<p>i know some become civil engineers and lawyers, but are there any professions that only a environmental engineer can do?</p>
<p>no one knows?</p>
<p>design sewers, lagoon and water/wastewater treatment plants…</p>
<p>haha…why is EnvE always associated with sewers and wastewater? what about air pollution control and inspecting buildings for asbestos, etc…?</p>
<p>I have a BS in ENVE and I’ve worked in:</p>
<p>Rural water supply systems - (Peace Corps Volunteer)
Solid and Hazardous Waste (including asbestos)
Investigation/Remediation of contaminated sites
Alternative Energy
Radioactive Waste
Chemical Weapons Destruction
Risk Management
Facilities Management
Governmental Planning</p>
<p>Notice: I have never worked on sewer or air pollution systems.</p>
<p>Hey… Whats wrong w/ working on sewers and treatment plants? It smells like employment to me… :)</p>
<p>Rheidzan is right.</p>
<p>A job is a job (especially in this economy). One thing about engineering is that if you specialize in a very specific niche, it can be quite lucrative when you start your own business. I have a family friend who started his own firm that specializes in sewer pipe and while I’m not sure about the volatility of his business, he is making a pretty penny. </p>
<p>Particularly in the oil/gas industries, some of these service companies redesign a tiny component or a new simulation model, and clean-up in licensing or upgrade fees.</p>
<p>I associate it with sewer design and wastewater treatment because that’s 90% of what I learned in my intro to environmental engineering course.</p>
<p>That’s too bad. The field is very diverse - probably as much or more so than any other.</p>
<p>how dirty do environmental engineers get?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Varies greatly but generally: Not very. Some work is actually in the field but most is office.</p>
<p>I’ve spent my share of time in landfills surveying trash haulers, haz waste sites decked out in level A & B protective suits, riding herd on drill rigs, sampling streams and bogs… but that was mostly in the first stages of my career. My out of office excursions now involve mostly going to offices for meetings. :(</p>