Water discharge permitting and permits

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Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES)

Permitting

The U.S. Clean Water Act established the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program to limit the release of pollutants into waterways like streams, rivers and bays. As part of the NPDES program, polluting facilities typically require water discharge permits.

Polluting facilities, referred to as point sources, are categorized according to discharge type and volume:

Major: Industrial discharges that require review by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and sewage with a volume equal to or greater than 1.0 million gallons per day.
Minor: Small industrial and commercial discharges and sewage of less than 1.0 million gallons per day.
General: Small volumes of low potency pollutants.

The EPA maintains the authority to review permits and permit applications for "major" dischargers in all states.

Virginia is authorized by the U.S. EPA to issues its own water discharge permits, which the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VA DEQ) does through its Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) program. VPDES permits for surface coal mines are issued by the Virginia Department of Energy rather than the VA DEQ under the Code of Virginia.[1]

Dominion Terminal Associates (VA0057576) and Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals (VA0057142) are categorized as a "minor" industrial source under VPDES.

Enforcement

Permit compliance is enforced through scheduled routine inspections and inspections in response to residents' complaints to the VA DEQ. Routine inspection reports and inspections in response to residents' complaints are archived separately.

Documents

Dominion Terminal Associates (VA0057576)

Permit Applications

VPDES Permit Fact Sheets

VPDES Related Correspondence and Other Records

Massey Terminal (VA0057142)

VPDES Permit Fact Sheets

Kinder Morgan Bulk Terminals (VA0057142)

Permit Applications

VPDES Permit Fact Sheets

VPDES Related Correspondence and Other Records

Norfolk Southern

References

  1. ↑ Authority of the Department of Energy for coal surface mining operations, Code of Virginia, 9VAC25-31-940.
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