26th California Unified Program Annual Training Conference

Date: Monday, February 26 through Thursday, February 29, 2024

Time: 8:00AM – 5:00PM

Location: Hyatt Regency, 1333 Burlingame, CA, 94010

Overview: 2024 will be the 26th year of the California Unified Program Annual Training Conference, presented by the California CUPA Forum. The Forum is a single statewide organization consolidating unified program implementation efforts and representing all Unified Program Agencies with a single voice. This is the premiere environmental conference in California, if not the world. We are expecting 2500-3000 attendees this year.

For registration and more information: https://calcupa.org/. Registration fees go up on January 27, 2024 and again on February 19, 2024 in an effort to get confirmations early for planning purposes. 

CalEPA Enforcement Training Resources

Fundamental Inspector Course (FIC)

Prerequisite to Basic Inspector Academy.

This online course contains an overview of CalEPA’s boards, departments, and offices as well as environmental law, environmental science, the role of the environmental inspector, and basic health and safety guidance for field staff. While the target audience for FIC is new and existing government-employed regulatory inspectors/investigators who enforce environmental laws and regulations, members of the public and regulated facility owners, operators, and employees may also find the online FIC course to be helpful.

Registration: Create an account on the Air Resources Board’s (ARB) Training Website at https://arb.csod.com/client/arb/default.aspx. For questions related to registration, please contact the ARB Training Coordinator at arbtrain@arb.ca.gov.

Basic Inspector Academy (BIA)

Inspectors can register for the BIA course through the ARB’s training website after completing the required online prerequisite training, Fundamental Inspector Course.

CalEPA’s Office of the Secretary is responsible for developing a training program to ensure that the Boards and Departments take consistent, effective, and coordinated enforcement and compliance actions to protect public health and the environment. The information presented in the BIA training program is intended to provide baseline knowledge on universal inspection, investigation, and enforcement techniques that support and/or complement existing State and local agency programs. BIA is open to new and existing government-employed regulatory inspectors/investigators who enforce environmental laws and regulations and, tribal enforcement partners.

More Information: https://calepa.ca.gov/enforcement/Enforcement-Training-Resources/

For questions about the Fundamental Inspector Course or Basic Inspector Academy, please contact: Hasti Javid, CalEPA Enforcement Officer at Hasti.Javid@calepa.ca.gov.

CUPA Forum Board’s (CFB) Training Resources

CFB Training Center

The CFB has long identified training as a core function of the organization with an annual unified program training conference as the hallmark event. In addition, through a Training Issue Coordinator, training events, opportunities, and planning activities are facilitated through regional training coordinators (RTCs) in each of the four CUPA Forum Regions.

More Information: https://calcupa.org/training/index.html

Learning Management System (LMS) Continuing Education Courses

All Unified Program Agencies (UPAs) receive complimentary indefinite access to the LMS and all 2023 Annual Conference Full Registration Attendees will have access (through December 31, 2023) to a growing list of CUPA Program related Courses.  Also, if you have a Full Conference Registration for the 2024 Annual Conference, you will have unlimited access to our LMS Courses through December 31, 2024.  Over the next few months, we plan to convert the rest of the 26 Sessions that were recorded at our recent Annual Conference into Courses on our LMS.

More Information: https://calcupa.org/lms-agenda/index.html

Unified Program Training Framework (March 12, 2012)

This training framework was developed by the Unified Program Training Steering Committee and California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) to implement voluntary training guidance that provides consistency throughout the State for the education of new and established inspectors. The use of a standardized training framework will help to assure the Unified Program is conducted in a coordinated, consolidated and consistent manner throughout the State. The Framework supports CUPAs and PAs in acquiring the required technical expertise to implement the program elements by identifying training required by law as well as recommended training.

More Information: cupa-training-framework.pdf

Legal Authority

California State Law: California Health and Safety Code, Division 20, Chapter 6.95, Article 1, Sections 25500 to 25519

California State Regulations: California Code of Regulations, Title 19, Division 5, Chapter 1, Sections 5010.1 to 5040.2

If you have any questions regarding the HMBP program, please contact the program at HMBP@calepa.ca.gov.