Certification Maintenance
CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE for CEPs and CEP-ITsAnnual certification maintenance is required to remain a CEP or CEP-IT in good standing and has two parts - membership dues and maintenance hours.
Under the Certification Maintenance Program, the CEP (including the CEP by Eminence) or the CEP-IT status of an environmental professional will lapse unless he or she remains active in the field. The program is set up so that CEPs earn hours and continuing education units (CEUs) for professional activities such as those listed below:
- Employment, consulting, or teaching;
- Continuing education activities (seminars or trainings);
- Participation in or attendance at industry conferences;
- Service on environmentally-related boards and committees; or
- Publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals.
CEPs/CEP-ITs can lose their CEP/CEP-IT status and be de-certified based on any of the following:
Unethical behavior,
Non-payment of fees,
Non-reporting of activities,
Insufficient professional development activities.
ANNUAL REQUIREMENTS for CEPs and CEP-ITsAnnual Membership Requirements
| Credential | Dues* | Maintenance Hours^ | Remarks |
|---|
| CEP | $200 | 40 | Annually update contact information |
| CEP by Eminence | $200 | 40 | Annually update contact information |
| CEP In-Training | $60 | 20 | Annual Plan updated with Mentor |
| CEP Emeritus | $50 | 0 | Volunteer with ABCEP encouraged |
*Annual maintenance dues for the year ahead to be paid by January 1 of each year. Invoices will be sent. Paying by check? If your firm is processing your payment please send to: Academy of Board Certified Environmental Professionals, PO Box 460 Collingswood, NJ 08108.
^Annual maintenance hours from the year past to be submitted by January 1 and are subject to audit. Details below.
2023
CEPs: Track your 2023 annual maintenance hours here.
CEP-ITs: Track your 2023 annual maintenance hours and annual career plan here.
Environmental professionals certified by the Academy must undertake 40 hours of continuing professional development credit each year to maintain their certification. The credited hours are tabulated beginning on January 1 after the date that a CEP's initial certification has been approved, and ending on the following December 31. For most professionals, 20 hours are earned for full-time employment. The remaining 20 hours may be earned at any time during the year for activities listed in the table provided on the maintenance form. Persons who work part-time or who have a break in their employment should calculate their hours earned using the formula listed in the table. If the material contained in the form is unclear or does not appear to substantiate the minimum number of hours needed to maintain certification, the Academy will contact the person submitting the form to ensure that the submitted form accurately reflects activities undertaken over the past year. Hours of continuing professional development are awarded based on the material included in these submissions. CEPs must keep records that substantiate the claims made in this form and must provide them for review if asked by ABCEP auditors. ABCEP will conduct annual random audits and may ask for additional information from the CEP.
CEP GUIDELINES:
Education
An accredited seminar or course is one that is recognized as conforming with or maintaining a standard related to an environmental profession. These are seminars or courses offered by schools/universities, government and regulatory agencies, professional associations, etc. (e.g., Environmental Protection Agency, American Society of Civil Engineers, National Association of Environmental Professionals). Credit will only be given if the course, date, hours spent, and accreditation body are identified.
Professional Organization
A professional organization exists to advance an environmental profession and supports the interest of people working in that profession. It typically requires dues, has an elected leadership body, and includes a range of subcommittees or functional areas. There are generally four types of professional organizations: member-benefit, designation-granting, certifying bodies, and professional regulatory bodies. Attendance at local advocacy group meetings (e.g., Friends of Lake Jesup) does not count towards these hours.
Mentoring
Mentoring is a specific relationship between you as the Mentor and the individual you are guiding. It is not a daily job function that applies to everybody you oversee. In order to claim hours for this category you must provide details on who you mentored and in what capacity.
ABCEP CEP Maintenance Hours List | Employment - Full Time | - | 20 |
| Employment - Part Time | 1% of hours worked | 20 |
| Support ABCEP - Trustee | Hours Worked | 16 |
| Support ABCEP - Certification Review Board | Hours Worked | 16 |
| Support ABCEP - Mentor | Hours Worked | 16 |
| Support ABCEP - Other | Hours Worked | 16 |
| Education - Attend Accredited Seminar/Course | 100% Hours Attended | 18 |
| Education - Attend Conference | 50% Hours Attended | 12 |
| Serve Pro Organizations - Serve an Organization | Hours Worked | 16 |
| Serve Pro Organizations - Publish in a Journal | Hours Worked | 12 |
| Serve Pro Organizations - Teach Course/Seminar | Hours Worked | 6 |
| Serve Pro Organizations - Present Paper at Conference | Hours Worked | 6 |
| Serve Pro Organizations - Mentor | 50% of Hours Worked | 4 |
| Certified This Year | - | 0 |
CEP-IT GUIDELINES:
You are encouraged to review your maintenance hours and to develop your Annual Career Plan with your Mentor. If you don't have a Mentor assigned to you, please contact ABCEP at office@abcep.org.
The Annual Career Plan asks you to reply to the following questions:1. What are your greatest accomplishments over the past year? Where they all met? If not, why?
2. What were your greatest professional challenges over the past year? How did you overcome those challenges?
3. What are your short term project goals for the next year?
4. What are your short term professional growth goals for next year? How are you preparing yourself to meet those goals?
5. What are your project goals for next year?
6. What are your longer term professional growth goals in the foreseeable future? How are you preparing yourself to meet those goals?
7. What is your timeframe for applying for the CEP?
8. How are you preparing yourself for achieving the CEP certification?
RETIRING?...CEP Emeritus Program:If you are a CEP and are retiring or have retired from the environmental profession you may apply for Emeritus Status.
Submit the Emeritus Status Form.
Once approved; you may use the honorific of CEP Emeritus indicating retired status.
Should an CEP Emeritus want to reacquire the CEP certification; you must petition the Board for approval.
