The primary purpose of this mobile workforce position is to advance successful reclamation and stormwater management through assessing regulatory compliance at oil and gas locations. The responsibilities include conducting evaluations of locations with regard to interim and final reclamation; comparing field observations against permit conditions of approval, construction layout drawings, and other approved plans; and addressing compliance issues that may warrant enforcement actions. The role also involves technical soil data analysis and soil field observations aimed at ensuring compliance. 

Additionally, the position involves reviewing reclamation-related variance applications, including drafting a “Director’s Recommendation” to inform the Commission’s decision to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the variance. This review includes an assessment of the technical adequacy of the request, proposed surface reclamation processes and procedures, weed control, stormwater management, and adherence to rule-specific requirements and a determination of whether granting a variance would be protective of public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources. 

A key aspect of the position is to respond to public complaints, which involves engagement with complainants and on-site inspections. Additionally, the Position will/may review Topsoil Protection Plans, Stormwater Management Plans, and Interim and Final Reclamation Plans, Migratory bird surveys, Wildlife plans, as these are essential to ensure compliance with relevant rules and regulations. 

The Position may act as a Subject Matter Expert and resource to regional ECMC staff and operators within the region and for enforcement proceedings. Overall, the objective of the position is to safeguard public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources by ensuring operators implement sufficient measures to protect and minimize adverse impacts.  

Reclamation Compliance Inspections:

• Develop, design, and/or monitor reclamation activities/plans, topsoil protection practices, and stormwater management programs at proposed permit areas, active and inactive oil and gas locations, and orphaned well locations.
• This includes conducting environmental assessments of flora and fauna, and soil and hydrological conditions, through inspections, meetings, and document review, assist operators in identification and implementation of the most effective topsoil protection, reclamation, and stormwater management methods.
• Design and monitor reclamation plans and activities and stormwater management programs to ensure they are in compliance with the ECMC rules and orders. 
• Conduct site inspections to ensure compliance with permits and any site specific conditions of approval (COA) and recommend additional conditions of approval for future oil and gas locations.  
• Document each inspection on a Field Inspection Report form, timely submitted through ECMC’s electronic forms system. 
• Review oil and gas operator factual review requests to assess their legitimacy and develop agency responses.
• Create a complete record of documentation including notes, photographic evidence, geospatial data (GPS), and drone site information on the locations; merge and overlay the field collected data with aerial photography and GIS aerial photo documentation (including historic). 
• Develop site specific and regulatory-based corrective actions and communicate with operators to clarify ECMC expectations through inspections and through other means, as necessary.
• Directly comment on operator submittals (E.g. reclamation plans, stormwater management plans, migratory bird surveys) and clearly correspond any deficiencies. 
• Determine site-specific sample locations, collect the soil samples for agronomic analysis, interpret the soil analytical results, and plan for any actions required.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative vegetation monitoring at a species level using methods which include, but are not limited to, the line point intercept method. 
• Other duties as assigned.

Conduct Inspections for other ECMC Units:

• Conduct inspections at the request of the Permitting, Compliance, Engineering, Financial Assurance, and the Environmental work unit to gather information on compliance and other data in support of their activities and investigations.
• This duty differs in that the response to these requests may, when compared to standard inspections, decrease efficiencies and may increase coordination.  
• Collect and interpret agronomic soil samples for the reclamation group and at the request of other work units.  
• Potentially, collect initial “screening level” samples (soil, oily waste, soil gas, etc.). 
• Provide technical knowledge, subject matter expertise, and guidance to the regulated community on implementation and applicability of ECMC Rules.  
• Work with local governmental agencies to provide information to the public on oil and gas operations, practices and procedures and on ECMC Rules, Commission orders, and staff policies.

Historic Records Research:

• In support of the on the ground field inspections a database review is required. ECMC database review of the oil and gas locations includes but is not limited to historic documents, current location status, permits, spills, well plugging forms, and other pertinent data for each location.  
• Specialist must then use the information to make assessments and decisions on corrective actions.  
• The review of the database is required to compliment the on the ground field analysis for making sound decisions on appropriate corrective actions, corrective action dates, and enforcement.  
• Additionally, this duty is required for conducting research related to Reclamation and wildlife protections.

Manage Complaints:

• Provide technical knowledge and guidance to the regulated community on implementation and applicability of ECMC rules, in particular to new rules or amended rules in the 200, 300, 600, 900, 1000, 1100, and 1200 Series related to reclamation, stormwater management, monitoring remediation,  and wildlife concerns as necessary to protect and minimize adverse impacts to public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources. 
• This activity requires driving to a specific property and interviewing landowners, and Operator personnel and contractors.

Corrective Actions:

• Initiate formal enforcement procedures. Develop Notices of Alleged Violations (NOAVs), support the prosecutorial staff, and appear at hearing as an expert witness.
• Identify corrective actions that are appropriate for successful reclamation as an outcome of enforcement proceedings.
• Write NOAVs, respond to operators NOAV responses, review AOCs, conduct additional inspections, prepare presentations for operator or commission meetings for the enforcement actions.
• This activity requires coordination with other Commission employees.
• This duty could significantly increase in time spent depending upon the number of enforcement cases in process.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

This posting is open to current and non-current residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application. However, if you are selected and accept the position, you will be required to establish residence in the State of Colorado within the assigned work location.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Experience Only:

Six (6) years of relevant experience/expertise in performing, overseeing, or monitoring reclamation projects that demonstrate tasks such as, soil and vegetation sampling, species-level vegetation monitoring, and the development implementation, review, and monitoring of reclamation.

OR

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education in Range Ecology, Edaphology, Biology, Botany, Ecology, Ecosystem Science, Wildlife Biology or a similar field and/or specific relevant reclamation experience in performing or overseeing reclamation projects that demonstrate tasks such as, soil and vegetation sampling, species-level vegetation monitoring, and the development, implementation, review, and monitoring of reclamation and equal to six (6) years.

Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
• Scientific Knowledge: Ability to evaluate specific and unique situations using a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ecological disciplines such as ecology, wildlife biology, soil science, and botany. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Professional Competence: A fully-operational professional specialist capable of applying theories and ecological concepts to design, develop, evaluate and monitor reclamation activities and stormwater management at both active and inactive oil and gas locations, as well as orphan well locations.
• Regulatory Acumen: Working knowledge of State enforcement case management is essential.
• Communications Skills: Ability to effectively convey work processes and ECMC rules associated with the Reclamation Group to Oil and Gas Operators and the Public. This includes Strong written and verbal communication skills necessary for effective collaboration and reporting.

Computer Proficiency: Proficient in using computers, including various programs including Google Suite and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Comfortable navigating web-based programs and utilizing interactive GIS maps and databases.

Conditions of Employment:

• Must have a permanent full time residence or must move to within a 20 minute response time to oil and gas operations in the Rifle, Colorado area along the I70 corridor, or other Supervisor approved home/office location within the Reclamation Specialist Region to be able to efficiently and effectively reach the oil and gas locations for inspections.
• Applicant will have 90 days to establish a residency with the required Home office/location in the assign work location.
• Must be willing to be a remote employee that works out of a home office in Western Colorado as specified above.  Position requires driving to individual oil and gas locations/facilities and possibly hiking up to 2 miles to the locations/facilities, which could require crossing fences, in all weather conditions.
• Reclamation region responsibility with required travel planned for the specific region and possible overnight travel for several consecutive days, for work, meetings, and travel within the State for training purposes.
• Must be willing to be a remote employee that works out of a home office in Western Colorado, specifically the Rifle, Colorado region.
• Position requires driving to individual oil and gas locations/facilities and possibly hiking up to 2 miles to the locations/facilities, which could require crossing fences, in all weather conditions.
• This posting is open to current and non-current residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application. However, if you are selected and accept the position, you will be required to establish residence in the State of Colorado within the assigned work location.
• Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose the information on the application and provide an explanation why the prior termination or resignation should not disqualify their application from the current position.  (Please Note: Absent extraordinary circumstances, prior disciplinary termination or resignation in lieu of termination will disqualify the applicant from future State employment with DNR).
• Must possess and maintain a valid Colorado's driver's license.
• Able to travel with occasional multi-overnight stays within Colorado.
• This position works independently from an office at home.
• You must be legally eligible to work in the United States to be appointed to this position. DNR does not sponsor non-residents of the United States.

SIGNIFICANTLY more informaiton in the original listing:https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado/jobs/4787362/ecmc-reclamation-specialist-rifle-co-region-residents-and-non-residents-may-ap?department[0]=Department%20of%20Natural%20Resources&sort=PostingDate%7CDescending&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs