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2024 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

Chair: David W. Marsden

Clerk: Michael Jackson,Ashleigh Hynst
Staff: Nathan Smith
Date of Meeting: February 6, 2024
Time and Place: 30 mins. after adj. / Senate Room A (305) - GAB
https://virginia-senate.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=3

S.B. 243

Patron: McPike

Department of Environmental Quality; PFAS; identification; monitoring; PFAS Advisory Committee established; report. Requires the owner or operator of a publicly owned treatment works to monitor PFAS levels, as defined in the bill, in effluent, influent, and biosolids at least quarterly and report all such monitoring data on an applicable discharge monitoring report required by federal regulations. The bill requires the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department), in certain circumstances, to develop a PFAS action plan to identify and address sources of certain PFAS detected in a public water system's raw water source, perform outreach efforts regarding PFAS contamination, report annually on its activities, and work with certain entities in developing its PFAS action plans. The bill requires certain facilities that manufacture or use PFAS to report the use of such chemicals to the Department and to monitor such PFAS at least quarterly unless at another frequency at the direction of the Director of the Department. The bill also directs the Department and the Virginia Department of Health to jointly establish a PFAS Advisory Committee to assist with PFAS-related activities and appoint such committee's members to include legislative members and a wide range of nonlegislative citizen members and to report annually to the Governor and the General Assembly on the Committee's activities and recommendations.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 3.1 of Title 62.1 an article numbered 13, consisting of sections numbered 62.1-44.34:29 through 62.1-44.34:33, relating to Department of Environmental Quality; PFAS; identification; monitoring; PFAS Advisory Council established; report.

24104761D

S.B. 414

Patron: Head

Tire stewardship program established; report. Requires producers of tires sold in the Commonwealth to join a tire stewardship organization on or before January 1, 2026, which must submit a plan to the Department of Environmental Quality for the establishment of an approved tire stewardship program. Such tire stewardship program shall establish a statewide collection system for discarded tires to facilitate higher rates of recycling and resale for such tires. The bill establishes reporting requirements for tire stewardship organizations and provides that the Office of the Attorney General may, at the request of the Department, enforce the provisions of the bill.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 14 of Title 10.1 an article numbered 3.8, consisting of sections numbered 10.1-1425.40 through 10.1-1425.43, relating to tire stewardship program established; report.

24101817D

S.B. 461

Patron: Marsden

Department of Forestry; Forest Conservation Plan required. Requires the Department of Forestry, in coordination with a stakeholder advisory group, to develop a Forest Conservation Plan no later than November 1, 2025, and update such plan every five years thereafter. The bill requires the Department to post and maintain on its website the most recent version of the Plan and submit the Plan to the Governor and Chairmen of the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources no later than November 30, 2025, and November 30 every five years thereafter.

A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 1 of Chapter 11 of Title 10.1 a section numbered 10.1-1103.1, relating to Department of Forestry; Forest Conservation Plan required.

24103969D

S.B. 561

Patron: Hackworth

Department of Environmental Quality; nuclear energy electrical generation facilities; permitting. Adds an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 300 megawatts that generates electricity only from nuclear energy located in Planning District 1 (LENOWISCO), 2 (Cumberland Plateau), 3 (Mount Rogers), or 4 (New River Valley Region) to the definition of small renewable energy project for purposes of the regulation of such projects by the Department of Environmental Quality. The bill requires the Department to limit the permitting of such facilities pursuant to the definition and directs the Department to develop the applicable permit by rule regulations for such nuclear energy projects to be effective as soon as practicable.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 10.1-1197.5 and 10.1-1197.6 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Environmental Quality; nuclear energy electrical generation facilities; permitting.

24105064D

S.B. 712

Patron: Marsden

Release of hunting dogs; state highway or right-of-way. Creates a Class 3 misdemeanor for the intentional release of hunting dogs on a Department of Transportation right-of-way or on a highway owned or maintained by the Department of Transportation to hunt deer without the consent of the Department. The bill provides that a second offense is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and a third or subsequent offense is a Class 1 misdemeanor. The bill also permits the stopping of a vehicle on a highway for the retrieval of a companion animal from a highway or area adjacent to a highway.

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 18.2-132.1 and 46.2-889 of the Code of Virginia, relating to release of hunting dogs; state highway or right-of-way.

24104947D