Karen Helfrich - Mentors - Department of Environmental Engineering

Senior Engineer, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.
1101 S. Montana Street Butte, MT 59701 Phone: (406) 497-8009 khelfrich@pioneer-technical.com

2009 B.S. in Environmental Engineering
2011 M.S. in Environmental Engineering

Karen Helfrich currently works as a Project Engineer for Pioneer Technical Services, Inc. (Pioneer), in Butte, Montana. As a Project Engineer, Karen provides technical expertise in environmental engineering for a variety of projects including site investigations, environmental reclamation designs, and permitting expertise. Karen is adept at coordinating and preparing environmental permits, including air quality permit applications and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans. Her engineering experience includes completing storm water hydrologic analyses, performing site assessments and remedial actions for petroleum-contaminated soil removal and remediation sites, and conducting engineering analysis and design tasks for mine reclamation sites.

Prior to joining Pioneer, Karen worked for the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) – Air Resources Management Bureau where she started as an intern and progressed into an Environmental Engineer position. While at DEQ, she gained valuable experience in air permitting including the skills to help interpret various rules and regulations.

She is a registered Professional Engineer in the states of Montana and South Dakota, and she is a Certified Environmental Manager in the state of Nevada. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter especially if it involves spending time in the great outdoors with their puppy dogs.