Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin announced the release of the Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) website, a new platform that aims to bring greater visibility and efficiency to the state’s permitting processes. The website allows the public to track the status and timeline of critical steps for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s permits, such as environmental, energy, and marine resources permits.
VPT: A Centralized Platform for Permit Tracking
The VPT website provides the public a centralized platform to track the daily status and timeline of critical steps for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s permits. Users can search permit applications or filter results by fields such as agency, application number, locality, and more. VPT can be accessed at Permits.Virginia.Gov.
The website currently features the permits of three agencies: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Virginia Energy (ENERGY), and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Additional agencies will be added in the coming months.
The website was first launched as a pilot program last year at DEQ and has won several awards, including the “2023 State Program Innovation Award” from the Environmental Council of the States.
Youngkin: A Commitment to Transparency and Economic Growth
Governor Youngkin said that the VPT website is part of his administration’s commitment to increasing transparency in the permitting process. He said that Virginia is demonstrating how a transparent permitting process can continue to attract top-quality business and job opportunities.
“Our administration is committed to increasing transparency in the permitting process. The Virginia Permit Transparency website allows Virginia to continue to lead the country by bringing greater visibility to the regulatory and permitting processes,” said Governor Youngkin. “Virginia is demonstrating how a transparent permitting process can continue to attract top-quality business and job opportunities.”
Youngkin also said that the website will help the Commonwealth prove that it can have economic growth and ensure environmental protection.
“This puts Virginia as best-in class, bringing transparency that will help the Commonwealth prove that we can have economic growth and ensure environmental protection,” he said.
DEQ: A New Method for Permit Applicants and the Public
DEQ Director Mike Rolband said that the VPT website will enable permit applicants and the public to track pending permits and provide current information about the critical steps and permitting schedules associated with obtaining permit approvals. He said that the website will also bring efficiency to DEQ staff.
“Previously, there has been no easy method for permit applicants or the public to track the progress of their permit applications,” said Rolband. “With this platform, Virginians and businesses will be able to quickly and easily follow the status of a permit request as it is being reviewed and know when permit decisions will be reached, while also bringing efficiency to DEQ staff.”
Rolband said that by the end of 2023, DEQ plans to incorporate all of the agency’s significant permits and ensure transparency on all relevant approval processes.
VPT: A Snapshot of the Website Features
The VPT website has several features that make it user-friendly and informative. Some of the features are:
- A dashboard that shows the number of permits by agency, status, and type.
- A map that shows the location of permits by agency and type.
- A table that shows the details of permits by agency, application number, applicant name, project name, locality, status, and date.
- A chart that shows the timeline of permits by agency, application number, and critical steps.
- A search bar that allows users to search permits by keywords or filters.
- A feedback button that allows users to provide comments or suggestions on the website.
The VPT website is expected to improve the transparency and efficiency of the state’s permitting processes, as well as the communication and collaboration between the state agencies, permit applicants, and the public.
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