Review of DEQ Stormwater Laws and Regulations

ACEC Virginia and DEQ has partnered to bring our members a webinar series to facilitate discussion on topics surrounding the environment in Virginia.

Earn 1.5 PDHs

Topics covered:

• Overview of Virginia stormwater laws and regulations - high level of where to find them, how they are developed, and the relationship between law and regulation (some issues are discussed only in the statute and there's no corresponding regulatory section so users need to be familiar with both)
• Role of professional engineers versus DEQ certification programs for E&S and SWM
• Significant/often misunderstood definitions - including "land-disturbing activity" and "common plan of development"
• Time Limits of Applicability
• Grandfathering
• Q&A

Facilitator: Don Rissmeyer P.E., CFM, Associate, A. Morton Thomas & Associates, Inc.

Don Rissmeyer is a licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states and a Certified Floodplain Manager with more than 30 years of experience in providing consulting engineering services to municipal stormwater clients at the local, state and federal level. He is a Past-President of the Virginia Section of ASCE and the Virginia Floodplain Management Association, and a member of the Virginia Municipal Stormwater Association, the Western Virginia Floodplain Network and the Joint Legislative Committee for ACEC Virginia.

DEQ Panelists:

Melanie D. Davenport, Director, Water Permitting Division

Melanie Davenport is the Director of the Water Permitting Division. Programs in this division include stormwater, erosion and sediment control, wetlands, biosolids, animal operations, wastewater, nutrient trading and compliance. Melanie has been the division director since 2011. Previously she was the director of enforcement at DEQ. She also worked for 10 years at a large law firm. She has a BA from Boston University in Marine Biology and a law degree from the College of William and Mary.

Erin Belt, Manager, Office of Stormwater Management

Erin Belt is the Program Manager for the DEQ Office of Stormwater Management. She has been with DEQ since 2014 and previously filled the roles of inspector and plan reviewer in the Stormwater Program. Prior to joining DEQ, she worked for two different localities in southeast Virginia and for the state of Georgia, in positions focused on stormwater and erosion and sediment control program compliance. Erin completed her undergraduate degrees in Forestry and Wildlife as well as her Master's in Wildlife Management & Ecology at the University of Georgia.

Drew Hammond, Director of Water Permits

Drew Hammond is the Director of Water Permits in the DEQ Water Permitting Division. He has been with DEQ since 2010 and previously filled the roles of team leader and program manager in the Stormwater Program. Prior to DEQ, Drew was a private consultant specializing in water and wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and land development. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. Drew is also a licensed Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.