If a firm has not followed these regulations it can be fined or even faced with criminal charges. Because environmental compliance regulations must be followed to the letter, environmental consultants are needed by a very wide range of industries.
An environmental consultant's main responsibility is protecting the public from any imminent health hazards while concurrently preserving and protecting the environment so that future generations can enjoy it.
When a company hires an environmental consultant it is counting on him or her to guide them, step-by-step through the process and to absolutely make sure that all of the rules and regulations are being properly followed and/or implemented.
What Type of Background is Needed to be an Environmental Consultant?
The majority of environmental consultants have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in environmental science, environmental engineering or in some other related field. Environmental consultants should also be fully knowledgeable about all of the various environmental laws. It is also their responsibility to keep up to date about any changes in the laws.
The industries that tend to hire the most environmental consultants are those that are involved with commercial real estate development. For the most part the government mandates that environmental impact studies need to be completed before any construction of a major commercial project or building is initiated. At times the companies that have hired the environmental consultant will also ask them to evaluate the land by taking into account the various environmental factors that could impact its valuation.
In addition to having an undergraduate degree a job candidate should have a solid background in the core sciences. Having a master's degree or a doctoral degree in a specific area is pretty much mandatory if you are seeking a higher paying job. In addition companies look favorably on candidates who have experience in their industry.
Many potential employees also prefer their job candidates to have completed different professional certification programs. There is a bit of a "Catch 22" involved though, because having experience in the industry is mandatory for being eligible to take the exams at the end of these courses. And, if a candidate has not passed the exam then he or she will not be certified.
Because governmental regulations are becoming ever more complex, the demand for environmental consultants has been increasing and the expectation is that this trend will continue into the foreseeable future.
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