10/01/1990 28419

DISTRICT ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST, TRANSPORTATION

DEFINITION: This is supervisory or specialist professional work involving responsibility for a full-range District environmental program in the Department of Transportation.

In conjunction with local, regional, state, and federal programs, an employee in this class provides for the proper enforcement of environmental laws, plans, policies, and procedures during highway and transportation improvement project planning, design, construction, and maintenance phases. Work involves supervision and/or actual performance of environmental and related engineering analyses, the review and/or preparation of environmental assessments of air quality, traffic noise prediction and mitigation, wildlife habitat, threatened or endangered species, wetland, agricultural lands, properties of cultural, historic and archeological resources, land use changes, socio-economic, and other environmental factors. Required tasks include meetings and communication with local public officials, various state and federal environmental resource agencies, private environmental organizations and members of the general public. Employees in a Transportation Engineering District have vested in their positions the responsibility for the environmental sensitivity and quality of its projects and therefore must identify deficiencies, develop and implement environmental awareness programs, advise engineering officials in problem identification and resolution, prepare and administer consultant contracts, review consultant environmental reports for technical accuracy and physically assure that all construction and maintenance operations comply with environmental regulations. Employees function with considerable independence within Commonwealth and federal policies and agency initiatives. Work is reviewed by an administrative superior for overall program effectiveness.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Reviews transportation plans, programs and projects for consistency with environmental laws, regulations, policies and procedures.

Develops and implements District environmental policies and procedures.

Determines the scope and schedule for environmental and related engineering analyses.

Reviews consultant technical and cost proposals.

Develops priorities and schedules for environmental clearances so that District letting schedules can be met.

Reviews proposed environmental laws and regulations for possible impact on agency objectives.

Performs environmental analyses and prepares environmental reports.

Approves/rejects environmental clearance documents.

Oversees the design and construction of environmental mitigation measures.

Develops and conducts environmental awareness programs.

Plans the format and content of the Department's presentations for public meetings.

Prepares and presents official Department testimony for public hearings.

Reviews public hearing transcripts and prepares responses.

Supervises and/or conducts research on innovative environmental analysis and impact mitigation measures.

Inspects construction and maintenance operations for compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Prepares correspondence to answer oral and written inquiries regarding environmental issues.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the biological, chemical, and physical sciences related to environmental protection.

Knowledge of environmental relationships and ecologic processes.

Knowledge of the principles of environmental management and of the application of these principles to the administration of land development and management plans, programs, laws, regulations, policies, procedures, and practices.

Knowledge of state and federal environmental laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Knowledge of state-of-the art environmental analysis methodologies.

Knowledge of major environmental problems and issues.

Knowledge of current programs and methods used to address environmental conditions.

Ability to extract, organize, and analyze environmental data.

Ability to develop, review and evaluate plans and policies.

Ability to present data and express ideas clearly and concisely in oral, written and graphic form.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, public officials, and the general public.

Ability to learn to supervise, direct, and plan the efforts of others.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Two years of experience as an Environmental Planner 2;

                                                                                                                                                   or

Three years of progressively responsible professional environmental management, environmental engineering, or environmental analysis experience and a Master's Degree in one of the environmental science or engineering fields;

                                                                                                                                                  or

Six years of progressively responsible professional environmental management, environmental engineering or environmental analysis experience;

                                                                                                                                                 or

Any equivalent combination of experience and training.