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  2. Environmental, Regulatory and Stakeholder Engagement
  3. Reclamation Specialist

Reclamation Specialist

NOC #21300

  • Environment Primarily outdoor work
  • Education Post-secondary degree
  • Average salary $70,000 to $164,000

Career profile

Reclamation specialists develop plans and implement tactics to reclaim or restore an area that will be or has been impacted by construction or during regular company operations. This work often forms part of a company’s submissions for regulatory reviews or permitting for new projects. These specialists monitor and assess environmental regulations and ensure that planning, construction, operations and wind-up are in compliance with laws and regulations. When an area is no longer needed for operations, they work to reclaim these disturbed areas. They plan or develop coordinated practices for soil erosion control, soil or water conservation, wildlife conservation and/or land use.

Reclamation specialists typically work in environment, health and safety teams and with planning departments and may specialize in a particular area such as soil, watershed or wildlife conservation. With seniority, these specialists move from executing tactics in reclamation plans into planning and management of reclamation.

Exploration and production, Oil and gas services, Pipelines, Oil sands, Well site decommissioning

In this occupation activities may include:

  • Conducting detailed site assessments specifically in soil assessments and vegetation identification.
  • Managing site draining and implementing soil erosion control measures.
  • Contributing to reclamation planning and permitting, including preparing conceptual reclamation plans, reclamation and closure plans, and five-year plans.
  • Planning and implementing reclamation research, monitoring and operational reclamation programs on disturbance areas.
  • Advising employees, stakeholders and public audiences about environmental management, reclamation or conservation efforts.

Education

  • A bachelor’s degree in ecology, soil science, land reclamation or related field is typically required.
  • A master’s degree in a focus area is often preferred.

Certifications

  • Fully qualified professional accreditation is often preferred, depending on the area of specialization (e.g., Registered Professional Biologist, Geoscientist or Agrologist)

Additional Requirements

  • Specific health and safety certifications may be required, determined by location of work and company requirements

  • Travel likely required
  • Primarily outdoor work
  • Work not physically demanding
  • Work away from home/in camps

You are concerned with returning an area to a state equivalent to one before operations began, you understand the ecosystem as it exists before development begins. You have a thorough scientific understanding of plants and animals, and how these various species interact with each other and their environment.

You apply provincial and federal regulations to your company’s operations. As development continues, you provide detailed reports on compliance and progress toward the ultimate goal of reclamation.

You bridge the gap between a project’s past and its future. If you’ve done their job, they’ll look the same.

  • Biology
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Laws and Regulations
  • Works Safely
  • Interpreting Documents/Plans
  • Coordination
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Negotiation
  • Planning and Organizing
  • Troubleshooting
  • Collaborative
  • Leading / Living the Vision and Values