SB 576 (Hanger) states that a person who is 1) engaged in the creation and operation of a stream restoration project for purposes of reducing nutrients or sediment entering state waters, and 2) engaged in such activities in more than one jurisdiction, will be allowed to engage with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Specifically, the bill allows such individuals the opportunity to submit standards and specifications for DEQ approval, describing how land-disturbing activities shall be conducted as an alternative to submitting soil erosion control and stormwater management plans. Current law allows this practice for a person engaging in more than one jurisdiction in the creation and operation of a wetland mitigation or stream restoration bank.
Senator Hanger’s bill successfully reported out of Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee on January 25 with a vote of 13-0-1. SB 576 will be scheduled on the Senate floor calendar this week.
VACo Contact: Chris McDonald, Esq.