The N.H. Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has established the following policy requiring professional engineering stamps on engineering documents.

RSA 310-A:18 requires (in part) "All papers or documents involving the practice of engineering under this chapter, when issued or filed for public record, shall be dated and bear the signature and seal of the licensed engineer who prepared or had responsibility for and approved them." Given that all papers or documents, including plans, are public documents when they are filed with this agency, the Department is requiring any plans and associated papers that involve the "practice of engineering" to be stamped by a Professional Engineer (P.E.).

The statute (RSA 310-A:2, III) defines "engineering" as "any professional service or creative work requiring education, training, experience, and the application of advanced knowledge of mathematics and physical sciences, involving the constant exercise of discretion and judgment...in connection with any...projects, wherein the public welfare, or the safeguarding of life, health or property is concerned."

In order to comply with this law, and in an attempt to reduce the amount of time spent reviewing documents that are inadequate because a professional engineer was not involved, DES has adopted this policy. However, there are certain plans where this requirement is clearly superseded by other specific statutory requirements (e.g., licensed designers for septic system plans) and there are probably instances where the complexity of the work involved does not warrant the use of a P.E. (such as a simple driveway culvert).

The following list enumerates the types of documents that must be stamped by a licensed professional engineer before they will be reviewed by the Department of Environmental Services. These documents have been included either because the statutes or rules specifically require a P.E. or because of the complexity of the project or information presented. DES reserves the right to require P.E. stamps on documents not listed if their complexity requires it.

WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION

• Contract plans, specifications, and construction documents, for the closure, storage, treatment, and disposal of solid and hazardous waste

• Engineering documents for waste management facilities. Reports, facilities plans, O&M manuals, and any other engineering efforts related to waste management

• Solid waste district plans (only those portions that deal with defining the need for engineering efforts and/or deal with waste management facilities and needs) Remedial investigations and feasibility studies

• Remedial design and contract documents (Superfund)

• Remedial construction engineering documents Remedial action/contract services (publicly owned)

• Certification of Closure for RCRA Subtitle "C" Hazardous Waste Facilities, He-P 1905.08 (d) (3) (I) of the hazardous waste rules

• UST installation design

• Remedial action design

WATER DIVISION
Subsurface Systems Bureau

• Septic system applications > 2500 GPD

• Septic system applications < 5' - 0" to ledge

• Plans for pretreatment equipment:

• Prepared in-house by industry Package system - single function (pH adjustment) Package system - multiple function (pH, metals) Integration of "off-the-shelf" units Custom pretreatment system by consultant Pretreatment programs & local limits prepared by consultant Pretreatment programs & local limits prepared by municipality

• Plans, reports, and specifications for industrial and municipal wastewater treatment facilities/appurtenances and modifications thereto

• Best management practices plans or solvent management plans

• Plans submitted in support of a tax exempt determination request

• Plans and reports submitted as part of requirements of letters of deficiency, administrative orders, or consent decrees

• Requests for 401 Certification (CWA Section 401): FERC projects (hydro development)

• Wasteload Allocations reports for wastewater treatment requirements

• Plans and specifications for construction of nonpoint source controls [CWA Section 319 (h) and 205 (j) (5)]

• Plans and specifications for development of septage or sludge facilities
  Land applications sites
  Lagoon sites (GW permit required)
  Processing sites (composting, etc.)

• Appendix I-Change Order Checklist for EPA prepared by bureau staff engineer

• Plans & specifications for handling, treating, or disposing of sewage, industrial and other wastes (RSA 485-A:A,VI)

• Engineering documents for publicly owned pollution control facilities. Reports, plans, specifications, and O&M manuals (RSA 485-A:4, X). Engineers must also be prequalified.)

• Alteration of terrain plans and documents (RSA 485-A:17)

• Design of Class C Dam Wr 307.01 (g)

• Design of Class B Dam Wr 307.01 (g)

• Breach Analysis for Class C Dam Wr 506.10 (a)

• Breach Analysis for Class C Dam Wr 506.10 (A)

• Regional water supply studies

• Municipal water supply work. Engineers must also be prequalified.

• New or expanded residential water supply systems installed by developers

  • over 50 units (i.e., 20,000 GPD)
    
  • certain types of treatment

• Wetlands Application*