County engineering department reports DEQ E&S audit and consent order

Kenneth Dunford, Tazewell County Director of Engineering, told the Planning Commission on Jan. 9 that the county’s Engineering Department underwent a Department of Environmental Quality erosion-and-sediment (E&S) audit and received a consent order.

Dunford said the audit flagged that the county’s new E&S ordinance had not been posted on the Tazewell County website, which contributed to a negative mark on the audit. The ordinance has since been posted, but Dunford said the department nonetheless received a consent order that the Board of Supervisors agreed to sign at its Jan. 7 meeting.

Why it matters: DEQ consent orders typically require corrective steps and can carry civil penalties or require reporting; they affect how the county manages erosion-and-sediment control on projects and could change permitting or oversight practices. The minutes do not record specific corrective actions, enforcement timelines or penalty amounts.

Dunford presented the audit result to the commission and answered members’ questions about whether the new ordinance posting influenced the audit rating. The minutes indicate the ordinance was added to the county website after the audit but do not record additional staff action or a timeline for DEQ compliance reporting.

Next steps: The minutes record that the Board of Supervisors agreed to sign the consent order; the minutes do not record further technical remedies or reporting deadlines. Staff or supervisors would need to provide additional details about required corrective measures and deadlines.