Environmental protection, a responsible that should be a
major concern for every person on the face of the planet, yet there are
some that would rather desecrate the earth for a few extra dollars than
conserve it for future generations. These criminals need to be brought
to justice, and that is the role of EPA agents.
The EPA is a federal agency that deals with protecting the earth
from those who would pollute its oceans, destroy its forests, and kill
its inhabitants. It is divided into several departments, they are;
the Office of Administration and Resource, Office of Air and Radiation,
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances, Office of Inspector
General, Office of Internal Affairs, Office of Enforcement and Compliance
Insurance, Office of Chief Financial Officer, Office of Water, Office of
Research and Development, and the Office of Solid Wastes and Emergency
Response. These departments have all sorts of jobs such as environmental
specialists, environmental engineers, general physical scientists, chemists,
biologists, medical doctors, lawyers, and secretaries. The main goal
of the EPA is to reduce air, water, and soil pollution.
The agency also researches the safest possible disposable of human
waste products into the environment for the benefit of all. These
agents will toil endless hours studying the release of chemicals into the
environment and their effects. If these effects are hazardous they
see to the stop of their use by all industries, by passing environmental
laws.
Some EPA agents work in counter-terrorism unit. These men and
women use their math and science skills to study illegal chemical/biological
releases into the environment. They then can trace the release to
the very industry that is the perpetrator. The agents will then follow
the case all the way through indictment of these criminals.
EPA agents are also heavily involved with protecting our natural resources.
They supervise the clean up of all oil spills, as well as nuclear accidents,
and the like.
Many things are required to become a federal employee of the Environmental
Protection Agency. Education is the most important. Many EPA
Agents have degrees in Advanced Mathematics, such as Atmospheric Physics
and Statistics. They also have degrees in Sciences, such as Biology
and Chemistry. Several of them, especially the ones in counter-terrorism,
take classes in criminology, psychology, and human relations. If
one is interested in becoming an employee of any federal agency a military
background is important, so going to college at Annapolis or WestPoint
could prove beneficial. According to my interviewee, his military
time in the Navy has helped him to become very successful in this occupation.
Anyone who works for the Federal government must take the SF-171 application.
This application is a four page long document that includes such things
such as; what salary are you willing to work for? Have you served in the
military? What experience do you have? The answers to these questions
are instrumental to determining whether you get the job or not.
Being an EPA agent has many advantages. For one there is a lot
of traveling involved. I personally enjoy this because I enjoy seeing
different parts of the world and experiencing the environment firsthand.
Another advantage is having a great knowledge of science and the world
around you. Having this knowledge is instrumental in let us say keeping
a garden or mowing your lawn. These however are common benefits from
being an EPA agent.
There are more involved advantages in being an EPA agent. There
is always the privilege you have of applying for other agencies and using
your expertise there. Then there is also the unique fact that the
EPA is one of the few agencies that works directly under the President.
Not many people can say that their boss is the leader of the free world.
Also working for the EPA gives you something new and different to research,
analyze, and study each day. Which can be a very exciting experience.
There is also an incentive program for each EPA agent that provides cash
rewards for outstanding work or suggestions.
Other advantages of the EPA include; career and personal development,
flexible work hours and alternative work schedules, leave sharing and leave
bank, a fitness center, childcare, and eldercare. There is personal
development because the EPA has its own personal learning institution.
The flexible hours and leave sharing/banking involve work schedules.
You can allot a certain number of work hours in case of a catastrophic
event.
Despite its ups, having the job of an EPA agent does have its downs.
The travel does work against you because you cannot be with your family
or friends. There is a lot of work involved so this job is not for
a slacker. Bureaucrats also are constantly telling you how much money
you can spend on research in order to save the taxpayer’s dollars. Tensions
also can arise between EPA agents and Eco-Organizations, such as Green
Peace. On a more serious note, this is a very dangerous job.
You are working with dangerous chemicals that can be very harmful to you
and sometimes accidents do happen.
The job prospect for EPA agents is wide open. Many college students
are not majoring in the sciences and math needed to become an EPA agent
and therefore there are not many new EPA applicants.
The EPA has quite a varied income system. The amount you earn
depends on several factors: seniority, occupation, and education.
If you have a doctorate and are working in Atmospheric Physics you earn
a substantial amount more than a secretary or cleric. The average
salary of an entry-level applicant with a master’s degree is $40,000.
The Environmental Protection Agency is a very important and interesting
career option for a person who enjoys science, math, and something new
everyday.
