DEQ aims to provide collaboration, consistency, customer service, communication, certainty, closure, and commitment to the residents of the Commonwealth so that all Virginians enjoy cleaner water, better air quality, and the productive reuse of land that was once contaminated. DEQ acknowledges that successful public participation involves the public, the agency, and the regulated community, yet there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all communities.

Public Notices

DEQ has created this webpage to consolidate public notices that are currently published in a variety of places and formats. 

DEQ issues public notices to provide opportunities to offer feedback on agency actions. These notices provide information about public hearings, public meetings, public comment periods, and other events related to DEQ activities. Public notices can be found on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall, in the Virginia Register of Regulations, in local newspapers, and on the DEQ calendar, which is organized by date. You can also sign up for updates on specific DEQ items and at other state agencies through the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall. DEQ staff review all comments after they are received. Often, public comments lead to stronger permits and better regulations.

Public Comments

DEQ usually accepts public comments by hand-delivery, e-mail, postal mail, or comment forms on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall. Each individual notice will specify the method for submitting comments. All comments must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. DEQ must receive hand-delivery and postal mail by close of business and email comments by 11:59 p.m. EST on the last day of the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of the commenter and of all persons represented by the commenter.

More about how to make effective public comments can be found here.

Public Hearings

DEQ also accepts requests for public hearing by hand-delivery, e-mail, or postal mail during public comment periods. All requests must be in writing and be received by DEQ during the comment period. Submittals must include the names, mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of the requester and of all persons represented by the requester.

A request for public hearing must also include:

1. The reason why a public hearing is requested.
2. A brief, informal statement regarding the nature and extent of the interest of the requester or of those represented by the requestor, including how and to what extent such interest would be directly and adversely affected by the permit.
3. Specific references, where possible, to terms and conditions of the permit with suggested revisions.

A public hearing may be held, including another comment period, if public response is significant, based on individual requests for public hearing, and there are substantial, disputed issues relevant to the permit or regulatory action.

Public Outreach Informational Meetings

A DEQ Public Informational meeting may be organized to promote public participation and a better understanding of the issue at hand, along with an opportunity for a Questions & Answers period. These meetings are typically held to improve communications and information sharing between DEQ, the regulated community, and the nearby community about a permit process. These meetings are not officially a part of the regulatory, permitting, or enforcement processes.

Other Public Participation Tools at DEQ

The Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform, or PEEP, brings transparency to DEQ’s permitting processes by providing current information about the critical steps and permitting schedules needed for permit approval.  Applicants, agents, the public, and DEQ staff may use PEEP to track and manage permitting and approval processes. 

The Enforcement Case Documents page is part of DEQ’s initiative to provide greater transparency among our stakeholders. Enforcement actions, including penalties and resolutions, are guided by the DEQ Enforcement Manual. Formal enforcement may result in an enforceable document such as an administrative order or judicial decree. Examples of these methods include consent orders, fact-finding proceedings, formal hearings and civil suits. Administrative proceedings are conducted pursuant to the Virginia Administrative Process Act.

Three regulatory boards composed of Virginia citizens appointed by the Governor, are responsible for adopting many of Virginia's environmental regulations. DEQ administers the regulations as approved by the boards. You can find more information about Citizen Boards here.

Community members can get involved in water quality monitoring in Virginia through the Citizen Water Monitoring program. In our Citizen Monitoring program you can learn more about becoming a water quality monitor and participating in stream cleanups and stream bank restoration projects. You can find more information about citizen monitoring resources here.

The Environmental Data Hub houses a collection of DEQ’s interactive GIS (geospatial information systems) tools to visualize, analyze and extract various data, or download the data to gain further insights. These tools are aimed at increasing public outreach, involvement and transparency while at the same time facilitating direct access to spatial and non-spatial environmental data of the Commonwealth of Virginia for citizens and stakeholders.