Public comment period open on draft environmental justice in permitting memo

The Department of Environmental Quality is seeking comments on Draft Guidance Memo – Environmental Justice in the Permitting Process (PDF).

The comment deadline is October 23. Comments are accepted via webform, email to Kate Miller, or mail to Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; Attn: Kate Miller, Office of Environmental Justice; 901 Russell Dr.; Salem, VA 24153. Those who comment should include their full name, a physical address, and an email address or telephone number. Note: All materials received are part of the public record.

According to the draft memo,

The purpose of this guidance is to inform the public, permit applicants, and DEQ staff of:

1) DEQ’s existing Virginia EJScreen+ tool and recommended ways to use it (Section III);

2) Recommended methods to assess whether Projects of Concern, as defined in this guidance, are located in environmental justice communities, or may have environmental impacts on other environmental justice communities (including those immediately adjacent to Projects of Concern) (Section IV);

3) A recommended method to assess the cumulative impacts of certain Projects of Concern on potentially affected environmental justice communities and reduce impacts, if needed (Sections V and VI); and

4) Recommended outreach strategies to engage environmental justice communities that may be impacted by proposed Projects of Concern (Section VII).

DEQ will develop and provide the stressor screening information to assist permit applicants in conducting the cumulative impact assessments. See Attachment 1 for a visual presentation of the recommended steps in this process, descriptions of which begin in Section IV, and Attachmgent 2 for an Applicant Checklist.

The general public comment stage follows several town halls; go to Environmental Justice Permitting Guidance for videos, presentations, and more.

Once the comment period ends, DEQ must respond to public comments by October 31 and issue the final guidance by December 31.

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