I am writing to ask you to oppose the elimination/deregulation of Licensed Soil Scientists, which would eliminate licensure for my profession. The General Assembly voted unanimously in 2011 to require licensure for soil scientists because of the potential risks due to a lack of regulation. Some of the negative consequences of unqualified professionals practicing soil science include: 

• Lack of trained Professionals to instruct future Virginia Department of Health employees and private sector Authorized Onsite Septic Evaluators.
• Contaminated water and dead vegetation as a result of a failure to identify acid-sulfate soil  
• Shrink-swells that cause cracked foundations, falling roadways, retaining walls
• Failure to identify suitable soils for their capacity of taking on and treating septic effluent from residential homes and commercial/industrial facilities
• Inability to protect onsite and offsite environmental resources from erosion of sediment  and sediment laden waters due to failing erosion and sediment control measures and stormwater features

In addition to the risks to the public, this bill will directly affect my ability to practice in Virginia and potentially hurt my livelihood. Corporations, businesses and localities hire me and trust me to work for them because I am licensed. Soil scientists do critical work in Virginia including designing stormwater management plans, serving as erosion and sediment control inspectors, and identifying Resource Protection Areas for the preservation of the Chesapeake Bay. If this work is unregulated and unskilled professionals are allowed to practice it, we will see devasting ramifications such as failing roadways, cracked foundations, water contamination, failing sewer systems and drain fields, and loss of vegetation and erosion. These effects are damaging to farmers, builders, developers, individual homeowners and the receiving waters of Virginia. The taxpayers of Virginia ultimately end up paying for these damages.  

As such we encourage and request the Board recommend maintaining the license for professional soil scientists.  

As licensees, our clients- including state and federal agencies know the persons being hired for a project are fully trained and tested in the field of soil science with expectations that the product of our work will meet the standards of other licensed professionals and protect the health of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Thank You, 

Robert J. Melby