Editor Greg Ettling talks to associations across the country about how they're dealing with the problem of unlicensed contractors.
Unlicensed contractors have been a problem in the drilling industry ever since the first drilling contractor's license was issued - and it's not going away anytime soon, if ever. It's a serious issue; when you add up the defrauding of consumers, tax evasion, employment violations, poor workmanship, and violation of building codes and permit rules, it's not a pretty sight. But as serious as the problem is, it's fallen down the charts in the past decade.
It's a two-front battle, and that's a notoriously difficult situation. Fortunately, in this situation, success on one front helps put pressure on the other. If water system owners get the whole story, they'll be less likely to hire an unlicensed contractor. If unlicensed contractors see that the consequences of running a midnight drilling operation are rather harsh, they'll probably look elsewhere to ply their skills - such as they are. Bruce Widener of the Georgia Well Drillers Association tells us, "As an association, we've helped pass legislation that allows the confiscation of unlicensed contractors' rigs and fines up to $5,000 a day. And this year, a bill was passed that says if they are caught without a license, contractors have to wait up to two years before they can apply for the license. Also, we no longer have to go through the district attorney for this problem. We can report straight to the Department of Natural Resources."