The primary purpose of the Environmental Protection Specialist position is to serve as the facility's Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) Program Manager (PM) for the Western Colorado Health Care System.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited too: Serves as the Medical Center's Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) Manager leading in developing and implementing a viable GEMS (ISO) program at the Medical Center, its four VA Clinics (located in Colorado and Utah) three additional leased facilities and one Community Living Center. Assists in planning, organizing, implementing, and providing technical assistance for projects to resolve environmental problems. Assignments include, but are not limited to, domestic and industrial wastewater treatment and disposal; safe drinking water; treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous medical and non-hazardous solid waste; release of 2 hazardous material/spill response; air pollution control; EPCRA reporting; VHA data calls and reporting; environmental multi-media permitting; management of toxic substances; MS4 Permits; PGH Award applications and general environmental compliance regulatory oversight. Provides technical expertise as the GEMS Program Manager for the design, modification, operation, and maintenance of WCHCS facilities and infrastructure to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Assists in managing the WCHCS environmental programs such as Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plan, storm water management plan for Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permit, Pollution Prevention (P2) plan, Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance, and Clean Water Act compliance, Safe Drinking Water Act compliance, asbestos and lead abatement, mercury reduction, recycling, etc. Assists in developing, implementing, and maintaining effective programs for the identification, characterization, collection and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)/Department of Transportation (DOT) compliant manifesting and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes at the WCHCS. Ensures that handling of all waste streams follow Federal; State of Colorado, and Grand Junction city/Mesa County governmental laws and regulations. Advises the executive leadership team on how environmental policies, procedures and systems will affect the operation of the WCHCS. Serves as primary interface with U.S. EPA Region 8 and State of Colorado and city of Grand Junction/Mesa County environmental regulators on all environmental compliance and management issues, topics, and permits at WCHCS. Assists in the evaluation, modification, and implementation of pollution prevention alternatives to reduce the generation of waste. Provides technical advice regarding response to environmental emergencies including releases/spills of hazardous material. Facilitates the exchange of environmental information to staff, including the development and implementation of training and education programs related to environmental programs. Manages computer programs and databases to enhance management of environmental programs germane to WCHCS. Reviews how expansion, modification, closures of existing facilities, infrastructure, potential renovations, and new construction of structures and infrastructure will affect the environment. Will provide information and advice to the executive leadership team and VISN 19 senior leadership that will minimize adverse impacts to human health and the environment and reduce the WCHCS's environmental regulatory vulnerability. Measures the effectiveness of existing environmental programs and recommends to incumbent's supervisor and/or the executive leadership team, modifications to existing environmental compliance and management procedures, processes, and programs as needed to meet changing environmental requirements. Assures that all the Environmental Memorandums and procedures are current and applicable, including annual safety plans and review, environmental plans and Medical Center Memorandums and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. ****************************RECRUITMENT/RELOCATION INCENTIVE AVAILABLE UPON APPROVAL******************************************* Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Environmental Protection Specialist/PD144800 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/13/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement (GS-09): Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Time-In-Grade Requirement (GS-11): Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify for GS-09 grade level based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience is defined as: Possessing a high level of skill in applying this knowledge in solving complex problems involving diverse aspects of environmental protection. Must possess the ingenuity to identify and find creative and unique solutions to a wide variety of environmental concerns and problems (both simple and complex) involving diverse aspects of environmental protection program work. Solutions may require modifying or adapting established methods and procedures or making significant departures from previous approaches to solve similar problems. Knowledgeable in the statutes, regulations, licensing/permitting requirements, and precedent decisions governing environmental operations. Actions will routinely pertain to the storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, universal wastes, regulated medical wastes, recyclables, used waste oil, solid and radioactive wastes etc. Position will also require permitting activities for Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Must be familiar with designing and conducting investigations, inspections, and performing corrective actions and related environmental management activities of greater than average difficulty. knowledge and understanding of statues, regulations, licensing/permitting requirements, and precedent decisions governing environmental operations sufficient to assure environmental compliance and for planning, implementing, and monitoring facility wide environmental programs and services. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a; master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR, 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a dree OR, an LL.B. or J.D., if related. Specialized Experience (GS-11): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience is defined as: Possessing a high level of skill in applying this knowledge in solving complex problems involving diverse aspects of environmental protection. Must possess the ingenuity to identify and find creative and unique solutions to a wide variety of environmental concerns and problems (both simple and complex) involving diverse aspects of environmental protection program work. Solutions may require modifying or adapting established methods and procedures or making significant departures from previous approaches to solve similar problems. Knowledgeable in the statutes, regulations, licensing/permitting requirements, and precedent decisions governing environmental operations. Actions will routinely pertain to the storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, universal wastes, regulated medical wastes, recyclables, used waste oil, solid and radioactive wastes etc. Position will also require permitting activities for Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act. Must be familiar with designing and conducting investigations, inspections, and performing corrective actions and related environmental management activities of greater than average difficulty. knowledge and understanding of statues, regulations, licensing/permitting requirements, and precedent decisions governing environmental operations sufficient to assure environmental compliance and for planning, implementing, and monitoring facility wide environmental programs and services (e.g., determining needs, evaluating program effectiveness, and assuring compliance with regulations). OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a; Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond Master's or equivalent graduate degree You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsComplianceDecision MakingSafety EngineeringTechnical Competence Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE: Safety and Occupational Health Specialist experience. Experience assisting in developing and implementing the Green Environmental Management System (GEMS) program. Experience assisting in planning, organizing, implementing and providing technical assistance for projects to resolve environmental problems. Experience with domestic and industrial wastewater treatment and disposal; safe drinking water; treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous medical and non-hazardous solid waste; release of hazardous material/spill response; air pollution control; Emergency Planning and Community Right to know Act (EPCRA) reporting. Spill Prevention control and countermeasure experience.

Contacts

• Address VA Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]