GPA 3.96.
M.S. Environmental Policy and Law / Hydrogeology – Michigan State University, Resource Development Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1986, GPA 3.93.
B.S. Environmental Science / Forestry with High Honor – Michigan State University, Resource Development Department, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1983, GPA 3.82.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Principal/Senior Associate – Grobbel Environmental & Planning Associates, Traverse City, Michigan.
1998 to Present Founder and president of the environmental consulting and land use planning firm, Grobbel Environmental & Planning Associates. Project experience includes watershed management and protection planning; community master planning, police power and zoning ordinance development; land use and environmental planning; ecological assessment; wetland determination, restoration and delineation; soil/groundwater investigation and remediation; risk assessment, management and communication; brownfield redevelopment; innovative stormwater treatment system design and construction; litigation support and expert witness; and all aspects of business development, media relations, financial management, marketing and administration.
Assistant/Adjunct Professor – Department of Community Sustainability/CARRS/Resource Development Department, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Traverse City and East Lansing, Michigan.
1992 to 2016 Design and teaching of college undergraduate courses entitled: CSUS 425 Environmental Impact Assessment; CSUS 465 Environmental and Natural Resources Law; CSUS 200 Introduction to Sustainability; CSUS 320 Environmental Planning and Management; ESA 225 Land and Environmental Issues in Law; RD 336 State Environmental Law; RD 491 Environmental Ethics; and RD 430 Natural Resources Law. Director of MSU undergraduate environmental studies program at the University Center in Traverse City, Michigan
Northwest Michigan Land Use Agent – MSU Extension, Grand Traverse County, Michigan.
1999 – 2003 Developer, co-author and coordinator of MSUE’s award winning Citizen Planner statewide land use training program in Michigan. Design and teaching of college credit and adult learner non-credit courses in land use planning and law, environmental law and policy, community development, wetlands and watershed management, etc. Member of Leelanau County Agricultural Alliance, Antrim-Grand Traverse County farmland preservation task force involved in undertaking surveys and geographic information system mapping toward county administered farmland preservation programs.
Director of Education and Land Stewardship – Leelanau Conservancy, Leland, Michigan.
1998 – 1999 Design and delivery of land use, conservation and environmental education programs for school children, landowners, professionals and local and regional units of government. Implementation of the Leelanau Geography Project, including the training of middle school teachers from ten (10) area public and private schools. Communication and outreach to visual, print, audio and electronic media. Design and implementation of web pages for Leelanau Conservancy and regional environmental education consortium. Writing and administration of numerous grants.
Co-owner/Senior Project Manager – Compliance, Inc. Environmental Engineering, Traverse City and Detroit, Michigan.
1996 – 1998 Founder of Southwest Detroit office for Compliance, Inc. Regulatory specialist and senior project manager for the investigation and remediation of sites of environmental contamination, brownfield redevelopment, air permitting, emergency response, expert witness and leaking underground storage tank programs. Recipient of Kresge Foundation brownfield redevelopment project grant, and board member for Cluster 5 (Southwest Detroit) of Detroit’s Community Reinvestment Strategy initiative.
Regulatory Specialist/Project Manager – Environmental Solutions, Inc., Traverse City, Michigan.
1992 – 1996 Regulatory specialist and project manager for the investigation and remediation of sites of environmental contamination.
Environmental Enforcement Specialist – Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Response Division, Lansing, Michigan.
1991 – 1992 Liaison to the Department of the Attorney General in the enforcement and litigation of state environmental regulations.
Environmental Quality Analyst – Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Environmental Response Division, Gaylord, Michigan.
1989 – 1991 Compliance and enforcement of state hazardous waste, solid waste and leaking underground storage tank (LUST) regulations for eight county region. Responsible for coordination of Part 201 and LUST programs for the eight (8) county Gaylord District.
Water Quality Specialist – Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Land and Water Management Division, Lansing, Michigan.
1988 – 1989 Production supervisor and design assistant for the Michigan Statewide Groundwater Data Base geographic information system.
U.S. Peace Corps – Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.
1987 – 1988 Worked in the development of agro-forestry systems, soil conservation and environmental education projects in Guayas Province, Ecuador.
Consultant – Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Groundwater Quality and Land and Water Management Divisions, Lansing, Michigan.
1986 – 1987 Staff planner and development specialist for the prototype computerized Michigan Statewide Groundwater Data Base.
SELECT PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
The Rap Sheets: Paying for Pollution. The Misuse of Public Resources for Manure-to-Energy Projects at Industrial Dairies in Wisconsin, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project and Kewaunee CARES, May, 2019.
Delaware CAFO Guide, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, May 2019.
Michigan CAFO Guide, Socially Responsible Agriculture Project, January 2019.
Local Governmental Role in Oil and Gas Regulation, WMEAC Conference, Fracking in Michigan, December 3, 2014, Kellogg Center, E. Lansing, Michigan.
Environmental Issues in Natural Gas Production, Harrison, W.B. III, Peters, J., Poll, J., Grobbel, C., VanDyke, A., and Sadler, S., Foxmoor Continuing Education, a Division of Half Moon Education, Inc., publication, 2014.
What is a Taking? Exploring the Boundary between Public Interest and Private Property, Kohler, Ellen, Esq. and Grobbel, Christopher, Ph.D., Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council publication, 2004.
Summary of Property Takings Case Law, Michigan State University Land Use Series, East Lansing, Michigan, December 16, 2002.
Citizen Planner Program Curriculum, training course series for non-professionals involved in local land use decision-making, Michigan State University Extension, 175 pp., copyright 2000. Legal Foundations of Planning and Zoning; Private Property Rights and the Takings Issue; Zoning for Water Quality; Farmland Preservation Tools and Techniques; Principles of the New Urbanism; Brownfield Redevelopment; Wetland Science and Regulation; and Riparian Rights.
An Examination Of Indicators Of Social Equity In Michigan Environmental Policy: The Case Of The Michigan Environmental Response Program, Ph.D. dissertation for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Resource Development Department, Michigan State University, 200 pp., 1998.
Environmental Justice Bibliography, 1975-1994, D. Doberneck, C. Grobbel, T. Link, and G. Guluma, Office of Diversity and Pluralism, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Resource Development Department, Michigan State University, 79 pp., 1995.
Environmental Equity and U.S. Policy, Community News & Views, Vol. 6, No. 4, Urban Affairs Programs, Michigan State University, Winter 1994.
Wellkey: User Documentation, Christopher P. Grobbel and Bruce Morrison, 69 pp., 1989.
Water Well Record Location Verification and Automation: A Pilot Project for Isabella County, Michigan, M.N. Beaulac and Christopher P. Grobbel, 50 pp., 1987.
State v.s. Federal Rights in the Regulation of Natural Resources: Legal Issues Surrounding Great Lakes Water Diversion, A Master’s Thesis for the College of Agricultural and Natural Resources, Michigan State University, Christopher P. Grobbel, 120 pp., 1986.
Water Management in Michigan: Legal Issues in Michigan Water Planning, Dan Bronstein, Leighton Leighty, John Vincent and Christopher Grobbel, 214 pp., 1985.
Presenter of “Environmental Issues with Hydraulic Fracturing: Unconventional Natural Gas Development of Collingwood Shale” numerous conferences and presentations through-out Michigan, 2010 – 2014.
Panelist: “Risks of Hydraulic Fracturing: Unconventional Natural Gas Development of Collingwood Shale,” Michigan State University Extension, Traverse City, Michigan, June 24, 2010.
Instructor of “Planning and Zoning Essentials” Michigan Association of Planning, February 25, 2010, Perry Davis Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan.
Presenter of “Role of Local Government in Protecting Wetlands” at the Planning Michigan Conference, Michigan Association of Planning’s 2009 Planning Conference, October 2, 2009, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
Presenter of “Role of Local Government in Michigan Wetland Regulation” at the Michigan Wetlands: Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Wetland Protection Act Conference, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Northwestern Michigan College, Water Studies Institute, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 20-22, Traverse City Michigan.
Presenter of “Groundwater Disputes: Case Studies and Solutions” at the 10th Annual Michigan Environmental Health Professionals Conference, October 12-15, 2003, Shanty Creek, Bellaire, Michigan.
Presenter of “Water Quality Protection Tools for Local Government,” Kellogg Foundation/People and Land Project, September 30, 2003, Inland Lakes Education Center, Indian River, Michigan.
Presenter of “Water Quality Protection Tools for Local Government,” Kellogg Foundation/People and Land Project, August 22, 2003, Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Conference, Holiday Inn, Traverse City, Michigan.
Presenter of “Farmland Preservation Tools and Techniques and Landowner Options” at the 52nd Annual Benzie-Manistee Horticultural Show, March 18-20, 2003, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville, Michigan.
Presenter “Riparian Rights” for HARBOR, Inc. at the Little Traverse Township Hall, Emmet County, Michigan, March 25, 2003.
Panelist “The Legalities of Land Use” for MSU Extension/HARBOR, Inc. at the Little Traverse Township Hall, Emmet County, Michigan, December 10, 2002.
Presenter “Planning and Zoning – How to Stay Out of Court” at the Annual Michigan Society of Planning Conference, Community, Culture, Change: Planning Michigan, Kalamazoo, October 2 through 5, 2002.
Presenter of “Michigan’s Environmental Regulatory Legacy” at the 2001 Kickoff: Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program, Michigan Department of Agriculture, Michigania, Boyne City, Michigan, October 25, 2000.
Presenter of “Hydrogeology, Contaminant Monitoring, Fate and Transport, and Contaminant Remediation” at the Chemical Applications: Pesticide/Fertilizer Application Workshop, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, March 30 – 31, 2000.
Presenter at the 2000 Envirothon, “Renewable Energy: Taking Another Look”, Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Station, Michigan State University Extension, February 18, 2000.
Co-presenter “Land Use Conflict: When City and Country Clash”, A project of the National Public Policy Education Committee in Cooperation with the Farm Foundation, Northwest Michigan Orchard Show, Grand Traverse Resort, Acme, Michigan, January 25, 2000.
Panelist “Building Consensus in Land Use and Growth”, Council of Michigan Foundations annual conference, Grand Traverse Resort, Acme, Michigan, October 4, 2000.
Panelist at “A Community Forum of Brownfield Redevelopment along Boardman Lake”, Traverse City, Michigan, October 13 and 27, 1998.
Panelist on “Impact of the Michigan Environmental Response Act” at the Michigan Department of Treasury’s 8th Annual Directions in Public Finance Conference at the Grand Traverse Resort, Acme Michigan on June 2, 1995.
Presented an Environmental Regulatory Update: Issues Related to Commercial Lender Liability for Old Kent Bank, March 11, 1994 and June 7, 1995.
Presented Guidelines for the Purchasing, Handling and Disposal of Hazardous Materials with Benson, McCurdy & Wotila, P.C. for Northern Michigan Purchasing Agents in Kalkaska, Michigan on March 9, 1994.
Presenter – An Overview of Michigan Environmental Response Act and Other Environmental Regulations for Grand Traverse Area Certified Public Accounts and Attorneys at the Grand Traverse Resort, Traverse City, December 10, 1991.
Guest Lecturer in Wetland Law – Detroit College of Law, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, Spring 2002.
Guest Lecturer in Environmental Justice Studies – University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Spring 1998.
Guest Lecturer in Environmental Justice and the Law – Cooley Law School, Lansing, Michigan, Fall 1997.
Guest Lecturer in Environmental Studies – Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1994 through 1999.
FURTHER EDUCATION
Seminar – New Digital Joint Permit Application (JPA) in MiWaters: Submitting Wetlands, Lakes and Streams Applications, Water Resources Division of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, March 5, 2019.
Training – Understanding the Depth of Deep Well Injection, North Central Michigan College, Petoskey, Michigan, May 20, 2010.
Training – Design for Rain Gardens: Stormwater and Runoff Control, North Carolina State University and Tetra Tech, April 16, 2009.
Training – Wetland Plant Identification, Wetland Training Institute, Dr. Mollenberg, Lansing, Michigan, May 21-24, 2002.
Training – Planning Hydrology for Constructed Wetlands, Wetland Training Institute, Dr. Gary Pierce, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings, Michigan, July 9 – 13, 2001.
Training – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation and Management Training, Richard Chinn Environmental Training, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, October 9 – 13, 2000.
Training – Special Wetland Area Management Project, Geographic Information System Wetland Data Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, Traverse City, Michigan, August 31, 2000.
Training – Web Site Design Course, Michigan State University Extension, University Center, Traverse City, Michigan May 4, 2000.
Training – American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Comprehensive Exam Preparatory Course, February through April 17, 2000.
Training – Computer Technologies and Groundwater Resource Data Management, U.S. EPA, Atlanta, Georgia, August 1986.
Seminar – Hazardous Waste Management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Waste Management Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, February 1989.
Training – Soil and Groundwater Sampling and Analysis – Michigan Department of Natural Resources, April 1989.
Training – Innovative Remedial Action Technologies, Environmental Response Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1989.
Seminar – Underground Storage Tank Management, Department of Engineering Professional Development, University of Wisconsin, 1989.
Training – Amendments to the Michigan Environmental Response Act, 1988 P.A. 307, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, 1990.
Seminar – Leak Detection and Corrective Action for Underground Storage Tanks, Department of Engineering Professional Development, University of Wisconsin, 1990.
Seminar – Groundwater Flow and Well Hydraulics, Department of Engineering Professional Development, University of Wisconsin, 1991.
Cleaning The Air in West Michigan #4: Recognizing and Dealing with Non-compliance, Varnum, Riddering, Schmidt and Howlett, and Grand Valley State University – Water Resources Institute, Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 1994.
ASTM – Environmental Site Assessment Up-date, Chicago, Illinois, August 1994.
Seminar – IBM PC Applications in Groundwater Pollution and Hydrology, Groundwater Modeling and Computer Technologies for Groundwater Quality Management – National Ground Water Association, Boston, Massachusetts, August 1994.
Workshop – Waste Minimization and Energy Efficiency Workshop – American Automobile Manufacturers Association, Michigan Departments of Commerce and Natural Resources and the U.S. EPA, Detroit, Michigan, December 1994.
Seminar – Clean Air Act Amendments, Sec. 112(R) – Process Safety Management and Risk Management Compliance, Michigan Association of Environmental Professionals Howell, Michigan, December 1994.
Workshop – Waste Minimization and Energy Efficiency Workshop – Michigan Departments of Commerce and Natural Resources, Traverse City, Michigan, May 1995.
Training – Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA) Applied at Petroleum Sites (ASTM E38-94), ASTM by Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation, Bellevue, Washington, July 14-15, 1995.
Conference – Restructuring Rural Society and Rural Sociology, Environmental Justice, 58th Annual Meeting, Rural Sociological Society, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Pentagon City, Virginia, August 17-20, 1995.
Conference – Michigan Chapter of the American Planning Association and the Michigan Society of Planning Officials, 4th Annual Joint Conference, “Planning Michigan For the People, By the People”, Amway Grand Plaza, Grand Rapids, Michigan, September 22-25, 1999.
Seminar – Innovative Septic Technologies, Michigan State University Engineering Department, Michigan State University Extension and Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, Traverse City Library, Traverse City, Michigan, August 25, 2000.
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society
Golden Key National Honor Society
Alpha Zeta Agriculture and Natural Resources Honor Society
Numerous MSU scholarships and assistantships – 3/84 through 3/86
MSU graduate student fellowship – 9/92 through 8/98
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
OSHA 40-Hour Site Safety Training
OSHA 8-Hour Site Safety Training
OSHA Hazardous Waste Site Supervisory Safety Training
Qualified Underground Storage Tank Professional #190, State of Michigan, Department of Environmental Quality
Michigan Association of Planning, certified instructor
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
National Association of Environmental Professionals, member
National Ground Water Association, member
Society of Wetland Scientists, member
Michigan Association Planning, certified instructor and former education committee member
American Planning Association, member