Reclamation Specialist

Job Overview

Job Category

Environmental, Regulatory and Stakeholder Engagement

Sectors

Education

Environment

Outdoors only

About This Career

For most people working in the oil and gas industry, work is what’s right in front of you. But for Reclamation Specialists, the important part is what happens after all of that activity is done. When the workers and equipment have finally left the worksite for good, it’s a Reclamation Specialist’s job to make sure it’s returned to the state in which it was found.

The oil and gas industry plans activities with a reclaimed end-use in mind. Reclamation Specialists work to return disturbed land to an equivalent land use after oil and gas activities.

Reclamation Specialists are included in the life cycle of planning for oil and gas activity, beginning with environmental assessment base-line work where they develop plans to reclaim or restore areas before activities receive regulator approvals to begin. During drilling, mining or other activities, these specialists are involved in monitoring and maintaining compliance with environmental 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 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.

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

Because Reclamation Specialists are concerned with returning an area to a state equivalent to one before operations began, they need to understand the ecosystem as it exists before development begins. That means having a thorough scientific understanding of plants and animals, and how these various species interact with each other and their environment.

Once they understand their work site’s local environment, a Reclamation Specialist needs to apply provincial and federal regulations to their company’s operations. As development continues, they provide detailed reports on compliance and progress toward the ultimate goal of reclamation.

A Reclamation Specialist bridges the gap between a project’s past and its future. If they’ve done their job, they’ll look the same.