Local recruitment: Contracted Student Interns (Watershed Planning Program Surface Water Quality Standards Section)

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Worcester, MA, USA 🇺🇸

Watershed Planning Program Surface Water Quality Standards Section   (230004S8)

Description

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air and water, the safe management of toxics and hazards, the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, the timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.  

The Surface Water Quality Standards (SWQS) Section in the Watershed Planning Program implements the federal Clean Water Act (CWA) to protect surface waters (e.g., rivers, streams, estuaries, etc.) throughout the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts SWQS regulation (314 CMR 4.00) designates the most sensitive uses for these waters and establishes minimum water quality criteria required to support these uses. Under the CWA, all states must regularly review their water quality standards to ensure these regulations reflect the latest available information. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently proposed revisions to the federal Water Quality Standards regulation (40 CFR 131) to explicitly protect the reserved rights of tribal nations to aquatic or aquatic-dependent resources under the CWA (https://www.epa.gov/wqs-tech/revising-federal-water-quality-standards-regulations-protect-tribal-reserved-rights). These proposed revisions would require states to review existing treaties, statutes, or other sources of federal law to identify tribal reserved rights, such as the right to fish, and adopt language into water quality standards to protect these rights. The EPA also encouraged states to review the reserved rights of state-recognized tribes. 

Water resources are integral to the traditional culture of tribal nations, who are vulnerable to the impacts of poor water quality. To prepare for the finalization of EPA’s proposed revisions, MassDEP intends to review the extent of reserved rights for state-recognized tribes. This project has the following components:  

1.    Outreach to state-recognized tribes in MA regarding their tribal reserved rights:
•    Gather contact information for all state-recognized tribes in MA to facilitate engagement and communication with tribes.
•    Collect information on the scope and nature of tribal reserved rights in MA and neighboring states through the review of existing treaties, statutes, or other sources of state law, and direct communication with tribes.
2.    Identify specific waterbodies and data to support derivation of human health criteria protective of tribal reserved rights: 
•    Identify surface waters in MA where tribal reserved rights apply, using GIS to map all waterbodies and the associated rights.
•    Analyze historic and current water quality data for these surface waters.
•    Collate available information on tribal consumption rates (fish, shellfish, etc.) that support calculation of human health criteria and determine unsuppressed consumption levels considering past, present and future use of the resource(s).
•    Coordinate with MassDEP’s Office of General Counsel and potentially MassDEP’s Office of Research and Standards as necessary to identify the reserved rights and develop recommended consumption rates that may be used to potentially refine human health criteria.”

Qualifications

An ideal candidate will have excellent communication skills, strong attention to detail, the ability to organize and analyze large datasets, and Microsoft Office proficiency (e.g., Excel, Word). Experience with mapping software (e.g., ArcGIS) is preferred.  Familiarity with additional data analysis tools (e.g., R) is welcomed, but not required.

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.

Please see Preferred Qualifications.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

Executive Order #595: As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption.

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.

Official Title: Contracted Student Interns

Primary Location: United States-Massachusetts-Worcester – 8 New Bond St

Job: Contractor

Agency: Department of Environmental Protection

Schedule: Full-time

Shift: Day

Job Posting: Apr 13, 2023, 11:41:19 PM

Number of Openings: 1

Salary: 22.00 – 26.00 Hourly

If you have Diversity, Affirmative Action or Equal Employment Opportunity questions or need a Reasonable Accommodation, please contact Diversity Officer / ADA Coordinator: Melixza Esenyie – 6176261282

Bargaining Unit: Non

Confidential: No

Hybrid Work Eligible: Yes


POSITION TYPE

ORGANIZATION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

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