The Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (ACHMM) applauded the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for incorporating the Certified Hazardous Materials Managers (CHMM) credential into the list of professionals able to issue wastewater permits in the state.
"Connecticut should be commended for its foresight and vision for including CHMMs among those professionals to complete certification documentation in wastewater management," said ACHMM President Dave Carey, CHMM. "We encourage other states to follow in Connecticut's footsteps. The CHMM is a standard of excellence that demonstrates the highest levels of training, skill and competence in the hazardous materials management industry."
The Connecticut DEP now allows several different wastewater management permits to be issued by CHMMs. These general permits include Discharge of Vehicle Maintenance Wastewater, Discharge of Miscellaneous Sewer Compatible Wastewater, Discharge of Stormwater Associated with Industrial Activity. CHMMs also can certify documents associated with these general permits. In addition, the Connecticut DEP has indicated that new or modified general permits will allow CHMMS to complete certification documentation.
Since 2000, ACHMM's Connecticut and New England chapters have been working with Connecticut's DEP to provide assurances that CHMMs would have the technical expertise to adequately certify registrations or technical documentation associated with general permits. Prior to 2001, only Professional Engineers (PE) were permitted to issue general permits.
Last year, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) started a new site remediation program allowing CHMMs with five years of experience in hazardous substance remediation to investigate certain low-priority sites and "areas of concern." The initiative, known as the "Cleanup Star" program, is designed to establish standards of excellence for environmental consultants; allows NJDEP case managers to focus on sites with greater environmental and public health concerns; and enables uncontaminated or slightly contaminated property to go quickly through the NJDEP process so that they can be sold or reused for other new purposes.
"ACHMM will continue to work with regulatory commissions and legislators to have the CHMM credential become an essential part of the environmental, health and safety community," said Tom Browne, CHMM, ACHMM's government relations chairman. "We hope that other states follow the lead of Connecticut and New Jersey and learn more about the value of incorporating the CHMM credential into the hazardous materials management field."
Source: The Academy of Certified Hazardous Materials Managers, Inc.
