TITLE 9. ENVIRONMENT
STATE WATER CONTROL BOARD
Initial Agency Notice
Title of Regulation: 9VAC25-31. Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) Permit Regulation.
Statutory Authority: § 62.1-44.15 of the Code of Virginia.
Names of Petitioners: James Alexander and Evans Oakerson.
Nature of Petitioners' Request: On March 26, 2026, the Department of Environmental Quality received a petition to the State Water Control Board for rulemaking from James Alexander and Evans Oakerson. The petitioners assert that after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency, 598 U.S. 651 (2023), regulatory amendments are necessary to address significant gaps in existing regulations regarding discharges into dry ditch or intermittent streams from wastewater facilities discharging 1,000 gallons or more each day. The petitioners included proposed changes to the Virginia Pollutant Discharge System (VPDES) Permit Regulation with the petition for rulemaking.
A copy of the full petition is available from the point of contact for this petition.
Agency Plan for Disposition of Request: A 21-day public comment period is being announced in the Virginia Register of Regulations. Upon completion of the public comment period, the State Water Control Board will consider the petition at a future meeting and decide whether to move forward with the rulemaking.
Public Comment Deadline: May 11, 2026.
Agency Contact: Erica Duncan, Manager, Office of VPDES Permits and Compliance, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 1400, P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA 23218, telephone (804) 337-5407, or email erica.duncan@deq.virginia.gov.
VA.R. Doc. No. PFR26-28; Filed March 30, 2026, 2:37 p.m.
w –––––––––––––––––– w
TITLE 18. PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING
BOARD OF COUNSELING
Initial Agency Notice
Title of Regulation: 18VAC115-30. Regulations Governing the Certification of Substance Abuse Counselors and Substance Abuse Counseling Assistants.
Statutory Authority: § 54.1-2400 of the Code of Virginia.
Name of Petitioner: Lydia Thomas.
Nature of Petitioner's Request: The petitioner requests that the Board of Counseling permit experience obtained as a certified substance abuse counselor (CSAC) in another jurisdiction to meet requirements to be a CSAC supervisor in Virginia.
Agency Plan for Disposition of Request: The petition for rulemaking will be published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on April 20, 2026. The petition will also be published on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall at www.townhall.virginia.gov to receive public comment, which opens April 20, 2026, and closes May 20, 2026. The board will consider the petition and all comments in support or opposition at the next meeting after the close of public comment. That meeting is currently scheduled for July 17, 2026.
Public Comment Deadline: May 20, 2026.
Agency Contact: Maria S. Stransky, Executive Director, Board of Counseling, 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 300, Henrico, VA 23233, telephone (804) 367-4610, or email maria.stransky@dhp.virginia.gov.
VA.R. Doc. No. PFR26-27; Filed March 23, 2026, 2:10 p.m.