Department of Environmental Quality [440]
Secretarial Area: Natural and Historic Resources
formerly under: Natural Resources
Operating Budget Summary
This table shows the Governor's proposed budget for the next two years and the agency's official budget for the previous six years.
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Biennium Fiscal Year Source GF NGF Total
2014-2016 2015 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly $45,535,093 $131,614,077 $177,149,170
2014-2016 2016 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly $43,303,046 $131,614,077 $174,917,123
2016-2018 2017 Chapter 1, 2018 Acts of Assembly $40,764,599 $134,600,472 $175,365,071
2016-2018 2018 Chapter 1, 2018 Acts of Assembly $39,560,090 $137,158,047 $176,718,137
2018-2020 2019 Chapter 1283, 2020 Acts of Assembly $60,361,783 $139,960,369 $200,322,152
2018-2020 2020 Chapter 1283, 2020 Acts of Assembly $40,901,658 $139,960,369 $180,862,027
2020-2022 2021 Chapter 552, 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I $42,863,491 $141,856,299 $184,719,790
2020-2022 2021 Previous Legislative Appropriation $49,052,749 $141,856,299 $190,909,048
2020-2022 2021 Governor's Amendments ($6,189,258) $0 ($6,189,258)
2020-2022 2021 General Assembly Adjustments $0 $0 $0
2020-2022 2022 Chapter 552, 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I $81,437,752 $141,856,299 $223,294,051
2020-2022 2022 Previous Legislative Appropriation $54,811,523 $141,856,299 $196,667,822
2020-2022 2022 Governor's Amendments $5,729 $0 $5,729
2020-2022 2022 General Assembly Adjustments $26,620,500 $0 $26,620,500
Positions Budget Summary
Biennium Fiscal Year Source GF NGF Total
2014-2016 2015 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly 408.50 564.50 973.00
2014-2016 2016 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly 408.50 564.50 973.00
2016-2018 2017 Chapter 1, 2018 Acts of Assembly 408.50 564.50 973.00
2016-2018 2018 Chapter 1, 2018 Acts of Assembly 408.50 564.50 973.00
2018-2020 2019 Chapter 1283, 2020 Acts of Assembly 408.50 564.50 973.00
2018-2020 2020 Chapter 1283, 2020 Acts of Assembly 413.50 564.50 978.00
2020-2022 2021 Chapter 552, 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I 413.50 564.50 978.00
2020-2022 2021 Previous Legislative Appropriation 413.50 564.50 978.00
2020-2022 2021 Governor's Amendments 0.00 0.00 0.00
2020-2022 2021 General Assembly Adjustments 0.00 0.00 0.00
2020-2022 2022 Chapter 552, 2021 Acts of Assembly, Special Session I 416.50 564.50 981.00
2020-2022 2022 Previous Legislative Appropriation 413.50 564.50 978.00
2020-2022 2022 Governor's Amendments 0.00 0.00 0.00
2020-2022 2022 General Assembly Adjustments 3.00 0.00 3.00
Operating Budget Addenda (in order of greatest impact)
•
Move reductions to agency budget Decision Package
  Moves the reductions included in Item 482.20 of the 2020 Special Session Appropriation Act from Central Appropriations to the agency budget.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($6,189,258) ($11,948,032)
•
Increase funding for water protection Decision Package
  Provides support for the Water Protection program. Includes positions, equipment, and contractual work in air monitoring, compliance, permitting, and policy service areas.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $8,315,476
•
Increase funding for air protection Decision Package
  Provides support for the Air Protection program. Includes positions, equipment, and contractual work in air monitoring, compliance, permitting, and policy service areas.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $1,978,451
•
Increase funding for land protection Decision Package
  Provides support for the Land Protection program. Includes positions, equipment, and contractual work in air monitoring, compliance, permitting, and policy service areas.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $1,659,834
•
Amend hydrofluorocarbons language Decision Package
  Amends language to require that the agency implement rules consistent with federally approved manufacturing alternatives as they are approved.
•
Continue the water quality enhancement fee Decision Package
  Amends language to continue the water quality enhancement fee paid by nonpoint source nutrient banks, and to require the workgroup of affected stakeholders to provide recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1, 2021.
•
Continue the Water Quality Enhancement Fee Decision Package
  Budget language continues the Water Quality Enhancement Fee. Also, directs the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to convene a group of stakeholders to produce recommendations by November 1, 2020, for the Governor and General Assembly to improve the long-term sustainability of the fee and DEQ's oversight of nutrient credit use in Virginia. (Item 377)
•
HFC Prohibition Exemption (2020 Special Session General Assembly Action - 378 #1c) Decision Package
  This amendment provides exemptions to certain manufacturers from State Air Pollution Control Board regulations adopted pursuant to language included in Chapter 1289.
•
Modify Water Quality Enhancement Fee Language (2020 Special Session General Assembly Action - 377 #1c) Decision Package
  This amendment modifies language proposed by the Governor in House Bill 5005 to establish a workgroup to review the long-term sustainability of the water quality enhancement fee; and to provide recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly by November 1, 2020.
•
Provide funding for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $25.0 million from the general fund the second year for deposit in the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund for stormwater quality retrofits and upgrades.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $25,000,000
•
Provide support for the Stormwater Management Fund General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $1.1 million from the general fund the second year to be deposited in the Virginia Stormwater Management Fund, and directs the State Water Control Board to adopt a schedule that sets fees at an amount of at least 60 percent of the direct costs for the Department of Environmental Quality's administration, compliance, and enforcement activities in its stormwater management programs.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $1,100,000
•
Fund erosion and sediment control permitting for solar projects General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides the funding for staffing dedicated to the erosion and sediment control program to review for solar project permitting and provide this service to projects upon the request of a locality pursuant to the provisions of Senate Bill 1258 of the 2021 General Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $230,000
Positions 0.00 2.00
•
Provide funding to research salt reduction in surface and groundwater General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $175,000 the second year for a field test of using native plants to capture and remove salt from paved surface stormwater runoff.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $175,000
•
Implement energy storage permitting program General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $115,000 the second year from the general fund and one position for the Department of Environmental Quality to administer permit-by-rule applications for energy storage projects pursuant to the provisions of House Bill 2148 and Senate Bill 1207 of the 2021 General Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 $115,500
Positions 0.00 1.00
•
Direct Nutrient Credit Program Workgroup General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment directs the creation of a multi-agency workgroup to review the practice of retiring agricultural land for the generation of nutrient credits and determine its impact on agricultural sustainability, farmland retention, farmland preservation, and functions of the nutrient credit exchange in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its subwatersheds.
•
Direct the study of advanced recycling General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment directs the Department of Environmental Quality to study Advanced Recycling, and report its findings to the Chairs of the House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and Senate Agriculture, Conservation, and Natural Resources Committees by December 31, 2021.
•
Direct workgroup to report on harmful algae bloom mitigation General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment directs DEQ, VDACS, and VDH to convene a joint workgroup to provide a report on the prevalence of harmful algae blooms in Virginia waters and strategies to address their occurrence.
•
Remove hydrofluorocarbon prohibition exemption General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment removes proposed language included in the budget as introduced which would speculatively permit the use of hydrofluorocarbons in manufacturing processes that are currently prohibited from being used.


p3_bullets - Official Enacted Budget - 04-13-2026 17:11:06