Environmental Hazards Branch Inspector

Department of Public Safety • Houston, TX

14d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Environmental Hazards Branch Inspector, also known as Environmental Protection Specialist IV, is responsible for planning and conducting complex, advanced, and highly technical environmental inspections. These inspections cover areas such as asbestos in schools (AHERA), Hazard Communication, Environmental Lead Abatement, and Asbestos in New Construction, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. The role also involves conducting complex complaint investigations in these areas, reviewing various technical documents like asbestos management plans and lead abatement specifications, and evaluating the environmental impact of activities to identify health and safety hazards. Additionally, the inspector will train and mentor new inspectors, provide high-level technical assistance to the public and regulated community, serve as a team lead for complex inspections, and act as a technical expert for legislative inquiries and media concerns. The position requires working under minimal supervision with considerable latitude for independent judgment and may involve supporting disaster response activities.

Requirements

• Knowledge of state and federal environmental laws, rules and regulations including the Texas Asbestos Health Protection Rules (TAHPR), Federal Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA), the Texas Lead-Based Paint Abatement Act, Texas Environmental Lead Reduction Rules, the Texas Hazard Communication Act and Rules.
• Knowledge of regulatory and legislative processes.
• Skill in performing highly complex compliance inspections, documenting evidence, collecting samples and writing inspection reports.
• Skill in conducting complaint investigations.
• Skill in reviewing and overseeing the work of others.
• Skill in technical writing, reviewing and editing complex technical documents including inspection reports and surveys.
• Skill in communicating the requirements of government regulations to the public.
• Skill in public speaking.
• Skill in the use of various computer software programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Versa Regulatory Systems.
• Ability to conduct field inspections, including records review and physical inspection of buildings.
• Ability to establish priorities and workloads in an effective manner to meet performance goal deadlines.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective work and interpersonal relationships.
• Ability to analyze problems and develop solutions.
• Ability to communicate and interact effectively with other state and federal agencies.
• A minimum of one year of work experience conducting compliance inspections, complaint investigations, or surveys, and interpreting or explaining, and enforcing laws or regulations.
• Must provide transportation with a personal vehicle that is licensed, inspected and insured in accordance with Texas traffic laws.
• While operating a personal, rental or state motor vehicle in the performance of their duties, the employee must possess a current valid Texas driver’s license for the type of vehicle being operated.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in environmental or natural sciences, environmental engineering, public health or a related field.
• Experience and education may be substituted for one another on a year for year basis.

Responsibilities

• Plans and conducts complex, advanced, and highly technical environmental inspections, including AHERA (asbestos in schools inspections), Hazard Communication, Environmental Lead Abatement, and Asbestos in New Construction inspections, to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations.
• Conducts highly complex complaint investigations relating to asbestos in schools, environmental lead abatement, hazard communication, and asbestos in new construction.
• Reviews and evaluates inspection/survey reports, asbestos management plans, asbestos abatement specifications, environmental lead abatement inspection/assessment reports, remediation plans and occupant protection plans, and protocols.
• Evaluates the environmental impact of activities and identify health and safety hazards and other issues that can affect the health of the environment or population.
• Provides training to new inspectors and mentors them on how to conduct inspections in accordance with state and federal regulations.
• Provides very high-level technical assistance to the general public, stakeholders, and the regulated community on public health laws and regulations.
• Serves as a team lead during complex inspections and investigations.
• Assists inspectors with training and technical questions when inspectors are conducting inspections at various sites.
• Serves as a technical expert and responds to legislative enquiries, questions, and concerns from the media and the public regarding federal and state environmental rules and regulations.
• Attends and testifies at administrative hearings as an expert witness when necessary.
• Works under minimal supervision and guidance from the immediate supervisor with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgement.
• Serves in a supporting role to meet agency’s obligation for disaster response and/or recovery or continuity of operations activities.

Benefits

• Insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree