Category Archives: Certifications

GSWCC Policy Changes

There’s a lot of changes going on in the erosion and sediment control industry as of late.  Let’s take a quick look at what is changing and how it affects your job sites.

Certifications

Did your certification card expire?  Don’t worry, it happens more than you would think.  Apparently, it happens enough that the state has decided to revise it’s stance on the 90 day expiration policy currently in place.

In the past, when you wanted to get your Level 1A card (blue card), or any level card for that matter, you would research the upcoming courses listed on the Conservation Commission’s website, register for a class, sit through 1 to 2 days worth of training, and pass a test to prove you understood the material as it was presented.  At this point, your certification was active and didn’t expire until 3 years from the date of your initial training class.  Before your three year period expired, you would need to register for a 4 hour recertification class to validate your certification for another three years.  Because so many people were missing the three year mark, the state had put a policy in place allowing you an additional 90 days after the date of your expiration to get your certification renewed.  In order to regain your certification once your expiration date had passed the 90 day mark, you would have to sit for the initial 1 to 2 day class and successfully complete the test all over again.

With the recent vote by the Georgia Soil & Water Conservation Commission Board on June 21st, 2013, the policy on renewing your certification has changed.  Under the new policy, “individuals will only have to sit for an initial certification course and pass the certification exam once.  Effective July 1, 2013, individuals seeking to extend or renew an expired certification, regardless of how long a certification has been expired, must attend at least four (4) hours of continuing education.”

So what does this mean for you?  In short, once you’ve taken the initial class and passed the test for any level certification, you are considered certified.  And, once your card has expired, you are no longer considered certified.  Neither of these two facts have changed.  However, if you wish to renew your expired certification, you will now only have to take a 4 hour recertification course as opposed to retaking the initial class and test like you would under the old policy.

Be sure to stay on top of your expiration dates, “This policy change only pertains to an individual’s certification status, therefore, if an individual conducts a land disturbing activity with an expired certification, that individual is in noncompliance with O.C.G.A.12-7-1 and may be subject to enforcement action.”

GSWCC Region 3

As of June 28th, 2013, the Region 3 office of the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission has closed.  If Region 3 is usually the one who handles the technical review and ratification of your Erosion Sedimentation and Pollution Control Plans, you’ll need to be sure to submit them to the appropriate office instead:

Cobb, Dekalb, Fulton, Gwinnett
GA Soil and Water Conservation Commission
Susan Castle, Erosion and Sediment Control Specialist
90 Lanthier Street
Winder GA 30680

Clayton, Henry, Rockdale

GA Soil and Water Conservation Commission
Guerry Thomas, Resource Specialist
Aubrey Harvey Building
333 Phillips Drive
McDonough, Ga. 30253

NPDES General Permit

The new NPDES General Permit goes into effect August 1st 2013.  When this occurs, we’ll be sure to update you on all of the changes and how they affect you.