Environmental Assessment Analyst

Mel Falk

"It was a combination of luck and ambition that I found a job in the environmental assessment industry.” In 1971, Mel Falk had just completed his master’s in zoology from the University of Manitoba. "There were few jobs for people like myself at the time on the prairies.” But Mel took a chance and walked into the Department of Fisheries and Oceans office in Winnipeg. To his surprise, they were hiring people with a master’s in natural sciences. They needed scientists to assess the environmental impact of the then-proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline.

Before he knew it, Mel was working in the Northwest Territories as an environmental assessment analyst. "Our job was to study fish, and it was up to us to determine what kinds of fish were there, where they travelled to, and how the pipeline could affect them.” Mel went on to work for Parks Canada and Public Works and Government Services Canada, where he refined his environmental assessment skills. More than 30 years later, Mel is now the president of his own company, Falk Environmental Inc., based in Winnipeg. The company provides professional environmental assessment and environmental education services to the public and private sectors.

Mel usually works seven days a week, with three to five projects going at a time. His private-sector clients include engineering and environmental consulting companies and a variety of industries, everything from transportation, communication, to heritage buildings and sewage treatment plants. "An environmental assessor is a jack of all trades and needs to be knowledgeable in a variety of disciplines and current in environmental assessment practices.” Mel spends most of his time at one of four desks, each representing a different project.

Whether he’s working at his desk in downtown Winnipeg or downtown Victoria, or his home office in suburban Winnipeg or Sidney, BC, most of his time is spent in front of a computer. His tasks include reading environmental publications, reviewing specifications, and writing and reviewing environmental assessment reports. When Mel is at a project site, he might be collecting soil, vegetation, and water samples or taking photos of the project in its various stages. According to Mel, one of the most important on-site tasks is speaking to potentially affected people such as landowners, neighbours, Aboriginal people, resource users, and harvesters. "For an environmental assessor, speaking with the people will yield far more information about the project location and potential effects than taking samples.” But sometimes taking the time to speak with people isn’t possible. Some clients have their own agenda.

The company may want the environmental assessment completed as quickly as possible in order to obtain a licence or approval so it can move on to the project’s construction. "There have been cases when it is not ethical or is immoral to proceed with a project because the environment may be compromised.” Mel believes the industry is not to blame for this unethical approach, but there needs to be a better understanding of the role of environmental assessments and assessment analysts in the early stages of proposed projects. According to Mel, the solution lies with the implementation of assessment standards and national professional certifications, such as Canadian Certified Environmental Practitioner. "Certification is the only way to ensure the industry can operate properly while the environment and the public are protected.”