Environmental consulting is an industry that helps businesses stay in compliance with regulations regarding their impact on the environment. This is primarily done by creating and implementing plans that minimize the effects of a business on the surrounding areas, and also by educating staff members about sustainability and environmental issues in the workplace. This is a highly diverse field that offers many different job opportunities.
There are many types of companies that employ an environmental consultant, and the work they do varies as well. For example, some consultants may specialize in providing risk assessments for the oil and gas industries, while others may help businesses develop environmentally friendly processes that save energy. This type of consulting is usually performed by an individual with a background in science or engineering.
Other common services provided by an environmental consulting company include water, air, soil and hazardous materials investigations and testing. Depending on the location and issue at hand, an environmental engineer can recommend solutions to mitigate pollution or contamination that affects the environment or human health. They may design systems that manage the use and treatment of water, wastewater or air; or they might design and install storage tank systems for fuel and chemical storage.
Another important service that an environmental consultant provides is site assessment and management. This involves the evaluation of sites for potential problems, such as lead and asbestos. It can also involve the monitoring of environmental conditions on construction projects, and it can be used to prepare reports for regulatory agencies.
In some cases, a site evaluation is required before a building can be purchased or leased. This is because certain property types and uses are considered “red flags” for potential environmental liability, such as landfills or wastewater treatment plants. In these cases, an environmental consultant can assess the potential for a site to have significant impacts on the environment, and they can provide the owner or prospective tenant with recommendations to reduce the risk of a costly environmental liability.
For clients requiring a more comprehensive environmental assessment of a site, an environmental consultant can provide a full wetland or stream delineation report. This type of report goes beyond the basic research, field flagging and rating forms, and typing per Bellevue and state standards included in the basic report, and includes a detailed discussion of the delineation process, as well as the indicators used to establish the wetland or stream boundary and associated category and/or typing.
A full environmental assessment of a site is often necessary to obtain a permit from local, county or state regulatory agencies. An environmental consultant can help by evaluating the potential impacts of a proposed project, and helping to draft an environmental impact statement that can be submitted to the agency for review.
Choosing an environmental consultant is a crucial decision for any project, large or small. A qualified and experienced professional will be able to provide the services you need quickly and efficiently, at a price that’s competitive with other environmental firms in your area. To help you find the right person, ask for referrals from other businesses in your industry, your legal counsel, insurance agent or mortgage lender.
