Areas of Expertise:

Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Clean Energy, Climate Change, Coal, Energy Economics, Energy Efficiency, Energy Storage, Infrastructure, Regulation, Renewables, Solar, Water

Additional Areas of Expertise:

Organic farming and workforce training

Chris Hardin, P.E. is a geotechnical and environmental professional engineer with over 25 years experience specializing in the technical and business management aspects of responsible waste handling, groundwater remediation, renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. His previous professional work included serving as an Executive Committee of the American Coal Ash Association and as a national coal combustion practice leader for several international engineering companies. He is currently serving as professional in residence and industry partner at the Energy Production Infrastructure Center (EPIC) at UNC Charlotte. Mr. Hardin through his work at UNC Charlotte and various trade organizations actively promotes the beneficial reuse of coal ash, practical in-place stabilization of coal ash basins, and renewable energy initiatives. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1987 and is a registered professional engineer in six states including North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. During his career Chris has worked on large scale saturated sediment remediation projects, and foundations for LNG energy projects in both the United States and China.

Mr. Hardin’s professional experience has been focused on responsible waste management practices, sediment remediation, coal ash management and containment system design. His project experience includes the engineering design and construction of lined landfills, slope stability monitoring systems and wet ash basin closure projects in the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast and Midwest. He was previously the technical advisory consultant to the North Coal Ash Management Commission, and is regularly consulted by local and regional environmental and sustainable farming organizations, and ASTM International. While serving as a working member of the E50 committee he was responsible for writing several sections of ASTM E2277, the Standard Guide for Design and Construction of Coal Ash Structural Fills. In addition, he has written or co-authored numerous technical papers and presentations including Best Management Practices for Coal Ash Storage Facilities, 2009, Practical Considerations for Wet Coal Ash Pond Systems, 2011, Evaluation of the Settlement Behavior of Flyash for Ash Basin Closure Projects, 2013, and the Dagu Canal Sediment Remediation Landfill, Tianjin, China 2004.

Recent Experience Applicable to Coal Ash Impoundments and Beneficial Use: Currently Managing Director of the UNC Charlotte EPIC, Coal Ash and Liquid Management (CALM) Office, a technical oriented consortium of 20 of the largest and most experienced contractors and engineers work on ash basin closures across the United States. • Working relationship (un-paid technical adviser) with Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation on coal ash and water/energy issues. • Has observed and provided technical assistance on over 20 coal ash impoundment closure projects in North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and across the South/Southeast. • Working committee member of the Resource Stewardship Action Group of the Professional Engineers of North Carolina.

In his personal and family life Chris attempts to model a balanced approach to energy production and sustainable waste management practices. Chris and his family have permitted, designed, financed and almost paid for their private solar energy system that includes a 6.6 kW system on his family farm in Huntersville. This family demonstration project is a working 8-acre sustainable agriculture farm in North Mecklenburg County run by Chris, his wife, various farming friends and his four children. The Hardin Farm uses sustainable agriculture methods to produce food for several families, as well as grass fed beef and hydroponic lettuce that is sold to friends and local farmers markets. The farm is “powered” using a combination of manual labor, and solar, coal fired and nuclear generated electric power from the local power grid. The balanced approach to energy and waste management on this sustainable agriculture farm results in an operation that is approximately is 75 % carbon neutral and 75 % reduce, recycle and reuse.