Description

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is undertaking several initiatives to improve efficiency in the administration of the stormwater management program. These initiatives include the development of a new Stormwater Handbook, updates to the Virginia Runoff Reduction Method (VRRM), consolidation of the erosion and sediment control and stormwater management regulations, and new guidance documents. Combined, DEQ’s efforts will provide stakeholders such as permit applicants, localities, and consultants with updated resources based on current regulations, water quality models, and stormwater-treatment technologies. 

In this discussion, DEQ staff will introduce these initiatives and describe in further detail the goal and status of the 2023 Virginia Stormwater Handbook. The handbook will combine erosion and sediment control and stormwater management content. The discussion will cover DEQ's Stakeholder Advisory Group, the development process, revised and new technical content, formats, and timelines. 

Speaker: Evan Branosky, Chief Stormwater Policy Advisor 

Prior to joining the agency in 2022, Evan served as Associate Vice President of Government Affairs - Environmental at the Home Builders Association of Virginia (HBAV). In this capacity, he developed HBAV’s state regulatory and legislative advocacy program on environmental issues. Evan also served as Environmental Program Manager at the National Association of Home Builders, where he implemented their regulatory program for Clean Water Act Section 404 (wetlands) and Waters of the United States. Earlier in his career, Evan implemented and managed the District of Columbia’s offsite stormwater compliance program and led the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Trading and Offsets Workgroup while at the World Resources Institute. As a consultant, Evan advised stormwater program managers in California, Delaware, Nevada, and Pennsylvania and developed the compliance strategy for a federal bureau’s nationwide real estate property portfolio. He holds a BS from Rutgers University in Agricultural Science, with a Certificate in Environmental Geomatics and a Master of Public Policy in Environmental Policy from the University of Maryland.