Environmental Auditor

Sue Keane

I have worked in the environmental field for twenty-six years. The first seventeen of these were with Environment Canada where I developed a strong background in environmental regulations. When I started with Environment Canada as a university student my interests were in water pollution programs. My current focus as a partner in a consulting firm is on environmental auditing and assessment. Companies who are required to comply with environmental standards need an evaluation of their facilities completed by a certified auditor to ensure they are following regulations. If you want to get started in this field you need to get certified as an environmental auditor and become a member of the Canadian Environmental Auditing Association.

My experience is both diverse and comprehensive. I have supervised and directed the development and delivery of numerous scientific and technical programs related to hazardous waste management, contaminated site assessment/remediation and compliance assessment/enforcement. To do this job well a person needs to continually adapt and transform to keep up with the issue of the day. The work is never static and the ability to apply my skills and knowledge to a variety of topics has enabled me to gain extensive experience. Adopting the professional responsibility to become a self-managed learner is essential to staying informed.

I attend conferences, read journals and research the Internet to gather information. The position I hold as an Adjunct Professor at a local university requires my skills as an effective environmental educator to be constantly honed. The rest of the information I need to continue doing my job well is gained through interaction with colleagues and lessons learned on the job. Over the next few years, there will be greater emphasis placed upon protection of water resources, contingency planning for environmental emergencies and voluntary conformance with environmental standards in Canada. There are significant opportunities for advancement in this area particularly for those who are flexible in terms of work location.

Positions can be found with private industry, government departments and educational institutions. One of the difficulties in getting started in this profession is the need to be certified as an Environmental Auditor. What makes this difficult is that the certification requires experience and the experience often requires certification. To get around this problem there are several methods you can use to gain experience. Job shadowing, volunteering and working in an assistant position for a company that does environmental auditing are ways to attain the skills needed. If you really want certification as an environmental auditor, you’ll find a way to get it.

I spend my days auditing as well as assessing and remediating contaminated sites. Another interesting aspect of my position is travelling to places like Africa and India. My workweek is usually a forty-five hour or more commitment with regular tasks like report writing, computer presentations, office administration, technical literature reviews and professional development filling the hours. Knowledge of safety equipment and procedures is mandatory when I work with dangerous goods. To do this job well a person needs excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to interpret technical information. Communication is also a very important skill when interacting with clients, regulators, hydrogeologists, chemists and economists.

The demand in Canada for environmental auditing services is significant. The most positive environmental impact I have made so far is to contribute to the development of a five-day training program that provides participants with the skills to do an efficient internal environmental audit on their company. Often the material contained in a program like this one can be very dry and uninteresting to participants. We are proud that our program is fun, positive and effective in delivering the information necessary to determine the impact of business activities on the environment.