Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge to assist environmental scientists and engineers with determining the environmental condition of a site or locality. Personnel are required to locate and assess relevant data sets and reports; interpret the magnitudes and trends in measured environmental parameters; and determine and report on the potential significance for site or locality activities. This includes knowledge of environmental science to interpret measurements involving the atmosphere, biodiversity, land and water.
This unit applies to environmental technicians working in a range of industry sectors, including environmental monitoring, and sampling; environmental compliance, auditing and inspection; groundwater and clean water; water treatment, storm and wastewater management; solid and hazardous waste management; site remediation; management of contaminated sites; geotechnical services and civil engineering; natural resource management.
No licensing or certification requirements exist at the time of publication. Relevant legislation, industry standards and codes of practice within Australia must be applied.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Read and interpret existing site or locality information | 1.1 | Confirm the scope of the proposed project and details of the site or locality |
1.2 | Identify legislative, regulatory and planning requirements | ||
1.3 | Access, read and interpret available information about the site or locality | ||
1.4 | Summarise existing data and relate it to legislative, planning and organisational requirements | ||
2 | Identify relevant environmental indicators for site or locality | 2.1 | Determine which environmental indicators and statutory environmental quality concentration limits are relevant to the proposed project and requirements of the site or locality |
2.2 | Identify core environmental indicators and collect and collate data | ||
2.3 | Identify statutory environmental quality concentration limits and collect and collate data | ||
2.4 | Identify additional site, locality or project specific environmental indicators and collect and collate data | ||
2.5 | Identify gaps in available data and refer to supervisor for further action | ||
3 | Read and analyse data to establish site condition | 3.1 | Ensure compatibility of data sets and seek advice |
3.2 | Compare compatible data with core environmental indicators, established standards, regulatory limits, and statutory environmental quality concentration limits | ||
3.3 | Apply environmental chemistry and biodiversity concepts and principles to estimate the environmental health of the site or locality | ||
3.4 | Identify significant trends in environmental data and correlations and differences with indicators | ||
3.5 | Make a final assessment of site condition | ||
4 | Report findings | 4.1 | Report the assessment of environmental condition in the required format and expected timeframe |
4.2 | Brief supervisor and stakeholders about the environmental assessment process and outcomes | ||
Foundation Skills
This section describes those language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Sectors
Environmental
Competency Field
Environmental monitoring