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Environment - On-Site Wastewater Services - Board, Fees, and Penalties
Position: Support with amendment
Action Requested: Contact your representative
If enacted, this bill will require that any Professional Engineers (PEs) engaged in onsite wastewater (septic systems) services pay a biannual licensing fee and meet the Department of the Environment Board certification requirements.
The concern for MDSPE has arisen since the Maryland General Assembly enlisted the Maryland Department of the Environment and a future Board of On-site Wastewater Professionals to enforce laws and regulations requiring Licensed Professional Engineers (PEs) to obtain an additional license or certification to perform on-site wastewater engineering services.
The Department of the Environment will establish the Board on On-Site Wastewater Services. The expectation is that the requirement that PEs be licensed by the Board will be waived; however, PEs will still need to pay a $150 biennial licensing fee and comply with the Board’s certification requirements to engage in on-site wastewater services.
Members of the House Committee on the Environment and Transportation and the Senate Committee on Education, Energy and Environment need to be reminded that this is an area of activity that PEs are professionally trained and licensed to perform by the Board of Professional Engineers. This additional certification is redundant and places an undue burden on the industry.
We ask that MDSPE members emphasize that the Board of Professional Engineers already regulates licenses for PEs, all of whom are well educated and undergo many years of rigorous training in professional engineering firms before they are permitted to take and pass a series of demanding tests administered by the existing Board of Professional Engineers.
The situation where the Department of the Environment or any other department has required PEs to obtain additional licensing or certification has never been required before and would set an unreasonable precedent.
We respectfully request a favorable consideration of our amendment to exclude PEs from licensing, certification and jurisdiction of the Board of On-Site Wastewater Services.
PEs are subject to existing and future laws and regulations pertaining to on-site wastewater services and are willing to assist the Department of the Environment in any way possible to improve on-site wastewater services in Maryland.
We ask that you, as a Licensed Professional Engineer, contact your local representative to exclude PEs from licensing, certification and jurisdiction of the Board of On-Site Wastewater Services.
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