Environmental Specialist II

State of North Carolina•Raleigh, NC

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the lead stewardship agency for the protection of North Carolina's environmental resources, providing science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians. DEQ administers regulatory programs designed to protect air quality, water quality, and the public's health, and works to advance an all-of-the-above energy strategy. DEQ also offers technical assistance to businesses, farmers, local governments, and the public and encourages responsible behavior with respect to the environment through education programs. Environmental Specialists with the Water Quality Regional Operations Section (WQROS) of DEQ’s Division of Water Resources (DWR) are professional staff members carrying out complex multi-disciplinary responsibilities such as permitting and/or certifications, field investigations, compliance, enforcement, complaint investigations, emergency response, technical assistance, outreach, and training for their assigned program area(s). Program areas include Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, NC Riparian Buffer Program, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), non-discharge, animal feeding operations, wastewater collection systems, and surface water quality and groundwater. The primary areas of focus for this Environmental Specialist II position at the Raleigh Regional Office are the Pretreatment Program, Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing Program, and NPDES permitted facilities. This position can be field intensive and will require frequent coordination with the regulated community, permittees, and the public at large.

Requirements

Occasional overnight travel
Ability to perform tasks required for physical inspections
Ability to walk through rough, steep, and uneven terrain
Ability to tolerate exposure to noise, extreme weather conditions, dust, fumes, machinery, insects, small animals, snakes, and chemical substances
Proficiency with computers, internet research, word processing software and spreadsheets
Driving a state-owned vehicle, which requires a valid North Carolina driver's license
Bachelor's degree in one of the agricultural, biological, engineering, environmental, or natural resource sciences or a closely related curriculum from an appropriately accredited institution
Two (2) years of experience related to the area of assignment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Responsibilities

Lead role in Pretreatment Program: includes on-site compliance evaluation inspections of waste disposal systems including industrial, municipal, and residential waste systems, reviewing Pretreatment Annual Reports, coordinating with central office, etc.
Lead role in Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing Program: includes periodically performing split sampling (advanced level of field work/sampling) to determine accuracy of WET testing and compliance with permit limits, ensuring compliance with WET requirements, enforcement-related tasks as necessary
Plan and conduct assigned inspections for NPDES wastewater treatment plants (pretreatment program, major, minor, industrial, single-family, and general permitted NPDES systems), non-discharge facilities, collection systems (major, minor, and deemed permitted by regulation), riparian buffer/stream determinations, and stream standard complaints
Assist staff, regulated communities, and central office permit writers with difficult complex permitting processing issues, BIMS support, and the development and assessment of compliance approaches and initiatives.
Compliance determinations and documentation: includes thorough technical review of data, evidence, plans, restoration plans, permits and schedules, etc.; writing, processing, and preparing/drafting documents such as inspection reports, information request letters, inspection letters, Notices of Violation, enforcement actions (civil penalty assessments, settlement agreements, Special Orders by Consent, injunctions, etc.), and violations resolution.
Investigate public complaints, reports of illegal discharges, and environmental incidents, provide emergency response for water quality-based emergencies, and take action as needed to address any identified compliance issues
Data management in the Division’s Basinwide Information Management System (BIMS), outreach, training, technical assistance, sampling, and other duties as assigned by the Regional and/or Assistant Regional Supervisor.