§137.30. Objectives and performance factors. — Inbound Citations

(a) An environmental professional is an individual who possesses sufficient specific education, training, and experience necessary to exercise professional judgment to develop opinions and conclusions regarding conditions indicative of the presence or likely presence of oil at a facility and the real property on which the facility is located sufficient to meet the objectives and performance factors in § 137.30(a) and (b).

(i) Hold a current Professional Engineer's or Professional Geologist's license or registration from a State, tribe, or U.S. territory (or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and have the equivalent of 3 years of full-time relevant experience;

(ii) Be licensed or certified by the Federal government, a State, tribe, or U.S. territory (or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) to perform environmental inquiries under § 137.35 and have the equivalent of 3 years of full-time relevant experience;

(iii) Have a Baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a discipline of engineering or science and the equivalent of 5 years of full-time relevant experience; or

(2) An environmental professional should remain current in his or her field through participation in continuing education or other activities.

(3) The requirements for an environmental professional in this section do not preempt State professional licensing or registration requirements, such as those for a professional geologist, engineer, or site-remediation professional. Before commencing work, a person should determine the applicability of State professional licensing or registration laws to the activities to be undertaken as part of an inquiry under § 137.35(b).

(4) A person who does not qualify as an environmental professional under this section may assist in the conduct of all appropriate inquiries according to this part if the person is under the supervision or responsible charge of an environmental professional meeting the requirements of this section when conducting the inquiries.

(1) The reports meet the objectives and performance factors in § 137.30(a) and (b); and

(a) Interviews with owners, operators, and occupants of the facility and the real property on which the facility is located must be conducted for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b).

(a) Historical documents and records must be reviewed for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b). Historical documents and records may include, but are not limited to, aerial photographs, fire insurance maps, building department records, chain of title documents, and land use records.

(a) Federal, State, tribal, and local government records or databases of government records of the facility, the real property on which the facility is located, and adjoining properties must be reviewed for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b).

(a) For the purpose of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b), the inquiry of the environmental professional must include the following:

(1) A visual on-site inspection of the facility and the real property on which the facility is located, and the improvements at the facility and real property, including a visual inspection of the areas where oil may be or may have been used, stored, treated, handled, or disposed. Physical limitations to the visual inspection must be noted.

(2) A visual inspection of adjoining properties, from the subject real property line, public rights-of-way, or other vantage point (e.g., aerial photography), including a visual inspection of areas where oil may be or may have been stored, treated, handled or disposed. A visual on-site inspection is recommended, though not required. Physical limitations to the inspection of adjacent properties must be noted.

(c) To the extent necessary to achieve the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b), the person specified in § 137.1(a) and the environmental professional must gather information from varied sources whose input either individually or taken together may provide commonly known or reasonably ascertainable information about the facility and the real property on which the facility is located; the environmental professional may refer to one or more of the following sources of information:

(1) Current owners or occupants of neighboring properties or properties adjacent to the facility and the real property on which the facility is located.

(2) Local and state government officials who may have knowledge of, or information related to, the facility and the real property on which the facility is located.

(4) Other sources of information, such as newspapers, Web sites, community organizations, local libraries, and historical societies.

(a) An environmental professional is an individual who possesses sufficient specific education, training, and experience necessary to exercise professional judgment to develop opinions and conclusions regarding conditions indicative of the presence or likely presence of oil at a facility and the real property on which the facility is located sufficient to meet the objectives and performance factors in § 137.30(a) and (b).

(i) Hold a current Professional Engineer's or Professional Geologist's license or registration from a State, tribe, or U.S. territory (or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) and have the equivalent of 3 years of full-time relevant experience;

(ii) Be licensed or certified by the Federal government, a State, tribe, or U.S. territory (or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) to perform environmental inquiries under § 137.35 and have the equivalent of 3 years of full-time relevant experience;

(iii) Have a Baccalaureate or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a discipline of engineering or science and the equivalent of 5 years of full-time relevant experience; or

(2) An environmental professional should remain current in his or her field through participation in continuing education or other activities.

(3) The requirements for an environmental professional in this section do not preempt State professional licensing or registration requirements, such as those for a professional geologist, engineer, or site-remediation professional. Before commencing work, a person should determine the applicability of State professional licensing or registration laws to the activities to be undertaken as part of an inquiry under § 137.35(b).

(4) A person who does not qualify as an environmental professional under this section may assist in the conduct of all appropriate inquiries according to this part if the person is under the supervision or responsible charge of an environmental professional meeting the requirements of this section when conducting the inquiries.

(1) The reports meet the objectives and performance factors in § 137.30(a) and (b); and

(a) Interviews with owners, operators, and occupants of the facility and the real property on which the facility is located must be conducted for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b).

(a) Historical documents and records must be reviewed for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b). Historical documents and records may include, but are not limited to, aerial photographs, fire insurance maps, building department records, chain of title documents, and land use records.

(a) Federal, State, tribal, and local government records or databases of government records of the facility, the real property on which the facility is located, and adjoining properties must be reviewed for the purposes of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b).

(a) For the purpose of achieving the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b), the inquiry of the environmental professional must include the following:

(1) A visual on-site inspection of the facility and the real property on which the facility is located, and the improvements at the facility and real property, including a visual inspection of the areas where oil may be or may have been used, stored, treated, handled, or disposed. Physical limitations to the visual inspection must be noted.

(2) A visual inspection of adjoining properties, from the subject real property line, public rights-of-way, or other vantage point (e.g., aerial photography), including a visual inspection of areas where oil may be or may have been stored, treated, handled or disposed. A visual on-site inspection is recommended, though not required. Physical limitations to the inspection of adjacent properties must be noted.

(c) To the extent necessary to achieve the objectives and performance factors of § 137.30(a) and (b), the person specified in § 137.1(a) and the environmental professional must gather information from varied sources whose input either individually or taken together may provide commonly known or reasonably ascertainable information about the facility and the real property on which the facility is located; the environmental professional may refer to one or more of the following sources of information:

(1) Current owners or occupants of neighboring properties or properties adjacent to the facility and the real property on which the facility is located.

(2) Local and state government officials who may have knowledge of, or information related to, the facility and the real property on which the facility is located.

(4) Other sources of information, such as newspapers, Web sites, community organizations, local libraries, and historical societies.