"Qualified personnel" means a person knowledgeable in the principles and practices of erosion and sediment and stormwater management controls who possesses the skills to assess conditions at the construction site for the operator that could impact stormwater quality and quantity and to assess the effectiveness of any sediment and erosion control measures or stormwater management facilities selected to control the quality and quantity of stormwater discharges from the construction activity.

On or after July 1, 2025, "qualified personnel" shall:

1. Obtain a Qualified Personnel Certificate issued by DEQ, or
2. Obtain a Qualified Personnel Certificate issued by the Virginia Department of Transportation, or
3. Hold an unexpired Dual Inspector certification issued by DEQ, or
4. Hold an unexpired Inspector for Erosion and Sediment Control certification and an unexpired Inspector for Stormwater Management certification, both issued by DEQ, or
5. Obtain an equivalent certification provided by EPA (currently titled Construction Inspection Training Course).

The DEQ Qualified Personnel course is currently under development. Once released, an RLD certificate (or an ESC certification) will be required as a prerequisite.

Until the DEQ QP course is available, individuals should obtain a Responsible Land Disturber (RLD) certificate and complete the four online classes listed below.

Completion certificates for each module and the RLD certificate should then be included in the project's SWPPP, speaking to the individual's qualification in both ESC and SWM. 

ESC for Construction Sites

• Module 1 - The Science of Erosion
• Module 2 - Rules, Strategies and Structures
• Module 3 - Onsite Management Structures and Pollution Prevention Components
• Module 4 - Pollution Prevention and SWPPP Inspections