DEQ is a member agency in the VEST, a group of more than 300 state, federal, private, and nonprofit representatives that work together to respond to calls for assistance from local governments throughout the Commonwealth. In response to natural and human-caused disasters, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) expands its capability through the Virginia Emergency Support Team (VEST). The VEST is organized by Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), and DEQ has leading and support roles and responsibilities under several support functions. 

Lead Role 

• ESF #10 – Oil and Hazardous Materials Response
  DEQ shares the lead responsibilities for ESF #10 with VDEM to monitor and oversee responses to oil spills and hazardous substance releases.  Our regional Pollution Response Program staff support incident responses by coordinating state resources.  

Supporting Roles

• ESF # 3 – Public Works and Engineering
  DEQ provides technical and regulatory assistance on the restoration of damaged public infrastructure and critical facilities, such as wastewater treatment plants and solid waste management facilities.     
  • During natural disasters such as hurricanes or flooding events, ESF #3 collects information about the operational status of solid waste management facilities and wastewater treatment plants through a GIS-based survey. For more information, see Solid Waste Management Survey Info Page or Wastewater Treatment Plant Survey Info Page.
  • Severe weather events can result in large amounts of debris and other solid wastes that need to be managed properly, and we provide emergency permitting and technical assistance for debris removal.  For more information, see Severe Weather Debris Management.
• ESF #8 – Public Health and Medical Services
  DEQ provides guidance and technical support on wastewater treatment and solid waste management to minimize and/or prevent public health emergencies from occurring during a disaster response.
• ESF #11 – Agriculture and Natural Resources
  DEQ provides guidance and technical support on agriculture and animal emergency management.  DEQ has worked with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) to identify management options for potential emergency poultry and swine depopulation or mortality events in non-disease scenarios, such as storm events or supply chain interruptions.  For more information, please see Emergency Animal Mortality Management for Non-Disease Scenarios.

The Commonwealth will never be completely protected from present and future threats and hazards of natural and human-caused disasters. However, planning for disasters can help mitigate recovery costs and improve community resiliency. Disaster preparedness is a shared responsibility across all levels of government, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and citizens of the Commonwealth. DEQ’s Office of Pollution Response and Emergency Preparedness is responsible for coordinating the agency’s disaster preparedness. 

Many DEQ programs have put together plans and resources to help communities and regulated entities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters.  The below describes various planning efforts and provides links to additional information and resources. 

Severe Weather Debris Management
Severe weather events can result in large amounts of debris and other solid wastes that need to be managed properly. DEQ provides emergency permitting and technical assistance for debris removal from public rights-of-ways. DEQ has developed resources to assist citizens and regulated entities with solid waste issues associated with severe weather events.  

Hurricane Preparation for Petroleum Storage Tank Owners and Operators
Hurricanes typically bring heavy rain and subsequent flooding. Petroleum storage tank owner/operators across the commonwealth should prepare their tank systems for these storm events to prevent petroleum releases.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has prepared a Underground Storage Flood Guide for petroleum storage tank owners and operators. The guide includes checklists for pre-flood and post-flood actions owners and operators should take to help return their system to service as soon as possible.

Emergency Animal Mortality Management for Non-Disease Scenarios
DEQ has worked with the US Department of Agriculture  Natural Resources Conservation Service  and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services  to identify management options for potential emergency poultry and swine depopulation or mortality events in cases such as storm events or supply chain interruptions due to the effects of COVID-19 on meat processing plants.  

Responses to Drought Stage Declarations
When the Drought Indicator thresholds are exceeded within one or more drought evaluation regions, the Virginia Drought Monitoring Task Force may, after evaluating all other drought information, make a recommendation to declare a particular drought designation .  Each level involves a list of corresponding response activities that are generally initiated when this declaration is made.

The federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90) established Area Committees to serve as spill preparedness planning bodies responsible for developing coordinated responses to the discharge (or threat of discharge) of oil or hazardous substances in Inland and Coastal zones. The DEQ is a member of several planning bodies as described below.

Region 3 Regional Response Team (RRT3) 
The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (National Contingency Plan or NCP) is the federal government's blueprint for responding to both oil spills and hazardous substance releases. The NCP establishes Regional Response Teams (RRTs) and their roles and responsibilities in coordinating preparedness, planning, and response at the federal regional level. 

The Federal Region 3 RRT is the planning body for the commonwealths of Virginia and Pennsylvania and the states of West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia.. The RRT 3 also includes representatives from 16 federal departments and agencies
For more information, see the RRT3 homepage.

Inland Area and Coastal Area Committees 
OPA 90 established area committees responsible for developing strategies for coordinated responses to  oil or hazardous substance spills. DEQ participates in three area committees: the Region 3 Inland Area Committee, the Virginia Area Committee and the Maryland-National Capital Region Area Committee.

Virginia Area Contingency Plan
DEQ is a member of the Virginia Area Committee that is responsible for developing and maintaining the Virginia Area Contingency Plan (ACP). The ACP and its annexes can be viewed and downloaded from the National Response Team Regional Response Team III website.

Virginia Coastal Area Contingency Plan

Under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs must develop emergency response plans, review plans annually and provide public information about chemicals in the community. Virginia has 106 such committees that develop plans with stakeholder participation and DEQ participates in LEPC meetings. 

LEPC membership includes but isn’t limited to::

• Elected state and local officials
• Police, fire, civil defense and public health professionals
• Environment, transportation and hospital officials
• Facility representatives
• Representatives from community groups
• News media

Organizational pollution response plans are exercised at regular intervals. The Office of Pollution Response and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) often participates in these exercises and can provide assistance identifying other partner agency participants. For more information, or to invite PREP to an exercise, contact coprep@deq.virginia.gov.