August 4, 2023

Vol.2, No.10

New State Waters Delineator Certification Program

DEQ's new voluntary Virginia State Waters Delineator (VSWD) certification program will prioritize State Surface Waters Delineation (SSWD) reviews by certified practitioners ahead of other SSWD requests. This certification signifies that a Professional Wetland Delineator assumes professional responsibility for the accuracy of state surface waters field delineations and that the information submitted to DEQ for review is complete. The VSWD certification allows DEQ to rely on the accuracy and completeness of an SSWD. With accurate and complete information, DEQ can approve SSWDs faster, which will also increase the efficiency of Virginia Water Protection Permit issuances.

A Professional Wetland Delineator certification is a prerequisite to obtain the VSWD certification. The VSWD certification is recommended for anyone who must identify wetlands or streams on their sites for project planning, project impact avoidance and minimization analyses, and compensatory mitigation planning. Please register for the informational webinar Aug. 16 from 10-11 a.m. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

DEQ and Tangier Island Welcome Deputy Director Alex Samms

DEQ is pleased to welcome Deputy Director Alex Samms, who is joining the agency after serving as the Battalion Commander for the 10th Engineer Battalion at Fort Stewart in Georgia for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. His first day with DEQ included a trip to Tangier Island to honor former Virginia Marine Resources Commission Commissioner and Tangier native William A. Pruitt, and to learn about the environmental challenges and opportunities affecting the community.

"I'm excited to strengthen relationships within DEQ and throughout Virginia," Deputy Dir. Samms said.

Deputy Dir. Samms' planning and development skills will be a great asset to DEQ's human resources, performance management, and budgeting processes.

Tangier Mayor James "Ooker" Eskridge, DEQ Deputy Director Alex Samms, DEQ Director Mike Rolband, and DEQ Tidewater Regional Director Craig Nicol are pictured at Tangier's wastewater treatment plant in front of a rotating biological contactor plant and collection system.

The Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) is accepting applications from local governments for projects that involve new or retrofitted stormwater best management practices, stream restoration, low impact development projects, buffer restoration, pond retrofits, or wetlands restoration. The SLAF program can also be used to fund the purchase of permanent, certified, non-point source nutrient credits. Completed applications are due Oct. 2 and must be submitted electronically to the MyDEQ Portal or emailed to CWFAP@deq.virginia.gov. Staff will host a webinar Aug. 16 at 11 a.m. to demonstrate use of the MyDEQ Portal to complete the SLAF application and answer questions from potential applications regarding the SLAF Solicitation. The webinar will be recorded and a link to acccess the recording will be posted to the SLAF webpage. To register, email CWFAP@deq.virginia.gov.

NOAA Commends Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) commended the Virginia Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program in its recent five-year review. As part of this review, NOAA staff visited project sites, highlighting the program's investment in the Lower Chickahominy Watershed Collaborative and oyster reef restoration in the lower York and Lynnhaven Rivers. On the Eastern Shore, Virginia CZM staff and partners shared multiple projects with the NOAA team, including land acquisitions to create the New Point Comfort, Magothy Bay, and Cape Charles Natural Area Preserves. Other shared projects included the expansion of Kiptopeke State Park, along with habitat restoration, new boardwalks and trails, and eelgrass and bay scallop restoration on the seaside.

In their review, NOAA highlighted Virginia CZM's accomplishments, which included successfully engaging partners and providing leadership in Mid-Atlantic ocean management and addressing marine debris, promoting ecotourism on the Eastern Shore, long-term and successful investment in supporting eelgrass, bay scallops, and oyster restoration, and the incredibly popular (and useful) Plant Virginia Natives marketing effort, which has successfully grown across the state.

UVA Parking & Transportation Recognized as Biobased Certified

DEQ is happy to celebrate that UVA Parking & Transportation, a Virginia Environmental Excellence Program E3 member, was recently recognized at the Resilient Virginia Conference for being the first in Virginia to complete the Biobased Academy.

The Biobased Academy is produced by the American Lung Association, the United Soybean Board, and Virginia Clean Cities to educate fleet professionals on the benefits of soy-based fuels. The program encourages the use of biobased products and fuels to promote fleet sustainability and environmental best practices.

Public Participation Opportunites

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

• General Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Watershed Permit Regulation for Total Nitrogen and Total Phosphorus Discharges and Nutrient Trading in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Virginia, 9VAC25-820 (comment by 8/21)

Employment Opportunities

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

• Training Specialist (Richmond)
• Permit Writer/Inspector VWP (Henrico; closes Aug. 11)
• Standards and Specifications Team Lead (Richmond; closes Aug. 11)
• Air Permit Writer (Abingdon; closes Aug. 11)

Editor's Note: In the DEQ News v.2 no.9 edition, it was incorrectly stated that the Demonstrated Performance Grant to the Virginia Nutrient Credit Exchange would reduce nitrogen in the Chesapeake Bay by almost 13,000 pounds. The correct number is 130,000 pounds. The corrected edition is available on DEQ's website.