STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Revisions to the Science Standards of Learning Available for Public Review
The Department of Education is finalizing the 2025 Science Standards of Learning expansion process that focus on secondary science courses for use in public schools. The State Board of Education intends to conduct an initial review of the 2025 Science Standards of Learning at its December 2024 meeting. The 2025 Science Standards of Learning will be made available for public review and comment via the department's website. The board expects to take final action on the proposed 2025 Science Standards of Learning at its February 2025 meeting. Additional information is available at https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/science.
Contact Information: Jim Chapman, Director of Board Relations, Department of Education, James Monroe Building, 101 North 14th Street, 25th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 750-8750, or email jim.chapman@doe.virginia.gov.
Finalized 2023 Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning Available for Public Review
The Department of Education is finalizing the 2023 Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning process. The Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning serve as alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The State Board of Education intends to conduct an initial review of the 2023 Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning at its December 2024 meeting. The 2023 Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning will be made available for public review and comment via the department's website. The board expects to take final action on the proposed 2023 Mathematics Essentialized Standards of Learning at its February 2025 meeting. Additional information is available at https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/student-assessment/virginia-sol-assessment-program/virginia-alternate-assessment-program-vaap.
Contact Information: Jim Chapman, Director of Board Relations, Department of Education, James Monroe Building, 101 North 14th Street, 25th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 750-8750, or email jim.chapman@doe.virginia.gov.
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
Amelia Energy Facility LLC Notice of Intent for a Small Renewable Energy Project (Solar) - Amelia County
Amelia Energy Facility LLC has provided the Department of Environmental Quality a notice of intent to submit the necessary documents for a permit by rule for a 106-megawatt alternating current small renewable energy project (solar) in Amelia County, Virginia, pursuant to 9VAC15-60. The project name is Amelia Solar Buckskin Road Solar Project, and the developer is Torch Clean Energy. The DEQ project number is RE0000334.The Amelia Solar Buckskin Road Solar Project will be located at 5540 – 5300 Buckskin Creek Road, Jetersville, Virginia, with a geographic information system (GIS) centroid of Latitude 37.279089, Longitude -78.039358. The project will encompass approximately 1,100 acres with a disturbance zone of up to 750 acres with approximately 195,000 photovoltaic modules.
Contact Information: Amber Foster, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 774-8474, email amber.foster@deq.virginia.gov.
Withdrawn - Notice of Intent for a Small Renewable Energy Project (Solar) - Isle of Wight County
The notice of intent submitted March 29, 2016, by Ecoplexus Inc. for Smithfield Solar Farm, a planned 14-megawatt project on a 122-acre parcel located in Isle of Wight County, was withdrawn on October 30, 2024. The DEQ project number was RE0000009. The notice of intent was posted to the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall on March 30, 2016, and published in the Virginia Register of Regulations on May 2, 2016.
Contact Information: Matthew Snow, Small Renewable Energy Permit by Rule Program Specialist, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Suite 1400, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 718-9569, or email matthew.a.snow@deq.virginia.gov.
Proposed Enforcement Action for US Infra Rehab Services LLC
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is a proposing an enforcement action for US Infra Rehab Services LLC for violations of State Water Control Law and regulations in Roanoke County. The proposed order is available from the DEQ contact or at https://www.deq.virginia.gov/permits/public-notices/enforcement-actions. The DEQ contact will accept written comments from December 2, 2024, to January 1, 2025.
Contact Information: Kristen Sadtler, Enforcement Coordinator, Department of Environmental Quality, 1111 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, or email kristen.sadtler@deq.virginia.gov.
Opportunity for Public Comment - Cleanup Study for James, Maury, and Jackson Rivers
Purpose of Notice: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) seeks public comment on edits to a draft cleanup study, also known as a total maximum daily load (TMDL) report, for the James, Maury, and Jackson Rivers in Albemarle, Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Chesterfield, Craig, Cumberland, Fluvanna, Giles, Goochland, Greene, Hanover, Henrico, Highland, Montgomery, Nelson, Powhatan, and Roanoke Counties and Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Covington, Lexington, Lynchburg, and Richmond Cities.
At the final public meeting on February 15, 2024, DEQ presented the results of the study and provided an overview of the draft report. In response to feedback received, changes have been made to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) baseline loads and wasteload allocations (WLAs), as well as other components of the document. This notice is to invite citizens to provide comment on the revised study. This project affects streams located within the territories of DEQ's Blue Ridge, Valley, and Piedmont Regional Offices. These streams are listed as impaired since monitoring data does not meet Virginia's water quality standards for PCBs in fish tissue. Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act and § 62.1-44.19:7 C of the State Water Control Law require DEQ to develop cleanup studies to address pollutants responsible for causing waters to be on Virginia's § 303(d) list of impaired waters. A component of a cleanup study is the WLA; therefore, this notice is provided pursuant to § 2.2-4006 A 14 of the Code of Virginia for adoption of the WLA into the Water Quality Management Planning Regulation (9VAC25-720) after completion of the study. The adoption of the WLA may require new or additional requirements for entities holding a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) permit in the James, Maury, and Jackson Rivers watersheds.
Cleanup Study Location: The study area totals 4,342,969 acres (approximately 6,786 square miles), and consists of four TMDL watersheds, the Jackson River, Maury River, Upper James River study area (from the head of the James near Iron Gate to the Bent Creek confluence), and Lower James River study area (from the Bent Creek confluence to I-95 James River Bridge in Richmond).
Public Comment Period: December 2, 2024, to January 6, 2025.
How to Comment: DEQ accepts written comments by email or postal mail. All comments must be received by DEQ during the comment period. Submittals must include the name, organization represented (if any), mailing addresses, and telephone numbers of the commenter or requester.
Contact Information: Karen Kline, Department of Environmental Quality, Blue Ridge Regional Office, 901 Russel Drive, Salem, VA 24153, telephone (540) 676-5573, or email karen.kline@deq.virginia.gov.
DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL ASSISTANCE SERVICES
Notice of Public Comment Period - § 1115 Demonstration Waiver Amendment
Pursuant to 42 CFR § 431.408, notice is hereby given that the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) is seeking to amend its Medicaid § 1115 demonstration waiver entitled "Building and Transforming Coverage, Services, and Supports for a Healthier Virginia" and submit the amendment to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) December 2024.
DMAS is providing an opportunity for the public to review and provide input on the demonstration amendment application through December 11, 2024.
The current demonstration is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2024, and a renewal application to extend the current demonstration for five years was submitted to CMS on August 2, 2024. The current § 1115 demonstration waiver, as well as the renewal application submitted to CMS, includes two programs. The two current components of the § 1115 demonstration waiver are the substance use disorder (SUD) institutes of mental disease (IMD) and Former Foster Care Youth (FFCY) programs. With this amendment application, Virginia seeks waiver authority for serious mental illness (SMI) IMD coverage in response to an opportunity announced to states via a State Medicaid Director letter in 2018.
The full public notice and draft amendment application are available at https://dmas.virginia.gov/about-us/1115-demonstration-waiver/. View the public notice at https://www.dmas.virginia.gov/media/jjbpbmyw/smi-1115-long-notice_v3.pdf. View the draft amendment application at https://dmas.virginia.gov/media/mp5jmdoz/smi_1115_waiver_draft_11_7_24.pdf. DMAS will also send the notice out to an electronic list of over 200,000 providers, members, and stakeholders. Public comment may be submitted via the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall at https://townhall.virginia.gov/L/Forums.cfm. Comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. on December 11, 2024.
DMAS will hold a public hearing where verbal or written public comments can be submitted. All verbal public comments should be limited to two minutes each. Here is the information to participate in the public hearing:
Board of Medical Assistance Services Meeting, Tuesday, December 10, 2024, 10:00 a.m. to noon.
In-person attendance: Conference Rooms 102 A and B, 600 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219.
Virtual Attendance: https://covaconf.webex.com/covaconf/j.php?MTID=m84dcab39c35d54a04fd706b0bf1ac836.
After considering public comments about the proposed demonstration amendment application, DMAS will make final decisions about the demonstration and submit a revised application to CMS. Additional information about this demonstration is also available on the CMS website at https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/section-1115-demo/demonstration-and-waiver-list/index.html.
Contact Information: Lisa Jobe-Shields, Director, Behavioral Health Division, Department of Medical Assistance Services, 600 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 814-9216, or email lisa.jobe-shields@dmas.virginia.gov.
VIRGINIA CODE COMMISSION
Notice to State Agencies
Contact Information: Mailing Address: Virginia Code Commission, Pocahontas Building, 900 East Main Street, 8th Floor, Richmond, VA 23219; Telephone: (804) 698-1810; Email: varegs@dls.virginia.gov.
Meeting Notices: Section 2.2-3707 C of the Code of Virginia requires state agencies to post meeting notices on their websites and on the Commonwealth Calendar at https://commonwealthcalendar.virginia.gov.
Cumulative Table of Virginia Administrative Code Sections Adopted, Amended, or Repealed: A table listing regulation sections that have been amended, added, or repealed in the Virginia Register of Regulations since the regulations were originally published or last supplemented in the print version of the Virginia Administrative Code is available at http://register.dls.virginia.gov/documents/cumultab.pdf.
Filing Material for Publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations: Agencies use the Regulation Information System (RIS) to file regulations and related items for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations. The Registrar's office works closely with the Department of Planning and Budget (DPB) to coordinate the system with the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall. RIS and Town Hall complement and enhance one another by sharing pertinent regulatory information.