Environmental Scientist

Energy Northwest • Richland, WA

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Environmental Scientist (Principal) provides technical environmental and regulatory expertise to support Energy Northwest’s Environmental & Regulatory Program and the Extended Power Uprate (EPU) initiative. This position performs environmental impact evaluations, regulatory compliance analyses, permitting support, and field/operational reviews to ensure Energy Northwest activities meet all federal, state, and local environmental requirements. The role also develops and maintains regulatory approvals schedules—including SEPA/NEPA, water rights, air permitting, NPDES, and other non‑nuclear environmental obligations—and ensures these schedules are fully integrated and aligned with EPU project planning and execution timelines. GENERAL SUMMARY Develops, implements, and administers environmental programs to ensure the safety of Energy Northwest facilities and protect human health and the environment. Provides leadership and coordination in developing company policies, programs, and procedures for assigned environmental programs to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. Works closely with all company organizations and levels of management to monitor, communicate, and report environmental information and performance, and to help resolve environmental problems and issues. At the principal level this requires the ability to perform highly complex tasks with a high level of independence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an Environmental Science, Engineering, Chemistry, Biological Science, or related technical field from an accredited college or university
• Eight years of experience in an environmental related field.

Responsibilities

• Assigned owner for one or more environmental programs.
• Interface with state and federal regulatory agencies.
• Responsible for routine written and oral communications with those agencies including participation in audits, inspections, and assessments using skills and experience gained through application of standards and regulatory requirements.
• Provide technical advice and proactive counsel to management on a wide range of complex environmental regulatory issues, interpretation and verification of industry guidance, and regulatory requirements for application to plant specific issues.
• Provide verbal and written management presentations on industry and generating station issues, preparation and presentation of new permit applications and subsequent amendments, and participation in industry regulatory initiatives.
• May provide unconventional or advanced problem solving techniques.
• Routinely provide technical leadership on complex and/or extended programs and projects.
• Coordinate with other Energy Northwest organizations to ensure environmental monitoring requirements (e.g., NPDES; REMP; Groundwater) are appropriately met and reported.
• Develop plans for programs, projects, audits, testing and inspections; lead audits and inspections.
• Use engineering judgment in evaluating results for findings.
• Respond to inspection reports and requests for interpretation and verification of industry and Energy Northwest issues.
• Participate in industry working groups and other discipline related activities.
• Perform regulatory analysis by monitoring changes in environmental regulations, and take actions to notify appropriate organizations and/or implement changes.
• Monitor plant events (condition reports) for impact/compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Provide assistance in determining reportability and making necessary notifications.
• Provide technical guidance routinely to other engineers; check and review technical products of others.
• Serve as a mentor.
• Integrate design, regulatory, operating, maintenance, and administrative requirements into tasks.
• Perform tasks within schedule and budget.
• Ensure effective coordination of efforts with other departments and disciplines.
• Work with minimum supervision.
• Must participate on the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) when designated.
• Must support the biennial refueling outage.

Benefits

• Substantial retirement benefits through three retirement programs including the Washington State Public Employees' Retirement System pension plan (PERS), a 401(k) savings plan with an employer match component, and a 457(b) savings plan.
• Multiple options for medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance coverage.
• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Tuition reimbursement
• Student loan repayment
• Childcare subsidies
• Health reimbursement arrangement (HRA VEBA)
• Health savings account (HSA)
• Supplemental life insurances
• Credit monitoring/identity theft insurance
• Personal time accrual rate of 160 hours per year
• Nine paid holidays throughout the calendar year

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal