Certification Contents and Responsibilities

(1) Certified Well Driller Identification. (a) Certificate. To provide documentation of valid well driller certification, following the applicant's payment of the applicable fee, the Department will issue a Certificate to qualified applicants containing the name, address, and certification number of the certified well driller, type of well drilling for which the certification is valid, annual period of validation, and the signature of the Commissioner, or the Commissioner's designee. The Certificate is nontransferable, and the certification number shall not be re-assigned if a certification is not renewed. (b) Advertisement. Any advertising of availability for hire to drill wells in Massachusetts shall include the name and certification number of the certified well driller engaged in the business being advertised. (c) Rig Permit and Rig Markings for Field Identification. For each well drilling rig used to engage in the well drilling business in Massachusetts, a certified well driller shall apply to the Department for a rig permit. Following the applicant's payment of the applicable fee, the Department will issue a rig decal designating the annual period for which the permit is valid. The decal shall be affixed to the well drilling rig for which it is issued; in no case shall a well drilling rig be operated without the decal affixed. For field identification, the certified well driller shall display in a conspicuous location on both sides of each well drilling rig the words "Massachusetts Certified Well Driller" or "Massachusetts Certified Monitoring Well Driller" (as specified on the Certificate), as well as the certification number. Letters in these words shall be at least two inches high. If a certification is not renewed or is suspended or revoked, or if a well drilling rig is no longer used by the certified driller, all rig markings referring to Massachusetts certification shall be removed. (2) Immediate Field Supervision. A certified well driller engaged in, or assigned to the business of drilling a well, shall provide immediate field supervision as defined in 310 CMR 46.01(2), and as specified by the municipal board of health. (3) Well Completion Report. The certified well driller who provided immediate field supervision on drilling of a well shall submit a report to the Department, with a copy to the municipal board of health, within 30 days of well completion. The report shall be on a form furnished by the Department, and shall contain information on, at minimum, well location; well owner name and address; municipal board of health permit; well use; well completion date; casing type, size, length, and depth into bedrock; protective well seal; well depth; depth to bedrock and water bearing zones; well screen and setting; static water level; well yield from productive wells, including drawdown, recovery, and testing method used; drilling log describing materials penetrated; hydrofracturing; well abandonment; and well driller business. The certified well driller who provided immediate field supervision shall sign the report, thereby attesting to information accuracy and completeness. For installation of groups of monitoring wells, the certified well driller shall submit one well completion report containing data on a typical well and noting the number of wells installed in the group, unless individual well completion reports are required by the municipality. Annual Renewal. A certified well driller shall submit annually to the Department an application for certification and rig permit renewal at least 30 days prior to the expiration of the certification, accompanied by the applicable certification fee. The application shall contain, at minimum, the applicant's current address, name of the business for which the applicant is engaged in drilling wells, number of wells drilled under the applicant's supervision during the current certification period, and the applicant's signature. If a certification renewal application is received subsequent to expiration of the annual certification period, the certification fee shall then be twice the established certification fee. Subsequent to renewal, a certified well driller shall notify the Department of any changes in address or business entity.