(1) Training and Certification Required. All persons engaged in determining the opacity of visible emissions in Florida shall attend training and be certified by a training provider in accordance with the procedures and requirements set forth below.
    (a) Certification shall consist of satisfactory attendance and completion of a classroom lecture and a field qualification. For certification purposes, the classroom lecture and field qualification are separate and independent requirements.
    (b) Attendance at the classroom lecture is required no less frequently than every three years. Successful completion of the field qualification is required no less frequently than every six months.
    (c) Proof of certification shall be made by including copies of the signed and dated certificates or cards issued by the training providers with documentation of visible emissions observations submitted to the department, or otherwise upon request of the department.
    (2) Requirements for Training Providers. All persons providing training leading to the certification of persons engaged in determining the opacity of visible emissions in Florida shall meet the requirements of subsections 62-297.320(2)-(8), F.A.C.
    (a) For certification purposes, the classroom lecture and field certification are separate and independent requirements. For each course scheduled, each training provider shall offer a classroom lecture and one or more days of field qualification.
    (b) Copies of quality assurance documentation, attendance records and field data sheets shall be maintained for a period of no less than three years after the conclusion of each course and shall be made available to the department upon request.
    (c) Each training provider shall arrange for suitable locations for the classroom lecture and field qualification sessions that facilitate learning and reduce the impact of the smoke on passersby.
    (d) To assure that cigar, pipe or cigarette smoke does not interfere with the observations of the trainees, each training provider shall enforce a policy of no smoking within the field qualification area.
    (3) Classroom Lecture.
    (a) The classroom lecture shall include the following topics and exercises:
    1. Sources and causes of visible emissions.
    2. Common types of emission control equipment and their effects on visible emissions observations.
    3. History of opacity measurement.
    4. Principles and theory of opacity.
    5. Plume types and characteristics.
    6. Legal aspects of visible emissions observations and legal defensibility of Method 9.
    7. Basic meteorological conditions that influence plume behavior.
    8. Proper procedures for conducting field observations under a variety of conditions.
    9. A demonstration of commonly used measurement devices including a compass, a wind speed measurement device, and an inclinometer.
    10. A written exercise demonstrating the proper procedure for documentation of observations.
    (b) Training providers shall issue a signed and dated certificate or card to all persons attending the classroom lecture.
    (4) Field Qualification.
    (a) The field qualification shall be conducted in accordance with the requirements set forth in 40 C.F.R. part 60, Subpart A, EPA Method 9, adopted and incorporated by reference at Fl. Admin. Code R. 62-204.800; EPA Quality Assurance Handbook for Air Pollution Measurement Systems: Volume III, Section 3.12, hereby adopted and incorporated by reference; and EPA Guidelines for Evaluation of Visible Emissions (EPA 340/1-75-007, April 1975), hereby adopted and incorporated by reference.
    (b) Each training provider shall meet requirements for quality assurance at least as stringent as those outlined in EPA Method 9.
    (c) Each training provider shall monitor the attendees so that conferring or copying results during field qualification does not occur.
    (d) Each training provider shall not provide hints of any kind or demonstrate the smoke standards during the field qualification sessions, except during familiarization runs prior to each test.
    (e) Training providers shall issue a signed and dated certificate or card to all persons who successfully complete the field qualification.
    (5) Notification to Department of Training Course Offerings. Each training provider shall notify the department of all visible emissions training courses such provider offers in Florida at least 30 days prior to the start of each course.
    (6) Notification to Department of Persons Receiving Certification. Each training provider shall provide a list of the names of attendees receiving certification at its courses to the department no later than 30 days after the conclusion of each course.
    (7) Audit by the Department. For auditing purposes, each training provider shall allow one or more persons from the department or a local air pollution control agency to observe each visible emissions training course offered in Florida without advance notice to the training provider. The training provider shall not issue a certificate or card to the observers, and shall not charge a fee for their attendance.
    (8) Invalidation of Certificates. After investigation by the department, should any training provider’s course be found by the department to not meet the requirements of this section, the certificates or cards offered by such provider for such course shall not be considered valid for visible emissions observations in Florida.
Rulemaking Authority 403.061 FS. Law Implemented 403.031, 403.061 FS. History-New 2-12-04.