State of Maryland

An Environmental Enforcement Inspector Trainee is the entry level of work in the inspection and investigation of construction and operational activities involving sediment and erosion control, vehicle emissions, stormwater management, petroleum and hazardous substance storage tanks, surface and underground mining, or wetlands and waterways.  Employees in this classification ensure compliance and initiate enforcement of applicable State and Federal laws and regulations.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a designated administrator.  Employees may be required to work evenings and weekends and may be subject to call-in in response to emergency situations, such as operational accidents or natural disasters.  The work is primarily performed outdoors under varying weather conditions and requires travel throughout the State.  The work may require use of safety equipment such as protective clothing, eyewear, gloves, and respirators. Employees may be exposed to physical hazards, such as toxic materials and fumes, asbestos, lead particles, falling debris, and other hazardous conditions.  The work may require walking over uneven and rocky surfaces, bending or stooping in confined spaces and carrying specialized tools and testing devices.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Environmental Enforcement Inspector Trainee, Environmental Enforcement Inspector I and the Environmental Enforcement Inspector II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Environmental Enforcement Inspector Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Environmental Enforcement Inspector I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Environmental Enforcement Inspector II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to inspect permitted, licensed or approved activities in any of the following areas: wetlands and waterway construction projects, fuel and nonfuel surface and underground mining and reclamation operations, sediment and erosion control, vehicle emissions testing and repair operations, stormwater management, ground and surface water appropriations, petroleum and hazardous substance storage tank installation and operations, and gas and oil production and exploration projects to ensure compliance and enforcement of applicable laws and regulations and ensure conformity to permits, licenses and project plans or specifications;

Learns to conduct inspections and investigations in response to concerns and complaints from citizens, community organizations, law enforcement officials, businesses, and government agencies to determine if violations exist and document findings which support or disprove allegations;

Learns to initiate enforcement of applicable laws and regulations by issuing warning notices, notices of violations, citations, corrective action or stop work orders;

Learns to interview witnesses, complainants, and alleged violators to verify and obtain information related to the site violation;

Learns to examine business and public records to verify and obtain facts concerning the construction or operational site such as property ownership, licensing or certification requirements and historical data;

Learns to collect air, water, soil or vegetation samples take photographs and measurements, and conduct field tests for acidity, alkalinity, sediment particles and other characteristics to determine the presence of petroleum products, soil runoff, air pollutants or possible toxic substances;

Learns to review maps, permits, licenses, construction plans or specifications to ensure compliance with applicable State and Federal laws and regulations;

Learns to prepare and maintain written reports of findings of inspections and investigations, and daily and weekly logs and case files;

Learns to assess damage caused by regulatory violation, prepare fine assessments and draft civil penalty case reports;

Learns to recommend course of action for violation case disposition, such as closure of file due to compliance, continuance of inspection activities, or referral of case for civil or criminal prosecution;

Learns to testify at administrative hearings or in court concerning the findings of the inspections and investigations or the conditions under which the citation was issued;

Attends in-service, out-of-service or seminar training in order to keep abreast of changes and innovations involving areas of inspection responsibility;

May learn to determine when minor field modifications are warranted based on plan omissions or changes in site condition and recommend corrective action;

May learn to prepare documents to obtain search warrants and arrest warrants in violation cases;

May respond to emergency operational or natural disaster incidents to assist in determining the cause and extent of damage and determining the corrective course of action;

May learn to test and calibrate equipment for inspection and measurement;

May learn to draw diagrams and delineate property boundaries to substantiate site compliance or noncompliance with applicable laws and regulations;

Performs other related duties.

Ability to learn State and Federal laws and regulations applicable to sediment and erosion control, stormwater management, hazardous and solid waste management, vehicle emissions, fuel and nonfuel surface and underground mining and reclamation, petroleum and hazardous substance storage tank installation and maintenance, or wetlands and waterway construction;

Ability to learn inspection and investigation techniques;

Ability to learn construction and operational standards and practices applicable to sediment and erosion control, stormwater management, mining, vehicle emissions testing and repair, storage tanks, or waterways and wetlands activities;

Ability to learn to recognize regulation violations and issue warnings, formal notices and citations, and recommend a corrective course of action;

Ability to learn to collect field samples and conduct quality control field tests and measurements;

Ability to learn to use a wide variety of testing and measuring devices, such as planimeters, photovac meters and seismographs, emissions analyzers, containment and absorbent devices and safety equipment;

Ability to learn to interpret construction plans, permits, specifications, drawings and maps;

Ability to learn to prepare and maintain inspection and investigation reports, logs and case files;

Ability to establish and maintain an effective working relationship with property owners and managers, contractors, government officials and the general public.

Ability to testify at administrative hearings and court proceedings.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: Candidates may substitute experience involving inspection or enforcement work related to natural resources management or environmental protection on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit C, Regulatory, Inspection and Licensure classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.  This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.