CPESC anyone?

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^All very good points.

I have no CPESC but I would like to take the exam just as a "notch" on my belt.

As far as additional certifications beyond the PE exam, I believe that it is appropriate in some instances. In the case of erosion and sediment control, neither the Civil or the Environmental PE exam covers this topic, at all. Yes, you get a little rudimentary runoff calculating, but absolutely nothing on BMPs, SWPPP, etc.

As a state regulator, I constantly have to deal with plans from PE's that show an almost complete lack of understanding of the principles, even though we have a free design manual that they could consult prior to working up their designs. This requires more time and more tax-payer money for me to review the plans and step them through learning the ropes, which often gets further delayed when said PE's get indignant and self righteous about being a PE already and how dare I quesiton them when the state has already sanctioned their knowledge and blah blah.

States and local governments can choose a number of ways to improve the situation. At the most non-invasive, they can offer education (free on-line manuals, training courses, etc.) and then hope that avoiding delays with permitting will be incentive enough. Or the states can require such training, as a pre-requisite for cerifying plans. After offering voluntary learning for over 10 years now and getting virtually no results, I am of the opinion that most engineers will not take the time to learn this non-PE stuff on their own, unless they are forced to. And unfortunatley, many small permitting authorities just don't have the expertise on-hand to contantly have to train the local engineers on-the-job.

And quite frankly, some of the worst-performing ESC systems I have seen implemented have been designed by engineers who "have been desiging sites for over 20 years, Dleg, I don't think I need any training on how to design my site". If your locale is one where water quality can affect the bottom line (i.e., tourism), the it really is important.

So until ESC, stormwater BMPs, septic systems, etc. are covered on the PE exam and in college, you can probably expect to have to deal with some additional certification requirements from the state. Now, whether it is a state-specific certification, or some standardized, privately run-certificaiton that you can carry with you to other states, well, it remains to be seen which method is better. As I have said, we run our own certification program for our state. But it can't be taken with you when you move somewhere else.

 
I have only just recently, become aware of the CPESC certification. My hometown just passed a local bylaw (Stormwater Management & Land Disturbance Regulations) requiring all proposed developments with over 20,000 s.f. of "cumulative" alteration of land to file for a Special Permit before development can take place.
A condition of the special permit is that the applicant must submit a Site Plan, prepared by a Prof. Eng. AND a CPESC. WOW! I thought that once I obtained an education, took the EIT, worked for several years, busted my but to pass the PE that I had finally obtained the stature of a Professional and that my credibility and ability to provide a suitable ESC plan wouldnt be questioned!

I hope someone with more experience will read this and maybe answer my quesion, but I was under the impression that LIA's could not require more strict standards then what is outlined in the NPDES permits to begin with, and in our permits, plan reviews are outlined and included. I know things slightly differ from state to state but I am confused about this... how can the local want more then the state here? any answers?

Also, Dleg- I agree with additional certification required... but some of the plans we have come thru our office shows that even that doesn't help sometimes :)

On a third note- you guys in GA- take note that there are new checklists out.

 
The way environmental laws work is that the state can always go more stringent than the feds, and local can always go more stringent than the state. But it can never work the other way - you can never go less stringent than the laws "above" you. But "more stringent" is always allowable, if that's what you local rule makers decide they want.... The only thing to be careful of is if they clearly go beyond the authorizing legislation's intent. But most environmental legislation is pretty broad.

True, another certification is no guarantee of good performance. It's more useful to make sure that the engineers actually learn these things that otherwise they wouldn't (not in PE exam, most likely not in school, either) and then, for the plan reviewers, to serve as the "no excuses" clause when they do screw up. As in "hey, you got the certificaiton, you should have known this." Good God if I could only have all the time back that I have lost listening to arguments from engineers who have never even opened an ESC or septic systems manual.....

 
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I am in Georgia and I have my CPESC registration. At this time, it isn't required for any of the work we are doing although we do GDOT work and I thought I read someone mentioned that GDOT requires a CPESC??? Having it do allow me to take my Level II Certification prior to getting my PE (hopefully I can replace EIT with PE this week!!)

The Level II Certification for a Plan Preparer is pretty weak and really does not prove a designer's expertise in erosion and sediment control. I could see making the requirements stiffer which could mean having a CPESC review all plans.

Keep in mind, CPESC is an INTERNATIONAL organization with members in every state and many countries. I do think the point of the organization is for lobbying of stiffer environmental rules concerning erosion and sediment. I just wanted to get my CPESC ahead of the wave.

Now, if you are going to take the test, you need to THOROUGHLY read the review manual. I did not attend the review class but studied the manual. If you are a practicing ESC designer, then a lot of it will be repetitive. However, remember the review manual and test were developed by environmentalist so you have to skew your thinking in that manner to understand some of the questions and desired solutions.

Good Luck!!

 
I have been on the CPESC website, and can not find any information on the exam type, frequency, where it is offerred, etc.

Is this one of those exams they give at one of those testing "centers", where make an appointment and just show up?

Is it closed book?

Any info would be helpful, thanks.

 
It's been a long time since I looked, but I think you can arrange to take the test pretty much any time you are able to get one of their many certified test-givers to agree to. I know that you can take a review course followed by the exam administration as one of the "attractions" of the International Erosion Control Expo every year, wherever it happens to be held, and there are other organizations that offer similar workshop/test administrations at different times of the year. Just keep digging and you'll find it.

But note that I have not checked into this in a long time, and I have never taken the exam myself (though my office sent two staff to one of the workshops, only to discover they didn't possess the right qualifications to sit for the exam).

 
It's been a long time since I looked, but I think you can arrange to take the test pretty much any time you are able to get one of their many certified test-givers to agree to. I know that you can take a review course followed by the exam administration as one of the "attractions" of the International Erosion Control Expo every year, wherever it happens to be held, and there are other organizations that offer similar workshop/test administrations at different times of the year. Just keep digging and you'll find it.
But note that I have not checked into this in a long time, and I have never taken the exam myself (though my office sent two staff to one of the workshops, only to discover they didn't possess the right qualifications to sit for the exam).
Thanks Dleg, I will keep digging around.

 
Anyone have a CPESC certification? Anyone planning on taking the test? Anyone have an opinion on this certification?
I am tempted to take the exam and get the certification. I know one engineer who has that certification, and his ESC plans now are awesome. But I also know another, very experienced PE who thinks the CPESC certification is "meaningless" and puts little value on it.

Seeing how the Civil and Env. PE exams do not cover ESC, I can see some value to this. I am also working on new stormwater regulations that include a certification program for designers and contractors, but the CPESC might be a good thing to incorporate to ensure better ESC plans - our new regs and manuals are mostly focused on post-construction stormwater design.

Comments and opinions welcome.
I have prepared E&S/NPDES plans for approximately 12 years. I recently took the CPESC training and exam. There needs to be a level of certification on E&S. You have a lot of PEs and otherwise technical people that although are highly skilled in various technical areas, E&S may not be one. On the other hand, you have a lot of uneducated folks that have done a few cookie-cutter E&S plans and they carry themselves as professionals.

The exam is just difficult enough to weed out those who shouldn't be completing E&S plans in the first place.

 
I have prepared E&S/NPDES plans for approximately 12 years. I recently took the CPESC training and exam. There needs to be a level of certification on E&S. You have a lot of PEs and otherwise technical people that although are highly skilled in various technical areas, E&S may not be one. On the other hand, you have a lot of uneducated folks that have done a few cookie-cutter E&S plans and they carry themselves as professionals.
The exam is just difficult enough to weed out those who shouldn't be completing E&S plans in the first place.
I agree...it is a good means of weeding out those who are unqualified. If someone has legitimate experience preparing plans...you should be able to pass. I thought the exam was difficult, but I actually did well on it...but like JPenviro...I've been preparing plans for 12 or 13 (goodness...maybe almost 14) years now :eek:ld-025:

 
CPESC study tips:

for part 2 (word problems) know how to use RUSLE, MUSLE, N-P-K, Pure Live Seed, and how to calculate a Curve Number. If you understand these, you should pass part 2. There were 6 problems of which you have to choose 3: Agriculture, Mining, Linear Construction, Small Commercial Development, Residential Development, and I think Forestry. Each problem had 12 questions to answer. Small Commercial and Residential were very similar problems but with different acreages and a different CN, but if you got one right, then you would get the other one right also. Agriculture was a little different, but not too tricky. I stayed away from Mining, Forestry and Linear. READ THE PROBLEM TWICE! They really didn't try to trick you with the questions but some of them were worded in unfamiliar ways and could be misinterpreted. All in all, the 2nd part was not too bad. If you study the above topics, you should do OK.

for part 1 (True/False, Mult Choice), there were alot of questions on the RUSLE equation parameters (what are they, what happens if you change one of them, is there a parameter for "x", etc..) There were some questions on soil pH which I didn't even look at while studying, but I recommend that you at least read through that section. Some of the answers could be found just by browsing through the reference book they give you that has the charts and equations in it. In my review course the instructor said to know the flow charts associated with BMP selection and SWPPP preparation, but I did not find that to be necessary to answer the test questions. Rather than study those charts, just understand the concepts and the different options available. The legislative questions were geared toward the logistics of obtaining a general permit such as: who applies for it, who do you submit it to, what happens when the site is finally stabilized, what are the penalties for noncompliance, etc.. There weren't any questions relating to the date of the CWA and its various ammendments on my test, but there might be on others. I had one question on CZARA: Are entities that comply with CZARA exempt from the CWA requirements? I still don't know the answer to that one, but it is probably right there in black and white in my study guide.

That's all I can remember. Good Luck!!

MHeinzer, P.E., LEED AP, CPESCwannabee

Toledo, OH

 
I've never heard of any exemptions from the CWA for CZARA compliance. ?????

 
I am in Georgia and I have my CPESC registration. At this time, it isn't required for any of the work we are doing although we do GDOT work and I thought I read someone mentioned that GDOT requires a CPESC??? Having it do allow me to take my Level II Certification prior to getting my PE (hopefully I can replace EIT with PE this week!!)
The Level II Certification for a Plan Preparer is pretty weak and really does not prove a designer's expertise in erosion and sediment control. I could see making the requirements stiffer which could mean having a CPESC review all plans.

Keep in mind, CPESC is an INTERNATIONAL organization with members in every state and many countries. I do think the point of the organization is for lobbying of stiffer environmental rules concerning erosion and sediment. I just wanted to get my CPESC ahead of the wave.

Now, if you are going to take the test, you need to THOROUGHLY read the review manual. I did not attend the review class but studied the manual. If you are a practicing ESC designer, then a lot of it will be repetitive. However, remember the review manual and test were developed by environmentalist so you have to skew your thinking in that manner to understand some of the questions and desired solutions.

Good Luck!!

I got the CPESC thing confused with the Ga "Level II Designer" Certification..

These certifications are mainly intendid for developers to have a standard to go from and I think they are both fairly meaningless, look at your average site around town, they just draw in two rows of Type C Silt Fence, even on the "High Side" of the site, like the rain is going to travel up-hill and carry sediment with it..... anyways most people that review site plans have taken some similar class, but they dont really understand the meaning behind the EC Guidelines, ( You should have to be a PE or an engineering, design, drainiage background to approve them IMO) I believe you can get the CEPSC without any real education in engineering....

 
The CPESC and CPSWQ certifications are becoming more required every day.

Several states have regulations or draft regulations specifying these certifications for development of plans and for inspections.

I got my CPESC in 2001. Back then very few colleagues had heard of it. Now I get several jobs a year because of this and other qualifications.

The CPSWQ is catching up fast, but still has a ways to go.

I recommend that any civil PE that specializes in ESC or WQ obtain these certifications.

 
Anyone have a CPESC certification? Anyone planning on taking the test? Anyone have an opinion on this certification?
I am tempted to take the exam and get the certification. I know one engineer who has that certification, and his ESC plans now are awesome. But I also know another, very experienced PE who thinks the CPESC certification is "meaningless" and puts little value on it.

Seeing how the Civil and Env. PE exams do not cover ESC, I can see some value to this. I am also working on new stormwater regulations that include a certification program for designers and contractors, but the CPESC might be a good thing to incorporate to ensure better ESC plans - our new regs and manuals are mostly focused on post-construction stormwater design.

Comments and opinions welcome.
I am CPESC for the past 4 years. I wasn’t being able to use my stamp a single time. I was trying to find a job where I could fully use this certification, but had no luck.

I am roadway designer, working with SWPP and construction plans. It’s nice to have this certification for a resume, but I believe that my PE license (one day I will get it) will overwrite my CPESC.

The exam wasn’t easy for me. I had to study, but review class is very helpful.

 
Found out in August...PASSED the exam!

Coming from someone who has sat for the EIT exam (and passed), this exam is not on that level, but it's challenging nontheless.

I called for my score and I did well, better than expected. BUT, there were definitely some questions that had me scratching my head. Ethically, I won't go into details...but that test gives you your money's worth. Also, there were several folks there taking it for the 2nd time.

I'm proud to be a CPESC.

 
I dont think the EIT / PE have "insert your credit card #" in bold print at the top of the application though....

 
Just passed this exam. I will say that I did not have a warm and fuzzy after leaving the test room, but passed none the less. My prep consisted of the following...attended review course at which time I recieved the review manual. I got up early the day of the exam and went through the manual.

This test is not even remotely comparable to the EIT or PE.

 
One year later and I can't say that this certification has materialized financially generating anything that I would not have gotten with my PE alone.

They are now requesting that I pay the 200 or so in annual dues.

I think that I am done

 

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