Reclamation Specialist

Cameron Faminow

Cameron Faminow cites the combination of his ranching and farming background with his experience in the oil and gas industry as the main reason he is an effective environmental consultant. “People in this industry use jargon, which can be quite confusing and confounding.” Due to his combined experience, Cameron doesn’t have any problems translating this jargon. Today, he is the president and senior environmental planner of his own environmental consulting company.

Spending much of his time on reclamation projects, Cameron works both before and after a development project is complete. “The term ‘reclamation’ is similar to the term ‘environment’ in that it encompasses so many components…there are very few activities in any industry that do not have a reclamation component.” Prior to a development project, he does “front end” work, such as gathering the baseline data that will facilitate the return of the site to its preconstruction condition. “Ultimately, facilities will be abandoned, so the more we know prior to construction, the better we can reclaim the site,” he explains. Cameron’s “back end” work involves investigating sites that may still have reclamation issues.

Through literature searches and field investigations, Cameron determines what the land was used for and what pollutants may still remain at the site. After reclamation, the sites “should have the same agricultural or environmental capability as they did prior to development.” One of the highlights of Cameron’s work is the number of opportunities currently available to him. “Right now, there’s no shortage of work in all facets of the environmental industry, particularly in the reclamation sector.” He also enjoys the dynamic nature of his job, and the fact that a reclamation specialist’s role is “to create a win-win-win scenario, where industry, the environment, and landowners all win.”

Reclamation is an important process both for wildlife and humans alike; the process of deforestation is an example. When forests are cut down, whether to clear land or harvest more resources, it can be easy to forget that this has lasting environmental effects.

For wildlife, deforestation displaces species and may force them into new ecosystems that are not well-equipped to sustain additional wildlife. In the long run, this can create species and resource imbalance and can drastically deplete the population sizes of various species.

For humans, the process of reclamation supports conservation efforts to reverse the effects of deforestation. Reclamation allows us to efficiently use the same land in multiple ways, rather than disrupting new sites.

Some projects are more permanent (new housing communities and malls), others are less so (resource extraction). When these temporary projects have been completed inactive sites shouldn’t be left as is without any intention to use them again.

The research, data collection, and extensive planning or reclamation specialists mean they know which sites can be reclaimed in the future before they are disrupted. Other sites that haven’t been planned as thoroughly pose more of a challenge to reclaim. Reclamation specialists carry out extensive field investigations to determine exactly what the land was used for, what pollutants may still be lingering, and the probability of success with reclaiming that site.

Being a reclamation specialist is a very dynamic occupation. As the environment grows, there will be an increasing need for reclamation specialists.