New certification application requirements

An applicant may become certified in any category of certification by doing the following: (1) Application. The applicant must submit to DEQ a completed and signed DEQ Form 641- 002, "Certified Installer Application". If the applicant is not currently certified in at least one category of certification, then the applicant must also pay the annual certification fee and submit documentation that the applicant has done the following: (A) Installation experience. The installer must have installed at least five (5) on-site sewage treatment systems in Oklahoma that meet or exceed the rules in this Chapter as determined by an inspection performed by DEQ. These systems must have been installed within the two-year time period preceding the date of certification and may not include any 22 joint inspections required in (5) of this subsection; (B) Approval percentage rate. The installer must have had at least ninety percent (90%) of the systems he/she installed within the last year approved upon the initial inspection, with any disapproved systems only requiring minor changes; and (C) Financial assurance. The installer must document financial assurance by submitting to DEQ one of the following: (i) Surety bond. The applicant may document financial assurance by submitting to DEQ a surety bond guaranteeing payment or performance in the amount of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) with the following stipulations: (I) The applicant must be named as the principal of the bond and DEQ must be named as obligee of the bond; (II) The bond must be effective before the certification can be granted by DEQ and must remain in effect as long as the installer is certified. Upon notification to DEQ that a bond is no longer in effect, DEQ may immediately begin the process to suspend the installer's certification(s); and (III) Payments made under the terms of the bond shall be made by the surety directly to DEQ. DEQ shall establish an account with these funds from which DEQ may pay for the repair or replacement of a faulty or improperly installed system along with DEQ's costs associated with its response and oversight. (ii) Affidavit for tribal and governmental installers. The applicant may document financial assurance by submitting to DEQ an affidavit that: (I) the installer is working solely for a federally recognized tribe or a governmental entity; and (II) the entity will pay for the repair or replacement of faulty or improperly installed systems. (2) Training. The applicant must complete the required DEQ training for the category of certification sought; (3) Examination. The applicant must pass the examination for the category of certification sought with a score of at least seventy percent (70%). A passing score is valid for one hundred eighty (180) days from the date of the exam. Any applicant found cheating on an examination will not be certified, will be subject to having any current certifications revoked, and shall be prohibited from applying for any certifications for a period of twelve (12) months; (4) Examination fee. The applicant must pay to the DEQ the appropriate examination fee; and (5) Joint inspections. The applicant must complete at least two (2) joint field inspections with the DEQ. The systems inspected must: (A) have been installed by the installer seeking certification; and (B) be in the category of certification sought.