The Department of Environmental Quality, through regulations issued by our Citizen Boards, regulates the management of hazardous and solid waste and petroleum products throughout Virginia.
Permitting
Facilities that store, treat, or dispose of hazardous or solid waste are required to obtain a permit issued by the DEQ director. Permit requirements for solid waste management facilities are governed by the Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-81. These solid waste management facility permits are issued by DEQ regional offices. Permit requirements for hazardous waste management facilities and hazardous waste transporters are governed by the Virginia Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, 9VAC20-60, which incorporate the federal hazardous waste regulations for hazardous waste management.
Large-quantity generators of hazardous waste and owners/operators of underground storage tanks are not required to obtain a permit but are required to submit a notification to DEQ. Operators of large aboveground storage tank facilities are not required to obtain a permit but must file and obtain approval of an oil discharge contingency plan as governed by Virginia's Facility and Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) Regulations, 9VAC25-91.
Additional information is available on:
Compliance
The solid waste, hazardous waste, and petroleum compliance programs ensure that activities regulated by DEQ are in compliance with the regulations. Compliance activities include inspecting permitted and regulated facilities and reviewing required reports to ensure compliance. Non-compliance is identified and addressed through informal or formal enforcement mechanisms.