Virginia Law

A. Before the initiation of any construction at the small solar energy project, the applicant shall comply with this section. The owner or operator shall first publish a notice once a week for two consecutive weeks in a major local newspaper of general circulation informing the public that he intends to construct and operate a project eligible for a permit by rule. No later than the date of newspaper publication of the initial notice, the owner or operator shall submit to the department a copy of the notice along with electronic copies of all documents that the applicant plans to submit in support of the application. The notice shall include:

1. A brief description of the proposed project and its location, including the approximate dimensions of the site, approximate number and configuration of PV systems, and approximate maximum height of PV systems;

2. A statement that the purpose of the public participation is to (i) acquaint the public with the technical aspects of the proposed project and how the standards and the requirements of this chapter will be met, (ii) identify issues of concern, (iii) facilitate communication, and (iv) establish a dialogue between the owner or operator and persons who may be affected by the project;

3. Announcement of a 30-day comment period in accordance with subsection C of this section, and the name, telephone number, address, and email address of the applicant who can be contacted by the interested persons to answer questions or to whom comments shall be sent;

4. Announcement of the date, time, and place for a public meeting held in accordance with subsection D of this section; and

5. Location where copies of the documentation to be submitted to the department in support of the permit by rule application will be available for inspection.

B. The owner or operator shall place a copy of the documentation in a location accessible to the public during business hours for the duration of the 30-day comment period in the vicinity of the proposed project.

C. The public shall be provided at least 30 days to comment on the technical and the regulatory aspects of the proposal. The comment period shall begin no sooner than 15 days after the applicant initially publishes the notice in the local newspaper.

D. The applicant shall hold a public meeting not earlier than 15 days after the beginning of the 30-day public comment period and no later than seven days before the close of the 30-day comment period. The meeting shall be held in the locality or, if the project is located in more than one locality, in a place proximate to the location of the proposed project.

E. For purposes of this chapter, the applicant and any interested party who submits written comments on the proposal to the applicant during the public comment period or who signs in and provides oral comments at the public meeting shall be deemed to have participated in the proceeding for a permit by rule under this chapter and pursuant to § 10.1-1197.7 B of the Code of Virginia.