Activities Covered

Residential, commercial, industrial or institutional land development activities that involve land-clearing or soil movement are regulated with the exception of the following:

1. Permitted surface or deep mining operations and projects, or oil and gas operations and projects conducted under the provisions of Title 45.one of the Code of Virginia (1950) as amended
2. Clearing of lands specifically for agricultural purposes and the management, tilling, planting, or harvesting of agricultural, horticultural, or forest crops, livestock feedlot operations, or as additionally set forth by the state Board in regulations, including engineering operations as follows: construction of terraces, terrace outlets, check dams, desilting basins, dikes, ponds, ditches, strip cropping, lister furrowing, contour cultivating, contour furrowing, land drainage, and land irrigation; however, this exception shall not apply to harvesting of forest crops unless the area on which harvesting occurs is reforested artificially or naturally in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 11 (§ 10.1-1100 et seq.) of Title 10.one of the Code of Virginia or is converted to bona fide agricultural or improved pasture use as described in Subsection B of § 10.1-1163 of Article 9 of Chapter 1one of Title 10.one of the Code of Virginia
3. Single-family residences separately built and disturbing less than 1 acre and not part of a larger common plan of development or sale, including additions or modifications to existing single-family detached residential structures
4. Land disturbing activities that disturb less than 10 thousand square feet of land area except for activities that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale that is 1 acre or greater of disturbance.
5. Linear Development projects provided that less than 1 acre of land will be disturbed
6. Discharges to a sanitary sewer or a combined sewer system
7. Activities under a state or federal reclamation program to return an abandoned property to an agricultural or open land use
8. Routine maintenance that is performed to maintain the original line and grade, hydraulic capacity, or original construction of the project. The paving of an existing road with a compacted or impervious surface and reestablishment of existing associated ditches and shoulders shall be deemed routine maintenance if performed in accordance with this subsection
9. Conducting land-disturbing activities in response to a public emergency where the related work requires immediate authorization to avoid imminent endangerment to human health or the environment. In such situations, the Administrator shall be advised of the disturbance within 7 days of commencing the land-disturbing activity and compliance with the administrative requirements of Subsection (a) is required within 30 days of commencing the land-disturbing activity