IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Comment period is underway and will end on 11/7/2012

Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators Regulations [18 VAC 160 ‑ 20]

Action:

Amend Definitions of Supervision, SDS Experience and Document Requirements for ...

 

Fast-Track Stage

Exempt from APA

No, this stage/action is subject to article 2 of the Administrative Process Act and the standard executive branch review process.

Attorney General Review
Completed 1/19/2010  
DPB Review
Submitted on 1/19/2010

Review Completed: 2/28/2010

DPB's policy memo is "Governor's Confidential Working Papers"

Secretary Review
Review Completed: 8/9/2010

Governor's Review
Review Completed: 9/6/2012

Result: Approved

Virginia Registrar
Submitted on 9/13/2012

The Virginia Register of Regulations

Publication Date: 10/8/2012    Volume: 29  Issue: 3
Comment Period
In Progress!

Ends 11/7/2012

Currently 4 comments
Effective Date
12/1/2012

Fast-track Stage

Public Comments

Pursuant to § 2.2-4007 (A) of the Code of Virginia, the public has an opportunity to comment on a non-exempt regulatory action after the publication of each stage in the Register. 

The Fast-track Process: Appropriate when an action is expected to be noncontroversial. A rulemaking is deemed noncontroversial if no objections are received from (1) certain members of the General Assembly or (2) ten or more members of the public. (Virginia Town Hall)
 
Fast-track stage. Once published in the Register, the agency receives public comment for at least 30 days. If an objection to the use of the fast-track process is received within the public comment period from 10 or more persons, any member of the applicable standing committee of either house of the General Assembly, or of the Joint Commission on Administrative Rules, the agency shall (i) file notice of the objection with the Registrar of Regulations for publication in the Register, and (ii) proceed with the normal promulgation process set out in this article with the initial publication of the fast-track regulation serving as the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action. Otherwise, the regulation will become effective or shall be repealed as appropriate, 15 days after the close of the comment period, unless the regulation or repeal is withdrawn or a later effective date is specified by the agency. If some objections or comments have been received, but are fewer than necessary to trigger the standard regulatory process, then the agency should fill out Form TH-12 and upload it to the Town Hall. (Virginia Town Hall)

Fast-track regulations (Virginia Town Hall)

The fast-track rulemaking process is for rules that are expected to be noncontroversial.
   More details about the Fast-Track process.
   See a chart of the Fast-track regulatory process.
   See section 2.2-4012.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations Advisory Committee

October 11, 2012, Meeting Status - CANCELED

Shaping Up To Be A Busy October

October is shaping up to be a busy month for stakeholders in the Commonwealth's onsite wastewater industry.  Today, the WWWOOSSP Board held their regularly scheduled meeting. Significant OSE licensure matters were discussed by the Board after the public comment period.  We understand minutes from this meeting should be available within the next ten days, so please be sure to check back soon.  Also, VOWRA's 2012 Conference begins in just a few days, and the regularly scheduled Sewage Handling and Disposal Advisory Committee meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, October 11.  If you happen to be interested in or have an opinion on some of the OSE licensure matters that have been touched upon in this blog, we highly recommend discussing these matters with other stakeholders at these events. Hope to see you around.

WWWOOSSP Board Meeting

WWWOOSSP Board Meeting

When: Wednesday, October 03, 2012 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Where: DPOR, Perimeter Center, 2nd Floor

Description:

All meetings are open to the public and held at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), Perimeter Center, 9960 Mayland Drive, 2nd Floor, Richmond, Virginia, unless otherwise noted. Meeting duration is dependent on the agenda.  

Persons desiring to participate in meetings who require special accommodations or interpretative services should contact the Board Office at least 10 days prior to the meeting, so that suitable arrangements can be made for appropriate accommodation. DPOR fully complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

(click here)

APELSCIDLA Guidance Document (ID #4919)

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation

 

Guidance Document Information

Title	Onsite Sewage Systems Designed by Professional Engineers & Onsite Soil Evaluators
Document ID	4919
Summary	The document clarifies the requirements for onsite sewage system designs completed by a licensed Professional Engineer or licensed Onsite Soil Evaluator.
Latest Revision	12/15/2011
View document text     uploaded on 1/6/2012

This document applies to the following chapters

[18 VAC 10-20]	Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Landscape Architects Rules and Regulations
[18 VAC160-20]	Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators Regulations

WWWOOSSP Guidance Document (ID #4920)

Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation

 

Guidance Document Information

Title	Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals Interpretations and Policies
Document ID	4920
Summary	Interpretations and policies regarding license requirements and qualifications for licensure.
Latest Revision	1/12/2012
View document text     uploaded on 1/12/2012

This document applies to all chapters for the following boards

[18 VAC 160]

Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals

Clean ground water: Virginia's endangered inheritance (1991)

Thumbnails for Clean ground water: Virginia's endangered inheritance (thumbnails)

 

Clean ground water: Virginia's endangered inheritance (video archive link)

Virginia Department of Health
Product DWDVGN73
Clean ground water: Virginia's endangered inheritance
Division of Sanitarian Services ; written by Don Alexander and Beth Bailey.

Professional Licensure and Quality: The Evidence

Here's a couple of excerpts from a paper by Professor Stanley Gross going back to 1986 about Professional Licensure and Quality. Link for the entire article, Cato Policy Analysis No. 79. Cato Policy Analysis No. 79 December 9, 1986 (article link)

Professional Licensure and Quality:
The Evidence

by Stanley J. Gross

Stanley J. Gross is professor of counseling psychology at Indiana State University. This paper is an updated and ex- panded version of two chapters of his book entitled Of Foxes and Hen Houses: Licensing and the Health Professions (Greenwood Press, 1984).

---

Executive Summary

The generally stated purpose for licensing and the primary justification for this use of the police power of the state is to ensure quality in services offered to the public. Until fairly recently, the relationship between licensing and quality was rarely questioned; it appeared self-evident that conscientious restriction of entry into a profession would result in protection of the public from quacks and incompetents. In the last decade, though, this conventional wisdom has been questioned by a number of investigators.
The purpose of this paper is to present the evidence about the relationship between professional licensure and quality. First, some of the ways of defining quality are presented. Second, the regulation of professionals by restricting entry is examined in terms of five measures of quality. Third, licensing agency effectiveness is evaluated in terms of functional criteria.

 [...]
Conclusion
The justification for professional licensing involves the use of the police powers of the state to protect the public from quacks and incompetents. The professional monopolies that result cause the loss ofone aspect of economic freedom--namely, the right to choose an occupation.[156] Given the high value that political and economic freedom have in the United States, the burden of proof should be on the states and the professionals they regulate to show that the loss of freedom is justified by the protection given to the public. Further, the costs of licens- ing, which include higher costs of professional services, resis- tance to innovation in education, training, and services, and maldistributions in the supply and use of professional and para- professional resources[157], make the price paid by the public for protection even higher and necessitate the requirement for justification.

Two forms of evidence have been brought to bear on the question of whether licensing is justified. First, there is the empirical research literature, which is rather new, dating for the most part from 1977. There is some support for the proposition that entry restrictions result in more qualified professionals to serve the public, as judged by the somewhat questionable ratings of peers, the self-reports of professionals themselves, and crude measures of consumer satisfaction (reduced malpractice claims and rates). However, measures of quality that tap the availability of professional services, the extent to which consumers choose to substitute other practitioners, and the direct outcomes of service primarily show either no relationship between entry restrictions and quality or a negative relationship.

Second, there is the evidence that comes from the evaluation of the functioning of state licensing boards. It has been shown that licensing boards do not effectively determine initial competence of licensees; they do not help to maintain the continued competence of licensees; they are ineffective in the disciplining of errant practitioners; and they do not properly address the needs of underserved populations. Instead, as has been shown, the licensing system has exacerbated the problems of maldistribution and underutilization of professionals, and it has supported a "licensing for life" system. The evidence presented does not justify the loss of economic freedom or the costs associated with professional licensing. Neither the licensing boards nor the professional associations that desire licensing can be said to have made their case.

Executive Order No. 32 (2011)

The Governor’s Commission on Government Reform and Restructuring, Phase II
 (click here)

"It is incumbent on those charged with providing government services to protect the public from harm and theft, educate our citizenry, foster economic opportunity, provide necessary infrastructure, preserve fundamental rights and perform other essential functions in a manner that avoids duplication, delay, waste, and unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy."

--- Given under my hand and under the Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia this 12th day of April, 2011. Robert F. McDonnell, Governor

Remembering Herb Sluder

Last week we lost Herb Sluder, a retired Environmental Health Department Manager from the Lord Fairfax Health District in the Northern Shenandoah Valley. Anyone remembering Herb knew how seriously he took his life's work and his commitment to uphold the responsibility of public health protection to the best of his ability. One of my favorite quotes among several was, "We only get as much environmental protection as the public is willing to pay for." He was a fine teacher and mentor for a younger generation who are still actively practicing today. I can recall just a few years back one particular sunny afternoon about mid-September, and I was driving toward Winchester in the notorious traffic along Route 7 near Red Bud School. Coming up fast along the narrow median was a notable bicyclist with a mop of wavy hair on huge balloon tires, the kind of tires you might see along the boardwalk in places like Ocean City. My first thought was this teenager on his BMX trick bike was about to pop a "wheelie" in my rear-view mirror. As the determined cyclist passed us in traffic, I was doubly shocked to discover this teen was none other than Herb Sluder out for his afternoon constitutional. Herb thanks for the memories. You were an original and one of the best. You will be missed. My heartfelt condolences to your family and friends. 

Herbert Lamar Sluder (1936-2012) Obituary (click here)

The Vicissitudes of Public Health Protection

Composite from YouTube upload by spiffwezel (Jul 3, 2007), "Elephant attack in Khao Yai National Park"

Municipal

by Rudyard Kipling

From "Departmental Ditties" (1886)

     "Why is my District death-rate low?"
          Said Binks of Hezabad.
     "Well, drains, and sewage-outfalls are
          "My own peculiar fad.
     "I learnt a lesson once, It ran
          "Thus," quoth that most veracious man: --

It was an August evening and, in snowy garments clad,
I paid a round of visits in the lines of Hezabad;
When, presently, my Waler saw, and did not like at all,
A Commissariat elephant careering down the Mall.

I couldn't see the driver, and across my mind it rushed
That that Commissariat elephant had suddenly gone musth.
I didn't care to meet him, and I couldn't well get down,
So I let the Waler have it, and we headed for the town.

The buggy was a new one and, praise Dykes, it stood the strain,
Till the Waler jumped a bullock just above the City Drain;
And the next that I remember was a hurricane of squeals,
And the creature making toothpicks of my five-foot patent wheels.

He seemed to want the owner, so I fled, distraught with fear,
To the Main Drain sewage-outfall while he snorted in my ear --
Reached the four-foot drain-head safely and, in darkness and despair,
Felt the brute's proboscis fingering my terror-stiffened hair.

Heard it trumpet on my shoulder -- tried to crawl a little higher --
Found the Main Drain sewage outfall blocked, some eight feet up, with mire;
And, for twenty reeking minutes, Sir, my very marrow froze,
While the trunk was feeling blindly for a purchase on my toes!

It missed me by a fraction, but my hair was turning grey
Before they called the drivers up and dragged the brute away.
Then I sought the City Elders, and my words were very plain.
They flushed that four-foot drain-head and -- it never choked again!

You may hold with surface-drainage, and the sun-for-garbage cure,
Till you've been a periwinkle shrinking coyly up a sewer.
I believe in well-flushed culverts. . . .
   This is why the death-rate's small;
And, if you don't believe me, get shikarred yourself. That's all.

---

musth -- Mad.
shikarred -- Hunted.

OSE VA 2012

ONSITE SOIL EVALUATOR - VIRGINIA (AOSE/COSE)
Please check back in about 48 hours...

 

Early Statement About Public Health Protection

Constitution of Virginia

Article XI - Conservation   (click here)

DPOR's Top 10 Violations

"Christine Martine, executive director of Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations, discusses the most prevalent violations among real estate licensees."

Uploaded to YouTube on May 13, 2011

CONVENTIONAL ONSITE SOIL EVALUATOR (COSE) EXAMINATION

EXAMINATION CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN
 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)

Examination Content Outlines and Reference Materials

The following was excerpted from the Candidate Information Bulletin by PSI:  

CONVENTIONAL ONSITE SOIL EVALUATOR - COSE - EXAMINATION (Page 8)

1. Site Characterization (30 Items)

1A. Local Ordinances

1B. Soils

1C. Testing

1D. Site and Sanitary Survey/Landscape

Landscape

Topography

Site features (wells, lakes, streams, sink holes)

Buried utility lines

1E. Limiting Factors

Area and Geometry

Soils

2. Design (38 Items)

2A. Treatment (ST, Filters)

System Selection

2B. Dispersal

Loading rates

Trench design

2C. Conveyance

Gravity

Pump

Siphon

2D. Distribution

Distribution boxes

Materials

Leveling

2E. Wells and Water Supplies

Springs

Cisterns

Construction

3. Health and Safety (7 Items)

3A. Waterborne disease

3B. Enclosed space

3C. Trench Safety

3D. Ethics

Reference Materials

 GMP 122 - Proprietary System Modifications (click here)  GMP 122 - Attach. | Approved Manufacturers (click here)
 GMP 147 Policy, (click here)

 Soil Profile Description Manual, Virginia Department of Health, (click here)

 OSHA PART 1926, Code of Federal Regulations – 29, Parts 1900 to 1910.999 - Revised as of July 1, 2004, (202) 693-1888, (click here)

 Virginia Private Well Regulations, 12 VAC Section 5, Chapter 630, The Private Well Regulations - 12 VAC 5-630-10 et seq., Virginia Department of Health, (click here) Forms and Supplementary Documents, (click here)

 Virginia Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations - 12 VAC 5-610, Commonwealth of Virginia Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations, Virginia Department of Health (2000), (click here) Forms and Supplementary Documents, (click here)

 Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 4, Section 54.1-402. (click here)

Please refer to www.psiexams.com (click here) for the latest updates to this bulletin.
Copyright © 2012 by PSI Last Revised 07/1/2012

 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)

ALTERNATIVE ONSITE SOIL EVALUATOR (AOSE) EXAMINATION

EXAMINATION CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN
 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)

Examination Content Outlines and Reference Materials

The following was excerpted from the Candidate Information Bulletin by PSI:  

ALTERNATIVE ONSITE SOIL EVALUATOR - AOSE - EXAMINATION (Page 7)

1. Site Characterization (18 Items)

1A. Local Ordinances

1B. Soils

1C. Testing

1D. Site and Sanitary Survey/Landscape

Landscape

Topography

Site features (wells, lakes, streams, sink holes)

Buried utility lines

1E. Limiting Factors

Area and Geometry

Soils

2. Design (36 Items)

2A. Treatment (ST, Filters)

System Selection

2B. Dispersal

Loading rates

Trench design

2C. Conveyance

Gravity

Pump

Siphon

2D. Distribution

Distribution boxes

Materials

Leveling

2E. Wells and Water Supplies

Springs

Cisterns

Construction

3. Health and Safety (6 Items)

3A. Waterborne disease

3B. Enclosed space

3C. Trench Safety

3D. Ethics

Reference Materials

 GMP 147 Policy, (click here)

 Residential Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems: An Operation and Maint. Service Provider Program; Consortium of Institutes for Decentralized Wastewater Treatment (2008), (click here)

 Soil Profile Description Manual, Virginia Department of Health, (click here)

 OSHA PART 1926, Code of Federal Regulations – 29, Parts 1900 to 1910.999 - Revised as of July 1, 2004, (202) 693-1888, (click here)

 Virginia Private Well Regulations, 12 VAC Section 5, Chapter 630, The Private Well Regulations - 12 VAC 5-630-10 et seq., Virginia Department of Health, (click here) Forms and Supplementary Documents, (click here)

 Virginia Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations - 12 VAC 5-610, Commonwealth of Virginia Sewage Handling and Disposal Regulations, Virginia Department of Health (2000), (click here) Forms and Supplementary Documents, (click here)

 Water Treatment Plant Operation: A Field Study Training Program, Volume 1, California State University, Sacramento Foundation, ISBN 1-59371-003-8, (click here) www.owp.csus.edu, (916) 278-6142, (click here)

 Code of Virginia Title 54.1, Chapter 4, Section 54.1-402. (click here)

Please refer to www.psiexams.com (click here) for the latest updates to this bulletin.
Copyright © 2012 by PSI Last Revised 07/1/2012

 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)

ONSITE SEWAGE SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS

ONSITE SEWAGE SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS
EXAMINATION CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN
 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)

The following were excerpted from the Candidate Information Bulletin by PSI:

This Candidate Information Bulletin provides you with

information on how to acquire licenses for the following.

·         Alternative Onsite Soil Evaluator (AOSE)

·         Conventional Onsite Soil Evaluator (COSE)

·         Alternative Onsite Sewage System Installer (AOSSI)

·         Conventional Onsite Sewage System Installer (COSSI)

·         Alternative Onsite Sewage System Operator (AOSSO)

·         Conventional Onsite Sewage System Operator (COSSO)

The licensure process cannot begin until you have passed the examination and received a pass notice from PSI. You will be given a license application at the examination center after you have passed the examination.

NOTE: YOU MUST USE THE SAME NUMBER (SS OR DMV) WHEN SCHEDULING FOR THE EXAMINATION, AND WHEN APPLYING FOR LICENSURE.

All questions and requests for information about examination

applications should be directed to:

PSI

3210 E Tropicana

Las Vegas, NV 89121

(800) 733-9267 • Fax (702) 932-2666 • www.psiexams.com

Questions about applications for licensure should be directed to

the:

Commonwealth of Virginia

Department of Professional and

Occupational Regulation

Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and

Onsite Sewage System Professionals

9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400

Richmond, VA 23233

(804) 367-2176

www.dpor.virginia.gov (click here)

email: waterwasteoper@dpor.virginia.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS - EXAMINATION CANDIDATE INFORMATION BULLETIN

Examinations by PSI .................................................................   1

Examination Eligibility and Approval Process ................................   1

Scheduling Procedures ............................................................   2

Scheduling an Appointment to take the Exam .......................   2

Canceling an Examination Appointment ................................   2

Missed Appointment or Late Cancellation .............................   2

Scheduling a Re-Take Examination .......................................   2

Special Examination Arrangements .......................................   2

Examination Site Closing for an Emergency ............................   2

Social Security or DMV Number Confidentiality ......................   3

Walk-in Examinations ..........................................................   3

Computer Examination Center Locations ....................................   3

Reporting to the Examination Center .........................................   3

Required Identification ......................................................   4

Security Procedures ..........................................................   4

Taking the Examination by Computer ..........................................   4

Identification Screen .........................................................   4

Tutorial ............................................................................   4

Examination ......................................................................   4

Examination Review ............................................................   5

Score Reporting ......................................................................   5

Duplicate Score Reports .....................................................   5

Examination Content Outlines and Reference Materials .................   5

License Application Instructions ................................................  12

Examination Registration Form and Applications ...........................  13

Please refer to www.psiexams.com (click here) for the latest updates to this bulletin.
Copyright © 2012 by PSI Last Revised 07/1/2012

 Onsite Sewage System Professionals - Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (click here)