Identification of Bureau of Land Management Environmental Professionals, Application Requirements, and Solicitation of Applicants
In Reply Refer To:
1703 (9300) P
United States Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
New Mexico State Office
301 Dinosaur Trail
P.O. Box 27115
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-0115
www.blm.gov/nm
February 19, 2015
EMS Transmission-02/20/2015
Information Bulletin No. NM-2015-004
To: All District and Field Office Managers
From: State Director
Subject: Identification of Bureau of Land Management Environmental Professionals, Application Requirements, and Solicitation of Applicants DD: 3/27/15
This Information Bulletin (IB) forwards a description of the Environmental Professional (EP) process, Attachment 1, and an EP application, Attachment 2, for individuals to use in applying for EP status. Each Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico/Oklahoma/Texas/Kansas (NM-OK-TX-TKS) District Office should have at least one employee who is trained and certified as an EP and available to assist with this workload. Currently there is only one certified EP in BLM NM/OK/TX/KS. New EPs are needed, and the timing is appropriate for new EPs to train with our one remaining EP. It is requested that each Field Office indicate whether they have employees qualified to apply to be an EP by March 27, 2015. Email employee name(s) to Melanie Barnes (mgbarnes@blm.gov; NM930).
EPs serve an essential role for BLM land purchases, exchanges, sales, leases, grants, or any other type of land acquisition in which the BLM gains or releases real property interest, as per 602 Department Manual 2. Regulation 40 CFR Part 312 provides that only an EP may certify an Environmental Site Assessment (ESA). An EP is defined as “someone who possesses sufficient specific education, training, and experience necessary to exercise professional judgment to develop opinions and conclusions regarding conditions indicative of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substance on, at, or to a property, sufficient to meet the objectives and performance factors of the rule.”
Managers are encouraged to support EP applications, as well as the training that may lead to qualified EP applicants and ensure that future EPs meet the continuing education requirements of 40 CFR Part 312. It is critical that BLM NM-OK-KS-TX train EPs to continue the workload of ESAs associated with land tenure actions.
A secondary purpose of this IB is to determine if we have enough EP applicants to hold an EP training in New Mexico. The American Society of Testing and Measurements (ASTM) sets standards and provides training on the relevant ESA requirements. The BLM offers a process for EP candidates to be certified by the federal government as documented in 40 CFR
Part 312.10 (b)(2)(ii). The BLM Washington Office coordinates with an EP Panel, the National Training Center, and the Hazardous Materials Management State Office Program Leads to review applicants to become EPs. Once approved by the EP Panel, the new EP may commence conducting, reviewing, and approving ESAs. The BLM also offers training, in conjunction with ASTM, through National Training Center (NTC) and DOI Learn. It may be another year before NTC offers EP training. If New Mexico (NM) gets enough applicants, we could arrange training in NM with ASTM.
This IB has been coordinated with the Division of Lands and Resources (NM93000) and the Division of Realty (NM932000).
Please direct any questions regarding this IB to Debby Lucero, Lands & Realty Program Lead, at (505) 954-2196 or Melanie Barnes, Acting Branch Chief, Division of Lands & Resources at (505) 954-2180.
Authenticated by: Veronica Maldonado
Signed by: Aden L. Seidlitz
2 Attachments
1 - Environmental Professional Process (2 pp)
2 - Environmental Professional Application (7 pp)