DRI / DIRECTORY / BILL ALBRIGHT
Bill Albright Profile Photo
Dr. Bill Albright
Associate Research Professor Emeritus
Phone 
775-673-7314
E-Mail 
Bill.Albright@dri.edu
Campus 
Reno Campus
Division 
Hydrologic Sciences

Professional Interests

My undergraduate education in environmental toxicology and initial professional experience was directed at the use of environmental tracers to determine the extent and effects of urban air pollution on visibility and human health. Extensive experience in analytical chemistry led to several years of work in weather modification. Initial graduate work in hydrogeology involved the application of principles of unsaturated hydrology to the development of a facility for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste on the Nevada Test Site. Recent work and my Ph.D. dissertation focus on evaluating the performance of final landfill covers at 13 sites across the US to provide field-scale data for the development of design guidance, improved numerical modeling, and regulatory revision for waste management. Other projects at DRI involved a series of hydrogeological investigations including the effects on groundwater resources of wastewater irrigation and characterization of recharge and discharge in ambient and irrigated conditions in the Great Basin.

Research Areas

  • Remediation design
  • Landfill closure
  • Vadose zone hydrology in arid lands
  • Recharge in the Great Basin

Research Website

Education

Degree Year Institution Area
Ph.D. 2005 University of Nevada, Reno Hydrogeology
M.S. 1996 University of Nevada, Reno Hydrology/Hydrogeology
B.S. 1976 University of California, Davis Environmental Toxicology

PhD. Dissertation Title: Field Water Balance of Landfill Final Covers

M.S. Thesis Title: Physical and Hydrologic Characteristics of an Amended Soil Proposed as a Low Permeability Component of a Radioactive Waste Landfill Cover

Academic Affiliations

  • Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences University of Nevada Reno

Keywords

landfill, mine waste, radioactive waste, municipal waste, final cover, remediation

 

Publications
2015
Pohll, G. M., Chapman, J. B., Pohlmann, K. F., Plume, R. W., Parashar, R., Rybarski, S. C., Hershey, R. L., Fereday, W. H., Reeves, D. M., Thomas, J. M., Albright, W. H. (2015). Interim Final Report, Hydraulic Fracturing in the Upper Humboldt River Basin, Aquifer Quality Assessment Program, Desert Research Institute Publication No. 41263

2013
Pohlmann, K. F., Meyer, W. J., Albright, W. H., Forsee, W. J. (2013). Assessment of Conditions at Closed Rural Landfills in Clark County, Nevada

2010
Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H., Waugh, W. J. (2010). Water Balance Covers for Waste Containment: Principles and Practice

2007
Benson, C. H., Sawangsuriya, A., Trzebiatowski, B., Albright, W. H. (2007). Postconstruction chanages in the hydraulic properties of water balance cover soils, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 133 (4), 349-359, 10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2007)133:4(349)

2006
Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Pohlmann, K. F., Pohll, G. M., Zachritz, W. H., Zitzer, S. F., Shafer, D. S., Nester, I., Oyelowo, L. (2006). Incorporating parametric uncertainty in the design of alternative landfill covers in arid regions, Vadose Zone Journal, 5, 742-750

Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H., Gee, G. W., Abichou, T., McDonald, E. V., Tyler, S. W., Rock, S. A. (2006). Field Performance of a Compacted Clay Landfill FinalCover at a Humid Site, Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, 132 (11), 1393-1403

Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H., Gee, G. W., Abichou, T., Tyler, S. W., Rock, S. A. (2006). Field Performance of Three Compacted Clay Landfill Covers, Vadose Zone Journal, 5, 1157-1171

Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Pohlmann, K. F., Pohll, G. M., Zachritz, W. H., Zitzer, S. F., Shafer, D. S., Nester, I., Oyelowo, L. (2006). Designing alternative landfill covers using parametric uncertainty analysis.Chapter Designing alternative landfill covers using parametric uncertainty analysis.. In , Unsaturated Soils, 682-694

Albright, W. H., Jasoni, R. L., Cablk, M. E., Thomas, J. M., Decker, D. L., Arnone, J.A. III (2006). Groundwater Evapotranspiration in Smoke Creek Desert, Nevada. Final Report to SEMPRA Generation, DRI Report #41224

2005
Abichou, T., Powelson, D., Aitchison, E., Benson, C. H., Albright, W. H. (2005). Water balances in vegetated lysimeters at a Georgia landfill, Soil Crop Sci. Soc. Florida Proc., 64, 1-8

Gee, G. W., Zhang, Z. S., Tyler, S. W., Albright, W. H., Singleton, M. (2005). Chloride Mass Balance: Cautions in Predicting Increased Recharge Rates, Vadose Zone Journal, 4, 72-78

Benson, C. H., Bohnhoff, G., Ogorzalek, A., Shackelford, C., Apiwantragoon, P., Albright, W. H. (2005). Field data and model predictions for an alternative cover, Waste Containment and Remediation, GSP 142

2004
Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H., Gee, G. W., Roesler, A., Abichou, T., Apiwantragoon, P., Lyles, B. F., Rock, S. A. (2004). Field water balance of landfill final covers, Journal of Environmental Quality, 33

McCurdy, G. D., Albright, W. H. (2004). Estimates of Potential Evapotranspiration at Selected Sites in Eastern Nevada from Meteorological Station Data, DRI Report No. 41198

Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Zachritz, W., Shafer, D. S., Pohlmann, K. F., Cablk, M. E., Zitzer, S. F., McDonald, E. V. (2004). Technical approach for designing alternative covers at Edwards Air Force Base, California., Prepared for Air Force Flight Test Center, Environmental Management Directorate, Edwards Air Force Base, California. Desert Research Institute publication No. 41192, Contract #DACA05-02-C-0009

2003
Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H., Gee, G. W., Abichou, T., Roesler, A. C., Rock, S. A. (2003). Examining the Alternatives, Civil Engineering, 70-75

Thomas, J. M., Albright, W. H. (2003). Estimated Groundwater Recharge to Dry Valley, Northeastern Nevada, Using the Chloride Mass Balance Method, DRI Report No. 41191

Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Zachritz, W., Shafer, D. S., Pohlmann, K. F., Cablk, M. E., Zitzer, S. F., McDonald, E. V. (2003). Technical Approach for Designing Alternative Covers at Edwards Air Force Base, California, DRI Report No. 41192

2002
Albright, W. H., Benson, C. H. (2002). Alternative Cover Assessment Program, 2002 Annual Report. Desert Research Institute: Reno, NV, DRI Report No. 41182.

Albright, W. H., Gee, G. W., Wilson, G. V., Fayer, M. J. (2002). Alternative Cover Assessment Project: Phase I Report

2001
Benson, C. H., Abichou, T., Albright, W. H., Gee, G. W., Roesler, A. C. (2001). Field Evaluation of Alternative Earthen Final Covers, International J. of Phytoremediation, 3, 105-127

Albright, W. H. (2001). Alternative Engineered Earthen Final Cover System — Final Report, DRI Report No. 41168

1997
Albright, W. H. (1997). Application of the Hydrus-2D Model to Landfill Cover Design in the State of Nevada, 36, DRI Report No. 41153

Conference Proceedings
2008
Waugh, W. J., Kastens, M. K., Sheader, L. R., Benson, C. H., Albright, W. H., Mushovic, P. S. (2008). Monitoring the Performance of an Alternative Landfill Cover at theMonticello, Utah, Uranium Mill Tailings Disposal Site. WM2008 Conference: Phoenix, AZ

2006
Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Pohlmann, K. F., Pohll, G. M., Zachritz, W. H., Zitzer, S. F., Shafer, D. S., Nester, I., Oyelowo, L. (2006). Designing alternative landfill covers using parametric uncertainty analysis, Unsaturated Soils 2006: Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Unsaturated Soils, Geotechnical Special Publication, No. 147, 682-693. ASCE: Reston, VA, April 2, 2006-April 6, 2006

Young, M. H., Albright, W. H., Pohlmann, K. F., Pohll, G. M., Zachritz, W. H., Zitzer, S. F., Shafer, D. S., Nester, I., Oyelowo, L. (2006). Designing Alternative Landfill Covers Using Parametric Uncertainty Analysis: Carefree, Arizona, USA

2005
Benson, C. H., Bohnhoff, G. L., Ogorzalek, A. S., Shackelford, C. D., Apiwantragoon, P., Albright, W. H. (2005). Field Data and Model Predictions for a Monolithic Alternative Cover, 1-12: Austin TX

Gee, G. W., Keller, J. M., Serne, R. J., Albright, W. H., Decker, D. L. (2005). Chloride Mass Balance Errors in Low-Chloride Environments

2004
Benson, C. H., Bohnhoff, G. L., Apiwantragoon, P., Ogorzalek, A. S., Shackelford, C. D., Albright, W. H. (2004). Comparison of Model Predictions and Field Data for an ET Cover, 137-142: Balkema, Leiden, Netherlands

Albright, W. H., Young, M. H., Pohlmann, K. F., Zitzer, S. F. (2004). Sensitivity analysis as a design tool for alternative final landfill covers: Denver, Colorado

Benson, C. H., Albright, W. H. (2004). Field Water Balance of Final Landfill Covers: The USEPA’s Alternative Cover Assessment Program (ACAP): Cardiff, Wales

2003
Apiwantragoon, P., Benson, C. H., Albright, W. H. (2003). Comparison of water balance predictions made with HYDRUS-2D and field data from the Alternative Cover Assessment Program (ACAP). MODFLOW and More 2003: Understanding through Modeling.

2002
Benson, C. H., Albright, W. H., Roesler, A. C., Abichou, T. (2002). Evaluation of Final Cover Performance: Field Data from the Alternative Cover Assessment Program (ACAP). WM ’02 Conference: Tucson, AZ