Agriculture Program Specialist

the South Dakota State Government•Pierre, SD

1d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a full-time position with the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). The mission of DANR is to protect and preserve South Dakota's agriculture, environment, and natural resources. The successful applicant will be a member of the Livestock Services Program in DANR. The dedicated staff of professionals in the Livestock Services Program work hard to create and sustain a vision for South Dakota that is prosperous and diverse with clean air, clean water, and healthy families. We are seeking individuals with a strong desire to learn and an interest in building a career.

Requirements

Education or experience related to agricultural practices is preferred.
Knowledge of or experience with providing customer service to the general public.
Knowledge of or experience with laws and regulations pertaining to the livestock industry and CAFOs.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing.
Ability to set goals and work independently or in a team setting to achieve them.
Ability to make appropriate decisions by applying standards and available information to specific situations.
Ability to identify and define problems or potential problems and addressing them in proper order.
Ability to favorably present and promote departmental priorities, services, and actions internally and externally.
Knowledge of department policies and procedures.
Ability to collect and present evidence of violations of laws and regulations and give testimony in court.
Ability to maintain complete and accurate records.
Ability to interpret and explain laws and regulations to the public and private business owners.
Ability to learn standard testing and inspection techniques.
Ability to establish and effective working relationships with the public and members of the industry.
Ability to use basic computer applications.
Attention to detail and ensure work is accurate and complete.
Ability to set goals and work independently to achieve them.
Ability to work cooperatively with coworkers and treat others with respect.
Ability to work with regulated entities to gain compliance in a customer friendly manner.

Nice To Haves

Desires to learn
Good interpersonal and customer service skills
Seeking a career opportunity in public service

Responsibilities

Responsible for conducting operation and maintenance inspections of permitted animal feeding operations to determine compliance with permit requirements.
Conducting construction inspections of newly completed or modified manure management systems to determine compliance with approved plans and specifications for operations with simple containment structures to very complex multistage animal waste management systems.
Conducting complaint inspections of permitted and non-permitted animal feeding operations in response to water pollution complaints.
Conducting closure inspections of permitted animal feeding operations that have ceased operation and request to terminate their coverage under the permit.
Scheduling and preparing for on-site inspections.
Inspecting constructed manure management system components for conformance with approved plans and specifications.
Identifying and documenting deviations from the approved plans and specifications.
Reviewing producer records and documentation for compliance with permit requirements.
Document compliance/non-compliance with permit requirements and recommend corrective actions.
Receiving complaint phone calls and explaining the complaint process, use of the complaint form, and rules on confidentiality of complaints.
Conducting complaint investigations, which may include collection of water quality samples, to determine whether an animal feeding operation is a source of pollutants to waters of the state, interview producers, landowners and complainants to determine and document facts of a situation, and collect evidence defensible in a court of law.
Conducting water quality sampling using various testing equipment, such as dissolved oxygen meters, pH meters, and filtering equipment, following department quality control and quality assurance procedures for water quality sampling.
Conducting on-site visits of existing, unpermitted animal feeding operations to collect information to determine if they should be regulated.
Preparing construction, operation & maintenance, and complaint inspection reports and follow-up letters documenting findings and requiring corrective actions which include deadlines for correcting deficiencies documented during an inspection.
Verifying implementation of requirements resulting from inspections.
Entering applicable information in databases.
All inspections pose the possibility of future enforcement. Enforcement may include warning letters, compliance agreements, Notices of Violations and Orders, penalty calculations, settlement agreements and negotiation, and follow up to ensure the enforcement remedies are implemented.
Interviewing the property owner and making observations while on site to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of the situation.
Providing on-site recommendations to producers to minimize environmental impact of situation.
Deciding corrective actions necessary to correct deficiencies found during inspection, actions need to be economically achievable, to protect the environment, and make sense to the producer to obtain cooperation.
Documenting inspection details that will be defensible in a court of law.
Evaluating appropriate sample location for the purpose of the collection of evidence.
Collecting water quality samples in accordance with DENR quality control and quality assurance procedures.
Coordinating with the laboratory to ensure sample holding times will be met.
Writing warning letters, compliance agreements, Notices of Violations and Orders, penalty calculation reasoning, and settlement agreements.
Calculating appropriate penalty using department penalty policy and use the Environmental Protection Agency BEN Model to determine the economic benefit portion of the penalty.
Initiating and recommending enforcement based on inspection results.
Tracking enforcement progress and resolution.
Writing press releases, as well as responding to questions from management, press and citizens.
Providing expert testimony for legal proceedings.