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Permits, Fees, and Regulations

Who Must Apply

Any person who proposes to manage pollutants without resulting in a point source discharge to surface waters. Virginia Pollution Abatement permits may be used to authorize land application of industrial waste (sludge and wastewater), sewage sludge, municipal wastewater, animal waste, or "closed systems" that reuse and recycle wastewater. Excluded are vessels, runoff from fields (except from animal feeding operations) and orchards ,return flows from irrigation, land disposal of pollutants permitted by other Virginia programs, and discharges into otherwise permitted treatment systems.

Virginia Pollution Abatement Individual and General Permits

(To view the current Regulation in its entirety: follow the link(s) in this section and then select create report at the top of the page after the regulation title, a new window will open, select submit-without entering any information-the current version of the regulation will open.)

Terms

Individual permits:

  • varied, maximum up to 10 years.

General permit authorizations: maximum term of 10 years

  • VPA General Permit Regulation for Animal Feeding Operations: effective November 16, 2004, expires November 15, 2014
  • VPA Regulation and General Permit for Poultry Waste Management: effective December 1, 2010, expires November 30, 2020

Fees

The following permit application fees apply:

  • VPA Industrial Wastewater Operation / Land Application of 10 or More Inches Per Year:
    Issuance: $15,000; Modification: $7,500
  • VPA Industrial Wastewater Operation / Land Application of Less Than 10 Inches Per Year:
    Issuance: $10,500; Modification: $5,250
  • VPA Industrial Sludge Operation:
    Issuance: $7,500; Modification: $3,750
  • VPA Municipal Wastewater Operation:
    Issuance: $13,500; Modification: $6,750
  • VPA Municipal Sludge Operation:
    Issuance: $5000; Modification: $1000
  • VPA Animal Feeding Operations (including Poultry Feeding Operations) / Farming Operations Engaged in Production for Market:
    $0
  • All other VPA operations not specified above:
    Issuance: $750; Modification: $375

Typical Requirements of a Permit

  1. Prohibition of discharge of pollutants to surface waters.
  2. Sludge, wastewater, manure, and soil monitoring requirements.
  3. Waste storage and land application requirements.
  4. Best management practices, such as berms and buffer strips to protect surface water.
  5. For animal feeding operations, a nutrient management plan.
  6. Ground water monitoring may be required on a case-by-case basis to detect possible contamination.

Permitting Process

Individual permits:

  1. Contact the appropriate DEQ regional office for your project location.
  2. Obtain the appropriate Virginia Pollution Abatement permit application form(s) from below. Completed application must be filed along with the permit fee at least 180 days before start of construction or operation, or before expiration of existing permit.
  3. Draft permit is prepared by the DEQ regional office and may be reviewed by the Virginia Department of Health and the applicant. Revised drafts may be re-reviewed by all parties.
  4. Public notice is issued and a hearing conducted if justified.
  5. Appeal of permit denial or permit conditions is made by the applicant to the State Water Control Board in a hearing. Judicial review is in accordance with Virginia's Administrative Process Act.

General permits:

  1. Complete the registration statement from below and submit to the appropriate DEQ regional office.

Instructions and Forms

Application Instructions:

Forms: