Environmental consulting is most often a form of environmental compliance consulting, wherein the consultant helps ensure that the client meets an appropriate level of environmental compliance. For example, if the client is working with a large municipal water department, an environmental consultant might recommend that they reduce the amount of chemicals used to disinfect water. This would reduce the chances of large-scale contamination of drinking water. Alternatively, an environmental consultant may recommend that they install filters on their trucks and for their residential clients to reduce or eliminate any use of chemicals in cleaning their carpets.
There are several forms of consulting that an environmental consultant can offer, but the two most common types are public works consulting and the development consulting. Public works consulting refers to services such as those offered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help communities deal with water quality issues and protect the environment from damage caused by irresponsible construction practices.
While it is important to keep the environment clean for the future of the planet, it is even more important to keep the water quality issues on a manageable scale. It is not possible for every community to develop new regulations that address all contaminants that may threaten its water system, so a consulting firm will help communities meet these standards.
Development consulting helps local government agencies and developers to create new developments, including apartment complexes, subdivisions and industrial parks. This is a huge area of expertise and requires an expert who has been through the process many times and understands the intricacies of the process. Because these developments require a large investment of time and money, it is essential that the development consultant keeps the project under control at all times.
Environmental consultants also provide services that will help build the homes of those that live in a community. Whether the goal is to improve the overall appearance of the neighborhood, which allows for more sales and revenue, or the goal is to make certain that people living there have access to safe, healthy water for drinking, the consultant can help with the design and implementation of regulations that will ensure that people living there have healthy, safe access to water at all times.
The environmental consultant is the expert that helps people get ahead in their chosen field. By keeping track of regulatory requirements, designing programs to achieve compliance, analyzing data and evaluating the results, and helping design effective communication methods, the professional environmental consultant can ensure that all of these issues are addressed properly.