Environmental Scientist 3

State of Nevada•Reno, NV

4d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Water Pollution Control (BWPC), Underground Injection Control (UIC) Branch, in the Reno office. The role conducts inspections at facilities holding UIC and On-site Sewage Disposal (OSDS) permits and ensures compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and permits. Work includes reviewing plans and reports, preparing inspection reports and technical or compliance correspondence, and tracking regulatory compliance. Additional duties may include preparing violations and non-compliance notices, helping develop and review permits, communicating with permittees, contractors, and developers, and using BWPC and EPA online databases. Environmental Scientists conduct program research, planning and development, permitting, compliance monitoring, inspections and enforcement, and technical support across environmental programs. Incumbents in this classification are primarily responsible for complex planning, enforcement, contract coordination, pollution prevention, monitoring, and/or permitting functions within a program area. They work independently and are accountable for their final work product; they may also provide work direction to lower-level staff. Work is reviewed through progress reports, meetings, and as needed when unusual circumstances arise.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in physical, natural resource, or life sciences, engineering, or a closely related field, and three years of professional environmental experience involving environmental program research and planning; or high school graduation or equivalent and five years of such professional environmental experience; or one year of experience as an Environmental Scientist 2 in Nevada State service; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Working knowledge of legal procedures related to pollution-control enforcement, when applicable to the position.
Working knowledge of EPA and other federal and State grant requirements.
Ability to communicate technical, scientific, environmental, regulatory, and legal information effectively, verbally and in writing, to people and groups with varying backgrounds.
Ability to evaluate potential radiological, chemical, and/or biological hazards and determine appropriate actions to safeguard individual and public safety.
Ability to recognize problems requiring communication to higher-level management.
Ability to act as a lead worker by organizing, overseeing, and delegating work responsibilities.
Ability to establish priorities independently and accurately reflect the relative importance of job responsibilities.
Ability to interpret and enforce department and division policies and rules.
Ability to draft complete, accurate, and legally defensible enforcement, mitigation, and program documents and implement enforcement or mitigation procedures effectively.
Ability to negotiate with the regulated and natural resource communities to ensure compliance and resolve issues.
Ability to analyze complex data and apply concepts to difficult problems.

Responsibilities

Develop program documents, including annual program plans, quarterly activity reports, environmental assessments, technical reports, and environmental impact statements, in accordance with federal and State requirements.
Review existing program standards; research, compile, and verify data; analyze data and trends, including the projected impacts of federal, State, and local regulations; and propose new or revised standards.
Develop regulations, procedures, and protocols; draft legislation; provide information and technical assistance; and develop and deliver training to staff and the regulated community.
Prepare reports for planning or in response to requests from the legislature, the public, the regulated community, EPA, or DEP administration; conduct public hearings and prepare supporting fact sheets and discussion as required.
Conduct research using technical, scientific, and historical data to support administrative and resource planning and decision-making.
Coordinate with other agencies implementing environmental programs; represent the division or agency at meetings; and participate in federal, State, and local policy and regulation development.
Develop grant applications, performance proposals, workplans, budgets, and applications; negotiate commitments; solicit project proposals; draft contract documents and amendments; and monitor grant performance, expenditures, and contracts.
Develop and draft permits for industry and government entities; compile facility data; apply relevant standards and limitations; review permits for regulatory compliance; and conduct public notification and final permit issuance.
Monitor compliance by analyzing submitted environmental reports against technical, scientific, and legal criteria and making recommendations; collect periodic samples according to protocol and transport them to laboratories; operate monitoring equipment; and evaluate sample sites.
Investigate environmental complaints, determine their validity, and identify appropriate actions.
Conduct inspections of facilities and pollution-control equipment; take or observe sampling; determine whether violations are occurring; prepare reports and recommendations; and determine appropriate enforcement actions.
Prepare notices of violation; meet with regulated entities, potentially responsible parties, and attorneys to present findings and negotiate resolutions, settlements, and civil penalties; provide depositions, testify in court, and serve as the State’s expert witness when required.
Perform technical services such as calculating pollutant concentrations, calibrating sampling equipment, and preparing monitoring sites.
Enter and access data in EPA’s national data system as required by federal grants; perform computer modeling and evaluate environmental data to make decisions.
Perform related duties as assigned.