BURNABY, British Columbia – Jan. 24, 2019 – PRLog — The Environmental Operators Certification Program (EOCP) is recognized by the Associated Boards of Certification (ABC) at its conference in Savannah, Georgia.
This award is presented to a member certifying authority that has contributed through innovative and successful approaches, and leadership to advance the certification of environmental professionals. To be recognized, the contributions need to be of lasting value in enhancing and verifying the knowledge and performance of environmental professionals resulting in a more highly qualified workforce.
In 1972, water and wastewater industry leaders founded the Associated Boards of Certification (ABC) to oversee a consistent system for operator certification throughout North America. Today, ABC includes almost 100 certifying authorities, representing more than 40 American states, 10 Canadian provinces and territories, as well as several international and First Nations programs. These programs have certified more than 240,000 water and wastewater operators.
The EOCP was the first to establish a volunteer classification and certification program in Canada in 1966. It was not until 27 years later that Ministry of Environment regulations made wastewater related classification and certification mandatory. It was a further 10 years before water related classification and certification were addressed in regulation – the impetus provided by the Walkerton tragedy. Through its 53-year history, the EOCP has been working diligently protecting public health and the environment through its work in the water and wastewater industry to the best of its ability – even when there was no legislation supporting its work.
“Having the privilege of being involved with EOCP during some transition years, the organization has accepted certification challenges head-on and has been one of the leaders in the country for certification. The EOCP has developed new techniques to better serve Operators as well as supporting the ABC model standards and Canada’s certification standards. The EOCP continues to change with the ever-changing world of certification and will continue to do so with its excellent staff and volunteers.”
The EOCP (www.eocp.ca) continues to grow, work with its stakeholders, and evolve, ensuring that the needs of Operators and employers are met. The EOCP’s certified Environmental Operators provide safe drinking water and wastewater management to more than 4.2 million people across British Columbia and Yukon.
You can view the full Press Release by clicking here.