Registered Environmental Consultant Program

Due to the large number of contaminated sites, the Inactive Hazardous Sites Branch (Branch) is unable to respond to all requests for remedial action oversight. To help address this problem, the North Carolina General Assembly amended the Inactive Hazardous Response Act in 1994 and 1995 to establish a mechanism for privatizing the Branch's oversight role at lower priority voluntary remedial action sites. These amendments required the establishment of rules for implementing and overseeing voluntary remedial actions under the Registered Environmental Consultant (REC) Program.

The REC Program rules, 15A NCAC 13C .0300, became effective April 1, 1997. These rules include the minimum qualification requirements for RECs and their Registered Site Managers (RSMs), and the technical and administrative requirements for conducting voluntary remedial actions under the REC Program. The REC is the approved firm, and the RSMs are REC employees approved to make compliance certifications on behalf of the REC and their client. The REC's RSM is responsible for certifying that the actions taken comply with the REC program rules. An application for an environmental consulting firm to apply for REC status is available below.