Site Contamination Specialist

To qualify for CEnvP Site Contamination Specialist status you need:

• an engineering degree, science degree, or a degree with a substantial environmental component will generally constitute the minimum requirement.
• A minimum of ten years of full-time equivalent experience in environmental practice, during the last 17 years; of which eight of those years must be in site contamination practice. This must be supported by documentary evidence such as current reports or other publications. All work experience must be related to environmental practice.
• nomination by three respected environmental professionals who are willing to act as referees for the candidate.
• evidence that the candidate is a respected, competent, ethical and active member of the profession in the form of at least two referee statements (with at least one external to the applicant’s current place of employment), a detailed curriculum vitae, reports, publications, citations, conference/seminar presentations, etc.
• evidence of past commitment to training and professional development completed over the past 2 years.
• evidence of ongoing commitment to training and professional development (CPD plan for the future to meet the requirements once certified).
• a signed and witnessed statement of claim covering qualifications, experience, ethics, commitment and the accuracy of the materials provided to the Certification Board.
• demonstrate professional competency in the site contamination practice by:
  • answering six questions with an essay style document addressing the key proficiency areas outlined in the Competencies section below
  • submitting at least four current (methodology/guidelines cited) example reports, with at least one of the four reports being recent (from the past five years) and all reports should be under ten years old
  • if required, submit an additional essay style document explaining how the relevant parts of Section 5 of Schedule B2 of the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 (as amended 2013) would have applied to the detailed assessment described in the submitted reports.
  • For more details on how to demonstrate your competency in the six key proficiency areas, please refer to SC Competencies Guidance Doc.

Practitioners can apply for both CEnvP (General) and SC Specialist certification at the same time. If an applicant is not approved by the Certification Board for CEnvP (General) certification, the applicant will also not be eligible for the SC Specialist certification.

Application process

Upon application submission, each regulator (e.g. State Authorities for Contaminated Sites) are provided with a list of intending applicants. The purpose of this is to allow regulators to raise any concerns they might have regarding an applicant.

Applications can be submitted online anytime during the year. Upon receipt of a valid and complete application, the applicant will be requested to attend an interview within two months. Applications are usually processed within 6 months, but the process may take up to 12 months, if an application is incomplete.

Please note:
• your online application for certification is active for 30 days. After 30 days, your application is voided automatically on our systems.
• you can save your application and resume for 30 days. When clicking the ‘Save and Resume Later’ button you will receive a link to your application via email. If you do not send yourself the link, you will have to start the application again.
• incomplete or flawed applications will be delayed until all missing documentation is received. This may delay your application process.

Application fees

Provided the required supporting material has been submitted, the application is forwarded to the relevant Registrar for a preliminary check to ensure that the application is ready to be forwarded to an Assessment Panel.

Application fees are non-refundable unless it is obvious to the Registrar that the applicant cannot meet the certain criteria. In this case the application will be returned to the applicant together with a portion of the application fee.

The annual renewal fee for the first year is calculated on a pro-rata basis from the month they were certified.

Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of SC work, a CEnvP SC Specialist must have the ability to apply knowledge and experience in numerous aspects. The following abilities must be demonstrated by an SC Specialist in their written application and interview.

1. Determining the nature, causes and significance of site contamination
• Types of industries and land uses (current and historical), and the particular contaminants they produce, which are commonly associated with site contamination
• The effect of geological, hydro-geological, and environmental settings on contamination issues
• The significance of the built environment including residences, services, and other land use infrastructure for site contamination issues
• Environmental chemistry
• The fate and transport of common contaminants in typical settings including chemical, biological and physical processes as these relate to the solid, liquid and gaseous phases
• The primary sources used for assessment of the significance of contamination issues including regulatory and
scientifically authoritative references

2. Preliminary assessment of site contamination
• Planning and contextualising the purpose of an assessment process
• Site inspection and conducting enquiries sufficient to maximise information for contamination assessment purposes
• Conduct of a site history incorporating knowledge of common reliable sources and approaches for this
• Initiation of a Conceptual Site Model based on the above incorporating knowledge of the overall environmental setting including land use/built environment factors , geology and hydrogeology, and surface environment
• Provision of advice as to whether contamination represents a risk requiring further detailed site assessment by applying understandings in Competency 1

3. Detailed assessment involving the characterisation of site contamination
• Data Quality Objectives, including quality assurance and quality control practices and their application
• Soil science
• Sampling methodology and design for contamination in soils, groundwater, vapour (soil and indoor), surface water and sediments
• Documentation and management of data for interpretation of contamination significance and site management
• Quality assurance of data for assessing contamination, including identification of data gaps and areas of uncertainty.
• Assessment of the significance of contamination by applying understandings in competency 1 and/or by using Tier 1 risk assessment, or more advanced risk assessment, to understand potential impact of contamination
• Validation of a site following remediation works.

4. Professional practice in relation to site contamination
• Ability to lead and integrate multidisciplinary contaminated land assessment studies of moderate complexity (e.g. multiple affected media and/or contaminant types, potentially complete exposure pathways to human and environmental receptors, sensitive land uses affected) and to look beyond mere regulatory compliance to promote best practice
• Adherence to ethical obligations and standards
• Sound project management practices – quality, time, cost
• Understanding of relevant legislation relating to contaminated sites including property and planning law
• Health and safety management, including workplace safety law, applied to contaminated site activity
• Writing complete, relevant and understandable technical reports
• Risk communication with all stakeholders including community consultation
• Basics of contract law and contract management
• Understand of the audit system

5. Risk assessment of site contamination
• Criteria and legislative requirements
• Risk assessment framework
• Environmental and human toxicology
• Ecological risk assessment and human health risk assessment and the importance of each for a particular site setting
• The use and limitations of modeling in undertaking risk assessments
• Understanding of relevant publications for the purpose of risk assessment

6. Remediation and management of site contamination
• Remediation and management options including available technologies for particular types of contamination in soil, groundwater, vapour, surface water and sediments.
• Remediation/management frameworks
• Development of site specific remediation/management objectives, implement and monitor performance of selected approaches, and to validate achievement of objectives
• Handling of wastes generated from remediation activities
• Validation sampling

Applicants must demonstrate their competency by answering the following six questions with an essay style document (400-600+ words per question). Questions 1-4 require proficient understanding and questions 5-6 functional understanding of the specific competency.

1. How have you demonstrated your ability to determine the nature, causes and significance of site contamination?
2. How have you demonstrated your ability to perform preliminary assessment of site contamination?
3. How have you demonstrated your ability to perform detailed assessment involving the characterisation of site contamination?
4. How have you demonstrated your ability to undertake professional practice in relation to site contamination?
5. How have you demonstrated your ability to perform risk assessment of site contamination?
6. How have you demonstrated your ability to perform remediation and management of site contamination?

Answers must be supported by at least four current (methodology/guidelines cited) example reports, with at least one of the four reports being recent (from the past five years) and all reports should be under ten years old. These documents must be referenced in your answers to the previous questions and all appropriate competencies must be addressed.

The written response to the six competency categories represents the most informative stage of the application process and is where you should apply the most effort in demonstrating competency. Registrars are looking for both substantive descriptions of experience and the resultant demonstration of applied knowledge that together shows the applicant is a competent practitioner.

This applied knowledge should be supported by both describing proper application of principles and substantive examples. Relevant examples include reports provided as part of the application but don’t have to be limited to these. Whilst having some stand-alone value as evidence of experience and competency, provided reports are best utilised in making a case for competency through reference in the responses that show where and how elements of the reports support the points being made. With this in mind, you should consider selecting example reports that reflect a range of project types (breadth of experience) and report stages where you hold an active and engaged role. You are advised against over relying on the provided reports alone as evidence of competency without appropriate explanation as to how specific aspects of the report(s) support particular claims being made regarding relevant competencies.

Additionally, if the example reports submitted as evidence of your professional competency do not thoroughly demonstrate the application of Data Quality Objectives, including QA/QC practices in their submitted reports, a separate essay style documents (300-400 words) must be provided which demonstrates how the relevant parts of Section 5 of Schedule B2 of the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure 1999 (as amended 2013) would have applied to the detailed assessment described in the submitted reports.

Web addresses should be provided for documents available on the web. Any documents should be shared on the application form via a link to any cloud-based storage system (e.g. Dropbox, OneDrive, etc). Any documents subject to confidentiality should be clearly noted.

Educational qualification

An engineering degree, science degree, or a degree with a substantial environmental component will generally constitute the minimum requirement. In the case of the latter, further information verifying the environmental content must be provided (e.g. a transcript or academic record).

Evidence of your qualifications is required in the form of certified copies (see suggested Authorised Signatories in Australia, and in New Zealand). These must be uploaded and submitted together with the online application. Alternatively, direct access via My eQuals is also accepted.

In exceptional circumstances, appropriate work experience may be submitted in lieu of a suitable tertiary qualification; eligibility of the use of this clause will be evaluated on a case by case basis by the CEnvP board.

Work experience

An applicant must have at least 8 years of full-time equivalent (FTE) experience in the functional areas of Site Contamination, and at least 10 years FTE in total of environmental practice; during the last 17 years.

The 17-year window should allow part-time workers as well as those returning to the workforce from a long leave period associated with caring, illness or parental leave, to meet the required full-time equivalence work experience.

Full time work is defined as per the Australian Public Service Commission or the New Zealand State Services Commission as Full Time/1.0 (35 hrs/week), 4 days/0.8 (28 hrs/week), 3 days/0.6 (21 hrs/week), 2 days/0.4 (14 hrs/week), 1 day/0.2 (7 hrs/week). No more than 35hrs per week will be recognised (even if working for more than one employer at the time).

Experience must be related to environmental practice and be fully relevant to management and improvement of the environment, with knowledge specifically in three or more of the following areas:

• Scoping, designing, conducting and project management of complex SC investigations;
• Conduct or review site-specific risk assessments;
• Development or implementation of risk management or remedial strategies, including preparation of monitoring plans, site management plans and remedial action plans;
• Participation in stakeholder engagement and risk communication, including public meetings;
• Preparation and presenting independent expert evidence in environmental planning or court hearings;
• Acting as an independent reviewer or auditor (or similar), preferably as part of a statutory process;
• Contributing to SC policy development; or
• Teaching and research in SC Practice.

Certification will recognise supervisory, research, policy, regulation, community conservation work and teaching as contributing in part or whole to the 8 years FTE ‘functional experience’, providing the applicant can demonstrate how these have contributed to relevant competence. Special dispensation may also be provided for those returning to the workforce from a long leave period associated with illness or parental leave.

Demonstration of work experience and professional proficiencies is shown by work verification signatures for ten years of professional environmental practice (including eight years of site contamination practice) and a current detailed CV. This must be supported by documentary evidence such as current reports or other publications.

The experience claimed for the minimum 10 years FTE must be fully relevant to management and improvement of the environment, and all should be independently verified by a referee (e.g. current or former employer, a senior colleague, a referee who knew the applicant at that time). These individuals may be contacted during the application process.

The applicant must nominate a maximum of three areas of Environmental Practice. The nominated areas will be discussed during your interview and once certified these nominated areas will be used in online profiles and directories.

NB: An area of environmental practice is a field you are currently or have been working in. It is not recognised as a CEnvP specialisation.

• Evidence of your educational qualifications is required in the form of certified copies (see suggested Authorised Signatories in Australia, and in New Zealand). Current CEnvPs applying for Specialist Certification do not need to provide evidence of their educational qualifications.
• Your complete and updated CV that must be detailed and fully describe experience, roles and responsibilities, skills, projects, outcomes, achievements, citations, presentations etc.
• Previously accrued CPD is assessed as part of the application process. Please upload CPD Log or a statement explaining how you accrued your CPD points over the past 2 years. For applicants applying for Specialist certification, submitting a CPD log is strongly recommended to enable the Registrar, Assessment Panel and CEnvP Board to ascertain your understanding of the requirement post certification.
• Additional information which may include but not necessarily be limited to testamurs, academic records, publications, citations, reports, training records, written statements of service, or information supplied by a witness, associate or referee.
• Statement of claim statutory declaration
  All applicants are required to sign a statutory declaration that the materials they have provided are accurate and complete in the presence of an appropriately authorised witness authority (e.g. Justice of the Peace or other relevant qualification in the jurisdiction).  Applicants must provide the details of the location where the declaration is being made.

All the supporting material can be submitted online at the time the online application form is completed and submitted. The EIANZ Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is within the online application form. Please ensure you have read, understood and ticked that you will abide by it before proceeding onto the next section of the form.

Three experienced environmental professionals willing to act as referees are required. Each must have known the applicant for at least two years. They should be familiar with the applicant’s skills and attributes as they relate to environmental practice, ethics and professional integrity, and cover these aspects in their referee report. The applicant should include information on referees’ qualification, employment and relationship to the applicant.

Referee Reports must be provided from at least two of the nominated referees, including:

• an experienced SC practitioner who is a CEnvP SC Specialist or would be eligible to apply for CEnvP SC Specialist themselves
• an environmental professional external to the applicant’s current place of work who is familiar with one or more of the supporting documentation provided by the applicant.

The Referee Reports must provide sufficient information to demonstrate how the nominated referees meet the above requirements.

Referee Reports must cover the applicant’s skills and attributes as they specifically relate to SC practice, ethics and professional integrity, and must be completed on the official CEnvP Referee Report Form which will be sent to your nominated referees’ email address when you fill out the application form online.

Once accepted for certification, applicants must keep a log of professional development undertaken.

A points system has been devised to describe the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and the total of 100 points requirement every two years. Site Contamination CPD requirements must be fulfilled through site contamination specific activities, with at least 50%  consisting of activities that directly contribute to the field’s higher level processes, policy and strategy.

Please see CPD guidelines for more information.

A practitioner is re-certified every two years. At this time the applicant will need to provide evidence of CPD and a statement verifying any changed circumstances including employment and ethical conduct.

It is preferable that you provide evidence supporting your claim of any recent CPD activity with your application. These activities include:

• Formal courses at accredited education or training institutes, which may be directly face-to-face, by distance learning (correspondence), internet course, or a combination of these where there is a formal assessment at the completion;
• Short courses for which there is no actual assessment, but which will result in a Certificate of Attendance (evidence of doing the course);
• Participation at technical meetings, seminars and conferences relevant to the environment profession;
• Dedicated volunteer assistance with the CEnvP Scheme in roles such as Registrar, Interview Panel Member, SEAC Member, or assisting a similar professional organisation with a strong environmental component in a similar capacity;
• Presentations at conferences, seminars and technical meetings;
• Publication of technical or research papers in journals;
• Part-time or guest lectures in environmental studies at accredited education or training institutes or organisations;
• Assistance to junior members of the profession through the mentoring program;
• Private study of journals, magazines and reference texts;
• Provision of pro bono advice and assistance to community groups, including expert witness duties and expert advice for the Environmental Defenders Office (promotion of the environment profession and principles); and
• Industry/professional involvement for academia.

Detailed information on the application process for accredited auditors can be found here.