TDEC-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST1* - 10062026-81568

About the role

Under immediate supervision, is responsible for learning professional environmental, natural resources, sustainability, environmental assistance program, radiological health and/or similar science related program work of routine difficulty; and learns to perform related work as required. This is the entry level class in the TDEC Environmental Scientist subseries. An employee in this class may be assigned to learn a variety of environmental compliance inspection, monitoring, problem identification, corrective action and enforcement duties in an environmental regulatory or assistance division. An employee in this class may be assigned to learn natural resource management and/or inventory in conservation or other, non-regulatory programs. This class differs from TDEC Environmental Scientist 3 in that an incumbent of the latter performs environmental program duties at the advanced working or lead level under general supervision. An applicant appointed to this flexibly staffed class will be reclassified to TDEC Environmental Scientist 2* after successful completion of a mandatory one-year probationary period; inadequate or marginal performance during the probationary period will result in automatic termination.

Responsibilities

• Conduct inspections and/or investigations of equipment, structures, materials, and/or sites/facilities when required by a specific TDEC program area (e.g. air pollution, water resources, mineral and geologic resources, remediation, underground storage tanks, solid waste management, radiological health, natural areas, etc.) to ensure proper installation, maintenance, and/or operation and determine compliance with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Perform laboratory or field tests in accordance with requirements and analyze and interpret the environmental data and/or other information (e.g. monitoring records, site inspections, sampling data, etc.) using relevant methods to evaluate data trends, data quality, and usability for determining if further action is necessary.
• Adhere and enforce environmental or other federal and/or state standards, laws, rules, regulations, and/or administrative policies and procedures (e.g. Standard Operating Procedures) through investigation of complaints; overseeing environmental sampling; and reviewing and evaluating applications, forms, plans, inspection documents, general correspondence, reports, or other records and taking corrective action as warranted, and if necessary, initiate legal action to effect compliance of established standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies.
• Review, analyze, and maintain relevant documents or data submitted by applicants or acquired by site inspections and/or other informative sources used for determining minimum environmental or other compliance with established standards.
• Prepare various publications, reports, and technical documents (e.g. permits, designs,