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1. Scott Gaither - June 14, 2006

I am the Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist for a local county government located just 20 miles East of Atlanta. Our community is growing by leaps and bounds and to say the few inspectors we have is enough is by far an understatement. I would like to address the certification process in which the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission has enacted where all parties involved in land disturbing activities must be certified in erosion and sediment control by December 31, 2006. The rough estimate of those involved in such activities that must become certified is somewhere close to 60,000. The issue that I am seeing is this is June 2006 and many people whose livelyhood depend on disturbing the ground such as heavy equipment operators, builders, utility workers etc. do not know about this required certification. This certification idea was passed in 2003 by the Georgia General Assemble and called House Bill 285. The General Assemble appointed the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission to work with other agencies on developing an education course in which to certify everyone on a basic level of erosion and sediment control and of course those regulatory inspectors like myself would have to take a much more in depth course and those designing and reviewing plans would again take a more in depth course than the previous. The courses are broken down into three categories; Leve 1A, Level 1B, Level 2 and then Train the Train. Being a regulatory inspector and plan reviewer I currently hold certification in Levels 1B and 2.

The Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission has informed all local issuing authorities (LIA) that they are responsible for inspecting and making sure all parties involved in land disturbing activities in their area are certified come January 1, 2007. If no certification in on a job site then the LIA is supposed to shut the job down until a person with a valid certification card can be on site.

The problem lies in the rural areas of Georgia in which the LIA maybe the State Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources (EPD). The EPD’s Regulatory Branch is the inspectors in many of these areas and they are grossly understaffed and underfunded. My main concern is if those participating in land disturbing activities in these rural areas and those at the local government level in these rural areas do not know about a certification requirement then what is going to happen on January 1, 2007? Are these 10,000 or more operators in the rural areas going to be granted a pass and still be able to work without this required certification? If so, than those who paid the money to become certified before the deadline should demand their money back from the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission.

I share this concern with many others involved in regulatory inspections within the Metro-Atlanta area and I think we should be given answers because this certification program was set up by the General Assembly to make sure everyone knows what to do and what not to do and there could not be an, “I didn’t know” senario.

2. ieca - June 15, 2006

Scott,

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Pete Romoki, our CPESC Southeastern US Regional Rep who happens to be from GA and the Southeast Chapter’s GA state rep, George McDavid, are looking into this issue thanks to your alert.

3. Kelly - January 30, 2007

I have started my own environmental company in southwest Missouri. One of my consulting practices is offering storm water erosion and sediment control design and inspections. I have currently applied for my CPESC certification and hope to take my test within the next three months.

My company offers storm water consulting for all of southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas. I’ve had great response from city, state, and federal government officials, watershed organizations, storm water BMP installers, and some local citizens about what I offer. However, responses from architects, engineers, builders, developers, and contractors to say the least have been none existent. Most storm water issues are passed to engineering firms where design lacks quality and regular inspections DO NOT OCCUR. These engineering firms also take on the responsibility to write SWPPPs for their projects.

After observing construction sites, it is obvious that inspections are not occurring because there are BMP failures, there is a lack of good housekeeping, sediment has left construction sites, erosion is occurring, and I can go on and on. Without inspections then SWPPPs are not being updated and maps are not being changed. Construction sites are not in compliance with any federal, state, and local storm water regulations in my area.

State and local regulators only inspect sites based on complaints, and if problems exist developers only get a slap on the hand. The EPA has only been to this area only a limited number of times. Developers/engineers do not have a great concern about storm water and they don’t fear federal or state regulators because there is a lack of strict enforcement.

The lack of enforcement in southern Missouri and northern Arkansas amazes me. Christian County just south of Springfield, is the fastest growing county in Missouri and is in the top 10 counties in the nation for growth. Fayetteville, Arkansas has become one of the top 5 cities in the nation for growth, yet storm water issues are still over looked.

I have been told during storm water conventions that changes don’t occur unless there is strict enforcement. Where is the enforcement?