DEQ NEWS

February 5, 2024

Vol.3, No.2

Virginia Drought Conditions Update

DEQ, in coordination with the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force, has downgraded the drought warning advisory for seven counties within the Commonwealth to a drought watch advisory status. Although recent rains have helped alleviate deficits in soil moisture, streamflows, and groundwater levels, 22 counties continue to remain under a drought watch advisory.

DEQ is working with local governments, public water works, and water users in the affected areas to ensure that conservation and drought response plans and ordinances are followed. All Virginians are encouraged to protect water supplies by minimizing water use, monitoring drought conditions, and detecting and repairing leaks.

Utility Scale Solar – Without Grading – in Virginia!

In December, DEQ staff were treated to a tour of an innovative utility scale solar (USS) site, one that exhibits some of the best-in-class practices of environmental protection. Bartonsville Solar is a 130-megawatt project covering over 1,200 acres in Frederick County. Staff toured the site with D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments and Torch Clean Energy, the project developers; MYR Group, the engineering, procurement, and construction firm; and Nevados, the supplier of the solar tracking system that makes the site so special. This system is currently the only single axis solar tracker on the market that adapts to any terrain.

Traditionally, USS sites are graded to achieve sheet flow from panels rotated by drive shafts that do not have joints that allow them to follow the terrain. Nevados uses articulated joints in the drive shaft to allow the solar panels to follow the terrain. Without the need to grade the land for solar, USS sites can better control erosion, flooding, and muddy runoff. This system is eliminating 90% of land disturbance associated with the typical USS projects seen to-date in Virginia - protecting the environment and reducing project capital, maintenance, and environmental compliance costs and risks.

Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System Permit Updates

As of Feb. 1, all DEQ Phase I Individual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permits have been reissued and are current. A MS4 is a network of drainage systems designed to carry stormwater runoff directly to nearby streams, rivers, and other bodies of water. Permittees and DEQ worked together to accelerate nutrient reductions and meet 100% of reductions required by the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load (TMDL), a tremendous accomplishment. The updates to the permits also include new requirements regarding monitoring and reporting. This accomplishment, and the reissuance of the Small MS4 General Permit by the State Water Control Board in November 2023, ensures DEQ’s MS4 program is effectively contributing to the overall sustainability and health of Virginia’s waterways. 

Twenty Years Later: PBDEs in Fish From

Dan and Roanoke Rivers Continues to Decrease

In a recent report by researchers with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science using data supplied by DEQ, the presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish has continued to decrease in the Dan and Roanoke Rivers. This decrease indicates an increased improvement in water quality for both rivers.

PBDEs are flame-retardants historically incorporated into polymers to prevent the start or to slow down the progression of fire in polymer-based products such as padding, furniture, and electronics. Their production was banned in 2004, but their presence is still found throughout our environment. Due to its high levels reported in the Dan and Roanoke Rivers, fish consumption advisories have been posted by the Virginia Department of Health. However, data indicates that these waters have improved over the past 20 years and PBDE fish tissue sample levels have dropped by 92%. Take a look at the full report to review all its findings and DEQ's data contributions.

DEQ staff had the opportunity recently to meet with Alberta's Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas to discuss the challenges and successes in implementing DEQ's Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform (PEEP). PEEP is DEQ's effort of opening the black box of government decision-making to make it clearly defined, accessible, and understandable. Similarly, Alberta is embarking on its own journey in implementing an online permitting management application. Alberta's Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS) is a project lifecycle management system that facilitates online process tracking and access from application, through approval, compliance, and project closure. DEQ will continue meeting with Alberta to explore DRAS in detail and is excited by the prospects of inter-agency and international collaboration - especially as we continue our own effort in implementing a robust e-permitting solution.

As transparency, accountability, and access to real-time decision making has become truly paramount to good governance, DEQ will continue working towards delivering cutting-edge solutions.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently invited DEQ staff to assist in a two-day training that was focused on meeting their environmental commitments on construction projects. VDOT gave several presentations on the different ways that their projects are structured, how their environmental compliance programs work, and technology they use to monitor and manage compliance. DEQ staff gave presentations on our inspection and compliance programs in Stormwater Management and Virginia Wetlands Protection permits and an overview of the changes in the works for 2024 including: the new consolidated regulation, the new Stormwater Handbook, and the new Construction General Permit. The afternoon was capped by an open discussion session of construction and compliance issues that VDOT experiences with the aim of improving interaction between the two agencies to better resolve environmental issues that VDOT projects face. 

DEQ's Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Grant program is a competitive process that provides funding for groups and individuals to monitor the quality of Virginia’s waters. The grant can be used in a variety of ways, including purchasing water quality monitoring equipment, training citizen volunteers, lab analysis costs, and promoting stream monitoring efforts in locations where DEQ is not currently collecting water quality samples. We are pleased to announce the 17 recipients of the 2024 Citizen Water Quality Monitoring Grants: Lake Anna Civic Association, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Potomac River Keeper Network, Smith Mountain Lake Association, Izaak Walton League of America, Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District, Rivanna Conservation Alliance, James River Association, Peninsula Master Naturalists, Virginia State University Biology Department, Randolph College, New River Conservancy, Nansemond River Preservation Alliance, Virginia Master Naturalist Historic Southside Chapter, George Mason University, Mariner's Museum & Park, Loudon Wildlife Conservancy.  

DEQ will post a draft of its Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) on the CPRG webpage on Feb. 12 for a two-week informal public comment period that will end on Feb. 23. The PCAP is the first of two climate action plans to be developed under the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG). The PCAP focusses on short-term, ready-to-implement measures and potential projects to reduce carbon pollution in Virginia. The final PCAP must be submitted to the EPA by March 1. Details on how to provide comments on the draft document will be provided in the webpage posting.

In the vol. 3, no. 1 issue of DEQ News, readers reported the section “Best Management Practices for Utility Scale Solar Projects (USS) Released by Virginia Tech and Scientific & Technical Advisory Committee” had broken document links. These links have since been fixed but are still not accessible in the original newsletter. To view the documents, please visit the re-posted newsletter or view the documents directly on our website by searching “USS” in the site search bar. 

Public Participation Opportunities

Visit the DEQ website for comment opportunities on pending enforcement orders and permit actions. The following regulatory action is available for public comment:

• Proposed Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) Regulation and General Permit for Animal Feeding Operations and Animal Waste Management (9VAC25-192) (comment by March 15)

In addition, there are numerous DEQ meetings and general comment periods where you can stay up to date on topics of interest:

• Cleanup Study - James River, Maury River, and Jackson River PCB TMDL Project; Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission Water Street Center, 407 E. Water St., Charlottesville

Employment Opportunities

Are you committed to protecting human health and the environment? Apply for a job at DEQ. Current openings include:

• Analytics System Administrator (Richmond; closes Feb. 8)
• Air Permit Writer (Prince William; closes Feb. 9)
• Agricultural Program Specialist (Salem; closes Feb. 9)
• Stormwater Team Lead (Virginia Beach; closes Feb. 9)
• Technical Reviewer - Tank Remediation (Salem; closes Feb. 9)
• Water Permitting and Planning Manager (Henrico; closes Feb. 9)
• Tank Technical Auditor (Richmond; closes Feb. 13)

DEQ does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, or sex in administration of its programs or activities, and, DEQ does not intimidate or retaliate against any individual or group because they have exercised their rights to participate in actions protected, or oppose action prohibited, by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7, or for the purpose of interfering with such rights. Title VI Coordinator Melanie Davenport is responsible for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning non-discrimination requirements implemented by 40 C.F.R. Parts 5 and 7 (Non-discrimination in Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Assistance from the Environmental Protection Agency), including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and Section 13 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 (hereinafter referred to collectively as the federal non-discrimination laws). If you have any questions about this notice or any of DEQ's non-discrimination programs, policies or procedures, you may contact:

Title VI Coordinator - Melanie Davenport; Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; P.O. Box 1105; Richmond, VA 23218; (804) 698-4000 (phone); (800) 592-5482 (toll-free); Melanie.Davenport@deq.virginia.gov

If you believe that you have been discriminated against with respect to a DEQ program or activity, you may contact the Title VI Coordinator identified above or visit our website at get-involved/about-us to learn how and where to file a complaint of discrimination.