diff --git a/coordinator/ProcessorUtils.py b/coordinator/ProcessorUtils.py
index fee2ea72e5fabc211e7568f60db6d600690bef5f..da7e13a684e3e8972c1d54970ae7daeeaa1c8e04 100644
--- a/coordinator/ProcessorUtils.py
+++ b/coordinator/ProcessorUtils.py
@@ -502,9 +502,6 @@ def setup_logging(job_file_path: str, is_live: bool, log_level: str):
     :return:
     """
 
-    assert 'LOGGING_CONFIG' in os.environ
-    logging_config_env = os.environ['LOGGING_CONFIG']
-    assert os.path.exists(logging_config_env)
 
     # get the email credentials file path from the environment variables
     assert 'EMAIL_CRED' in os.environ
@@ -522,7 +519,16 @@ def setup_logging(job_file_path: str, is_live: bool, log_level: str):
     arg_string = ' '.join(sys.argv)
 
     # load logging json config file
-    json_file_path = logging_config_env
+
+    # if there is no value set for the LOGGING_CONFIG file, set a default path.
+    if not 'LOGGING_CONFIG' in os.environ:
+        log_config_path_project = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "../configs", "logger", "template_log_config.json")
+        print(f"ENVIRONMENT VARIABLE 'LOGGING_CONFIG' IS NOT SET, UISING DEFAULT FILE - {log_config_path_project}")
+    else:
+        log_config_path_project = os.environ['LOGGING_CONFIG']
+
+    assert os.path.exists(log_config_path_project)
+    json_file_path = log_config_path_project
     with open(json_file_path, 'r') as f:
         log_config_dict = json.load(f)