Environmental Compliance Inspectors
If a river separated your city from another one, what would be the best way to make travel between the two cities easier? Of course, the best solution would be to build a bridge over the water connecting them. A relevant government agency would oversee this project, working with an engineering firm to build the bridge. But here's something important you should know - a project like this could run into environmental problems. It has to be confirmed that building and operating this bridge won't cause any harm to the environment, like polluting the soil, air, or water, or killing off animals and damaging the plants and trees in the area where the bridge will be built. Any construction or building project that uses massive machinery and equipment can cause serious environmental damage. That's why government agencies or engineering firms responsible for such projects hire experts called "environmental compliance inspectors," whose job is to measure the damage that might result from constructing any building or structure, and to monitor the execution and operation of any project to make sure it causes no harm to the environment.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Determine the nature of code violations and actions to be taken, and issue written notices of violation, participating in enforcement hearings, as necessary.
- Examine permits, licenses, applications, and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
- Prepare, organize, and maintain inspection records.
- Interview individuals to determine the nature of suspected violations and to obtain evidence of violations.
- Prepare written, oral, tabular, and graphic reports summarizing requirements and regulations, including enforcement and chain of custody documentation.
- Monitor follow-up actions in cases where violations were found, and review compliance monitoring reports.
- Investigate complaints and suspected violations regarding illegal dumping, pollution, pesticides, product quality, or labeling laws.
- Inform individuals and groups of pollution control regulations and inspection findings, and explain how problems can be corrected.
- Determine sampling locations and methods, and collect water or wastewater samples for analysis, preserving samples with appropriate containers and preservation methods.
- Verify that hazardous chemicals are handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with regulations.
- Research and keep informed of pertinent information and developments in areas such as EPA laws and regulations.
- Determine which sites and violation reports to investigate, and coordinate compliance and enforcement activities with other government agencies.
- Observe and record field conditions, gathering, interpreting, and reporting data such as flow meter readings and chemical levels.
- Learn and observe proper safety precautions, rules, regulations, and practices so that unsafe conditions can be recognized and proper safety protocols implemented.
- Participate in the development of spill prevention programs and hazardous waste rules and regulations, and recommend corrective actions for hazardous waste problems.