A troubling bill that would have loosened inspection requirements for stormwater ponds failed to advance in the House of Delegates.
SB 1007 (Reeves) directs the State Water Control Board to require that any long-term maintenance agreement for a stormwater pond provide for inspections to be done no more frequently than every three years. Initially, when introduced on the Senate side, the bill had stipulated that inspections could occur no more frequently than every five years, though it was later amended to three years.
While SB 1007 initially passed the Senate without much trouble, the legislation ran into staunch opposition in the House of Delegates from environmental organizations, local governments, and the Northam Administration.
After discussing a number of potential problems with the bill, including possible environmental impacts, local government preemption issues, and conflicts that would arise due to permitting requirements, the Chesapeake Subcommittee of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources Committee ultimately voted to lay the bill on the table, 5-3.
VACo Contact: Chris McDonald, Esq.