Arianne Neigh

Senior Associate

Contact via Email

Areas of Expertise: Risk assessment, site characterization and remediation under CERCLA and RCRA, environmental impact assessment and monitoring, nanomaterials, data management and auditing, training.

Education/Certifications: Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology-Zoology, Michigan State University and Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from Grand Valley State University

Arianne is a toxicologist and environmental assessment professional with over 20 years of experience providing support to private, state, federal, and international clients. She has worked extensively in the areas of site characterization, risk assessment, remediation, environmental impact assessment, and environmental and health and safety monitoring.

Arianne has specialized expertise in the following:

• Working on complex projects under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
• Leading site and risk assessments for Superfund, brownfields, military, and industrial sites, including rigorous data and remediation planning.
• Developing environmental and social policy and regulatory procedures.
• Auditing environmental safeguard procedures for multilateral international development organizations in infrastructure, water, economic growth, and energy.
• Consulting on environmental safeguards for energy, infrastructure, and international trade agreements.
• Designing and delivering compliance training to domestic and foreign audiences using adult learning and multimedia methods.
• Directing stakeholder engagement and community outreach programs to support environmental protection and safe development of contaminated sites.
• Leading multi-institutional research and development programs of nanomaterials.
• Managing federal and internal grants and contracts for environmental site assessments and compliance.

Arianne most recently worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), serving in several key environmental roles, including Senior Environmental Advisor and Mission Environmental Officer for the Africa Bureau, Power Africa, and Prosper Africa. Prior to working with USAID, she served in a variety of environmental positions, including positions with the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and NanoComposix.

Highlights of Arianne’s career include the following project work:

Risk Assessment and Site Characterization

• Directed avian ecological risk assessments for the Kalamazoo River Superfund site, which was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, and furans.
• Provided technical review for the human health risk assessment at the Annapolis Lead Mine Superfund Site and downstream Sutton Branch Creek.
• Managed development of a screening environmental and human health risk assessment for phosphine gas use in warehousing and food storage scenarios.
• Evaluated risk for the large-scale use of larvicides and insecticides in global emergency programs for malaria, fall armyworm, and Zika outbreaks.
• Analyzed pesticide risk and safety requirements for a multinational response to locust outbreaks across Africa.

Regulatory Support

• Served as a lead on pesticide regulatory oversight and training for USAID’s Africa programs, including procedure development, reporting, field safety monitoring, and product procurement approvals.
• Managed USAID’s environment compliance process for Africa, including enforcement of NEPA in extraterritorial regions and incorporation of host country regulations into U.S. Government-funded programming.
• Designed and implemented environmental monitoring programs for wastewater discharge, air emissions, and non-point source pollutants.
• Served as Activity Manager for a U.S. Department of Agriculture-USAID agreement with Michigan State University to investigate pesticide residue levels in eight African countries. Outputs included training local staff on laboratory procedures, information sharing with foreign governments and ministries, and further support to develop and refine maximum residue limits and tolerances for U.S. trade partners.
• Served on a collaborative team developing USAID’s water quality guidance, which set implementable water quality thresholds and analysis procedures for both emergency programs and larger development agendas.

Environmental Assessments, Auditing, and Monitoring

• Managed updates of USAID’s compliance procedures for malaria control programs in Africa. Collaboratively established monitoring requirements, best practice standards, pesticide risk assessments, safe spraying protocols near water, disposal guidelines, staff training, and worker health monitoring.
• Evaluated and provide recommendations for health care waste management and changes to regulatory structures in three Africa countries.
• Served as biologist, risk assessor, and compliance expert, supporting Navy and Marine Corps Base Realignment and Closure Program.
• Conducted comprehensive audits of U.S. Government-supported environmental compliance processes. Produced detailed action plans and corrective measures for complex development activities, including infrastructure projects.
• Led multi-team biodiversity and conservation assessments to provide extensive review of host country development plans, laws, and research, as well as field verified community-level stakeholder input, perceived environmental threats, and potential responses to be integrated into development strategies.
• Led health and safety inspections for the Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) programs, which included leading local partners and officials on field inspections of training, spray practices, training, community communication, equipment and vehicle inspection, storage areas, and disposal practices.

Nanomaterials

• Advised California EPA on nanomaterial manufacturing practices, waste characterization, monitoring methods, and occupational/public exposure concerns.
• Developed safety data and registration dossiers for the European Commission’s registration program and provided technical responses to state and federal data calls.
• Developed two sets of international nanomaterial standards certified by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the U.S. National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) and led the commercialization process of the standard once approved.
• Led a consortium of scientists developing and refining toxicity testing protocols for compatibility with nanomaterials and colloidal systems.

Arianne is the author of many technical publications discussing exposure, toxicity, and risks associated with pesticides, PCBs, and nanoparticles. She has her Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology-Zoology with a focus on risk assessment, aquatic ecology, wildlife toxicology, and avian biology from Michigan State University and a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Grand Valley State University.