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Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform (PEEP)
DEQโs Permitting Enhancement and Evaluation Platform (PEEP) first launched as a pilot program for this effort late 2022. The documentation, reports and linked resources below provide detailed DEQ permit and approval review information and data analytics; and as facilitated by PEEP. This functionality will be made available in Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) when this platform is fully developed.
PEEP brings transparency to DEQโs permitting processes by providing current information about the critical steps and permitting schedules needed for permit approval. Applicants, agents, the public, and DEQ staff may use PEEP to track and manage permitting and approval processes.
Click here for information about Stormwater Construction General Permit Automation.
Below is a table displaying DEQ's operational key results in reducing permitting timeframes*.
Permit Processing Time
Click the link below (DEQ Performance Report) to access the DEQ Performance Report, which details specific PEEP performance metrics. Specifically, the Report is divided into the following performance dashboards:
- Performance Summary: Performance by DEQ and other task assignees in meeting target days to complete request types (i.e. permit applications, plan approvals, and bank approvals).
- DEQ Performance Heat Map: Normative scholastic grading scheme and associated color-coded heat mapping applied to overall performance by all parties, as well as DEQ-only performance.
- DEQ Target Trends: Trends analysis of performance in meeting target days to complete request types on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis; and displayed as overall performance by all task assignees or DEQ-only performance.
Enforcement Resolution
Below is a table displaying DEQ's improvements in resolving Enforcement Actions in a more expedient manner - which means permittees are getting back into compliance with permit requirements faster, and leading to better protection of our environment*. In addition, DEQ provides a Pending Cases Report showing current Enforcement Actions awaiting resolution, and a Resolved Cases Report detailing actions that have reached closure.
* Reported values for permit processing and enforcement case resolution is averaged on a rolling 365-day basis.
Try out PEEP here. The PEEP instruction manual and tutorial can also help you learn your way around the platform.
PEEP includes the approval processes for several DEQ initial permit/plan review and other DEQ-driven approval actions; as well as subsequent modifications of specific permit types or approved plans/banking approvals.
DEQ currently plans that PEEP will track at least 69 unique types of permits or approvals encompassing 129 approval actions across 12 different programs.
The PEEP release schedule for the 12 DEQ Programs is as follows:
- Virginia Water Protection Permit (VWPP) Program โ December 1, 2022
- Wetland and Stream Channel Mitigation Banking โ March 13, 2023
- Air Permitting โ June 2, 2023
- Surface Water Withdrawal - June 12, 2023
- Nutrient Banking โ June 23, 2023
- Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permitting โ July 3, 2023
- Stormwater and Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Review โ July 3, 2023
- Virginia Pollution Abatement (VPA) Permitting - July 3, 2023
- Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) - July 3, 2023
- Renewable Energy Permitting โ July 21, 2023
- Land Protection / Waste Permitting โ September 11, 2023
- Groundwater Withdrawal Permitting โ April 1, 2024
The Excel table linked below details the specific Request Types (i.e., permits or action approvals) included in PEEP. The table also provides further details as to the Media and Program Type associated with each Request Type โ providing users further information as to how PEEP Filtering is defined. Thus, if a user is interested in searching by a specific Media or Program Type, the Excel table will allow the user to better understand the Request Types associated with such filtering.
DEQ has developed a Request Type Target Schedules document that outlines the target timeline and approval schedule for each request type in PEEP. The document specifically details the target schedule, an overall processing timeline of the critical steps in seeking approval, as well as a more detailed timeline that breaks down each critical step into its subcomponents - attributing targeted timeframes to complete each.
DEQ Approval Actions: DEQ approves permits, plans, banks, and oversees and approves other actions that are collectively referred to as DEQ approval actions.
Critical Tasks for Each Approval: PEEP displays the critical tasks necessary for each approval action process. These critical steps do not include every step of an approval process, instead defining those principal tasks comprising the process. Each critical task is further comprised of a series of subtasks that require completion to resolve the overarching task.
Task Assignee: The party who is responsible for completing a subtask is the assignee. Task assignees include DEQ, coordinating agencies and parties, agents, and applicants. See the PEEP Task Assignees/Agency Acronyms section below for a list of task assignees included in PEEP.
Target Schedule: The target schedule establishes a reasonable timeline of how long an approval action process should take if every task assignee responds in an accurate and timely manner. The target schedule is represented by the horizontal grey bars for each task and subtask, and the red vertical line defining the overall target schedule for obtaining approval. Target schedules may be based on regulatory deadlines. When an approval action processing timeframe is running behind the overall target schedule, a new predicted final decision date will display as a blue vertical line.
Notifications: PEEP sends notifications to applicants, agents, and other task assignees. Notifications will occur when assigned subtasks are due, and again on a specific cadence as an item remains overdue. Agents will also receive a notification 5 days in advance of an upcoming due date. Notifications will occur as follows:
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Agents โ 5 days prior to a subtask being due, the day a subtask is due, and then at 14, 28 and 42 days if that subtask remains overdue. After they are 42 days overdue, agents will receive notifications of subtasks due monthly.
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Applicants โ The day a subtask is due, and then at 14, 28, and 42 days if that subtask remains overdue. After they are 42 days overdue, applicants will receive notifications of subtasks due monthly.
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Task Assignees โ Notifications are sent at 6 a.m. each Tuesday to Task Assignees other than the applicant or designated agent(s).
Data Filtering: PEEP has filter options to narrow down search results. A user can apply several filters or directly search for a specific request number by typing the number in the Request Number filter. PEEP filtering is driven by the existence of data for a particular filter element. For example, Loudoun County will only be available as a selectable option in the Locality filter dropdown if there are applicable records. If there are no actions in-progress or completed within the last 30 days for a given locality, that locality would not be an option in the Locality filter drop-down. This same logic applies to all PEEP filters in the Request Search.
USACE: As part of the PEEP for Virginia Water Protection Permit Program, DEQ included United States Army Corps of Engineersโ (USACE) SPGP and Individual Permit processes. As mentioned above, the targets are suggested schedules to keep permits on track. The USACE is working with DEQ as its resources allow to provide the detailed information that PEEP requires.
| PEEP Acronym or Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Applicant/Sponsor | Entity seeking a permit or other action approval |
| External/Other Agency | Undefined external agency(ies) that may be involved in an approval process |
| FLM | Federal land managers |
| Locality | Local governing body |
| USACE | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| USDA - NRSC | U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service |
| USEPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency |
| USFERC | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission |
| USFWS | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| USNOAA | U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |
| VDACS | Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services |
| VDCR | Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation |
| VDEQ | Virginia Department of Environmental Quality |
| VDH | Virginia Department of Health |
| VDHR | Virginia Department of Historic Resources |
| VDOAV | Virginia Department of Aviation |
| VDOE | Virginia Department of Energy |
| VDOF | Virginia Department of Forestry |
| VDWR | Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources |
| VESCP | Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Program |
| VIMS | Virginia Institute of Marine Science |
| VMRC | Virginia Marine Resources Commission |
| VPDC | Virginia Planning District Commission |
Released January 31, 2024, Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) provides the public a centralized platform to track the daily status and timeline of critical steps for Commonwealth of Virginia's permits. The permits of three agencies are available on the website: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Virginia Energy (ENERGY), and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Additional agencies will be added in the coming months. Users can search permit applications or filter results by fields such as agency, application number, locality, and more.
Questions about PEEP:
Trisha Beasley
Trisha.Beasley@DEQ.Virginia.gov
(703) 583-3940
Christoph Quasney
Christoph.Quasney@DEQ.Virginia.gov
(571) 719-0843
If you have a question about a specific permit, you can use the email the DEQ project manager link on PEEP.
