The environmental health of California is rapidly deteriorating for several reasons, including climate change, infrastructure development, and natural calamities, such as wildfires, droughts, and earthquakes. Despite the harmful environmental effect, the Golden State is experiencing a rise in fire damage renovation projects and construction of single and multi-family residential units and commercial buildings, creating the need for environmental monitoring roles.
Rising construction projects and the current environmental conditions offer a ripe opportunity for those looking for environmental resource management jobs in the state. Many companies and general contractors are looking for professionals across different job titles, including environmental specialists, to monitor and ensure that the ongoing and new infrastructure projects comply with environmental laws.
To work in environmental resources management services, you need to understand the importance of environmental compliance and monitoring broadly. Below, we discuss both things extensively. We’ll also discuss which environmental companies are hiring in California.
What is compliance and monitoring in environmental resource services?
In simple terms, environmental compliance means adhering to the laws, codes, standards, and regulations created to protect the environment while undertaking a development project. General contractors and companies often have to pay hefty fines when they fail to meet these rules and standards.
In case of critical environmental violation, the liable person or representative of the company may also need to serve a prison term. Considering the severity of the issue, most companies often hire professionals who ensure each project complies with the standards and laws to avoid repercussions or punishments.
Environment monitoring refers to collecting and analyzing environmental data to monitor and minimize the impact of a company’s practices on the environment. With overexploitation of resources for industrial and commercial activities, environment monitoring has never been more significant as they help assess and mitigate the potential risk to the natural environment.
As you grow in your respective environmental resource management jobs, you’ll learn different monitoring and environmental scanning techniques, such as sedimentation, absorption, grab sampling, and electrostatic samples.
Both compliance and monitoring aim to minimize the impact of various architectural, construction, and engineering projects on the environment and public health, making understanding them an essential part of environmental resources services.
Examples of compliance and monitoring in use: environmental resources
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the statutory body that governs compliance with environmental standards and laws through routine investigations, inspections on development sites, checking for contamination in export and import environmental substances, and providing training to environmental resource management personnel. These acts are categorized into three types of environmental aspects: air; water; and waste, chemicals, and cleanup compliance monitoring.
1. Air compliance monitoring
The U.S. EPA works with federal, state, and tribal administrations to ensure companies and contractors meet the clean air rules, regulations, and laws under the Clean Air Act (CAA). The act aims at curbing air pollution to ensure public health safety and mitigate potential risks to the natural environment.
2. Water compliance monitoring
There are two major acts that come under water compliance monitoring where the statutory bodies work with the three-tier administration to make sure every development project complies with clean water regulations and laws.
- The Clean Water Act (CWA) emphasizes the responsibility of companies and general contractors to maintain, clean, and sustain water resources they’re using for development projects. It also monitors the discharge of contaminants or industrial/construction waste in the water bodies.
- The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) monitors set standards for the quality of drinking water. EPA, along with state and local authorities and suppliers, enforce these standards on contractors undertaking a development project.
3. Waste, chemicals, and cleanup compliance monitoring
Infrastructure or engineering projects that deal with mining, chemicals, hazardous waste, and other harmful environmental substances must comply with the laws and acts related to waste and chemical management.
- Under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA), if you’re using toxic chemical substances like lead, mercury, asbestos, and some specific hexavalent chromium compounds, you’re required to report, record, and meet the testing requirement before using these chemical substances.
- Following the TSCA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) or the Superfund commands authorities to monitor and clean residues of hazardous chemical substances that have the potential to harm public safety and the environment. Projects including chemicals must comply with this act to avoid legal actions.
- Another act under waste compliance monitoring is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which monitors and ensures the proper disposal of harmful chemical substances. This also includes the appropriate transportation, storage, generation, and treatment of hazardous chemical or industrial waste.
There are several other environmental acts that ensure the protection of the natural environment and encourage companies to work in compliance with environmental laws. For those looking to build a career in environmental resource management, understand and learn about these acts and compliance monitoring examples to connect with the on-site environmental monitoring requirements.
Environmental resource management jobs: Who’s hiring
Top environmental companies currently hiring professionals across different environmental resources management job titles in California include:
- ECORP Consulting, Inc.
- Montrose Environmental Group, Inc
- North Wind
- Tepa Companies
- Surf to Snow Environmental Resource Management, Inc
- TRC Companies
Importance of a technical staffing agency
When looking for environmental resources management jobs, you may not find all the companies currently hiring. This is precisely where a technical staffing agency like Certis Solutions helps you, as it connects you with companies and contractors not listed.
A technical staffing agency also helps you gain experience and build your network by working on different projects for various clients. It assists you in finding the perfect job opportunity that matches your personal and professional expectations and goals.
Do you want to work in top architecture, construction, and engineering (ACE) firms? Contact Certis Solutions as we help you get in touch with leading companies from the industry.
