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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Review existing site and/or locality information
  2. Identify relevant environmental indicators for site and/or locality
  3. Analyse data to establish site condition
  4. Report findings

Required Skills

Required skills

Required skills include

researching and interpreting legislative enterprise and site requirements

collecting and compilingcollating data that is potentially relevant to an assessment of site environmental pollution andor degradation

comparing expected or known site environmental parameters with accepted background levels or conditions and determining significance for siteproject

using computer software eg databases spreadsheets and specialist programs

defining and solving problems where alternatives are not obvious and where investigations may be required and the implications of various solutions considered

seeking advice when issuesproblems are beyond scope of competenceresponsibility

writing reports using enterprise formats and guidelines

presenting findings to stakeholders

Required knowledge

Required knowledge includes

appropriate scientific terminology relevant to environmental indicators environmental pollution and environmental degradation

fundamental concepts and principles in chemistry physics geology and biology to support a scientific systematic approach to the evaluation of environmental degradation

fundamentals of environmental chemistry including

natural and modified hydrologic cycle

aquatic chemistry in natural and polluted waters

water pollutants eg heavy metals inorganics organics nutrients and pesticides

atmosphere and its composition structure and circulation

atmospheric stability and instability eg lapse rates and inversions

atmospheric pollutants eg particulates inorganic air pollutants and organic air pollutants

awareness of climate change science

soil chemistry

hazardous wastes and toxicological chemistry

concepts of biodiversity stresses including

land clearing and loss of habitat

threatened and vulnerable species and ecological communities

introduced species

specific legislation strategies policies and codes of practice related to environmental pollution and biodiversity

relevant health safety and environment requirements

Evidence Required

Overview of assessment

Competency must be demonstrated in the ability to perform consistently at the required standard

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessors must be satisfied that the candidate can competently and consistently apply the skills covered in this unit of competency in new and different situations and contexts Critical aspects of assessment and evidence include

demonstrating an understanding of the legislative and planning framework that applies to environmental site appraisal

researching reviewing and concisely documenting site environmental history using appropriate scientific terminology

identifying relevant environmental indicators for site andor locality

analysing available data in comparison with core environmental indicators established standards regulatory limits and statutory environmental quality concentration limits or similar

applying a working knowledge of relevant terminology concepts and principles in geology geomorphology hydrology and ecology to provide a systematic scientific appraisal of site environmental condition

Context of and specific resources for assessment

This unit of competency is to be assessed in the workplace or a simulated workplace environment

Assessment should emphasise a workplace context and procedures found in the candidates workplace

This unit of competency may be assessed with

MSSA Assess the environmental risk or impact of a project activity or process

MSS025002A Assess the environmental risk or impact of a project activity or process

sitespecific units such as

MSSA Assist with assessing and monitoring wetlands

MSS025013A Assist with assessing and monitoring wetlands.

The competencies covered by this unit would be demonstrated by an individual working alone or as part of a team

Resources may include

state of the environment reports national environment protection measures ANZECC Core environmental indicators documentation

environmental databases electronic webbased and hardcopy

national and stateterritory environmental management strategies guidelines and regulations

Method of assessment

The following assessment methods are suggested

review of reports about assessment of site environmental condition prepared by candidate

feedback from peers and supervisors

oral and written questioning to check underpinning knowledge of assessing the environmental condition of sites

review of workplace documentation completed by the candidate

In all cases practical assessment should be supported by questions to assess underpinning knowledge and those aspects of competency which are difficult to assess directly

Where applicable reasonable adjustment must be made to work environments and training situations to accommodate ethnicity age gender demographics and disability

The language literacy and numeracy demands of assessment should not be greater than those required to undertake the unit of competency in a worklike environment

Guidance information for assessment


Range Statement

Codes of practice

Where reference is made to industry codes of practice, and/or Australian/international standards, it is expected the latest version will be used

Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements

Legislation, standards, codes, procedures and/or enterprise requirements may include:

federal legislation, such as

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Australian Heritage Council Act 2003

Native Title Act 1993

state/territory government legislation and regulations and local government by-laws, policies, and plans dealing with:

land use, acquisition, planning and protection

environmental protection

cultural/heritage protection

vegetation management

nature conservation, wildlife/plant protection

water and water management

soil conservation

pollution and contaminated sites

fisheries, forestry and mining operations

Australian and international standards, such as:

AS ISO 14050:1999 Environmental management - Vocabulary

AS/NZS ISO 14000 Basic Set:2007 Environmental management basic set

ANZECC Core environmental indicators for reporting on the state of the environment

National strategy for the conservation of Australia’s biological diversity

OECD Key environmental indicators

US Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Environmental indicators gateway

national environment protection measures

ANZECC Guidelines for fresh and marine water quality

occupational health and safety (OHS) national standards and codes of practice

site-specific requirements and specific environmental standards

Project activity or process

Project activity or processes will be of a complexity consistent with the role of an environmental officer working under the supervision of an environmental scientist, engineer or planner, and may include contributions to:

environmental studies

environmental impact statements

environmental impact assessments

environmental monitoring programs

Site or locality information

Site or locality information may include:

notice of intention and initial advice statement

environmental impact assessment

environmental impact statement

public environment report

environmental indicators

national environment protection measures

statutory environmental quality concentration limits

data in existing databases, such as vegetation, topography, soils and regional ecosystem maps

geological, hydro geological, ecological and meteorological data for site

environmental management plans for specific site, locality or project

site environmental management procedures and actions for specific issues

site environmental management action checklists

relevant site reports, case studies and good practice models

Site-relevant environmental indicators

Site-relevant environmental indicators may include:

atmospheric indicators, such as:

exceedances of national environment protection measures

air quality standards for gases and particulates

emissions of air pollutants

greenhouse gas emissions and atmospheric concentrations

water indicators, such as:

water salinity

exceedences of groundwater and surface water quality guidelines

water extraction versus availability

environmental flows objectives

health of aquatic habitats

wastewater treatment

estuarine and marine water quality

land indicators, such as:

salinity and acidity

potential for erosion

exceedences of maximum residue levels

biodiversity indicators, such as:

threatening processes

loss of biodiversity

biodiversity conservation management

Environmental chemistry principles and concepts

Environmental chemistry principles and concepts may include:

biogeochemical cycles

aquatic chemistry

aquatic microbial biochemistry

water pollution, such as:

trace elements and heavy metals

inorganic pollutants

trace organic pollutants

sewage (e.g. biological oxygen demand (BOD), pathogens and detergents)

chemical carcinogens

sediments

radionuclides

water and wastewater treatment

atmosphere and atmospheric chemistry, such as:

structure and composition

inversions and air pollution

meteorology, weather and climate

atmospheric particulates

inorganic air pollutants, including CO, SOX, NOX, acid rain, ammonia and chlorine compounds

organic air pollutants and photochemical smog

soil chemistry, such as:

soil and agriculture

macronutrients and micronutrients in soil

contaminated soil

soil loss and degradation

environmental chemistry of hazardous wastes

environmental toxicological chemistry

Biodiversity principles and concepts

Biodiversity principles and concepts may include:

scope (levels) of biodiversity, such as genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity

biodiversity attributes, such as components, patterns and processes

bioregional planning and management

biodiversity and the balance between conservation and ecologically sustainable development

biodiversity and ecosystem health, such as soil fertility, clean freshwater and clean air

managing threatening processes, such as:

land clearing and habitat loss

alien species

pollution control

fire

climate change

local, state, national and international legislative and policy frameworks

OHS and environmental management requirements

OHS and environmental management requirements:

all operations must comply with enterprise OHS and environmental management requirements, which may be imposed through state/territory or federal legislation - these requirements must not be compromised at any time

all operations assume the potentially hazardous nature of samples and require standard precautions to be applied

where relevant, users should access and apply current industry understanding of infection control issued by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and State and Territory Departments of Health