regulatory folks

[snickerd3]

I've noticed a lot of regulatory folks out here. Just curious to see what others do.

My unit works with the Department of Defense on their active and BRAC facilities as well as formerly used defense sites to get them cleaned up.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Consultant here.

I think DLeg and jregieng are both regulatory guys.

 

[Dleg]

That's correct - I work for "state" government in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I do mostly wastewater and stormwater stuff, but I am actively trying to move into the hazardous waste and site investigation / remediation field. We have tons of FUDS sites out here from World War II. In fact, I'm heading out the door today to recover soil gas probes (Gore sorbers) at a site that was apparently the terminus of a huge military aviation fuel pipeline, and then to the other side of the island to machete a trail into a proposed monitoring well site for our UXO disposal facility (an open burning-open detonation type RCRA facility).

You ever work out in the Marianas? Lots of DOD environmental folks down in Guam.

 

[snickerd3]

That's correct - I work for "state" government in the US Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. I do mostly wastewater and stormwater stuff, but I am actively trying to move into the hazardous waste and site investigation / remediation field. We have tons of FUDS sites out here from World War II. In fact, I'm heading out the door today to recover soil gas probes (Gore sorbers) at a site that was apparently the terminus of a huge military aviation fuel pipeline, and then to the other side of the island to machete a trail into a proposed monitoring well site for our UXO disposal facility (an open burning-open detonation type RCRA facility).
You ever work out in the Marianas? Lots of DOD environmental folks down in Guam.

Nope never been there. Work for the State of Illinois, lots of FUDS, several old ammunition plants in the middle of cornfields, and a lot of old NIKE facilities (missiles not shoes B) ). One of my biggest sites has crews in the field right now clearing the UXO from the ob-od areas...finding mostly fuzes, boosters, and a whole lot of scrap...nothing to big. The biggest/potentially worst thing they have found was a couple of half shells from a BLU-26...but that was found in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Guest]

VTE is right - I am a regulatory guy h43r: h43r: h43r:

Don't let that fool you though, I am still a nice guy :true:

I work in the hazardous waste regulation section for my state's agency. My state is authorized for Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) and Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (HSWA). This is mostly Subtitle C work - I have on occasion dabbled in the Subtitle D world.

I am sort of a jack-of-all-trades. My job duties include, but are not limited to:

-Review of contaminated site assessments;

-Review of engineering aspects of remediation for soil, groundwater, sediment, surface water at facilities subject to corrective action at RCRA/HSWA sites;

-Review of operational features at Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facilities (TSDFs) as well as hazardous waste transfer facilities;

-Review of safety features and state-promulgated safety legislation (My state's feature of 112(r ) of Clean Air Act for TSDFs). Something akin to the panel advisory for the EQ fire in Cary, NC;

-Review of Contaminated Media (Contained-Out) Determinations;

-Review of Risk-Based Corrective Action Plans - Institutional and/or Engineering Controls;

-Review and Development of Best Management Plans for industries potentially subject to RCRA regulation like gun ranges;

-Review of groundwater and air dispersion models;

-Review of cost estimates and financial assurance for RCRA/HSWA facilities;

-Drafting Rulemaking for state and federal hazardous waste rules and aforementioned safety legislation;

-State Subpart X (OB/OD) Coordinator;

-State Coodinator for Low-Level Mixed Radioactive Waste; and

-Expert Witness - rulemaking and 2 cases.

Working in the RCRA world has exposed me (no pun intended ) to many other aspects of the regulatory world like Clean Air Act (CAA), Safe-Drinking Water Act (SDWA), Clean Water Act (CWA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Brownsfields redevelopment, etc. Many of my projects overlap into other regulatory authorities so cooperation and patience is a must! :thumbsup: In fact, I have have two (2) FUDS facilities and I will most likely be picking up ten (10) Federal Facilties - DOD+DOE facilities.

I am hoping to take all of those experiences and parlay them into something a little bigger and better now that I received notice that I passed the Oct 2006 exam. I am not sure exactly what that will be - but I am sure it will rock! :+1:

It is great to meet another enviro guy !! Enviros rock !! :???:

JR

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Dammit man, that's what I wanted to go into in college.

Instead ended up doing site development with the occasional public works project thrown in. General civil practitioner. I'm real happy with my job, and involved with good projects, but I really wanted to get into the stuff you do.

 

[Guest]

Dammit man, that's what I wanted to go into in college.
Instead ended up doing site development with the occasional public works project thrown in. General civil practitioner. I'm real happy with my job, and involved with good projects, but I really wanted to get into the stuff you do.

Which stuff ??

JR

 

[Dleg]

I'm assuming he was referring to the machete-ing a trail and such. I mean, come on, how fun is that? Isn't that what you pay an engineer for?

Just kidding. (but I really was paid to do that today) :true:

But that reminds me - when I was in college, I wanted to swtich from ME to Civil because I didn't want to get stuck in a desk job. They wouldn't let me do that without first talking to the counselor's office, which made me take one of those interest/aptitude exams (said I should be a photographer or Naval officer - no ****!) and then they just talked me out of it - "stick with mechanical engineering - it must be what you wanted to do, since you signed up for it!"

Now look at me. Never done a bit of ME.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

^ I think you should have gone into naval photography.

 

[FusionWhite]

I've noticed a lot of regulatory folks out here. Just curious to see what others do.
My unit works with the Department of Defense on their active and BRAC facilities as well as formerly used defense sites to get them cleaned up.

Ive always wanted to meet a BRAC person and punch them in the face. Ive been working on BRAC for the Army Reserves and its the biggest pain in the ***. We submitted our draft Phase 1's and were supposed to get them back in 3 weeks. Its been over 2 months now and we've just started to get a trickle of reports back in. What really gets my goat is now we're being rushed to get them turned around. If BRAC and ACE is in such a hurry why the hell did they blow the schedule so badly?

 

[Guest]

Ive been working on BRAC for the Army Reserves and its the biggest pain in the ***.  We submitted our draft Phase 1's and were supposed to get them back in 3 weeks.  Its been over 2 months now and we've just started to get a trickle of reports back in.  What really gets my goat is now we're being rushed to get them turned around.  If BRAC and ACE is in such a hurry why the hell did they blow the schedule so badly?

FW --

It is just not BRAC that has long review periods. You also have programs like FUDS and actually, these days, a number of state agencies have the same problem. It may look like it is easy being the :BK: but it really isn't. Especially when you have to h43r: h43r: h43r: .

When it comes to turning out reviews/responses I am not the most efficient guy, believe me. However, most conslutants (yes I got the spelling right! :lol2x: ) are more than eager to work with me because I at least respond while I am in the review phase by giving periodic updates of the review and anything notable up to that point. A number of these conslutants working on reimbursement projects are left waiting .... and I am not talking like waiting for exam results kinda waiting. Something much more .... indefinite.

One last thought - be lucky you are in BRAC where there actually IS money to do something besides assessments. There are other programs like FUDS where the only thing you are going to get is a starter amount for assessment and then it will sit ... sit ..... sit .......... well you get the picture. :GotPics:

Regards,

JR

 

[FusionWhite]

I guess I shouldnt complain, BRAC has been VERY good to my company from a $$$ standpoint even with all the headaches. Like you said though the biggest problem Ive had is not hearing anything. No word for 2 months on the status of the reports we submitted then suddenly one comes flying across my desk. Very frustrating.

 

[snickerd3]

Our unit has a 30-45 day turnaround on most reviews...unless we have to get input from other divisions and then it is like 60-90 days. FUDs sit here in Illinois too. Review a document and sometimes it is almost a year later before we get responses back from the Army because there is no money....and it is only getting worse. AEC is trying to get their hands wrapped around anything and everything they can...and causing delays and problems while they do it.

:wait

 

[Dleg]

^ I think you should have gone into naval photography.

I think navel photography would have suited me more.

 

[Guest]

^ I think you should have gone into naval photography.

I think navel photography would have suited me more.

Only as long as you get the full shot ...........

:+1:

JR

 

[Dleg]

WHERE are you guys getting those new smileys?

(sorry: :jacked: )

 

[Guest]

WHERE are you guys getting those new smileys?
(sorry:  :jacked: )

I have been doing a little "research" for 'free' smilies/emoticons at other websites. So far, the only solid website I have come across:

Animated Emoticons

If you click on the thumbnail, they provide you with the code to paste into your textbox.

Sooooo .... run, don't walk !!

JR

 

[Jax6S]

I'm working for the state agency dealing with the "environment" (hint..hint..)

 

[engineergurl]

Well since I've been slowly making a transition from traffic to more environmental, I was reading some back posts on here and this caught my eye... figured I would defend myself ... at this point in time our review process is pretty simplistic because we are so far into BRAC, but for every single project built at our installation, the submittials have to get reviewed by so many different areas... and that's after the ACE accepts them and sends them on to us to review.

At least with the enviro group, we have to review EVERYTHING to ensure that all the mitigation outlined in the EIS (or multipule EIS') is being accomplished and being monitored.... this means every action is going to go through the NEPA process despite the ROD(s) being signed. When you tack that on to the fact that they only hired two people on so far, you've got us both doing reviews for our specialties on submittials, and participating in all the planning for the next FY projects, and attending all the precons... AND inspecting all the active sites... with that said... both of us has been there less then two years... so before us, our department was trying to juggle it all and still accomplish REC's for every other project and training activitiy.

I'd like to think that we got our second BO and EIS completed in a more timely manner then the one that was done prior to us being hired... and that all our construction submittials get reviewed and comments go out in a way to accomplish the objectives... but I'm sure we cause some delays...

Well it is what it is, and that's just my $ 0.02 three years later :deadhorse:

EG