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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>73020</law_id><section_number>32.1-248</section_number><catch_line>Closing of waters; modification or revocation of regulation or order</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="32.1">Health</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="6">Environmental Health Services</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Miscellaneous Provisions</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> may adopt regulations or <span class="dictionary">orders</span> closing any river, stream, lake or other body of water in this Commonwealth to fishing, boating, swimming or any other usage if the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> finds, and states the reasons and precise factual basis for <span class="dictionary">finding</span>, that a toxic substance as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-239/">32.1-239</a> is present in such river, stream, lake or other body of water in such manner as to constitute a present threat to public health and welfare. Such regulation or <span class="dictionary">order</span> may be temporary or permanent and may be issued initially on an emergency basis. Thereafter it may be promulgated as a final regulation or <span class="dictionary">order</span> upon the completion by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> of the procedural requirements set forth in the Administrative Process Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title; purpose" href="/2.2-4000/">2.2-4000</a> et seq.).
		If the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> determines that the threat to public health and welfare has abated in whole or in part, the State Health <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> may modify or revoke any such regulation or <span class="dictionary">order</span> in a manner that lessens the restrictions placed upon fishing, boating, swimming, or other usage. Such modification or <span class="dictionary">revocation</span> by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> shall not be subject to the requirements of the Administrative Process Act but shall be filed with the Registrar of Regulations in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Agencies to file regulations with Registrar; other duties; failure to file" href="/2.2-4103/">2.2-4103</a>. The <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall review such modification or <span class="dictionary">revocation</span> at its next regularly scheduled meeting after such action by the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span> and shall <span class="dictionary">affirm</span>, <span class="dictionary">reverse</span>, or modify the <span class="dictionary">Commissioner</span>&#x2019;s action. Review by the <span class="dictionary">Board</span> shall also be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process Act.</p></section></text><history>1979, c. 711; 1981, c. 144.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
