Idaho Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals
Bureau of Occupational Licenses
1109 Main Street, Suite 220
Boise, Idaho  83702-5642

  Minutes of January 25, 2005

The Idaho Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, January 11, 2005 at the Bureau of Occupational Licenses. 

Roll Call:                                  Bill Thompson, Chair

                                                Barry Burnell for Toni Hardesty

                                                Robert Hansen

                                                Mike Schroeder

                                                Ross Spackman

Bureau Staff:                         Rayola Jacobsen, Bureau Chief

                                                Roger Hales, Administrative Attorney

                                                Patti Fanckboner, Office Specialist II

                                                Sandee Hitesman, Office Specialist II

Absent Board Members:      Victor Coles, excused

                                                Kevin Pfenning, excused

Other:                                     Nancy Bowser, Department of Environmental Quality

         Fred Ossler, American Water Works Association 

Minutes 

Motion by Mike Schroeder to accept the minutes of November 17, 2004. Seconded by Bob Hansen and carried. 

Rayola Jacobsen presented the Board with the Legislative report. This session, the Legislature is running very quickly and changes discussed. The Board of Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Temporary Rules have gone through the House Health and Welfare Subcommittee and were well received. 

Rayola Jacobsen reviewed the Financial Report in detail with the Board. A reduction in fees may be a future agenda item in June. 

Rayola Jacobsen presented the Board with the Investigative Report. There is one complaint to date and a report is forthcoming. 

Roger Hales addressed the Board regarding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Program criteria for continuing education, and compliance with the Bureau of Occupational Licenses (IBOL) criteria. The EPA’s Federal Register, Final Guidelines for the Certification and Recertification of the Operators of Community and Noncommunity Public Water Systems, were compared to IBOL’s continuing education criteria and reviewed in detail.  Through this comparison, it is determined that the Drinking Water and Wastewater Professionals Board (WWP) meets EPA’s requirements. The Board clearly meets all baseline criteria for EPA guidelines, and is supported by the Law.  EPA does not mandate how continuing education requirements are implemented. Fred Ossler of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) addressed the Board on behalf of the AWWA regarding the continuing education forms and concerns that the forms are cumbersome. AWWA would like to see the forms simplified with a shorter approval time. Currently IDPAP 24.05.01 Rule 500.03 states that all requests for approval of continuing education courses must be made to the Board in writing no less than sixty (60) days prior to the course being offered, on a form approved by the Board. Mr. Ossler states that volunteers prepare the continuing education request forms, and would like the process streamlined. The Board responded to the fact that simplification takes time to resolve, and work through from the transfer with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The Board continues to have the authority to approve continuing education applications, and the forms have been streamlined through the Bureau. The Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) Need-To-Know Criteria may be considered as policy, however will need to be posted on the website. Roger Hales and Sandee Hitesman will compile IACET information and send it to the Board members for review. 

Sandee Hitesman addressed the Board regarding IDAPA 24.05.01 Rule 500.03 which states that all requests for approval of continuing education courses must be made to the Board in writing no less than sixty (60) days prior to the course being offered on a form approved by the Board. The Bureau has received complaints regarding the sixty (60) day criteria. The Board determined with discussion that the sixty (60) day criterion is mandatory at this time, until a rule change can be implemented. Motion by Robert Hansen to appoint two (2), two (2) person committees to assist and review continuing education course approval. Committee shall have authority to tentatively approve continuing education courses for ratification by the Board. Any continuing education courses that the committee has concerns or denies must be submitted to the Board for the full Board’s review. Seconded by Mike Schroeder and carried. Motion by Robert Hansen for two (2), two (2) person committee members of the Board to assist and review continuing education applications. Wastewater committee members are Victor Coles and Robert Hansen. Drinking Water committee member are Bill Thompson and Mike Schroeder. Seconded by Ross Spackman and carried. 

Clarification on the length of approval of continuing education courses, timeline, and on-line courses were discussed. EPA guidelines require a notarized form and critique from the instructors. At this time the rules do not address on-line courses, interaction with instructor, or standards to judge. Roger Hales to address consideration and direction for continuing education at a future Board meeting with Ross Spackman to assist. Relevancy for distance education and on-line courses are a concern for verification. The Need to Know Criteria from the Association of Boards of Certification (ABC) may be helpful, and a rule change conference is scheduled for Idaho, Washington and Oregon on February 28, 2005. Motion by Mike Schoreder that Budd Hetrick attend the sponsored tri-state Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association (PNWCA) meeting Fegruary 28, 2005. Seconded by Robert Hansen, carried. 

Patti Fanckboner presented the Board with a report on the December 1, 2004 examination process. Rule changes are needed and will be a future agenda item regarding deferring of examinations, and a cut-off date for the rescheduling of examinations. 

The Board reviewed a letter from Stephen Ballou of the Association of Boards of Certification. Mr. Ballou wishes to address the at a future Board meeting. The Board secretary is directed to extend an invitation to Mr. Ballou for the June 8, 2005 board meeting. 

Nancy Bowser presented the Board with the Wastewater Land Application (WLAP) Exam Development Committee Status Report. Outcome from the WLAP) Exam Development Committee was the Need-to-Know criteria has been completed and sent to ABC. The Committee divided into two groups, one for the exam development and the other for developing the curriculum for the WLAP certification review training class. It was determined that two types of training are needed for the WLAP operators, certification review and comprehensive training. A suggestion was that DEQ could contract for the development of a comprehensive in-depth training class. The Committee’s timeline for completion of both test and curriculum for certification review class in the November 2005 examination date. The training curriculum will require more time to develop. Motion by Robert Hansen to request and encourage DEQ efforts to extend to April 2006 the one year deadline date for the WLAP operator licensure examination. Seconded by Mike Schroeder and carried. IBOL and DEQ are to coordinate links to the websites for the WLAP operator applications. The Board retains the right to approve the WLAP exams written by DEQ prior to offering. 

Bill Thompson presented the Board’s with the Back Flow Assembly Tester (BAT) examination process, and that a new examination is needed. Motion by Robert Hansen for the Bureau to compose a letter to be mailed to all BAT licensees and request sample questions for a future examination. The Board will then develop a new written examination form input received from BAT licensees. Seconded by Mike Schroeder and carried. 

Discussion was then directed to BAT Instructors, and the need to license instructors. This will take a Law or Rule change and the Board directed Roger Hales to research this item as backflow prevention is state specific. 

The Board then held discussion on operator concerns regarding water quality standards and law, pro-rating of renewals, fees, experience, and the birth day renewal date. Most concerns are addressed as a requirement of EPA guidelines and criteria, and the transition to the Bureau. 

The Board then went into executive session to consider records that are exempt from disclosure as provided in chapter 3, title 9, Idaho Code. 

Ninety-two (92) applications were reviewed for examination. Seven (7) applications were denied for examination and 85 were approved for examination. 

Continuing education requests were reviewed by the Board, and approved courses have been posted on the website.

Meeting adjourned.

Last Modified - December 06, 2006