AboutDavid L. Russell, PE Expertise I`m a Chemical,Civil and Environmental Engineer and have a number of projects in all phases of the environment.
I have worked in the chemical industry and am active in professional societies, and am currently on an industrial wastes committee for the Water Environment Federation, and have taught courses in remediation in the US and abroad.
I have written one book on Remediation of petroleum Contaminated Sites, and have a second book on PRACTICAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT to be published by John Wiley in September, 2006. I've also written over 30 articles on various elements of environmental problems and cleanup. Most Recently, I have addressed a NATO Scientific and Techical Conference on Ecoterrorism, and have worked with the same group on remediation of sites contaminated with Chemical Warfare Agent materials and othe materials as well. . I can answer q`s about Chemical and Environmental Engineering, land development, air pollution, water pollution, soil and water cleanup, combustion, international environmental problems, industrial processes chemical processes. Civil and Environmental and Chemical Engineering. Overall, I have over 35 years of experience in this area. Note: I do not answer homework questions
Experience I love work in the third world and developing areas
because it is challenging and one can get a sense of accomplishment.
Question Hello. I am a 10th grader doing a project for my principles of engineering course and I was wondering if you could answer some questions for an interview I must conduct. If so, then please answer the questions below. If not, then I am sorry for wasting your time.
What are the duties and responsibilities of someone working in environmental engineering?
Do you have a particular specialty in environmental engineering?
What are some of the projects you've worked on and which one was the most interesting?
Is your job dangerous or harmful?
Is there any specific equipment you must use for your job?
What are the best and worst things about your work?
How many hours do you work per week?
Do you have to travel a lot? If so, how long is a normal trip?
What is the typical day for an engineer?
Do you work alone or with others?
Answer I'll take your questions in order...
What are the duties and responsibilities of someone working in environmental engineering?
It depends upon what you are looking to do. The unwritten "prime directive" is to leave the world a better place than you found it, but that's a personal belief.
Duties depend totally upon what area of environmental engineering you enter. You can sit at a desk all day and work at a computer, or you can be in the field. It's a very broad area with many opportunities depending upon your specialty.
Do you have a particular specialty in environmental engineering?
I am a generalist, but I do have a particular love and that is water and wastewater treatment, and some types of remediation.
What are some of the projects you've worked on and which one was the most interesting?
I have been lucky enough to work on a couple of projects overseas, one in South America setting up and running a sampling and remediation system in Ecuador, and another to remove Radium from minewaters in Poland.
Is your job dangerous or harmful? Not really, but it has it's moments. Those tend to be very exciting, mostly unintentionally.
Is there any specific equipment you must use for your job?
Mostly I use safety equipment, unless you want to consider the chemical aspects to the work, then I use a complete chemical laboratory- but that's a purchased service, but it is an integral part of what I do.
What are the best and worst things about your work?
Because I'm self employed, I dislike the work of going out and finding projects. It's a necessary part of the work. But I don't enjoy it. The good parts are when I'm busy with a project. There are days when I would pay for the pleasure of doing what I do. Those are the technical puzzles I am called upon to solve.
How many hours do you work per week? I work between 50 and 60 hours per week, because I like what I do.
Do you have to travel a lot? If so, how long is a normal trip?
Some months, I travel a lot. This month is unusual. I live in Atlanta, and I will be travelling to Chicago for a week, followed by a week in Dubai, UAI. In July, I spent a month in Poland and two weeks in other parts of Europe, but that's unusual.
What is the typical day for an engineer?
My personal day is a bit unusual, so I'll focus on some friends. Report to work at 8:30 1 hour lunch, quit work at 5:30, evenings free.
Do you work alone or with others? Both. Mostly I work at home and by myself. When I have a project, I work with others as "co-consultants" on a project.
