EIANZ has launched a a new specialised certification for Contaminated Site practitioners as part of its Certified Environmental Practitioner Scheme (CEnvP). The first intake for Contaminated Land Assessment (CLA) specialist applications is anticipated for March 2015, following the formal launch of the CLA specialist certification at the 2014 EIANZ Conference in Hobart (30-31 October).

The EIANZ has been scoping and drafting the CLA Specialist CEnvP Scheme for contaminated sites experts over the past two years in collaboration with the Waste Management Institute New Zealand (WasteMINZ), which also houses a specialist contaminated site group. 

WasteMINZ proposed that the EIANZ help develop and host a specialist category for contaminated sites within the CEnvP scheme, resulting in the development of a strategy paper for the implementation of such a new specialist certification. The strategy paper was been widely circulated by the EIANZ, WasteMINZ and through industry, professional bodies and government, in particular state government departments responsible for contaminated land matters. The CEnvP Board also convened a meeting of industry and other interested stakeholders to discuss the establishment of the CLA Specialist certification scheme.

The CLA Specialist CEnvP Scheme will be a valuable instrument in the implementation of the recommendations made in the 2013 amendment to the National Environment Protection (Assessment of Site Contamination) Measure within Australia, as well as in meeting the requirements of the National Environmental Standard for Assessing and Managing Contaminants in Soil for the Protection of Human Health that came into force in January 2012 in New Zealand. 

The EIANZ has established a Special Interest Section (SIS) for Contaminated Sites to help develop the knowledge base, competency framework and rules for the CLA Specialist CEnvP Scheme. Interested stakeholders are invited to participate in the work of the new SIS. 

To become a CLA Specialist CEnvP, a practitioner must meet the criteria:

• An environment-related degree
• Ten years of experience in CLA practice
• Three referees prepared to vouch for the practitioner’s knowledge and experience
• A signed statement of ethical conduct
• Commitment to a minimum of 100 points (roughly 50 hours) of continued professional development in each two year period
• Additional supporting evidence of claim including at least two written referee reports. The application process includes assessment of the applicant’s suitability by a panel of industry peers.

For further details on how to apply for CEnvP or the Specialist Certification programs, please visit www.cenvp.org.