Environmental safety has made headlines in the Rochester area lately with the controversy surrounding cancer clusters and Eastman Kodak Co. and mercury spills in Greece and the city.

More information American Society of Civil Engineers 1801 Alexander Bell Drive Reston, Va. 20191-4400 (703) 295-6300 Rochester Engineering Society 1806 Lyell Ave. Rochester, NY 14606 (716)254-2350

It is environmental engineers who address such problems.

Pete Ottavio, partner with Bergmann Associates, a full-service engineering firm in Rochester, says environmental engineers assess problems with the air, water and pollution, design systems for clean-up or compliance with regulations, and do testing.

Environmental engineering, a multi-billion dollar industry, is a facet of civil engineering.

Tim Seeler, vice president with Camp Dresser and McKee Inc., a consulting firm in Rochester, says environmental engineers are sometimes called upon by the state to collect samples and check out health issues.

Seeler says Camp Dresser "helps its clients come into compliance with any regulations out there,'' be it state or federal. His firm is involved in the design and construction of systems to help clients meet regulations, such as those placed on air emissions.

According to Ottavio, the sophistication of new computer programs has significantly improved detection and testing of pollutants and allows engineers to use computer-aided drawing systems for modeling and process design. "They're certainly not pushing a pencil anymore,'' he says.

Engineers in any discipline are expected to have a bachelor's degree, and depending on the environmental issue they're dealing with, may need a master's degree.

Ottavio says engineers at his firm get additional training in specific areas such as asbestos and confined space entry. Special certification is mandated for certain disciplines such as work at a hazardous materials sight. This includes a 40-hour training course and an eight-hour refresher each year.

Seeler says most work anywhere from a standard 40-hour week to upwards of 60 hours based on the demands of individual clients.

The field of civil engineering is expected to have 10 to 20 percent job growth in the next eight years according to figures from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook. Starting salaries for civil engineers began at around $34,000 in 1997.