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DEQ undertakes fish kill investigations in support of § 62.1-44.15(11) which empowers the department to investigate any large-scale killing of fish and recover the costs of investigations and the replacement costs of dead fish. The proposed guidance document replaces the existing DEQ Guidance Memo No. GM02-2002 Fish Kill Guidance Manual Second Edition which outlines the procedures and best practices to determine the cause of fish kill events in the waters of Virginia; to assess environmental damage caused by such kills; and to determine the parties responsible for the kill. This revision is necessary to reflect current agency procedures and to adopt the most up to date methods for conducting thorough, accurate and efficient fish kill investigations. This revised version of the guidance expands upon descriptions of methods to count dead fish under various field conditions using guidelines from the American Fisheries Society. The revision provides more details about preparatory steps staff should take prior to visiting a fish kill and gives additional details on collecting water quality data and samples. In addition, it adds discussions on safety protocols for staff to follow and direction for communicating incidents with the public and media. The revision removes unneeded appendices, internal agency instructions, and forms.

0 Comments     Closes: 7/17/24

The Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook provides information on stormwater management, including erosion and sediment control, in Virginia and includes guidance to implement water quality and water quantity criteria in the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation, 9VAC25-875 (VESM Regulation), effective July 1, 2024. Version 1.1 of the Handbook makes technical corrections and updates to Version 1.0 (effective April 27, 2024). A full list of revisions is available under the “Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, Version 1.1” banner on the DEQ website at: https://www.deq.virginia.gov/our-programs/water/stormwater/stormwater-construction/handbooks The Handbook replaces the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, Third Edition, 1992 (to be rescinded July 1, 2025) and the Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, First Edition, 1999 (to be rescinded July 1, 2025). To allow time for the regulated community and other stakeholders to transition to the Handbook, DEQ will accept applications, plans, specifications, and other submissions developed using the Handbook and Virginia Runoff Reduction Method (VRRM) 4.1 beginning on July 1, 2024, concurrent with the effective date of the Virginia Erosion and Stormwater Management Regulation, 9VAC25-875. Where DEQ serves as the VSMP authority, any stormwater management plan submitted and deemed complete (9VAC25-875-110) before July 1, 2025, may use either specifications in the existing manuals, handbooks, and guidance listed above or the Handbook and VRRM 4.1. After July 1, 2025, when modifications are submitted to approved plans that were developed without using the Handbook and VRRM 4.1, if the land-use assumptions upon which the stormwater management facility was designed and implemented change (e.g., increase in impervious cover), then the areas which result in an increase in nutrient loading should comply with the Handbook and VRRM 4.1. Because Version 1.1 of the Handbook is limited to updates and technical corrections and does not include any changes to the BMP specifications, going from Version 1.0 to Version 1.1 is not expected to impact plans that have been submitted or are in progress based on Version 1.0.

1 Comment     Last comment: 7/15/24 8:46 am     Closes: 8/14/24