I am concerned with many parts of these new regulations.  First it should be changed in the regulations so a Geology degree is considered a pertinent degree for lincensure, this omission shows that the new regulations do not know what they are dealing with.   And the most important part, where does this leave the consumer.  I know private consultants and engineers will reap the rewards by this new regulation by the potential for more business, not as much involvement by a regulatory agency, or one with a hands off approach.  My question is where will the complaintants go for solutions, many private sector individuals don't want to be contacted with a failure they have designed and they usually wash there hands of it, or suggest the owner hire a lawyer.  Without VDH to determine if the system were properly installed or designed, who will make this call If VDH personnell does not qualify to make this determination? In making these new regulations, you must enclose some stance by the state to hold these individuals responsible for the work they are performing.  The first comment always heard when working with the private sector is "I don't know how the health department allows these systems to be approved."  Of course this is when the design is not there own.  The question should be, what will the state do to uphold this license to ensure the AOSE/PE cannot walk away from there work, and don't even tell me this does not happen, because I could rattle off case after case where it does.  Private consultants want to blame VDH for all its troubles, and they want to approve what they wish to approve and have VDH out of it, but when failures occur, they are allowed under our system to force the home owner to the court system.  So, where does this leave the home owner if VDH will eventually not be involved with the approval process?  By working with VDH you cannot qualify for an alternative license, so VDH will be discredited when it comes to these subjects.  The health department has been designing drainfields for 100 years and now where will that institutional knowledge go?  The AOSE program has been around for 10 years, I guess this makes them more qualified.  My degree and knowledge, public and private, will rival any AOSE in business today, but I constantly hear how VDH does not know what they are talking about, and this should have been approved based on my judgement. 

Fix these regulations so that the license means something, and that the individuals who hold this license are accountable for the work they are performing and not just collecting a paycheck off of an unsuspecting landowner.  Public health is important but I know the "bottom line" wins out in many cases in business. 

Set the qualifications so people wishing to uphold the health of the commonwealth will qualify for all licensure, and make everyone accoountable, public and private.