E&S Insight

Environmental Inspector, Kurt Van Hauter, has been working alongside the Cambria County Conservation District for the past five months on a project in the Ashville-Sankertown area. Kurt works for Independence Excavating, a construction services company, where he has worked for the last nine months. An erosion and sedimentation technician from the District meets monthly with Kurt to inspect the site and determine that all proper best management practices are being maintained.

A typical day in the life of an environmental inspector is long and sometimes requires travel to different places separated by great distances. Normally the day starts out by driving to the worksite and inspecting the E&S controls along multiple access roads, checking rock construction entrances, roads, and other best management practices. Permit compliances are checked, inspection reports are filled out, and forwarded on to the appropriate person. Usually this is followed by a drive to the next job site, where this process will be repeated.

While distances from job site to job site can sometimes be daunting, the job has a lot of great aspects. Kurt states that he most enjoys the freedom to make his own schedule, being able to work outside, and to enjoy the beautiful scenery he otherwise wouldn’t see as frequently. Kurt’s work is an important part in helping the District achieve our mission.