What an environmental consultant does
Environmental consultants assess land and buildings for contamination and help clients meet environmental requirements. Typical work includes Phase One and Phase Two environmental site assessments, soil and groundwater sampling, remediation planning and oversight, designated substance and hazardous building materials surveys, excess soil management and permit applications. Their reports support property transactions, financing, development approvals and records of site condition. For a consulting firm or developer, a capable consultant produces defensible field data and clear reports on schedule.
Credentials matter here. In Ontario, Phase One and Phase Two assessments that support a record of site condition under O. Reg. 153/04 must be conducted or supervised by a qualified person, generally a licensed professional engineer or professional geoscientist. Phase I assessments for lenders and buyers are often done to the CSA Z768 standard instead. Finch confirms licences where they are needed, asks about field and reporting experience and learns which work your team needs covered.
Typical responsibilities
- Conduct Phase One and Phase Two environmental site assessments
- Plan and carry out soil, groundwater and soil vapour sampling programs
- Prepare technical reports, cost estimates and remediation plans
- Oversee drilling contractors, remediation work and excess soil movements
- Complete designated substance and hazardous building materials surveys
- Communicate findings to clients, lenders, municipalities and the province
Qualifications and credentials
- A degree or diploma in environmental science, geology, hydrogeology, engineering or a related field
- A P.Eng. licence from Professional Engineers Ontario or P.Geo. registration with Professional Geoscientists Ontario, for roles acting as a qualified person
- Working knowledge of O. Reg. 153/04, CSA Z768 and Ontario's excess soil rules
- The EP designation from ECO Canada, which some employers value
- A valid driver's licence and field safety training, since much of the work is on site
Who hires an environmental consultant
- Environmental and engineering consulting firms
- Real estate developers and homebuilders
- Municipalities and public agencies
- Industrial companies managing their own properties
- Remediation contractors
Where we recruit environmental consultant candidates
We fill environmental consultant roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- Confirm PEO or PGO status on the public register when qualified person status is needed
- Review the types of assessments and reports they have authored or reviewed
- Discuss field experience, including drilling oversight and sampling methods
- Ask how they handle unexpected findings that change a project's scope or budget
- Check references from project managers or senior reviewers
Interview questions to ask
- Your Phase One identifies a former dry cleaner next door. How do you plan the Phase Two?
- How do you explain a contamination finding to a client who is about to close on a property?
- Tell me about a report that came back from review with major comments. What did you change?