                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION FUNDING; CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL (§ 10.1-2132)

A. The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall be the lead state agency
for determining the appropriateness of any grant related to nonpoint source
pollution to be made from the Fund to restore, protect and improve the quality
of state waters.

B. The Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall, subject
to available funds and in coordination with the Director of the Department of
Environmental Quality, direct the State Treasurer to make Water Quality
Improvement Grants in accordance with the guidelines established pursuant to
&#xA7; 10.1-2129. The Director shall manage the allocation of grants from the
Fund to ensure the full funding of executed grant agreements.

C. Grant funding may be made available to local governments, soil and water
conservation districts, institutions of higher education and individuals who
propose specific initiatives that are clearly demonstrated as likely to achieve
reductions in nonpoint source pollution, including, but not limited to, excess
nutrients and suspended solids, to improve the quality of state waters. Such
projects may include, but are in no way limited to, the acquisition of
conservation easements related to the protection of water quality and stream
buffers; conservation planning and design assistance to develop nutrient
management plans for agricultural operations; instructional education directly
associated with the implementation or maintenance of a specific nonpoint source
pollution reduction initiative; the replacement or modification of residential
onsite sewage systems to include nitrogen removal capabilities; implementation
of cost-effective nutrient reduction practices; and reimbursement to local
governments for tax credits and other kinds of authorized local tax relief that
provides incentives for water quality improvement. The Director shall give
priority consideration to the distribution of grants from the Fund for the
purposes of implementing any applicable regulations, permits, or the Chesapeake
Bay TMDL Watershed Implementation Plan, with a priority given to agricultural
practices. In no single year shall more than 60 percent of the moneys be used
for projects or practices exclusively within the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

D. The Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall manage
the allocation of Water Quality Improvement Grants from the Virginia Natural
Resources Commitment Fund established under &#xA7; 10.1-2128.1.

HISTORY: 1997, cc. 21, 625, 626; 1999, cc. 257, 509, 549; 2005, cc. 704, 707,
709; 2008, cc. 643, 701; 2009, c. 695; 2015, c. 164.