RESOLUTION FOR BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 1, 2017
Title
RESOLUTION sponsored by the Board of Commissioners recognizing Dr. Lakhwinder S. Hundal’s 25 years of service and contribution to the field of soil and water environment
Body
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal is a loving husband to wife Anita and a proud and devoted father to son Harmon and daughter Simran; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal earned a Ph.D in Environmental Sciences from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 1993 - 1997; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal is a world renowned Environmental Research Scientist and an international expert in the beneficial reuse of biosolids; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal is internationally recognized for his research on the fate and behavior of emerging organic contaminants in land-applied biosolids, the ability to communicate with stakeholders, and address health and safety related public concerns; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal has represented and highlighted MWRD well in local, national, and international conferences, won several prestigious awards and recognition for the District including the ‘Exemplary Biosolids Management Award’ from USEPA and ‘Communicating with Stakeholders - One Person at a Time’ from NACWA, and has served on numerous local, national, and international committees and task forces; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal lead the District-wide initiative to convert turfgrass landscape into native prairie landscape to reduce land management costs and to promote soil and water conservation practices in the District’s service area. This initiative was recognized with the “Conservation and Native Landscaping Award” by USEPA and Chicago Wilderness; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal evaluated new technologies for improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the District’s solids management operations while protecting water quality; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal has delivered over 30 invited lectures on the beneficial reuse of biosolids and the risk, fate, and behavior of emerging contaminants in land-applied biosolids in regional, national and international conferences and symposia; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal conducted numerous research and demonstration projects to fulfill the District’s mission to protect water quality and the environment; and
WHEREAS, he developed collaborative multi-disciplinary research projects with scientists and engineers from academia and government agencies to investigate point and non-point sources of common environmental stressors (nutrients, metals, emerging organic contaminants, and sediments) on landscape and watershed scales to reduce pollutant loadings in the Lake Michigan watershed; and
WHEREAS, he promoted land application of biosolids, investigated the occurrence, fate, mobility, and toxicity of emerging organic contaminants in soils/sediments and water environments, and evaluated the effects of biosolids-borne metals and emerging organic contaminants on ecological indicators such as soil microbial activity, community structure, and soil biota in soils amended with biosolids; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal performed risk assessment evaluations of emerging organic pollutants in urban and agricultural soils amended with biosolids and prepared scientific reports and published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal showcased the use of biosolids in ecological restoration of degraded land in the Calumet area (Cluster Sites) to reduce runoff and improve water quality to protect wetlands and enhance ecological services in the Little Calumet River watershed and provided expert guidance and oversight on the Water Environment Research Foundation’s national initiative to generate scientific data for conducting a meaningful ecological risk assessment for biosolids-borne endocrine-disrupting compounds in the soil and water environments; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal evaluated green infrastructure such as native prairie landscapes, rain gardens, etc. as potential BMPs for stormwater mitigation and management as well as reviewed new and emerging regulatory changes and provided feedback to the agency. He also managed the Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP) groundwater monitoring program and worked with USGS researchers to review and revise the monitoring program to ensure protection of the region’s waterways in a sustainable and economical manner; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal has published over 110 papers, research reports, and book chapters including 40 peer-reviewed scientific publications in reputed international journals, delivered 40 lectures at national and international meetings and symposia, and prepared many monitoring and compliance reports; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal received the following awards and honors during his tenure at MWRD:
• Chair, USDA’s -CREES W-3170 Committee on Beneficial Reuse of Residuals and Reclaimed Water - Impact on Soil Ecosystem and Human Health, 2013 - 2016
• Expert Advisor, National Biosolids Partnership (NBP), 2015 - Present
• Chair, Biosolids and Resource Recovery Committee - Illinois Water Environment Association (IWEA), 2015 - 2016
• Member, Residuals and Biosolids Committee - WEF, 2014
• Honorary Member of the International Committee on The Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE), 2012 - 2016
• Outstanding Associate Editor, Journal of Environmental Quality, 2011
• Best Technical Presentation Award, IWEA, 2008; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Hundal’s professional services include:
• Member of Irrometer Professional Certification Service Award Committee for Soil Science Society of America, 2012 - 2014
• WERF’s Trace Organics Research Challenge Exploratory Team member, 2010 - 2011
• WERF’s Trace Organics Issue Area Team member, 2011-2015
• Member of International Soil Science Award committee, 2010 - 2011
• Member of Expert Review Panel for “Microconstituents in Biosolids - Technical Practice Update” WERF, 2007
• Project Sub-committee and Technical Review Panel for “Protocols for Evaluating Biosolids Land Application Sites for Groundwater Contamination” WERF, 2007 - 2009
• Organized and chaired a symposium on “Emerging Contaminants in Land-Applied Manures and Biosolids” ASA-CSSA; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we, the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, on behalf of ourselves and staff, hereby officially recognize Dr. Lakhwinder S. Hundal’s 25 years of service and contribution to the field of soil and water environment; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this Resolution be spread upon the permanent Record of Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and a copy of same, suitably engrossed, be presented to Dr. Lakhwinder S. Hundal.
Dated: June 1, 2017
Approved: MARIYANA T. SPYROPOULOS, President; BARBARA J. MCGOWAN, Vice President; FRANK AVILA, Chairman, Committee on Finance; TIMOTHY BRADFORD; MARTIN J. DURKAN; JOSINA MORITA; DEBRA SHORE; KARI K. STEELE; DAVID J. WALSH; Commissioners of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
Approved as to Form and Legality: Susan T. Morakalis, Acting General Counsel, STM