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REP

The Recognized Environmental Professional (REP) Program became effective on January 1, 2018, and replaced the Listed Consultant Program. 

The purpose of the REP designation is to better align decision-making responsibility between OPS, environmental consultants and responsible parties by identifying environmental consultants who can
demonstrate decision-making experience for the assessment, risk characterization and remediation of releases to the environment.

Prospective REPs must submit a REP application for approval and subsequently pass a regulatory proficiency examination to become REPs.

Approved REPs can be reimbursed at the current OPS reasonable cost guideline (RCG) 5.2 task and labor code for the REP senior engineer/scientist rate. Companies without an approved REP can only seek reimbursement at the OPS RCG 5.5 task and labor code for the current staff engineer/scientist rate.

A list of current REPs can be found on the REP List page.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Tom Fox                                          Mary KV White

tom.fox@state.co.us                       marykv.white@state.co.us

720-346-1885                                  720-584-5101

Listed companies will remain as such by virtue of having at least one REP. Responsible parties of confirmed releases must retain a listed company in order to seek reimbursement at the Reasonable Cost Guideline Consultant Labor Rates. A REP within that company must be identified as the environmental professional of record associated with the confirmed release. This distinction is transferable.

A REP is an individual who by reason of education, training and experience is qualified to be the principal decision-maker on work related to environmental assessment, risk characterization and remediation on OPS projects.

The REP of record will be responsible for:

  • Signing off on submitted reports (i.e., characterization reports, corrective action reports and data evaluation monitoring reports) related to the assessment and progress of the release conditions.

  • Decision-making as it relates to assessment, cleanup, project progress toward regulatory endpoints, budget development and budget management.

  • Communication of regulatory deadlines to both the responsible party and OPS should an issue be identified by the REP.

The five primary attributes that an individual must adequately demonstrate to be considered as a REP are:

  • Appropriate educational background

  • Professional ethics

  • Decision-making experience

  • Total professional experience

  • Regulatory understanding

These attributes are evaluated through an application and examination.

Education

A B.S. or higher in the fields of engineering, industrial hygiene or biological, chemical, environmental or physical science is required. An alternate track of fifteen years of total professional experience and eight years of decision-making experience may also be considered in lieu of the standard track educational background.

Professional Ethics

Professional judgment is expected to conform to technical standards.

Decision-making Experience

Applicants must clearly demonstrate that they were principal decision-makers on specific technical projects involving site assessment, risk characterization and remediation. Applicants will need to demonstrate five years of decision-making experience for the standard track. Decision-making experience is defined as experience that is demonstrative of a concurrent combination of environmental decision-making experience and practical experience, both performed with proficiency.

Total Professional Experience

Applicants will need to demonstrate eight years of total professional experience for the standard track. Total professional experience is defined as experience applying scientific or engineering principles in the environmental, scientific or engineering fields where the resultant conclusions form the basis for reports, studies and other similar documents.

Regulatory Understanding

Applicants will be tested on their understanding of OPS statutes, regulations, guidance and forms.