10.1-1183 - Creation of Department of Environmental Quality; statement of policy.
§ 10.1-1183. Creation of Department of Environmental Quality; statement ofpolicy.
There is hereby created a Department of Environmental Quality by theconsolidation of the programs, functions, staff, facilities, assets andobligations of the following agencies: the State Water Control Board, theDepartment of Air Pollution Control, the Department of Waste Management, andthe Council on the Environment. Wherever in this title and in the Code ofVirginia reference is made to the Department of Air Pollution Control, theDepartment of Waste Management or the Council on the Environment, or anydivision thereof, it shall mean the Department of Environmental Quality.
It shall be the policy of the Department of Environmental Quality to protectthe environment of Virginia in order to promote the health and well-being ofthe Commonwealth's citizens. The purposes of the Department are:
1. To assist in the effective implementation of the Constitution of Virginiaby carrying out state policies aimed at conserving the Commonwealth's naturalresources and protecting its atmosphere, land and waters from pollution.
2. To coordinate permit review and issuance procedures to protect all aspectsof Virginia's environment.
3. To enhance public participation in the regulatory and permitting processes.
4. To establish and effectively implement a pollution prevention program toreduce the impact of pollutants on Virginia's natural resources.
5. To establish procedures for, and undertake, long-range environmentalprogram planning and policy analysis.
6. To conduct comprehensive evaluations of the Commonwealth's environmentalprotection programs.
7. To provide increased opportunities for public education programs onenvironmental issues.
8. To develop uniform administrative systems to ensure coherent environmentalpolicies.
9. To coordinate state reviews with federal agencies on environmental issues,such as environmental impact statements.
10. To promote environmental quality through public hearings and expeditiousand comprehensive permitting, inspection, monitoring and enforcementprograms, and provide effective service delivery to the regulated community.
11. To advise the Governor and General Assembly, and, on request, assistother officers, employees, and public bodies of the Commonwealth, on mattersrelating to environmental quality and the effectiveness of actions andprograms designed to enhance that quality.
12. To ensure that there is consistency in the enforcement of the laws,regulations and policies as they apply to holders of permits or certificatesissued by the Department, whether the owners or operators of such regulatedfacilities are public sector or private sector entities.
(1992, c. 887; 1999, c. 207.)