Air Pollution Control Board Overview
The following information gives an overview of the Air Pollution Control Board's responsibilities, member qualifications and compensation, and board meetings.
Responsibilities
The Air Pollution Control Board primarily considers the adoption, amendment or repeal of regulations at meetings. The regulations concern the control and reduction of air pollution throughout the Commonwealth or in affected areas. The Department of Environmental Quality administers the day-to-day operation of Virginia's air pollution programs, issues permits, and enforces permits and regulations as delegated by Virginia law.Activities of the board may include:
- Granting local variances and orders for the control and reduction of air pollution and for the enforcement of regulations
- Issuing permits for the construction or modification and operation of polluting facilities
- Collecting fees for the administrative and enforcement costs of permits
- Approving local air pollution control ordinances
- Upholding regulations that provide for emissions trading programs to achieve and maintain air quality
- Adopting emissions standards for motor vehicles in certain localities
- Making regulations that set standards and procedures for the inspection of motor vehicles
- Approving training programs for motor vehicle inspectors
- Licensing stations qualified to do safety inspections and fleet owners or lessees to conduct emissions inspections
- Granting licenses to emissions mechanics or inspectors
- Adopting clean alternative fuel fleet standards for motor vehicles
Member qualifications
The governor appoints five Virginia citizens to serve as board members. The selection is based on merit without regard to political affiliation. Members cannot have had a significant portion of their income within the previous two years come from persons subject to permits or enforcement orders. The term "significant portion" is not defined for air board members.
Meetings
Virginia law requires at least one meeting per quarter. The average length of the meetings is approximately four hours. The quarterly meetings are usually held in Richmond. Members must attend the annual meeting with the State Advisory Board and are asked to attend a joint meeting with the waste and water boards. The annual meeting has been held in Harrisonburg, Richmond and Virginia Beach in recent years. DEQ provides members with agenda materials to help them prepare for the meetings.
Compensation
Board members receive 50 dollars per day for attending meetings, plus reasonable and necessary travel expenses as determined by state regulations.
Additional resources
Text of Virginia law related to air pollution (Title 10.1, Chapter 13 and Title 46.2, Chapter 10, Article 22) is available through the Code of Virginia database.