On May 1, the Town of Tazewell announced the grand opening of the Clinch River Pavilion which serves as a permanent farmers market structure and community space. DEQ played an important role in bringing this community space to life.

The pavilion is located on land known as a brownfield — a property where redevelopment can be complicated by potential contamination. Before the project’s completion, the site had asbestos-containing materials, residual petroleum from former storage tanks, and a dilapidated structure. DEQ's Brownfield Program was able to provide funding for environmental site assessments, an asbestos survey, a structural engineering evaluation, community engagement, and concept planning. These initial steps laid the groundwork for the remainder of the project’s success. DEQ is proud to support environmental projects with positive outcomes for Virginia’s communities.  

Additional funding was provided by the Virginia Brownfields Restoration and Economic Redevelopment Assistance Fund, the Tobacco Region Incentive for Agribusiness Development Grant Program, the Cumberland Plateau Planning District Commission, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. 

On March 5, Virginia Tech released an updated version of its report on soil management for Utility Scale Solar projects. The paper, “Soil-Site Management Protocols & Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Utility Scale Solar Site (USS) Development and Management in Virginia – Version 2,” presents an overview of the challenges that land development, active construction management, and post-development stormwater management of USS sites pose to local soil and water quality, along with recommended best management practices (BMPs). 

USS projects have the potential to impact local land conditions and water quality from the day the first shovel hits the ground to the day the solar panels are removed. Even small projects can lead to significant landscape impacts, since site development requires large areas to accommodate solar panels, drainage, stormwater management BMPs, access roads, collection and transmission infrastructure, and vegetative buffers.  

It is common for widespread areas of disturbed soil to remain unvegetated for weeks to months during active construction. This leads to greater stormwater runoff, which results in sediment discharges and flooding. The study identifies several critically important practices to enhance rainfall infiltration and maintain overall soil quality at USS sites. These include: maintaining vegetation and stabilizing soils, minimizing overall soil disturbance, and limiting and remediating soil compaction during the entire lifecycle of the USS. 

A harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when a specific type of algae growth causes negative impacts to an aquatic ecosystem. DEQ focuses on HABs that could potentially impact human health. In 2023, Smith Mountain Lake experienced a prolonged blue- green algae bloom that had the potential to produce toxins. In 2024, DEQ partnered with Virginia Tech and the Smith Mountain Lake Association to find out what conditions could potentially lead to HABs in the lake. Together, the team launched a comprehensive study to determine whether HABs are recurring in the lake, to understand their timing and location, and to identify the key conditions that contribute to their development. The study also explored both short‑term and long‑term strategies to prevent or reduce HABs. Completed in 2025, this study provides a baseline for responding to HABs in the future.  

If you would like more information, you can read the full report on DEQ’s Harmful Algal Blooms webpage and access this interactive map showing locations that were included in the study. 

Administered by DEQ and co-managed with the Virginia Resources Authority, the Virginia Clean Water Revolving Loan Fund (VCWRLF) has invested more than $4 billion into the Commonwealth’s infrastructure since 1987 by providing low-interest loans to governments for eligible projects that include: municipal wastewater collection and treatment facilities, municipal stormwater best management practices, remediation of brownfield properties, land conservation, living shorelines, and agricultural best management practices.

Each year the VCWRLF opens a solicitation period during which interested parties submit grant proposals for water-related improvement projects. The solicitation period for the VCWRLF will begin on June 9, 2026, and completed applications must be submitted electronically through the MyDEQ Portal no later than 11:59 p.m. on July 29, 2026. 

In addition, this year marks the first-ever solicitation period for the Water Quality Improvement Fund (WQIF). Projects will be prioritized based on nutrient reduction impact, cost-effectiveness, funding needs, and project readiness. Additionally, projects that have incurred construction costs are now ineligible for funding. The WQIF solicitation period opens on June 2, 2026.  Complete applications must be submitted electronically no later than 11:59 p.m. on July 15, 2026. 

Once the solicitation periods begin, applicants will find full details on application materials, required attachments, and submission procedures on the Clean Water Financing and Assistance webpage. For questions regarding either funding opportunity, applicants are encouraged to contact cwfap@deq.virginia.gov. 

DEQ is pleased to announce a new enhancement to its NextRequest FOIA portal, which is designed to improve transparency and customer service. Beginning on May 28, when DEQ provides records in response to a FOIA request, the request and released records will be available to the public. This feature will allow members of the public to quickly search for and view records that have been provided in response to a previously fulfilled FOIA request immediately and at no charge, helping to reduce duplicative requests and increase access to records. Individuals are encouraged to first check whether the records being sought have been previously released by visiting this webpage. As always, new FOIA requests may be submitted through NextRequest. 

Virginia is currently in the process of seeking U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for the state's Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) permitting program. CCR, also known as coal ash, is a byproduct of coal-fueled power plants. Virginia Solid Waste Management Regulations incorporate permitting and management requirements for CCR disposal to protect human health and the environment.

On April 30, EPA announced the proposed approval of Virginia’s CCR permit program. The Federal Register notice published on May 4 announced a hybrid public hearing on June 24, at DEQ’s Piedmont Regional Office. EPA will accept comments on this proposal through July 6.   View a copy of the proposal in the Federal Register. For more information, visit the EPA’s State of Virginia CCR Permit Program webpage, EPA's Virginia public hearing webpage, and EPA Docket EPA-HQ-OLEM-2025-3325.