Subcommittee advances substitute directing publication of environmental‑justice permitting guidance and public town halls
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Summary
A substitute to HB1266 directing the secretary of natural resources and DEQ to publish updated environmental‑justice permitting guidance, hold a public town hall by July 31 and respond to comments by Oct. 31 was reported and referred to appropriations by a 7–3 vote.
The subcommittee voted to report and refer to appropriations a substitute for HB1266 that requires the secretary of natural resources to publish an updated environmental‑justice and permitting‑process guidance memo and directs the Department of Environmental Quality to hold at least one public town hall no later than July 31 and to respond to public comments by Oct. 31, with final guidance published by year‑end.
"What this substitute is… it's a section 1 bill that directs the secretary of natural resources to publish an updated version of that memo," the chair summarized, saying the substitute is intended to push the department to make its 2020 guidance public and to integrate cumulative‑impact considerations into permitting practice.
Environmental justice and conservation organizations strongly supported the substitute, saying communities experience pollution cumulatively and need earlier opportunities to engage. "Communities do not experience pollution 1 permit at a time. They experience it all at once," Kim Suddarth of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light told the committee.
The subcommittee moved to report the substitute and refer the bill to appropriations; the motion carried by a recorded vote of 7–3. Supporters said the action will accelerate the creation and public release of guidance that DEQ previously drafted but had not published.
The substitute requires consideration of cumulative impacts and improved community engagement as part of the guidance and sets specific public‑engagement milestones and deadlines.