Kerry Rowe, P.Eng

Dr. Kerry Rowe's 20-year career in landfill engineering has produced advancements in landfill design and operation around the world. Upon arriving at the University of Western Ontario in 1978, Rowe began work to further the understanding of diffusion as a contaminant transport method. Later, his experience with geosynthetic liners and diffusion was eagerly awaited by three consulting firms working for the Interim Waste Authority here in Ontario. Engineer Rowe is highly regarded for his finite layer theory, which can quickly model the movement of contaminants in soil. In the mid-1980s, he incorporated this theory into two computer modeling programs. Now the industry standard in Ontario, they are also used world wide to predict the behaviour and fate of contaminants as they move through engineered systems and into the natural groundwater environment. Rowe's work was instrumental in the design of Ontario's Halton and Grimsby landfills, both of which employ the latest engineering advances, including his computer modeling and hydraulic trap design. In addition, he has been directly involved in the design of 19 other landfills in North America and Australia