Virginia Law

A. The applicant shall file a complete application in accordance with 9VAC25-660-50 and this section for coverage under this VWP general permit for impacts to nontidal wetlands or open water of less than one-half acre and up to 300 linear feet of nontidal stream bed.

B. A complete application for VWP general permit coverage, at a minimum, consists of the following information, if applicable to the project:

1. The applicant's legal name, mailing address, telephone number, and if applicable, electronic mail address and fax number.

2. If different from the applicant, legal name, mailing address, telephone number, and if applicable, electronic mail address and fax number of property owner.

3. If applicable, the authorized agent's name, mailing address, telephone number, and if applicable, fax number and electronic mail address.

4. The existing VWP general permit tracking number, if applicable.

5. Project name and proposed project schedule.

6. The following information for the project site location:

a. The physical street address, nearest street, or nearest route number; city or county; zip code; and if applicable, parcel number of the site or sites.

b. Name of the impacted water body or water bodies, or receiving waters, as applicable, at the site or sites.

c. The latitude and longitude to the nearest second at the center of the site or sites.

d. The fourth order subbasin, as defined by the hydrologic unit boundaries of the National Watershed Boundary Dataset, for the site or sites.

e. A detailed map depicting the location of the site or sites, including the project boundary and all existing preservation areas on the site or sites. The map (e.g., a U.S. Geologic Survey topographic quadrangle map) should be of sufficient detail to easily locate the site or sites for inspection.

7. A narrative description of the project, including project purpose and need.

8. Plan-view drawing or drawings of the project site sufficient to assess the project, including at a minimum the following:

a. North arrow, graphic scale, and existing and proposed topographic or bathymetric contours.

b. Limits of proposed impacts to surface waters.

c. Location of all existing and proposed structures.

d. All delineated wetlands and all jurisdictional surface waters on the site, including the Cowardin classification (i.e., emergent, scrub-shrub, or forested) for those surface waters and waterway name, if designated; ebb and flood or direction of flow; and ordinary high water mark in nontidal areas.

e. The limits of Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas (RPAs) as field-verified by the applicant, and if available, the limits as approved by the locality in which the project site is located, unless the proposed use is exempt from the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations (9VAC25-830).

f. The limits of areas that are under a deed restriction, conservation easement, restrictive covenant, or other land use protective instrument (i.e., protected areas).

9. Cross-sectional and profile drawing or drawings. Cross-sectional drawing or drawings of each proposed impact area shall include at a minimum a graphic scale, existing structures, existing and proposed elevations, limits of surface water areas, ebb and flood or direction of flow (if applicable), ordinary high water mark in nontidal areas, impact limits, and location of all existing and proposed structures. Profile drawing or drawings with this information may be required on a case-by-case basis to demonstrate minimization of impacts. Any application that proposes piping or culverting stream flows shall provide a longitudinal profile of the pipe or culvert position and stream bed thalweg, or shall provide spot elevations of the stream thalweg at the beginning and end of the pipe or culvert, extending to a minimum of 10 feet beyond the limits of proposed impact.

10. A narrative description of all impacts proposed to surface waters, including the type of activity to be conducted in surface waters and any physical alteration to surface waters. Surface water impacts shall be identified as follows:

a. Wetland impacts identified according to their Cowardin classification (i.e., emergent, scrub-shrub, or forested); and for each classification, the individual impacts quantified in square feet to the nearest whole number, cumulatively summed in square feet, and then the sum converted to acres and rounded to two decimal places using commonly accepted arithmetic principles of rounding.

b. Individual stream impacts (i) quantified by length in linear feet to the nearest whole number and by average width in feet to the nearest whole number; (ii) quantified in square feet to the nearest whole number; and (iii) when compensatory mitigation is required, the impacts identified according to the assessed type using the Unified Stream Methodology.

c. Open water impacts identified according to their Cowardin classification, and for each type, the individual impacts quantified in square feet to the nearest whole number, cumulatively summed in square feet, and then the sum converted to acres and rounded to two decimal places using commonly accepted arithmetic principles of rounding.

d. A copy of the approved jurisdictional determination when available, or when unavailable, (i) the preliminary jurisdictional determination from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), or DEQ or (ii) other correspondence from the USACE, NRCS, or DEQ indicating approval of the boundary of applicable jurisdictional surface waters, including wetlands data sheets if applicable.

e. A delineation map that (i) depicts the geographic area or areas of all surface water boundaries delineated in accordance with 9VAC25-210-45 and confirmed in accordance with the jurisdictional determination process; (ii) identifies such areas in accordance with subdivisions 10 a, 10 b, and 10 c of this subsection; and (iii) quantifies and identifies any other surface waters according to their Cowardin classification (i.e., emergent, scrub-shrub, or forested) or similar terminology.

11. An alternatives analysis for the proposed project detailing the specific on-site measures taken during project design and development to first avoid and then minimize impacts to surface waters to the maximum extent practicable in accordance with the Guidelines for Specification of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material, 40 CFR Part 230. Avoidance and minimization includes, but is not limited to, the specific on-site measures taken to reduce the size, scope, configuration, or density of the proposed project, including review of alternative sites where required for the project, which would avoid or result in less adverse impact to surface waters, and documentation demonstrating the reason the applicant determined less damaging alternatives are not practicable. The analysis shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that avoidance and minimization opportunities have been identified and measures have been applied to the proposed activity such that the proposed activity in terms of impacts to state waters and fish and wildlife resources is the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative.

12. A compensatory mitigation plan to achieve no net loss of wetland acreage and functions or stream functions and water quality benefits. Any compensatory mitigation plan proposing the purchase of mitigation bank or in-lieu fee program credits shall include the number and type of credits proposed to be purchased, documentation from the approved bank or in-lieu fee program sponsor of the availability of credits at the time of application, and all information required by § 62.1-44.15:23 of the Code of Virginia.

13. A copy of the FEMA flood insurance rate map or FEMA-approved local floodplain map depicting any 100-year floodplains.

14. Permit application fee. The applicant will be notified by the department as to the appropriate fee for the project in accordance with 9VAC25-20.

15. A written description and a graphical depiction identifying all upland areas including buffers, wetlands, open water, other surface waters, and compensatory mitigation areas located within the proposed project boundary that are under a deed restriction, conservation easement, restrictive covenant, or other land use protective instrument (i.e., protected areas). Such description and a graphical depiction shall include the nature of the prohibited activities within the protected areas and the limits of Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas (RPAs) as field-verified by the applicant, and if available, the limits as approved by the locality in which the project site is located, unless the proposed use is exempt from the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations (9VAC25-830), as additional state or local requirements may apply if the project is located within an RPA.

16. Signature page that has been signed, dated, and certified by the applicant in accordance with 9VAC25-210-100. If the applicant is a business or other organization, the signature must be made by an individual with the authority to bind the business or organization, and the title of the signatory must be provided. The application signature page, either on the copy submitted to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission or to DEQ, must have an original signature. Electronic submittals containing the original signature page, such as that contained in a scanned document file, are acceptable.

C. Upon receipt of an application from the Department of Transportation for a road or highway construction project by the appropriate DEQ office, the department has 10 business days, pursuant to § 33.2-258 of the Code of Virginia, to review the application and either determine the information requested in subsection B of this section is complete or inform the Department of Transportation that additional information is required to make the application complete. Upon receipt of an application from other applicants for any type of project, the department has 15 days to review the application and either determine that the information requested in subsection B of this section is complete or inform the applicant that additional information is required to make the application complete. Pursuant to § 33.2-258 of the Code of Virginia, coverage under this VWP general permit for Department of Transportation road or highway construction projects shall be approved or approved with conditions, or the application shall be denied, within 30 business days of receipt of a complete application. For all other projects, coverage under this VWP general permit shall be approved or approved with conditions, or the application shall be denied, within 45 days of receipt of a complete application. If the department fails to act within the applicable 30 or 45 days on a complete application, coverage under this VWP general permit shall be deemed granted.

1. In evaluating the application, the department shall make an assessment of the impacts associated with the project in combination with other existing or proposed impacts. Application for coverage under this VWP general permit shall be denied if the cumulative impacts will cause or contribute to a significant impairment of state waters or fish and wildlife resources.

2. The department may place additional requirements on a project in order to grant coverage under this VWP general permit. However, the requirements must be consistent with this chapter.

D. Incomplete application.

1. Where an application for general permit coverage is not accepted as complete by the department within the applicable 10 or 15 days of receipt, the department shall require the submission of additional information from the applicant and may suspend processing of any application until such time as the applicant has supplied the requested information and the application is complete. Where the applicant becomes aware that he omitted one or more relevant facts from an application, or submitted incorrect information in an application or in any report to the department, the applicant shall immediately submit such facts or the correct information. A revised application with new information shall be deemed a new application for the purposes of review but shall not require an additional permit application fee.

2. An incomplete application for general permit coverage may be administratively withdrawn from processing by the department for failure to provide the required information after 60 days from the date of the latest written information request made by the department. The department shall provide (i) notice to the applicant and (ii) an opportunity for an informal fact-finding proceeding when administratively withdrawing an incomplete application. Resubmittal of an application for the same or similar project, after such time that the original permit application was administratively withdrawn, shall require submittal of an additional permit application fee.

3. An applicant may request a suspension of application review by the department, but requesting a suspension shall not preclude the department from administratively withdrawing an incomplete application.