Engineer Week: Highlighting environmental engineers and the role they play in Hawai‘i Wildfires Recovery mission

Engineer Week is a celebration that takes place annually the third week of February and serves as a platform to showcase the diverse talents and accomplishments of engineers across various disciplines.

The Army established the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a separate, permanent branch on March 16, 1802, and gave the engineers responsibility for founding and operating the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Throughout the 19th century, USACE built costal fortifications, surveyed roads and canals, eliminated navigational hazards, explored and mapped the Western frontier and constructed buildings and monuments in the nation's capital.

In the 20th century, USACE became the lead federal flood control agency and significantly expanded its civil works activities, becoming among other things a major provider of hydroelectric energy and the country's leading provider of water-based recreation. Its role in responding to natural disasters also grew dramatically.

Each year, USACE deploys hundreds of its trained personnel from various disciplines across the United States and its territories to respond to emergencies and aid in disaster response and recovery. Amongst those deployed, are those who serve in engineering roles.

Chanley Jenkins, a biologist from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District is supporting the Hawai‘i Wildfires Recovery mission by serving as an environmental engineer for the Debris Planning and Response Team.

Jenkins has worked hard to get to where she is today by putting herself through college. She attended Oklahoma State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a bachelor's degree in Natural Resource Ecology and Management.

Although not an engineer by trade, her background in biology allows her to fill the environmental engineer role due to her understanding of soil composition and how possible contaminants may react with it.

Environmental engineering involves using principles of biology, chemistry and engineering to address environmental issues and improve the quality of the environment.

Therefore, a biologist serving as an environmental engineer is not an uncommon occurrence, particularly in fields where there is a significant overlap between biological sciences and environmental engineering.

As part of her duties on the Hawai‘i Wildfires Recovery mission, Jenkins oversees one of two soil sampling teams on the ground.

“One of my main responsibilities is to ensure that our contractors are following the Soil Analysis Plan,” Jenkins said. “I review their methods to make sure there are no environmental concerns that occur as they are sampling.”

Jenkins also ensures that contractors are wearing the correct personal protective equipment and are decontaminating equipment correctly so there is no contamination between samples.

Although Jenkins has only been on Maui for a short period of time, it has hit home for her that what USACE is doing is not only having a profound impact on the entire team, but the people they are helping as well.

“The other day, a resident came up to everyone at a site we were working on and thanked each one of us individually for our help, they were full of gratitude and kindness…I was moved,” she said. “This right here, is why we do what we do. I feel honored to be here and helping the people of Lahaina heal.”