Authority: IC 13-14-8; IC 13-18-11-13

Affected: IC 4-21.5; IC 13-18-11-8

Sec. 19. (a) The commissioner may suspend or revoke the wastewater treatment certificate of a certified operator or apprentice in accordance with IC 13-18-11-8.

(b) During the period of certification suspension or revocation, a wastewater treatment plant operator whose operator certificate has been suspended or revoked may not do the following:

1. (1) Be designated as the operator in responsible charge or as an operator in responsible charge for a work shift.
2. (2) Supervise maintenance activities.
3. (3) Supervise laboratory testing.

4. (4) Collect, prepare, or sign self-monitoring documentation, including, but not limited to, the following:

   1. (A) Laboratory bench sheets.
   2. (B) State monthly monitoring reports.
   3. (C) State monthly reports of operation.
   4. (D) Federal discharge monitoring reports.
   5. (E) Noncompliance notifications.
   6. (F) Bypass/overflow reporting forms.
   7. (G) Other wastewater treatment plant self-monitoring documentation.
5. (5) Perform laboratory analysis on samples to be used for compliance purposes.
6. (6) Be a training provider or course instructor of a continuing education course.

(c) A wastewater treatment plant operator or apprentice whose certificate has been suspended may apply for reinstatement in accordance with the following:

1. (1) The period of suspension must have expired.

2. (2) A written request for reinstatement is submitted to the commissioner with proof of the following:

   1. (A) All requirements of the suspension have been met.
   2. (B) The number of contact hours that would have been required for the operator classification during the period of the suspension of the operator's certificate have been met.

(d) A wastewater treatment plant operator whose certificate has been revoked may apply to the commissioner for recertification after a five (5) year period has elapsed following the effective date of the revocation.

(e) If the commissioner determines that cause exists to allow recertification, the wastewater treatment plant operator must:

1. (1) qualify in accordance with this rule, including:

   1. (A) having earned the number of contact hours that would have been required for the operator classification during the period of the revocation of the certification; and
   2. (B) not using work experience that was the cause of the certification being revoked to be counted as creditable experience; and
2. (2) take the certification examination for the classification requested for recertification and obtain a passing score on the examination.

(f) An apprentice whose certificate has been revoked may apply to the commissioner for a new apprentice certificate after a five (5) year period has elapsed following the effective date of the revocation.

(g) If the commissioner determines that cause exists to allow the issuance of a new apprentice certificate, the person must reapply in accordance with section 11 of this rule.

(Water Pollution Control Division; 327 IAC 5-23-19; filed Nov 6, 2023, 10:44 a.m.: 20231206-IR-327180365FRA; readopted filed Oct 18, 2024, 1:57 p.m.: 20241113-IR-327230810RFA)