Mathur, Bharat
Bharat Mathur
Bharat Mathur is a trained civil and environmental engineer who has spent his career addressing air pollution problems and advocating for increased diversity. Mahur worked for 28 years at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and 15 years for the US EPA. He is now the Principal Consultant at RK & Associates, advising on environmental management, regulation, compliance, and sustainable development.
Bharat Mathur was born in New Delhi, India, on July 14, 1947. He is the eldest of two children of Jagdifh, a former federal government employee in New Delhi, and Sarala Mathur, a homemaker who often volunteered. In addition to his father, Mathur had many relatives who worked for the government, which influenced him early on to pursue a career in government.
Mathur studied Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay, graduating in 1969. He moved to the United States to continue his education at the University of Iowa. A professor at the University of Iowa and the Department of Civil Engineering chairman offered Mathur an environmental engineering assistantship. This position was his first exposure to the environmental field, and he quickly developed an interest in environmental issues. He completed his Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1971.
Mathur’s master’s studies coincided with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) creation in 1970. As a result, he became familiar with the agency’s work and the various issues they were trying to address in the country. Impressed with their mission, Mathur decided he wanted to work for the agency. In 1971, Mathur started his first position at the Illinois EPA (IEPA) in the Division of Water Pollution Control, where he administered wastewater treatment tests for state compliance and reviewed wastewater treatment plant operating reports. Mathur shortly left for a position in the Water Treatment Program, where he issued construction and operating permits for sewer systems and treatment plans.
At the IEPA, Mathur held many leadership positions, including Deputy Chief of the Bureau of Land and Chief of the Bureau of Air. He moved up to become a supervisor with the Air Pollution Program, where he worked for six years. He afterward became the manager of part of the EPA’s Waste Programs. Again, he was promoted to be the manager of the entire air program and served as the Head of the Illinois Air Pollution Control Program for ten years. He then became the Air and Radiation Program Director. Mathur’s most significant accomplishments at the IEPA were the creation of the IEPA’s Underground Injection and Storage Tank Programs. While at the IEPA, he received the IEPA Award for Excellence.
In 2000, Mathur started working for the U.S. EPA as the Air and Radiation Division director. In 2006, Mathur was appointed the Acting Regional Administrator of EPA Region 5. As Acting Administrator, he managed 2,150 people, implemented federal programs within six states, and worked with communities to help solve environmental problems. Mathur managed an annual budget of $1 billion.
In his roles at the EPA, Mathur advocated for diversity within the field and at the EPA by participating in the agency‘s diversity action plan development and implementation. This plan focused on equity and fairness in the hiring process. It included visiting universities and colleges for recruitment, ensuring the agency is fair and equitable in providing training for all employees, and ensuring that each agency program implantation included environmental justice.
Mathur works in the environmental field because he enjoys it. He thinks it is an excellent field for public policy issues, and over the years, he’s come to realize that policy is what excites and intrigues him most. Mathur says that as a government employee, there are numerous opportunities to be involved in making policies that impact the quality of life for people. Mathur’s most significant accomplishment was obtaining a tenured position in the EPA as the head of the Air Pollution Control Program. He is also proud of his involvement in implementing many different programs that helped to bring Chicago’s air quality in compliance with federal and state regulations.
In 2015, Mathur left the government to be a Principal Consultant at RK & Associates. In this role, he assists with policy and regulatory planning, environmental management, permitting, compliance, and sustainable development. He also helps local volunteer groups in promoting sustainable development and clean energy.
In 2016, Mathur received the E. Ted Erickson Distinguished Environmental Professional Award from the Industrial Water, Waste & Sewage Group in recognition of his significant environmental contributions. Mathur is also on the board of the Environmental Protection Network.
Though he has never had a formal mentor, Mathur has known a few people who have provided guidance when he needed it – usually his supervisors. He says it is beneficial to have someone in the workplace who can offer good information when necessary, stating that “in my experience, if you run into an individual who will spend time with you, will give you advice, and is good at their job, that’s the best mentoring that you can get” (2005).
In return, Mathur tries to be available to other minorities in the environmental field who may have questions and want suggestions on how they may further their careers. He discusses promotional opportunities within the EPA and what he believes it takes to advance in the organization. As a consultant, Mathur works with minority communities to encourage them to engage more with local officials and influence policies in their communities.
Mathur feels that the experience he gained in various roles at the EPA has helped his career. He sought out opportunities and was rewarded. Each change of position offered skills that have helped him. Mathur advises young professionals working on environmental issues to carry a similar mindset and seek new opportunities.
LinkedIn. (n.d.). Bharat Mathur. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bharat-mathur-5bb1b635/
Taylor, Dorceta (Ed.). 2005. The Paths We Thread: Profiles of the Careers of Minority Environmental Professionals. Minority Environmental Leadership Development Initiative, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.