In a little more than two weeks, it will be time, for those
of you who are so inclined, to make New Year’s resolutions. A perennial one for
some people in the erosion and sediment control industry (and probably in many
other fields as well) is to finally pursue that professional certification
you’ve been putting off.
If it’s been a while since you’ve considered it, though, you
might find you have more choices than you thought. Not only do many states now
have their own certification programs, often available through the department of
transportation or department of the environment, but the selection of nationwide
programs has expanded, too. Depending on your personal needs and the needs of
your program, one or more of these might be a good choice, either in place of or
in addition to whatever local—or even company-sponsored—certification you might
be pursuing.
The CPESC (Certified Professional in Erosion and Sediment
Control) is the oldest and probably the most widely known certification in our
field, and EnviroCert International—the organization that administers it—also
offers two other, related certifications: CPSWQ (Certified Professional in Storm
Water Quality) and CESSWI (Certified Erosion, Sediment, and Storm Water
Inspector). There is also the CISEC (Certified Inspector of Sediment and Erosion
Control) designation; CCIS (Certified Compliance Inspector of Stormwater) and
CPSWPPP (Certified Preparer of Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans), both
available through Stormwater USA; custom certifications tailored to your program
available through ABC’s of BMP’s; and the Certification in Erosion and Sediment
Control from the National Institute for Certification in Engineering
Technologies. Each of these, with differences in emphasis, is intended to
provide independent, third-party verification that you are proficient in the
aspects of ESC, inspection, or SWPPP preparation that the particular
certification covers.
Confused over the sheer number of them out there? An upcoming
article in our sister publication, Stormwater, will help you sort them
out. Shirley Morrow, CPESC, CISEC, will give an overview of what the different
certifications cover and how to apply. She has prepared training courses and
certification programs for several organizations—including Wal-Mart and Home
Depot—and has trained thousands of engineers, project managers, inspectors, and
others.
Of course, the certification itself doesn’t make you any
better, necessarily, at what you do; it’s just a way of indicating to
others—clients, regulators, colleagues, potential employers—that you know how to
do it.