CERTIFICATION
Environmental Compliance

Internal Controls:

The auditor must understand the existing systems and procedures at the audited facility to ensure compliance with regulatory criteria. The exam covers topics such as identification of applicable compliance areas, responsibility/accountability for compliance tasks and functions, training and qualifications of facility staff, availability of compliance procedures, and quality assurance mechanisms for compliance.

Legislative Regulatory Applicability:

The auditor must demonstrate knowledge of what environmental laws and regulations apply to a particular process or operation at audited facilities, including thorough understanding of the regulatory thrust of nine major environmental laws, EPA/state jurisdiction and enforcement of laws, regulatory process (interim, draft, final), and the ability to determine applicability of environmental laws to audited facility operations and processes.

Process Operations, Environmental Impacts, and Pollution Control Technologies:

The auditor must possess the ability to evaluate what environmental impacts and compliance issues result from typical process operations and demonstrate and understanding of the generic pollution control technologies used to control impacts. This area includes such items as typical waste steams and pollutants generated by process operations, thresholds that trigger compliance requirements, general concepts of operation of pollution control technologies, and typical compliance related requirements.

Media Specific Regulatory Knowledge:

The auditor must understand the regulatory requirements that are typically evaluated during an audit including wastewater/stormwater, air emissions, hazardous waste/solid waste, SARA Title III, UST's, drinking water, spill control/response (SPCC), and TSCA.

Applying Professional Auditing Practices:

An auditor must demonstrate fundamental knowledge of professional auditing practices such as those prescribed by BEAC®'s Standards for the Professional Practice of Environmental, Health and Safety Auditing.

Click here to view the Environmental Compliance Study Guide for the EC certification examination.