HB 2178 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Discharging preproduction plastic; regulation, requirements.

Summary
Regulation of discharging preproduction plastic; requirements. Requires the Department of Environmental Quality to establish a program to ensure zero discharge or release from point and nonpoint source at certain facilities that discharge to (i) a surface water under a Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the Department or (ii) a publicly owned treatment works under an industrial pretreatment program permit or other written authorization issued by a local permit control authority and to require the prompt and environmentally responsible containment and cleanup of discharged or released preproduction plastic. The bill requires the Department to adopt and implement certain requirements in order to reduce and control the discharge or release of preproduction plastic from such facilities. The bill allows the Department to exempt a facility from the requirements of the program if a facility satisfies the criteria for a no exposure certification and complies with inspection requirements administered by the Department. The bill also allows the Department to establish additional requirements regarding the regulation of discharges and releases of preproduction plastic from certain facilities into water or onto land in the Commonwealth.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Last action Feb 4, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced HACNR Sub: Chesapeake Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill moved from introduction to committee substitute status, with substantive changes to enforcement requirements. The Department must now include zero-discharge effluent limitations in permits rather than just establishing a program. Monitoring requirements were strengthened to mandate continuous technology at outfalls. The exemption process now requires on-site inspections and off-site area checks before approval.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains the same - it still regulates preproduction plastic discharges from facilities in Virginia - but enforcement mechanisms and permit requirements have been strengthened.
REQUIREMENT

Changed from requiring the Department to establish a program to requiring specific effluent limitations with zero discharge or release in VPDES permits, industrial pretreatment programs, and stormwater permits.

Added requirement for continuous monitoring technology that can detect preproduction plastic at wastewater and stormwater outfalls.

ENFORCEMENT

Strengthened exemption process by requiring on-site inspections and off-site area inspections (at least 50 feet in all directions) before approving any facility exemption.

TECHNICAL

Added VPDES acronym definition and changed lettering from (i)/(ii) to (a)/(b) in the permit requirements section.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Jan 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (10-Y 0-N)
lower
Jan 17, 2025
Committee
Assigned ACNR sub: Chesapeake
lower
Jan 7, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
lower
1 primary · 9 co-sponsors

Sponsors