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You’ve heard the expression ‘jack of all trades’? This phrase summarizes the talent, expertise, experience, and training represented by the field scientists collectively known as the ‘Field Office’ to our headquarters colleagues within the Maryland Department of the Environment’s (MDE) Technical and Regulatory Services Administration (TARSA). I belong to a dedicated group of professionals within TARSA officially called the Compliance Monitoring Division. Currently, I am assigned to the western region of Maryland. Others in my division specialize in other geographic areas. The scope of work described below illustrates how regional issues and cumulative work experience molds my current responsibilities.
Our Function
The function of the Compliance Monitoring Division is to support numerous water-related regulatory programs by producing quality environmental data. Program leaders use our data to detect conditions that threaten ecosystem or human health and subsequently chose the appropriate corrective actions. The information we collect may ultimately influence Marylanders’ health as well as their finances. This realization inspires me to collect data in as unbiased a manner as possible, providing it to decision-makers responsible for protecting and restoring Maryland’s environment and public health.
Routine Fosters Special Projects
The Division’s work involves both routine and special projects. For example, I am currently responsible for the routine contaminant monitoring of community drinking water systems, required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. This work is quite detailed and repetitive. It requires extensive knowledge of sample procedures and meticulous data management. Besides delivering good quality data, this repetition and familiarity with drinking water systems enhances my preparedness to participate in other projects. Thanks to this expertise, I have been involved in investigating suspected contamination or other damage to aquatic systems (e.g., groundwater pollution dye studies, emergency drinking water samples, fish kill investigations).
Cumulative Experience Yields Sound Advice
Past work experience contributes to my current assignments. For example, my previous involvement with Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) survey design, data collection, and analysis provides experience, knowledge, and interest that contribute to current MDE efforts to identify the cause(s) of statewide stream biological impairments.
Also, experience measuring stream flow and familiarity with gauging stations from TMDL work enabled me to advise the operators of a waste water treatment plant on how to manage their discharges in order to comply with minimum stream flow permit requirements. Cumulative experience using Geographic Information Systems database, word processor, and drawing software improves my ability to manage data and communicate information. Similarly, a continually expanding network of contacts (federal, state, local, academic, private, and individual) facilitates more efficient data collection.
Diversity Explained
Routine fieldwork typically results in the development of specific subject knowledge and increased interest in other issues that encourages involvement in special projects. Cumulative skills and regional expertise enable efficient, diverse, and cost-effective data collection. The diverse skills and knowledge of the Compliance Monitoring Division are a product of the variety of region-specific issues encountered by individual field scientists. We stand ready to collect, organize, and report data to support numerous critical State regulatory functions. It is a responsibility that, for us, is just part of the everyday routine.
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