ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST I

$4,155.00/month

Job Type: Full-Time Temporary/Part-Time Temporary
Location: 1000 Uluohia St, Suite 212 Kapolei, HI 96707
Department: Facility Maintenance
Apply Before: 03/01/2025

DUTIES SUMMARY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST I (SR-16):

This position is under the general supervision and discretion of the Planner VII (Branch Chief) and Environmental Health Specialist IV for the Planning and Monitoring (P &M) Branch within the Storm Water Quality Division consisting of Planners, Geographic Information System (GIS) Analysts and Environmental Health Specialists. The principal duties and responsibilities of the P&M branch include, but are not limited to, implementing the branch’s planning and monitoring functions related to its Watershed Management, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Trash Reduction, Urban Runoff Reduction and Water Quality Sampling and Monitoring Programs. This position is responsible for the success of a number of routine and recurring storm water monitoring and sampling functions related to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Storm Water Management Program. This position requires basic knowledge on the principles of chemical, biological or physical science, and basic knowledge of mathematics (i.e., a minimum of 3 credits of college level algebra); problem solving methods and techniques, report writing, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. It requires the ability to do fieldwork, including walking and climbing into streams, channels, and other drainage facilities, conducting inspections and investigations, determining compliance with applicable laws, preparing investigation reports, monitoring of water, soil, and air to identify and quantify potential pollutant sources from various privately and publicly owned facilities, streams, channels, storm drains, outfalls and land uses. Other duties may include the administration of consultant contracts, program management, product evaluation, research & development, system optimization, database management, and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping. This position also requires the operation of a vehicle to perform fieldwork, which includes inspection of construction sites and secured facilities. It may also require overtime work, including weekends, holidays, for investigations, field sampling, and assisting with presentations to community groups. This position may also involve participating in periodic and temporary cross training and supplementary work exercises and activities in support of other sections within the branch to comply with its regulatory obligations of the City’s storm water permit. The principal duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

A. Storm Water Quality Monitoring Related Work 50%

• Performs routine and recurring water quality monitoring activities, including stream sampling, grab sampling of illicit discharges, facility runoff, outfall and stream mouth opening. Assists with the installation and maintenance of automatic samplers, flow meters, rain gages and multi-parameter monitoring sondes. Assists with collecting, analyzing, and summarizing data from monitoring activities, as well as, data collected from other sources.
• Performs routine and recurring inspections of State Receiving Waters and outfalls, which include site visits to streams, both upstream and downstream of City-owned stream sections, coastal receiving waters and storm drain outfalls.
• Performs routine and recurring reconnaissance site surveys and inspections of various neighborhoods and communities, storm drain inlets, catch basins and drainage systems to identify potential water quality retrofit and monitoring opportunities. Assists with collecting, analyzing and summarizing field measurements, visual observations and field data from inspections, as well as, data collected from other sources.
• Prepares maps, charts, and other drawings needed for monitoring or other NPDES related reports using various software packages (i.e. GIS, AutoCad, Excel, etc.)
• Assists in maintaining and updating all branch related databases and compliance tracking systems. Assists in researching and summarizing information from various sources and databases including the internet; prepares reports to support other program activities; helps organize, produces reports and other documents utilizing existing databases, word processing, presentation and spreadsheet software.
• Participates in professional development training program(s) and revisits refresher training program(s) to maintain and demonstrate some degree of scope and complexity, preferably focused in the construction, industrial and/or illicit discharge storm water programs as deemed necessary, at the discretion and approval of the division.
• Annually reviews and successfully completes work related training programs to ensure familiarity with practices, procedures, work processes, equipment and techniques, regulations, operations and other aspects related to the City’s Storm Water Management Program.

B. Planning Related Work 25%

• Assists with implementing a storm water quality watershed management planning assessment program. Assists with facilitating and coordinating with various agencies (Federal, State and Local) and other stakeholders with identifying and quantifying pollutant sources and developing possible corrective actions, programs and/or projects and follow up actions to reduce pollutant loads to receiving water(s).
• Assists with implementing a water quality based hydrological simulation development program, including but not limited to, EPA’s Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Non-Point Sources (BASINS) modeling program, Hydrological Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF), National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Non-Point Source Pollution and Erosion Comparison Tool (NSPECT) and National Resource Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). These programs shall be used in developing annual and event specific pollutant loads towards prioritizing and identifying potential water quality opportunities for planning purposes.
• Assists with implementing a storm water TMDL management planning assessment program. Assists with facilitating and coordinating with various agencies (Federal, State and Local) and other stakeholders with identifying and quantifying pollutant sources and developing possible corrective actions, programs and/or projects and follow up actions to reduce pollutant loads from the City’s Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) to receiving water(s).
• Assists with implementing a storm water Trash Reduction management planning assessment program. Assists with facilitating and coordinating with various agencies (Federal, State and Local) and other stakeholders with identifying and quantifying pollutant sources and developing possible corrective actions, programs and/or projects and follow up actions to reduce pollutant loads from the City’s MS4 to receiving water(s).

C. Regulatory Inspections and Enforcement Related Work 10%

• Responds to inquiries on allowed discharges to the City’s storm drain system, explains roles of the City, and responsibilities to minimize pollutants from entering the City’s storm drainage system.
• Receives complaints of illicit discharges and illegal drain connections, evaluates urgency and severity of situation, conducts investigations of routine to recurring cases involving discharges and drain connections, evaluates seriousness of any violations, and prepares necessary reports of findings and recommendations. Assists with routine and recurring cases involving various agencies/departments and/or moderate level of discharges that may result in fines and legal proceedings. Maintains case records of investigation reports and enforcement actions. Appears as a witness in appeals hearings and court proceedings related to investigation, if necessary.
• Assists with performing dry weather outfall inspections to trace and identify potential illicit discharges and illegal drain connections into the City’s storm drainage system. Assists in recommending possible enforcement and follow up actions to cease and desist with the discharge.
• Assists with performing routine and recurring field inspections, using checklists, of small industrial users, City facilities and businesses in targeted areas and determines whether the user requires State NPDES permit coverage. Evaluates and recommends appropriate corrective actions and storm water pollution prevention practices for all deficiencies identified at the site. Prepares field reports of the inspections.
• Assists with performing compliance inspections and follow-up inspections of routine and recurring construction sites to identify BMP deficiencies and non-compliance activities in conformance with site specific Erosion and Sediment Control Plans (ESCP) and Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPP).
• Assists with performing compliance inspections of routine and recurring post-construction BMP sites from various developed and redeveloped properties that have implemented treatment, source control and Low Impact Development (LID) designs to eliminate, capture and treat storm water runoff from various regulated sites in accordance to the City’s Rules Relating to Water Quality and NPDES MS4 Permit. Evaluates and recommends appropriate corrective actions and storm water pollution prevention practices for all deficiencies identified at the site. Prepares field reports of the inspections.
• Participates in any relevant and associated training programs on the regulatory requirements in support of another branch’s program.

D. Public Education Related Work 10%

• Assists outreach coordinator, community relations specialist(s), engineer(s), technician(s) and team leaders with Adopt-A-Stream events, Adopt-A-Block events, public exhibits, workshops, and presentations.
• Assists with preparing presentations, handouts and other materials. Participates in various project planning and public events with other agencies, community groups, neighborhood boards and other stakeholders to develop and strengthen partnerships and understanding.

E. Performs other duties as assigned 5%

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Training and Experience: Education equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a major in the biological, environmental and/or physical sciences.

License Requirement: Possession of an appropriate valid driver’s license, as required.

Knowledge of: This position requires basic knowledge on the principles of chemical, biological or physical science, and basic knowledge of mathematics (i.e., a minimum of 3 credits of college level algebra); problem solving methods and techniques, report writing, and the ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing.

Ability to: do fieldwork, including walking and climbing into streams, channels, and other drainage facilities, conducting inspections and investigations, determining compliance with applicable laws, preparing investigation reports, monitoring of water, soil, and air to identify and quantify potential pollutant sources from various privately and publicly owned facilities, streams, channels, storm drains, outfalls and land uses.

BENEFITS: [Excludes Part-Time and 89-day Contracts]

• Vacation: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.

• Sick Leave: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.

• Holidays: 13 days a year; 14 days during election years.

• Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and Vision Care: Various health insurance plans are available.

• Retirement Plan: The Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) of the State of Hawaii administers retirement benefits for State and County employees. Employee contribution required.

* All benefits as stated above, are subject to eligibility requirements and to legislative and/or negotiated changes. Individuals are responsible for any related fees or charges that may apply.

At time of application, you must be a citizen, national or permanent resident alien of the United States or a non-citizen eligible under Federal law for unrestricted employment.