Ann Schnitz

Ann Schnitz is AlterEcho’s Principal Toxicologist and risk assessor. She works on all projects involving the determination of chemical toxicity and risk to human health and the environment.

Expertise: Ann has more than 30 years of experience in the environmental consulting field, specializing in toxicology, risk assessment, field biology/ecology, and data analysis. She has worked with federal and state governments, as well as industry clients in the United States and Canada. Ann has performed, managed, and developed numerous human health and ecological risk assessments for various governmental, commercial, retail, refinery, and Fortune 100 industrial clients, under both state and federal jurisdictions. She has written and managed human health and ecological risk assessments under various regulatory programs, including RCRA, CERCLA, SDWA, TSCA, and CAA.

Key Experience: Ann’s extensive experience includes writing and managing risk assessments involving a variety of media and contaminants, such as total petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, solvents, metals, PAHs, PCBs, explosives, and emerging contaminants like PFAS. One of her most unusual work assignments involved surveying a property for endangered species at a former nuclear weapons test site in Mississippi, which was memorable for both the extreme weather conditions and encounters with copperheads and cottonmouths.

Professional Insight: Ann believes that one of the biggest obstacles to a better environment is the need for people to overcome their greed and care enough to change their habits. She believes that we need to get to a point where it is more economically viable to protect the environment than to harm it for personal gain.

Personal Interests: Ann enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her dog and friends. She is also a dedicated volunteer at West Sound Wildlife Shelter in Bainbridge Island, WA, where she has helped care for injured and orphaned wild animals for over ten years.