Environmental Design Consultants Chapter

Environmental consultant works with organizations on a range of environmental issues, offering expert advisory and assessment services to ensure that possible damaging effects are managed or eliminated. They are responsible for ensuring that your client or your employer complies with environmental regulations.

They work on commercial or government contracts, addressing a variety of environmental issues. They cover a range of disciplines such as:

  • Air, land and water contamination;
  • Environmental impact assessment and flood risk;
  • Waste management and recycling;
  • Renewable energy opportunities;
  • Environmental management systems.

Most environmental consultants are employed by consultancy firms, which are hired by the public sector and by commercial organizations. They work with companies in the manufacturing and production sector, where environmental management is a fundamental concern.

Responsibilities

  • As an environmental consultant, you may work across a range of specialist areas or just focus on one aspect. Typical activities include:
  • Looking at the suitability of new developments, like housing, power stations, wind farms or other large sites that may impact the environment;
  • Conducting field surveys and collecting data about levels of pollution or contamination on a site or area of consideration;
  • Interpreting data, which can include using software-modelling packages, and report writing;
  • Managing legislative issues for clients and maintaining an awareness of how legislation impacts projects;
  • Developing conceptual models, which involves identification and consideration of potential contamination;
  • Communicating with clients, regulators and sub-contractors, e.g. analytical laboratories;
  • Researching previous investigations of a site to provide information to clients considering a purchase;
  • Undertaking fieldwork to identify previous activities on the site and any contamination.

EDC Chapter Representatives

  • EDC. Gideon Olawo – Chairperson
  • EDC. Nickson Otieno –  Secretary
  • EDC. Gladys Njoroge – Treasurer
  • EDC. Peter Njeru   –  Registrar