BEM 3201, Environmental Assessment - myCSU

1 bem 3201 , Environmental Assessment 1 Course Description Surveys Environmental Assessment in America that reviews the historical context, the regulatory framework, and the Environmental site Assessment process. Course Textbook Alter, B. (2012). Environmental consulting fundamentals: Investigation and remediation. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. Course Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: 1. Describe the history of Environmental site Assessment in America. 2. Evaluate the key laws, regulations, and standards related to Environmental Assessment . 3. Explain the process of conducting Environmental site assessments, investigations, and remediation.

2 4. Describe the importance of physical setting and historic property usage in Environmental Assessment . 5. Relate reconnaissance to the Environmental Assessment process. 6. Evaluate different applications of the Environmental Assessment process with respect to building materials, property types, and commercial activities. 7. Identify key chemical substances of interest in Environmental site assessments and investigations. 8. Explain the physical, chemical, and biological factors that influence the fate and transport of key chemical substances used in Environmental site assessments and investigations. Credits Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

3 Course Structure 1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson, required reading assignments, and supplemental resources. 2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge students should gain upon completion of the unit. 3. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material. 4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook. 5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in the Unit III, V, VII, and VIII study guides. Students are encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of the Suggested Readings.

4 6. Learning Activities (Non-Graded): These non-graded Learning Activities are provided In Unit IV to aid students in their course of study. 7. Unit Assessments: This course contains eight Unit Assessments, one to be completed at the end of each unit. Assessments are composed of written-response questions. 8. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII. Specific information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below. 9. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content related questions.

5 bem 3201 , Environmental Assessment Course Syllabus bem 3201 , Environmental Assessment 2 10. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. CSU online Library The CSU online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases, journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on CSU online Library. You can also access the CSU online Library from the My Library button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

6 The CSU online Library offers several reference services. E-mail and telephone ( ) assistance is available Monday Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The library s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page. Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information. Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other services. Unit Assignments Unit I Scholarly Activity Imagine that you are the Environmental manager at a company that wants to purchase an abandoned piece of property across the street from its current facilities.

7 You have been tasked with finding an Environmental consulting company to assess the site because the bank that is financing the purchase wants an outside company to do the Assessment . Your boss has asked you for a report on three Environmental consulting companies in your area. After reading pages 5-11 in your textbook, you should clearly understand the role and qualification requirements of an Environmental consultant. Your assignment is to research three Environmental consulting companies in your area and answer the following questions: List the name of each company and some of the main services it provides. Compare and contrast the companies.

8 Do some specialize in one area of Environmental consulting? Pick one of the companies to recommend in your report. o Which Assessment services do you think your company will use initially to identify contamination? o If contamination is found in the initial Assessment , what services do you think your company will use? o Why did you pick this particular company? Your report should be at least two pages in length and should contain citations and references in APA style. Your citations will be from your chosen companies websites. Be sure to use in-text citations where you are taking information from the company websites, and provide your full references at the end of your report.

9 The report should be written in a format and tone suitable for turning in to your boss. Information about accessing the Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below. Unit II PowerPoint Presentation Choose one chemical from the Target Compound List/Target Analyte List (TCL/TAL) from the Superfund program and one from the Safe Drinking Water Act list. Create a PowerPoint presentation on the chemical characteristics of these chemicals. Include a title slide, an introduction slide, at least two slides for each chemical, and a references slide. Make sure that all sources are cited and referenced properly using APA style. For each chemical, your slides should contain the following information: 1.

10 Include the chemical structure of each chemical chosen. 2. Include at least two important chemical properties that affect fate and transport for each chemical, such as octanol-water partition coefficient, organic carbon-water partition coefficient, and diffusion coefficient. 3. Include a discussion of how the two properties you chose for each chemical affect fate and transport of the chemical in the subsurface. 4. If a spill of each chemical were to occur, where would the chemical likely be found (soil, water, air), and what are some of the potential health effects? bem 3201 , Environmental Assessment 3 Your presentation should consist of a total of five slides, not including the title slide and reference slide.