DEQ has launched its first ever publicly available Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) Database which is designed to connect environmental improvement project ideas with parties seeking to partially offset civil penalties through meaningful environmental action. By pursuing SEPs, penalty resources can be redirected toward immediate environmental benefits—creating transparency, consistency, and tangible improvements for Virginia's communities and ecosystems.

On September 2, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is launching the Regulatory Request System (RRS), which is designed to streamline the permit review process for impacts to surface waters (wetlands, streams, lakes or ponds) and ensure timely coordination among agencies. With launching of the RSS, USACE, instead of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission , will receive and assign numbers to Joint Permit Applications (JPAs) which can be submitted through a fillable form in the RRS. The system will also collect required components for Virginia Water Protection (VWP) permit applications, although applicants may still submit VWP permit applications directly to DEQ.

On August 1, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announced two new resources to enhance consistency of aquatic resource delineations and reviews: Recommended Minimum Standards for Aquatic Resource Delineation Reports which provides recommended standards for documenting aquatic resource delineations, and Guide for Recording Aquatic Resource Delineations Using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which offers recommendations for using high-accuracy GNSS receivers and GIS to accurately map aquatic resource boundaries electronically. USACE notes that these are recommendations rather than mandatory standards. DEQ can accept the Aquatic Resources Delineation Report and Map provided a Cowardin classification is included.

DEQ has released the Final 2024 305(b)/303(d) Water Quality Assessment Integrated Report, which provides a comprehensive evaluation of the status of surface waters across the Commonwealth. For this report, DEQ staff collected data from 3,421 sampling locations between 2017 – 2023, resulting in hundreds of thousands of water quality data points, which were analyzed and indicate an overall trend of improving water quality for Virginia’s waters. The final report, the public comment-response document, and GIS data are available on the DEQ website.

DEQ’s website is going through an update, including a revised homepage, a navigation (menu) redesign, a new translation service and an enhanced website search function. The new homepage, translation service, and enhanced search launched in mid August, and the new navigation will launch in mid-September.

Localities may now submit applications for the annual Stormwater Local Assistance Fund (SLAF) grant program. The SLAF program provides matching grants to assist localities in their efforts to install efficient and effective stormwater pollution control measures. Grant funds are used for the planning, design, and implementation of stormwater best management practices that address cost efficiency and commitments related to reducing water pollution. Since 2013, DEQ has provided more than $260 million for almost 400 projects through SLAF grants. $22.6 million will be available for SLAF grants this solicitation cycle.

DEQ has developed new procedures for electronic meetings to facilitate greater participation by members and the public in stakeholder groups such as Regulatory Advisory Panels, Stakeholder Advisory Groups, and Technical Advisory Committees. The procedures will enable any stakeholder group to utilize a provision in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act that allows a public body that has adopted the appropriate policy by a recorded vote at an in-person meeting to hold up to half of its meetings in a calendar year as all-virtual public meetings, provided that no two consecutive meetings are all-virtual public meetings. The Electronic Meetings Procedures provide DEQ staff with the steps for these stakeholder groups to adopt the Electronic Meetings Policy and to conduct virtual meetings. The agenda and meeting announcement for any all-virtual public meetings will clearly state that the meeting is an all-virtual public meeting and include a link to the meeting. 

In anticipation of the launch of DEQ's new Food Rescue and Composting Subaward Program, DEQ is hosting an information session (call) on Tuesday, September 9 at 11am. Colleges, universities, and state agencies in Virginia are eligible to apply for funding through this program. Those interested in applying for subaward funding should attend the call to learn more about the application process, requirements, and timeline. If you are interested in attending the information session, please complete this registration form. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the program with DEQ staff.