Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To evaluate existing and anticipated impacts and make recommendations for the protection, conservation and management of environmental resources; to provide regional expertise to ensure the sound management of environmental resources is attained resulting from planning decisions by planning approval authorities and/or MMAH; to promote the Ministry's core businesses of environmental protection, pollution prevention and conservation to other Ministries, municipalities, consultants and other stakeholders; to provide regional expertise and legislative/policy advice and recommendations in the implementation and coordination of the regional environmental assessment program and planning programs ; to evaluate applications and projects submitted for approval under the Class EA requirements of the Environmental Assessment Act; to inform responsible parties of the Ministrys environmental concerns.

Duties / Responsibilities :

In a region with multiple locations job requires:

1. Lead reviews of environmental resource management documents (eg. watershed plans and stormwater management ) and other environmental strategies related to land uses and environmental assessment by coordinating internal multi-disciplinary teams comprising of professionals in various environmental disciplines such as water, air, abatement, and investigations and enforcement sections, and formulate plans and strategies that are consistent with the Ministry's legislation, business and work plans, policies and guidelines and Provincial Policies.

2. Identify environmental concerns such as land use conflicts, adequacy of water and sewage servicing, waste sites, water quality/quantity, air quality, soil quality and noise issues by assessing environmental management strategies and plans to review documents such as official plans, plans of subdivision, official plan amendments and zoning by-laws.

3. Coordinate comments from appropriate staff and preparing a comprehensive, coordinated position; preparing a regional response identifying the Ministrys environmental position or concerns related to EA or proposed land use undertaking to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing .

4. Implementing the regions responsibilities for Class Environmental Assessment (including presubmission consultation, Part II Orders and Parent Class Environmental Assessments) and plan review programs by providing advice on policies, guidelines, regulations and legislation.

5. Coordinating/liaising with MMAH and MOE staff in preparation for hearings including preparing and coordinating hearing submissions.

6. Identifying environmental issues and conflicts, develop and integrate solutions and advise on applicability of legislation and policies related to environmental assessment and land use.

7. Promoting ministry environmental resource management goals and the environmental assessment process and their requirements as set out in ministry legislation, regulation, policies and guidelines, initiatives and business plans and Provincial Policies to external client groups such as municipal staff, proponents, consultants and the general public in relation to their planning goals and proposals.

8. Providing advice, guidance and leadership in the proactive promotion of ecosystem and media specific environmental management concepts and practices eg. through watershed studies and the integration of ministry programs to proponents and planning approval authorities.

9. Preparing reports, briefing notes, media contact reports, drafting ministers correspondence and other documents.

10. Providing expert testimony at legal proceedings to support the ministry position. Providing interpretations of legislation/policy/guidelines, explaining and defending Ministry positions, providing opinion evidence and addressing conflicting opinions.

11. Identifying areas of need/opportunity for outreach and training including development of a planned approach including scheduling.

12. Undertaking and representing the Ministry on special projects, outreach and training to promote environmental assessment processes, sound land use and environmental resource conservation and management practices and provide advice to Ministry staff, municipalities, consultants and other agencies.

13. Participating in the development of standards, procedures, program guidelines and documents, and overall ministry policy.

14. Complying with all Health and Safety legislation, policies and procedures, and reporting all unsafe equipment and conditions to the supervisor.

15. Other duties as assigned.

Staffing and Licencing :

Valid Drivers Licence

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of: Planning Act, Provincial Policy Statement, Environmental Assessment Act and related Environmental Assessment review manuals, practices, guidelines and policies, to determine where the ministry's environmental mandate can be supported by land use planning and environmental assessment processes; and to determine the applicability of legislation and to evaluate whether a specific proposal or submissions complies with legislative requirements. Theory, principles and practices of land use planning and environmental assessment processes to maximize environmental protection in the planning and environmental assessment decision making process. Principles and practices of environmental science including ecosystem (e.g. land use, wetland and water quality interrelationships) and media specific natural environmental management components to promote sound environmental planning decisions and to assess the acceptability of class environmental assessment submissions by consolidating ones own review with comments from other staff. A wide range of environmental legislation(e.g. Environmental Protection Act, Ontario Water Resources Act, Pesticides Act, Environmental Assessment Act, Environmental Bill of Rights Act, Freedom of Information Act, Planning Act, the Niagara Escarpment Planning and Development Act, Fisheries Act, etc.) and policies and guidelines (e.g. D-series and decommissioning guidelines) and related precedents (i.e. Board decisions) as they relate to environmental assessment and planning issues (e.g. approval requirements for sewage servicing for an industrial park) to ensure that ministry requirements are addressed in the process. Due process of law, rules of evidence and rules procedure of the Ontario Municipal Board and Environmental Review Tribunal court proceedings, including the environmental appeals process, to support Ministry and Provincial legal proceedings by preparing documents, providing testimony and advising the supporting witnesses, investigators and legal counsel on environmental legislation, policies and principles and concepts related to planning and environmental assessment matters. Divisional Initiatives and the Ministry Business Plan to meet unit priorities to reflect Regional Work Plan initiatives. Occupational Health& Safety Act and regulations that apply to the work; knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health and safety in the workplace to ensure compliance. Emerging technologies relating to information management and decision support tools, including relational databases, spreadsheets and geographic-related computerized information systems.

Skills :

Job requires: Planning and coordinating skills and initiative to develop ministry responses to land use undertakings and Class Environmental Assessment submissions to ensure the appropriate involvement of stakeholders. Technical and evaluative skill to identify the nature of environmental issues and assess and synthesize a variety of complex scientific, technical and procedural matters related to ministry requirements and recommend options. Interpersonal skills to persuade and influence diverse interests (e.g. municipalities, consultants and environmental groups) to accept the Ministrys position (e.g. modifications to development proposals) finalize conditions of approval related to development and resolve potential risks to the environment. Written and verbal communication skills to prepare and present assessments /recommendations and to present/explain ministry positions on environmental resource management which may be in conflict with arguments presented by planning opponents/proponents, consultants and others. Writing skills to prepare Ministers correspondence, briefing notes and other documents. Oral communications and presentation skills to present factual and opinion information as expert testimony before the courts or at quasi-judicial hearings or to municipal councils or public meetings or to other staff. Organizational skills to coordinate and synthesize internal reviews for a broad range of applications and from a broad range of technical reviewers, to ensure that the reviews are completed in a timely manner, in accordance with the level of technical expertise required and clearly represent the ministry's position. Negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution skills to resolve conflicting opinions and advance solutions by pursuing reasoned compromises (e.g. articles of settlement at hearings) or narrowing of issue. Research and analytical skills to integrate planning and related environmental information in developing an assessment of emerging regional issues for consideration in the development of the Regional Environmental Planning Profile and the annual regional work plan. Time management and project management skills to plan the use of ones own time and plan/coordinate the review of numerous submissions to ensure legislated time lines are met and the work is completed in accordance with established regional priorities. Computer skills to use a variety of software applications.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires: Freedom of action to make decisions: -regarding the acceptability of proposed land uses and undertakings based on ones own review and that of other ministry Environmental assessment submissions based on ones own review and that of other ministry staff against an interpretation of established policies and guidelines. -to determine what technical/scientific information/advice is required in order to formulate, express, explain and defend, where necessary, the Ministrys decision, position and recommendations. Approval from the supervisor for recommended approaches to projects where policy and guidelines are not clear or complete or fall outside of established precedent, policy or guidance. Accountability for the accuracy and validity of the work. Keeping the supervisor informed of progress/conflicting priorities and contentious issues. Exercising sound judgement to prevent irreparable damage to the environment or human health, significant monetary loss to private individuals, the ministry, other levels of government and industries or detrimental impacts to the ministrys credibility.