Mike Gunsinger, M.Sc., P.Geo., is a Principal Hydrogeochemist with Trinity Consultants Canada and has been working in the mining industry for more than 15 years. Mike has provided environmental geochemistry and hydrogeology services to a variety of clients with projects located in Canada and throughout the Americas, including projects located in Guatemala, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. His technical expertise includes environmental geochemistry, hydrogeology, water quality modelling, and mine closure.

Mike has experience as a Subject Matter Expert on projects focused on various phases of mining: greenfield and development, operational management and support, closure and rehabilitation planning, and post-closure monitoring. He specializes in assessing the potential for mine wastes to generate acidic and metal-rich effluents (acid rock drainage or ARD) through geochemical characterization studies and evaluates the potential effects to water quality through numerical modelling and assimilative capacity studies. His groundwater experience consists of designing and carrying out hydrogeology investigations and groundwater monitoring programs, managing and supervising drilling activities, and leading studies that assess the fate and transport of contaminants in the subsurface. Mike also has experience with stable and radioactive isotopes, radioactivity and radiological assessments, and radiation safety planning. Mike’s work on geochemistry and hydrogeology studies provide input to environmental assessments, permit applications, mine waste planning, and water management/treatment designs.

Mike has a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree from the University of Guelph in Environmental Sciences with a major in Environmental Monitoring and Analysis and a minor in Water Resources. Following his undergraduate degree, Mike attained a Masters of Science (M.Sc.) degree from the University of Waterloo in Hydrogeochemistry and Hydrogeology. Mike is a registered Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) with the Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (PGO) and the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Nova Scotia (APGNS). He has published several peer-reviewed papers on tailings and groundwater hydrogeochemistry, sulphide oxidation, acid rock drainage, and closure of tailings facilities. Mike has also completed third-party technical and editorial reviews for journal papers published in Applied Geochemistry.

Mike serves as Divisional President, Water & Ecology at Trinity. In this senior executive role, he is responsible for developing and implementing strategies that enhance the firm’s industry leading growth and operational excellence for Trinity’s global portfolio of water and ecology businesses. During this tenure with Trinity, he has served as senior operations leader in EHS consulting and in executive sponsor roles for Trinity’s EHS Digital Solutions team, Trinity’s aquatic toxicology team (Minnow Aquatic Environmental Solutions, Canada), Trinity’s ecological survey team (ECOSA, UK) and Trinity’s environmental consulting business in Ireland (AWN Consulting). He has also led firm-wide corporate strategy efforts since 2012 and is a member of the firm’s Board of Directors.

In Mike’s technical consulting capacity over 30 years, he is a recognized expert in providing regulatory and strategic advice as well as thought leadership on the most complex environmental and sustainability issues facing Trinity’s clients. In this area, he works closely with senior executives, client technical staff, and other stakeholders in evaluating and implementing initiatives that support and propel his client’s long-term growth and success. Mike has authored numerous technical papers and presentations on a wide variety of environmental and sustainability topics. Additionally, he has served as a consulting and testifying expert witness in state and federal environmental litigation and enforcement cases.

In 2014, Mike was selected as a member of the ASTM technical committee responsible for authoring the inaugural Product Category Rule (PCR) for Cement Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Since 2015, Mike has served as appointed member of the State of Maryland Climate Change Commission’s Mitigation Work Group as an industry representative.