At that time, I was interested in finding a position with fewer fieldwork requirements and a more regular schedule. Although I had options to continue in the wildlife biology field, those positions required intense summer fieldwork. Thus, I opted to transition to my current position in environmental science regulatory work. My passion remains with wildlife biology, and I may transition back to that field in the future, but at this time, I am enjoying learning a new field and the work-life balance this job affords.
What are some typical day-to-day responsibilities you have, or decisions you make?
For the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program, our work aims to identify and prioritize remediation (improvement) of mine sites across the state that were negatively impacted before the enaction of mining regulation laws in the late 1980's. In Nevada, current mining operations are required to bond (set aside money) for the environmental remediation and clean up the site after the mining ends. However, these laws went into effect in the late 1980's, and thus, prior to this time, mining activity was often conducted in a way that degraded the environment and left behind a mess. Two state regulatory groups in Nevada manage these abandoned mines, one focusing on physical hazards, including securing mine openings, and the other, the program for which I work, is concerned with human health and environmental hazards. We investigate sites, sample soil, manage a geo-database of these places, and oversee clean-up. There are four of us in the program, so I am involved in all aspects. Additionally, I work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) for the Superfund program to manage the Carson River Mercury Superfund site.
