The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is releasing DRAFT Environmental Justice Guidance in the Permitting Process for an informal public comment period until May 1.

This guidance is designed to create procedures to accomplish the goals set forth in the Virginia Environmental Justice Act to promote environmental justice and ensure that fair treatment and meaningful involvement are carried out throughout the Commonwealth with a focus on environmental justice and fenceline communities during DEQ’s permitting processes. The guidance outlines a permit evaluation process for all permitting actions at DEQ, as well as establishes a method for further evaluation of permits of particular concern to environmental justice and fenceline communities. This method includes a Public Engagement matrix to guide the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of Virginia community members in the full scope of DEQ permitting processes. The guidance also allows for the evaluation of any potential disproportionate impacts in environmental justice communities through cumulative modeling. DEQ, and especially its Office of Environmental Justice, encourage all Virginians to review the proposed guidance and welcomes feedback.

The draft guidance can be found at: http://deq.virginia.gov/ej.

DEQ is accepting written comments on this draft guidance until May 1, 2023. Informal comments can be submitted to ejcomments@deq.virginia.gov. This informal public comment period will be followed by internal review, and a 30-day formal comment period.