DEQ Director David K. Paylor
Director's Corner
Involving communities around Virginia
Many changes have taken place in the three years since the Department of Environmental Quality adopted its formal community involvement policy in December 2004.
The policy laid the groundwork for how DEQ would involve and communicate with communities, environmental groups and other stakeholders in making significant environmental decisions, establishing strong partnerships and building consensus.
It has become more than a just a plan; it is now a daily part of our work while protecting the environment. We are committed to involving the public early and often throughout the regulatory process.
Through partnerships with local governments, state agencies and other organizations, we have entered into new discussions with groups as varied as first responders, agricultural producers and homeowner associations. The discussions focus on the roles that DEQ and these organizations play in protecting the environment, and how our efforts can complement each other.
We have learned more about the issues important to communities and how we can help by collaborating with citizen advisory committees, environmental groups and other stakeholders.
The best examples of our community involvement efforts are now available on the DEQ website. More than 80 case studies or best practices are captured in this document as a means for both the public and the agency to evaluate our work and help determine what the future may hold.
Learning how to apply new community involvement techniques will be a key component to ensuring that this effort continues at DEQ, and we are taking steps to adapt to the evolving needs of communities.
The Virginia Office of Environmental Education has been partnering with the Department of Forestry on an educational program that helps the public evaluate past changes in their communities to bolster planning for the future.
This effort supports one of DEQ’s main community involvement goals, involving the public early. This is particularly important because some of the initial decisions related to environmental protection often start at the local level, long before DEQ issues permits.
In addition, the education office is training more than 170 DEQ staff members on how to determine their ecological footprints, or the effects they have on the environment. This exercise helps individuals identify the actions that have the most significant environmental effects, and we expect it will be shared widely as more communities begin evaluating how to reduce the use of energy and natural resources.
After all, one of our key environmental education messages is that environmental protection begins with each individual, be it a factory manager, a neighbor or a DEQ employee. With enhanced engagement and involvement from everyone who values a healthy environment, we can meet these challenges in a way that protects the health and well-being of all Virginians.