Expert Witness Services

Expert support for environmental risks and liabilities

Oracle Environmental’s scientists regularly provide independent environmental expert witness services on civil claims and criminal prosecutions particularly in relation to environmental impacts arising from pollution incidents and historically contaminated land.

Oracle Environmental scientists have received training from the Academy of Experts and senior staff are also Members of the Academy of Experts and have attained the status of Accredited Environmental Expert Witness through the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Managers (CIWEM) and the Academy of Experts.

We provide expert advice on cases relating to the pollution of the land and water environment by substances including petroleum hydrocarbons, animal slurry, digestate and industrial chemicals. We have provided expert evidence on the scope and cost of remediation works, the nature and extent of contaminant impact and causation of pollution incidents which has included environmental forensic assessment and commissioning of materials forensic assessments.

We are experienced in the provision of oral and written evidence including reports and statements for civil, criminal, industrial tribunal and arbitration proceedings.

Our experts can provide assistance with the following:

  •  Assessment of the nature, extent and severity of environmental impact

  • Assessment of incident causation

  • Commercial disputes and insurance claims

  • Criminal defence and prosecution

  • Engagement with regulators and advice to avoid escalation of compliance issues and mitigate against prosecution

  • Environmental permit & regulatory compliance checks and assessments

  • Negotiation of enforcement undertakings (civil sanctions)

  • Review of remediation works completed and reasonableness of costs incurred

Our Expert Witness Expertise

Our experts provide clients with clear and robust expert opinion, grounded in our direct experience in the response and remediation industry and the waste and contaminated land sectors.

Meet the Experts

  • Dr Jon Burton

    Managing Director

    Areas of expertise – Spill Response, Contaminated Land Investigation and Remediation, Contaminant Hydrogeology, Controlled Waters Risk Assessment

    Jon is the Managing Director of Oracle Environmental Experts Ltd (OEE), a company established by Jon and his colleague, Diane Green, to provide expert environmental advice and support, particularly with respect to the assessment and mitigation of environmental impacts, risks and liabilities associated with pollution incidents and historically contaminated land.

    Jon has over 20 years’ experience in the environmental industry having worked with regulators and with specialist consultants and remediation contractors. Jon has worked on thousands of projects involving the investigation, assessment and remediation of various sites including, but not limited to, oil spills on domestic and commercial properties, former gasworks, shipyards, tanneries, landfills, foundries, petrol filling stations, oil storage depots and recycling facilities.

    Jon regularly provides expert witness services and has participated in a wide range of legal cases and is practiced in the provision of evidence for both civil and criminal proceedings. Jon has provided expert advice on cases relating to pollution from substances including petroleum hydrocarbons, sewage, slurry, surfactants, waste leachates and solvents. Jon has provided expert advice and opinion on numerous cases relating to alleged negligence of consultants and contractors involved in the remediation of soil and groundwater contamination arising from pollution incidents and historically contaminated land. Jon has also provided expert evidence on incident causation which has included environmental forensic assessment and commissioning of materials forensic assessment, for example on corroded pipework leading to pollution incidents.

    Jon is a former Chairman of the UK Spill Association (UK & Eire Spill), the trade association representing companies, organizations and individuals working in the spill response industry in the UK and Ireland, which is recognized by the UK and Irish Environmental and Maritime Regulators as the national industry body for the commercial and related interests of the industry. Jon has also been an independent assessor for the Spill Response Contractors Accreditation Scheme previously managed by UK& Eire Spill, and is currently a board director for the International Spill Accreditation Scheme (ISAS) which provides independent accreditation of the knowledge, experience and capabilities of spill response firms operating from the UK and Ireland. As part of his role within ISAS, Jon provides regular technical updates to accredited members, assists with the setting of standards for the accreditation scheme, and with the compilation and review of best practice guidance.

    Jon has a PhD in contaminant hydrogeology and after completing his PhD, Jon worked with the Environment Agency for England and Wales, enforcing contaminated land legislation and providing specialist advice on the investigation and remediation of contaminated land and pollution incidents.

    Jon has been a Member and Chartered Scientist with the Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) since 2006 and is an Accredited Expert Water & Environment Witness through his membership with the Academy of Experts and CIWEM. Jon is also a member of the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA).

    Jon is an honorary member of the UK Spill Association, a Fellow of the Geological Society, a member of the UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA) and a member of the International Spill Control Organization (ISCO).

  • Dr Diane Watson

    Director

    Areas of expertise – Spill Response, Geochemistry, Controlled Waters and Human Health Risk Assessment.

    Diane is a director of Oracle Environmental Experts Limited (OEE) and has over 20 years’ experience in the environmental industry. Prior to establishing OEE in September 2014, Diane held the position of Principal Scientist with a specialist oil spill response and remediation company where she worked for 10 years. As Principal Scientist within the Expert and Special Projects Team, Diane was responsible for the delivery of specialist and complex projects, providing technical support and advice on a range of issues relating to the investigation, assessment and remediation of soil, surface water and groundwater contamination and delivery of R&D projects.

    At OEE, Diane has been responsible for the management and technical review of a range of pollution response and remediation projects as well as developing internal technical guidance, training and technical procedures.

    Diane has a BSc (Hons) degree in Geology from the University of Wales College of Cardiff in 1997 and an MSc (Adv) in Organic Geochemistry from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1998. Diane subsequently completed a PhD entitled ‘Environmental Distribution and Sedimentary Fate of Hopanoid Biological Marker Compounds’ at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2002.

    Diane is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London.

  • Sam Perkins

    Principal Consultant

    Areas of expertise – Spill Response, Land and Water Remediation, Contaminant Hydrogeology

    Sam is an MSc qualified hydrogeologist with experience in the brownfield investigation, remediation and spill response sectors.

    Sam's previous experience includes the completion of Phase I and Phase II site investigations as well as supervision of remediation works on brownfield sites including petrol filling stations, rail depots, landfills and quarry sites. He also has extensive hands-on experience of commercial and domestic spill incidents having worked for one of the UK's leading spill response and remediation firms.

    Sam has a BSc in Geology and Geography and an MSc in hydrogeology from the University of Birmingham. He joined OEE in 2015 and was promoted to Principal Environmental Consultant in 2020.

  • David Newton

    Senior Environmental Consultant

    Areas of expertise – Contaminated Land Investigation and Remediation, Spill Response, Environmental Impact Assessment and Planning, Occupational Exposure Monitoring and Assessment

    David has worked within the environmental sector since 2002 and is currently a Senior Environmental Consultant at Oracle Environmental Experts.

    David specialises in spill response, contaminated land investigation and remediation. environmental impact assessment and planning, and regularly undertakes environmental expert witness work for OEE.

    On behalf of OEE, David works on recent and historic pollution incidents, on the investigation and remediation of sites contaminated with a wide range of contaminants including heavy metals, asbestos containing materials and solvents.

    David also regularly provides occupational exposure monitoring for personnel that could be exposed to contaminants such as hexavalent chromium and beryllium.

    David also provides training on spill response to pollution incidents to a wide range of clients across the UK. 

    David has a BSc (Hons) degree in Environmental Science and an MSc in Integrated Environmental Studies and is Associate Member of the Institute of Environmental Management (AIEMA).Description goes here