11 August 2009 – CISEC, Inc. has partnered with the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) to offer its certification and training program nationwide.
“MTTI will facilitate national outreach for the CISEC program through our relationships with various national- and state-level organizations, like Local Technical Assistance Program centers and other professional organizations,” said Ann Kitalong-Will, MTTI Training Coordinator. “These organizations will be able to take advantage of the high-caliber ‘out-of-the-box’ training program that CISEC can provide and the centralized coordination of these nationally-available training events through working with MTTI.”
The CISEC – MTTI partnership grows out of a long-term relationship that MTTI has had with one of the Michigan-based CISEC instructors.
“Michigan’s LTAP Center, which is a program within the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute, has worked with one of the CISEC instructors for many years to offer sediment and erosion control training to employees of public transportation agencies, consultants and contractors in Michigan,” explained Kitalong-Will. “We have a great deal of respect for him, and know that he’s an excellent instructor who always provides highquality training in his workshops. So when he approached MTTI about partnering with the CISEC program, we were confident CISEC training would be a good fit.”
The partnership between CISEC, Inc. and MTTI means that more individuals will have access to this professional training and certification program. In the past, CISEC training and certification had been taught primarily through professional conferences. Partnering with MTTI expands CISEC’s ability to reach those in the transportation industry — in particular, roadway construction and engineering professionals.
“Sediment and erosion control inspection is an aspect of roadway construction that can sometimes be under-emphasized,” said Dr. Jerald Fifield, President of CISEC, Inc. “It’s important that inspectors on road construction jobs be familiar with the requirements so that the agencies and the engineering and construction professionals working those jobs minimize their liability going in.”
“By offering CISEC training through MTTI’s relationships in the transportation industry, we can expand training opportunities nationwide. Completion of the CISEC training can help to reduce that liability,” Kitalong-Will said.
“CISEC is a high-quality program that meets and exceeds sediment and erosion control inspection requirements that are regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program,” added Fifield.
“These are exciting times to be involved with the CISEC program,” said Fifield. “We look forward to reaching an even greater audience by providing the CISEC inspector training program in every state. Plus, it will be easier for qualified individuals to sit for the nationwide examination and prove their expertise and skill as inspectors of sediment and erosion control and storm water management practices.”
“This means greater availability of our nationwide CISEC program to educate and certify inspectors so that they can meet regulatory certification requirements like those in the States of California and Utah, or municipalities like Austin, Texas,” he added.
Fifield also pointed out that by working with MTTI, CISEC, Inc. is one step closer to meeting its goal of providing a nationwide professional inspector certification program. Nationally available training will ensure that CISEC-certified individuals are recognized across the country as qualified to inspect and assess construction site sediment and erosion control Best Management Practices (BMPs) in a competent manner that meets and exceeds the EPA and NPDES requirements. Additionally, CISEC certification will carry from state-to-state; when an individual is certified as a CISEC inspector in one state, that certification will meet EPA requirements in all states — particularly those requirements in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
IECA and CISEC, Inc. have a Certification Partnership Agreement in place that establishes a professional relationship between the two organizations. As part of the relationship each organization strives to support the other through advancing each other’s mission and events, enforcing ethics, and sharing ideas and material. CISEC, Inc. can establish training agreements with IECA Chapters and members as well.
Additional information on the CISEC program can be found at www.cisecinc.org or by calling +1 720 235 2783.
