In our industry, figures and drawing are a huge and important part of our Phase One and Two ESA reports. The saying ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ is especially true when you get involved in complex sites requiring contaminant delineation drawings, conceptual site models, cross
In last month’s blog, I discussed the issue of obtaining a Record of Site Condition (RSC) in Ontario, specifically directed at property owners and buyers and consultants who are unfamiliar with the RSC process. This month I will explore some of the realities faced by stakeholders who
In Ontario a Record of Site Condition (RSC) is legally required when a property is to be changed to a more sensitive land use (e.g. from Industrial or Commercial to Residential). The legislation was formally adopted in 2011, but I still take a lot of calls from prospective clients who are caught by
Last month I discussed some of the common tools and equipment for soil sampling in a Phase Two Environmental Site Assessment. Many investigations will also require groundwater sampling, which will necessitate some additions and alterations to your sampling toolbox. Of course, you will still require
It must be January because I find myself out in the field conducting Phase Two Environmental Site Assessments, more than when the weather was nice and the ground was free of snow and ice. Loading up my gear got me thinking of all the equipment on my mental checklist for field sampling; which became
Further to last month’s blog about the day to day activities of an environmental consultant; here are a few more ‘day in the life’ summaries for various disciplines in the environmental field. Realistically, you likely wouldn’t (or couldn’t) do all this in a normal
Recently I have had several discussions with students and mentees who are interested in the activities of an environmental consultant. Understanding the daily tasks and business undertakings related to a potential career in environmental geoscience or engineering, is an important part of evaluating
As my regular readers may know, I am a big proponent of mentoring, and one of the common issues I talk about with new mentees (especially students and recent graduates) is trying to decide what career path to take in environmental geoscience. Some people know exactly what they want to do with their
Last month I wrote about some of the important things to plan for if you want to start your own business. This moth I continue that discussion with more thoughts on the pitfalls and successes you may experience along the way. Build Your Team As a personal corporation or sole-proprietor you may
I am sure there are many consultants out there who have been working from home for a few months, or they have been ‘Covid-ized’ and are looking for work; and are now seriously considering starting their own company and working for themselves. In fact, I have had several colleagues and mentees
