Environmental Compliance Inspectors
Government & Public Administration > GovernanceProjected Growth: Average
Projected Job Openings
Considerable Preparation Needed
Job Description
Your job is to Inspect and investigate sources of pollution to protect the public and environment and ensure conformance with Federal, State, and local regulations and ordinances.
Common job titles of Environmental Compliance Inspectors include:
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Experience and Education
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for this occupation. For example, a person in this occupation must complete four years of college and work for several years in industry to be considered qualified.
85.71% said they needed a Bachelor's Degree.
9.52% said they needed a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate.
Tasks
Analyze and implement state, federal or local requirements as necessary to maintain approved pretreatment, pollution prevention, and storm water runoff programs.
Prepare, organize, and maintain inspection records.
Research and perform calculations related to landscape allowances, discharge volumes, production-based and alternative limits, and wastewater strength classifications, then make recommendations and complete documentation.
Review and evaluate applications for registration of products containing dangerous materials, or for pollution control discharge permits.
Inform health professionals, property owners, and the public about harmful properties and related problems of water pollution and contaminated wastewater.
Evaluate label information for accuracy and conformance to regulatory requirements.
Learn and observe proper safety precautions, rules, regulations, and practices so that unsafe conditions can be recognized and proper safety protocols implemented.
Observe and record field conditions, gathering, interpreting, and reporting data such as flow meter readings and chemical levels.
Research and keep informed of pertinent information and developments in areas such as EPA laws and regulations.
Verify that hazardous chemicals are handled, stored, and disposed of in accordance with regulations.
Determine sampling locations and methods, and collect water or wastewater samples for analysis, preserving samples with appropriate containers and preservation methods.
Inspect waste pretreatment, treatment, and disposal facilities and systems for conformance to federal, state, or local regulations.
Monitor follow-up actions in cases where violations were found, and review compliance monitoring reports.
Prepare written, oral, tabular, and graphic reports summarizing requirements and regulations, including enforcement and chain of custody documentation.
Interview individuals to determine the nature of suspected violations and to obtain evidence of violations.
Examine permits, licenses, applications, and records to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.
Determine the nature of code violations and actions to be taken, and issue written notices of violation; participate in enforcement hearings as necessary.
Prepare data to calculate sewer service charges and capacity fees.
Conduct research on hazardous waste management projects in order to determine the magnitude of problems, and treatment or disposal alternatives and costs.
Maintain and repair materials, worksites, and equipment.
Participate in the development of spill prevention programs and hazardous waste rules and regulations, and recommend corrective actions for hazardous waste problems.
Perform laboratory tests on samples collected, such as analyzing the content of contaminated wastewater.
Determine which sites and violation reports to investigate, and coordinate compliance and enforcement activities with other government agencies.
Inform individuals and groups of pollution control regulations and inspection findings, and explain how problems can be corrected.
Respond to questions and inquiries, such as those concerning service charges and capacity fees, or refer them to supervisors.
Investigate complaints and suspected violations regarding illegal dumping, pollution, pesticides, product quality, or labeling laws.
Tools
X ray fluorescence XRF spectrometers
Wireline samplers
Wheaton dip samplers
Weighted bottle samplers
Water sampling gear pumps
Water quality data sondes
Wastewater samplers
All ToolsWaste pile samplers
Volatile organic compound VOC measurement devices
Van Veen grab samplers
Van Dorn samplers
Ultraviolet fluorescence UVF test kits
Turbidity probes
Total petroleum hydrocarbon TPH analyzers
Thief samplers
Syringe pumps
Surface acoustic wave sensors SAWS
Suction-lift pumps
Split spoon samplers
Split core samplers
Spectrophotometers
Specific conductance probes
Shelby tube samplers
Sediment sieves
Scaffolding
Sand corers
Sampling triers
Sample collection chambers
Sample bottles
Russian peat borers
Rotary hammer systems
Reciprocating piston sampling pumps
Progressive cavity sampling pumps
Power augers
Portable two way radios
Portable mass spectrometers MS
Portable gas chromatographs GC
Pond samplers
Ponar dredge samplers
Piezoelectric sensors
Photoionization detectors PID
pH indicators
Passive diffusion bag PDB samplers
Optical beamsplitting devices
Mobile cone penetrometer MCP systems
Mercury vapor analyzers
Membrane interface probes MIP
Measuring cylinders
Mass spectrometers
Magnetic locators
Liquid grab samplers
Liquid chromatographs LC
Laser-induced fluorescence LIF instruments
Laser-induced breakdown spectrometers LIBS
Laptop computers
Laboratory dropping pipettes
Laboratory analytical balances
Kemmerer depth samplers
Ion selective electrode ISE testers
Interferometers
Infrared IR spectrometers
Inductively coupled plasma ICP spectrophotometers
Hydraulic vibracorers
Helium-neon lasers
Headspace vials
Hand sampling pumps
Hand corers
Groundwater sampling peristaltic pumps
Ground penetrating radar GPR
Gravity corers
Graphite furnace atomic absorption GFAA spectrometers
Fuel fluorescence detectors FFD
Flowmeters
Extractive Fourier transform infrared FTIR spectrometers
Enzyme immunoassay kits
Ekman grab samplers
Double check valve bailers
Dissolved oxygen probes
Differential photometers
Desktop computers
Dataloggers
Continuous water quality monitors
Continuous flame ionization detectors FID
Conductance meters
Composite liquid waste samplers COLIWASA
Colorimetric field sampling devices
Chlorophyll-a probes
Chlorine samplers
Centrifugal water sampling pumps
Bucket augers
Box corers
Bottom fill bailers
Bladder pumps
Benthic grab samplers
Bacon bomb samplers
Atmosphere monitors
Aluminum ladders
Technologies
Geographic information system GIS software
Salesforce software
DQO-PRO
Environmental Knowledge and Assessment Tool EKAT
Field Operations and Records Management System (FORMS) II Lite
Fully Integrated Environmental Location Decision Support FIELDS
HRS Quickscore
All TechnologiesMass Flux Toolkit
Monitoring and Remediation Optimization System MAROS
Rapid Assessment Tools R.A.T.
Scribe
Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance SADA
Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools SMARTe
Skills
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Operation Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Systems Analysis
Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Abilities
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Problem Sensitivity
Combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Inductive Reasoning
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Comprehension
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Comprehension
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Oral Expression
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Deductive Reasoning
Communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
Cognitive Abilities › Verbal Abilities › Written Expression
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Information Ordering
Identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Cognitive Abilities › Perceptual Abilities › Flexibility of Closure
Generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Cognitive Abilities › Idea Generation and Reasoning Abilities › Category Flexibility