People Spotlight: Meet Aimee Ruiter
Our People Spotlight series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a project manager from our Environment business line in the U.S. East and Latin America region and providing an insight into her inspiration and work.
Aimee Ruiter is a licensed civil engineer and sustainability professional with 24 years of experience in environmental remediation consulting. She specializes in sustainable remediation and leads multidisciplinary teams through complex remediation design projects. Her experience spans the full lifecycle of remediation – from site investigation and remedial alternative evaluation to design, construction, and site closure. Over the years, she has focused on the remediation design of former industrial sites, including manufacturing facilities, manufactured gas plants, railyards, and petroleum refineries.
A passionate advocate for sustainability, Aimee is an Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and holds a professional certification in Sustainability from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She plays a key role in advancing AECOM’s sustainable and regenerative remediation program. Her work includes development of internal guidance, tools, and training to support sustainable practices throughout remediation. She also advises clients on updating their sustainability frameworks to align with evolving industry standards and business goals, making them more accessible and actionable.
Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.
I originally majored in civil engineering with a focus on transportation. But my interests took a new direction when I read A Civil Action, a book about a 1984 lawsuit in Woburn, Massachusetts, where a spike in childhood leukemia was linked to industrial contamination of the local water supply. The case led the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require two companies to fund what became the largest toxic cleanup in the Northeastern United States at that time.
That story hit close to home. The book also mentioned the McKin Company Superfund Site in Gray, Maine, my hometown, where a waste storage and disposal facility had contaminated residential wells with industrial solvents. That personal connection made the issue feel urgent and real, and inspired me to shift my academic focus to remediation.
Around the same time, I attended a presentation where environmental scientists were collecting sediment samples from a boat on a beautiful sunny day. Like environmental detectives, they used forensics to discover that there were actually two distinct contaminant plumes requiring cleanup. The project combined my love for the outdoors with complex problem-solving. It looked like fun and meaningful work.
After college, I joined AECOM and began working in environmental remediation, and I’ve been here ever since, for nearly 24 years.
That personal connection made the issue feel urgent and real, and inspired me to shift my academic focus to remediation.
What is your favorite AECOM project that you’ve worked on and why?
Rather than a single project, I’d like to highlight a current initiative that I believe will lead to many of my future favorite projects: embedding sustainability into our remediation practice.
Over the years, I’ve become increasingly passionate about sustainability and climate action in my personal life. I’ve volunteered with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and serve as chair of my small town’s energy committee. Naturally, I wanted to bridge that interest with my professional work at AECOM.
With the incredible support of my supervisor, Kris Carbonneau, I was able to realign my career to better reflect my evolving goals. She encouraged me to pursue further education, and earlier this year I completed a Professional Certificate Program in Sustainability from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also connected me with John Bleiler, our global remediation lead, who has been championing a framework and tools for embedding sustainability into our remediation work.
Although the concept of sustainable remediation has been around for over a decade, I hadn’t truly appreciated that connection, and I know I’m not alone in that. Remediation projects are uniquely situated to make a meaningful impact, as they intersect with land, air, water, and communities. For the past year and a half, I’ve been in a new role in which I’m working closely with John and a steering committee to help drive a cultural shift at AECOM — one where sustainability is embedded into every stage of remediation practice.
One of our key accomplishments is the development of our Foundational Standard: Sustainable Remediation Guidance, a practical “how to” guide. We encourage project teams to incorporate sustainable remediation best management practices (BMPs) and conduct lifecycle analysis to evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs). Many of the recommended practices are simple, cost-effective, and impactful – such as optimizing excavation volumes, reducing soil transport distances, or using rail instead of trucks to lower greenhouse gas emissions. We’re also advocating regenerative remediation, which integrates ecological and community uplift into site restoration, transforming formerly blighted properties into valuable assets for both clients and communities.
AECOM’s sustainable remediation team has developed several internal digital tools to help practitioners incorporate sustainability into their day-to-day work:
- AECOM’s Sustainable Rem BMP Checklist: This web-based tool draws from a range of industry sources, including EPA and ASTM guidelines, to identify BMPs for sustainable remediation. Users input details such as project type, remedy, phase, and sustainability priorities. The tool then generates a tailored list of applicable BMPs for that specific project. These outputs can be used to guide internal teams and engage clients in conversations about integrating sustainability.
- AECOM’s Sustainable Rem KPI Estimator: This simple tool provides quick, high-level estimates of key sustainability metrics for typical remediation scenarios. It calculates greenhouse gas and air emissions, water and soil usage, and estimated field exposure time. Designed as a rough screening tool, it enables teams to rapidly compare different remedial approaches and identify opportunities to reduce environmental impacts.
- SiteWiseTM into ScopeX Automation: For more in-depth assessments, many of our practitioners use SiteWiseTM, an industry-standard remediation lifecycle analysis tool developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy, and Battelle. AECOM has created an automated process to upload SiteWiseTM results directly into the ScopeX Portal, AECOM’s internal digital hub for evidence-based decarbonization strategies, project carbon data and asset specific methods and workflows. This integration allows us to scale insights across projects, enabling teams to identify and implement more effective decarbonization solutions for our clients.
To support AECOM’s cultural shift toward more fully embracing sustainable remediation, we’re also building a strong support system. I’ve been leading a Sustainable Remediation Enterprise Capabilities Team, composed of international staff who are ready to assist remediation projects in integrating sustainability more effectively. In addition to the foundational standard and tools mentioned above, we’re also developing training modules and template language to help equip staff for conversations with clients and to build confidence in applying sustainable practices. I’m also excited to co-lead the new Sustainable and Regenerative Remediation Technical Practice Group Specialty Area — an internal community for AECOM staff who are eager to learn more, share knowledge, and advance best practices in this evolving field.
I’m excited to watch AECOM lead the industry in sustainable remediation and the positive impact we can create together.
Remediation projects are uniquely situated to make a meaningful impact, as they intersect with land, air, water, and communities.
Share a piece of career advice.
“Bloom where you’re planted.”
For a long time, I daydreamed about finding a career that directly addressed the climate crisis, without realizing I already that that opportunity right in front of me. Through my work in remediation at AECOM, I discovered I could drive meaningful change from where I was. I just wish I had realized it sooner!
People often ask how they can get involved in sustainable remediation. My advice? Start where you are. Look for ways to integrate sustainability into your current projects. Talk to your clients – many already have corporate sustainability goals, and we can help them achieve those through how we approach remediation.