What Do Engineers Do?
Environmental Engineering
Deborah is employed by a state agency. Her mission as an environmental engineer is to inspect pollution control facilities and report on the adequacy of their operation and maintenance.
As the foregoing samples indicate, environmental engineers work in a variety of occupations with varying missions. But all share a common objective-protecting public health and safety and ensuring that nature's eco-systems are not adversely affected as they are employed to benefit humankind. Generally, most environmental engineers begin their career by working in supporting roles. As expertise and judgment is acquired through experience, more substantive and leadership roles are available.
Environmental engineering assignments can involve, alone or in combination:
- Research – development of new processes or new applications of existing processes;
- Planning – development of long-range community, regional, or facility plans to serve the public and protect the environment;
- Design – development of construction drawings and specifications for pollution control facilities;
- Construction – supervising the building of the facilities employed to protect health, safety and the environment;
- Operations/maintenance – ensuring that environment -related facilities properly fulfill their intended functions;
- Regulatory oversight – developing and administering the regulations provided by law to protect human health and safety and the environment.
Salary:
$72,590
Engineers in Action
Read the PE Times issue:
January 2005, Issue #36
Related Links
American Academy of Environmental Engineers
ASFE/The Best People on Earth
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