John Hillenbrand serves as a regional coordinator for mining activities and provides technical expertise to mine site case workers within Region 9 as well as co-chair of EPA's national mining team. Mr. Hillenbrand holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology from the University of California, Davis and a Masters of Science degree in Geology from the University of California, Riverside. He is a professionally licensed geologist and engineering geologist in the State of California.

Mr. Hillenbrand is a geologist with 27 years of experience in the water quality and solid waste. For the past 20 years he has specialized in mining at EPA's Region 9 office which covers California, Nevada and Arizona.

This experience includes Clean Water Act inspections, compliance and enforcement for acid mine drainage and stormwater discharges as well as Superfund project experience at mine drainage and smelter sites. He is currently the Project Manager for the Klau Mercury Mine site in California for the Superfund Division.

Other activities include CERCLA Section 108(b) financial assurance regulation development for EPA and Environmental Impact Report technical review of acid mine drainage and water quality impacts from mining projects affecting federal lands within Region 9. Previous to EPA, he worked for Regional Water Quality Control Boards in the San Francisco Bay and Santa Ana Regions conducting groundwater site cleanups and landfill design, inspection and enforcement.