Informal comment period for Voluntary Remediation Program (9VAC20-160) Regulation

            An informal comment period is being held on changes to the Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) (9VAC20-160) regulation.  The VRP facilitates voluntary cleanup of contaminated sites where remediation is not clearly mandated by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Virginia Waste Management Act, or other applicable authority.  The regulation establishes standards and procedures pertaining to the eligibility, enrollment, reporting, remediation and termination criteria for the Voluntary Remediation Program.  Staff have identified changes to the regulation that would improve the clarity the requirements of the regulation.  These changes include the addition of definitions, clarifications concerning the applicability of fees for sites that conduct remediation in phases, and the issuance of multiple certificates for a site.

The agency plans to present amendments to the Voluntary Remediation Program (9VAC20-160) regulation to the Virginia Waste Management Board at a future meeting.  The agency plans to use the Fast-track regulatory process as allowed by § 2.2-4012.1 of the Code of Virginia to amend this regulation.  The draft regulatory language and additional information is available from the DEQ website at:  http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/LandProtectionRevitalization/PublicNotices.aspx

Prior to presenting this amendment to the Waste Management Board for adoption, the agency is holding an informal comment period.  The informal comment period will end Friday August 24, 2018.  Anyone wishing to submit written comments for the public comment file may do so by mail, email or fax to Meade Anderson, Brownfields and Voluntary Remediation Program Manager, P.O. BOX 1105, Richmond, VA  23218, phone: 804-698-4179, FAX: 804-698-4234, email: j.meade.anderson@deq.virginia.gov .