Reporting Only Permits Now Require Construction Monitoring
Per guidance issued today, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will require construction monitoring on all Reporting Only General Permits issued after August 2, 2017. DEQ staff will not enforce the monitoring requirement for previously issued permits.
Reporting Only General Permits authorize impacts less than or equal to 1/10 acre of wetlands and/or 300 linear feet of stream channel. While the Virginia Water Protection (VWP) Permit Program Regulations do provide relief from compensatory mitigation – the regulations do not provide relief from any other requirements of the general permit. Though it has been DEQ’s practice to provide relief from both compensatory mitigation and construction monitoring conditions – the regulations do not support this and therefore, construction monitoring will now be enforced on all newly issued Reporting Only permits.
Information regarding the construction monitoring conditions can be found within the General Permit Part II (Sections B and E, except for the conditions specific to compensation).
If you have any questions on this requirement or need to know more about the construction monitoring conditions, please contact WSSI staff listed below.