GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS REGARDING THE MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL GEOLOGISTS

The following questions and answers are offered as guidance to practicing geologists and other professionals who may interface with the profession. They often address specific questions frequently asked of the Board. The guidance documents do not carry the authority of official rules but rather express the collective judgment of the Board at the time it was considered. The judgments are offered with the entire profession in mind and may not apply to certain specific cases.

Guidance Document 2000-01
January 25, 2000

Question/Issue:

In work requiring an RPG and subsurface sampling, is the RPG required to acquire well samples on site for analysis or can the work of sample collection be done by a qualified technician?

Board Guidance Response:

Collection of well cutting or core samples for analysis or for archival purposes can be done by a qualified technician or other professional. The RPG in responsible charge of the project is accountable for the accuracy of the sampling scheme, proper depth labeling, proper well identification and the interpretation of the samples (lithologies and identification of potential contaminants, if any). Well logs constructed from the information derived from the samples should clearly indicate who collected the samples and the name of the RPG in responsible charge.