DEC Divisions and Programs

A listing of links and brief descriptions of the various offices, programs and divisions within the Department of Environmental Conservation:

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
The Vermont Air Pollution Control Division (APCD) of the Department of Environmental Conservation implements state and federal Clean Air Acts. As part of this implementation, the APCD monitors air quality and air pollution sources, proposes regulations to improve existing air quality, ensures compliance with the regulations, and issues permits to control pollution from sources of air contaminants across the state. Within the Division are five sections: Air Planning, Engineering Services, Field Services, Mobile Sources, and Technical Services.

The Planning Section develops plans and programs to meet state and federal requirements and implements regulations developed by the Division. Revisions of state air quality plans required by federal law and maintenance of comprehensive emissions inventories are the responsibility of this section. Staff members perform the analysis needed for new programs or attainment or maintenance strategies, and coordinate activities on issues such as acid rain, air toxics, and visibility. Primary activities include maintenance of the point source hazardous air contaminant emissions database, development of statewide hazardous air contaminant emissions inventories, and development of toxic action plans for about a dozen hazardous contaminants.

Engineering Services: Air pollution control permits are required to make sure sources of air contaminants comply with regulations and outdoor air quality standards, and to control and minimize air pollutants. Engineering Services issues permits to construct and operate stationary sources of air pollution. These permits regulate activities such as the wood products industries; rock and gravel crushing operations; large fuel-burning equipment; surface coating operations such as spray painting; incinerators, and processes using plastics, rubber and resins. The Engineering Services Section also issues permits for indirect sources of air pollution, such as shopping malls, industrial parks, and recreational facilities with parking capacities of 1,000 vehicles or more.

Field Services: As the Division’s compliance arm, staff members inspect commercial and other sources of air pollution to ensure that pollution control requirements are being met. Staff monitors the testing and operation of gasoline vapor recovery systems at service stations. This section also provides technical assistance, issues open burning permits and investigates air pollution-related citizen complaints.

The Mobile Sources Section provides technical expertise for transportation-related air pollution activities such as motor vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance, automotive technician training, the low-emission vehicle program, alternative fuels, heavy-duty diesel emissions, and non-road engines.

The Technical Services Section operates the Division’s statewide ambient air monitoring network for ozone, particulate matter, various volatile organic and carbonyl compounds, toxic elements, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. The Section also oversees air pollution permit—required continuous emission monitoring at significant air pollution sources.

COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE
The Commissioner is responsible for all Department activities. To support the overall function of the Department and the work of individual divisions, the Commissioner’s Office encompasses three distinct programs. The Business Office handles fiscal matters and personnel administration. The Operations Office manages facilities issues as well as planning and many federal and state reporting requirements. The Communications Team oversees media relations and customer service and supports information dissemination from each division.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSISTANCE
The Environmental Assistance Office is comprised mostly of non-regulatory programs. The Office provides guidance to permit applicants, offers environmental compliance assistance to Vermont businesses and municipalities, and provides assistance to municipal household hazardous waste programs. Office staff assist businesses, communities, state agencies, and others to identify effective and economical ways to reduce waste at the source in order to avoid waste treatment and disposal costs and to safeguard human health and the environment.

Permit Assistance: The Environmental Assistance Office has Permit Specialists located in the Agency of Natural Resources Regional Offices who can provide guidance to permit applicants.

Business Compliance Assistance: Got environmental compliance questions? The Small Business Compliance Assistance Program (SBCAP) has the answers. The SBCAP provides no-cost, confidential compliance assistance to Vermont businesses.

Municipal Compliance Assistance: Most towns have limited resources available to deal with environmental compliance issues. The Municipal Compliance Assistance Program (MCAP) provides no-cost, confidential compliance assistance to Vermont municipalities. Contact MCAP to ask a question or to arrange an on-site compliance review.

Pollution Prevention Planning & Assistance: Office staff assist businesses, communities, state agencies, and others to identify effective and economical ways to reduce waste at the source - the prevention of waste at the source before it is created and substitution of non-toxic materials, where possible - in order to avoid waste treatment and disposal costs and to safeguard human health and the environment. Companies subject to Vermont's Pollution Prevention Planning law complete and submit Annual Progress Reports.

Vermont Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence & Pollution Prevention: The annual awards honor the foresight and actions taken by Vermonters who contribute to the protection of Vermont's environment, the safety of its citizens, and the health of its economy.

Business/Environmental Partnership: The Vermont Business/Environmental Partnership is sponsored by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. The goals of the Partnership are to achieve greater environmental and economic performance and to promote public recognition of environmental excellence.

Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State: Vermont's Green Hotels and Environmental Partners are using sound environmental management practices to reduce their impacts on the environment, improve their bottom line and satisfy customer demand for environmentally conscious lodging establishments. The Green Hotels in the Green Mountain State program provides assistance to Innkeepers desiring to achieve these goals.

Mercury Education & Reduction Campaign: The Mercury Education & Reduction Campaign (MERC) was developed by the Division to increase awareness of the environmental and health impacts of mercury and to reduce mercury pollution at its source. MERC also administers Vermont's mercury-added product labeling law.

The Office also provides internal Department-wide coordination and improvement services related to permitting, compliance, and enforcement.

FACILITIES ENGINEERING
The Facilities Engineering Division administers state and federal pollution control funding programs, assists municipalities through the planning and construction of pollution control projects, provides fund administration for other Department of Environmental Conservation grant and loan programs, and provides project engineering and implementation services to the Agency for a variety of projects, including construction and maintenance of state park facilities, fish culture stations, access areas, and dams. The Division also operates the Dam Safety Program, which carries out inspections of non-power dams and the review of plans for dam construction or alteration.

The Agency Facilities Section provides engineering and project implementation services to the Agency’s three departments for a variety of construction and maintenance projects, including fish hatcheries, access areas, state park facilities, and dams.

The Dam Safety Section manages the Department’s State Dam Safety Program, operates, maintains, and periodically inspects the Winooski Valley Flood Control Dams and the Agency’s other 89 dams. The section operates a permit program for construction and alteration of non-hydroelectric dams (the Public Service Board regulates hydroelectric dams). The section inspects other dams (owned by other agencies, municipalities, and private individuals) on a resources-available basis, maintains an inventory of dams, and provides dam safety information to dam owners and operators.

The Design Section assists and directs municipalities through the planning and design phases for wastewater collection system and treatment facility construction or upgrade projects and for combined sewer overflow abatement projects.

The Construction Section performs construction phase technical and administrative overview functions for water supply and pollution control facilities projects.

Financial Management: This section processes the grant and loan documents and payments for the pollution control funding programs administered by the Division, and for the water supply, solid waste, and aquatic nuisance funding programs of other divisions. It also performs audit functions for these programs.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Vermont Geological Survey, also known as the Division of Geology and Mineral Resources in the Department of Environmental Conservation, conducts surveys and research relating to the geology, mineral resources and topography of the State. The Division also provides information to the public, government, industry, and other organizations who request assistance; reviews projects as they relate to Criteria 9D and 9E of Act 250; and maintains and publishes Vermont geological information.

LABORATORY
The Department of Environmental Conservation's Environmental Laboratory is centrally located in Waterbury, Vermont on the second floor of the R.A. LaRosa Environmental Laboratory. The DEC maintains a laboratory to analyze water, air, and soil samples for organic and inorganic compounds and heavy metals.The Lab provides high quality analytical support to divisions in the DEC, other departments in the Agency of Natural Resources and state government as well as other publicly funded environmental management and protection programs.

WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Waste Management Division oversees the use, treatment, and handling of hazardous and solid wastes. The Division performs emergency response for hazardous materials spills, issues permits for federal and state programs regulating hazardous wastes, solid wastes, and underground storage tanks, and manages cleanup at hazardous sites under state and federal authorities, including the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund).

The Management and Prevention Section performs permitting and compliance inspections for hazardous waste facilities, including locations where wastes are generated, stored, treated, or disposed. Staff also performs hazardous waste planning activities.

The Sites Management Section performs activities at petroleum and chemical release locations ranging from evaluation and immediate control, to long-term hydrogeologic and risk assessment studies at Superfund sites. Project management includes contract administration and cost control for funds expended from the Petroleum Cleanup Fund and Environmental Contingency Fund.

Technical Services is comprised of the Spill Response program, the
Underground Storage Tank (UST) program, and technical support (data, web,
graphics, and presentations) to the Division. The UST program issues
permits and conducts inspections of UST facilities to ensure compliance
with regulations. Spill response program staff work to ensure spills of
hazardous materials are properly investigated, cleaned up and removed for
disposal.

Staff members in the Recycling Section work with the state agencies, businesses, communities, and others to identify effective and economical ways to reduce, re-use, or recycle waste as a means of conserving natural resources, minimizing waste treatment and disposal costs, and protecting human health.

The Solid Waste Management Program staff helps solid waste management districts plan and comply with Act 78, Vermont’s solid waste management law. Solid Waste also certifies landfills and all other solid waste facilities, inspects these facilities, enforces permits, and reviews and approves applications for solid waste grant funds.

The Solid Waste Certification and Compliance staff writes certifications for all solid waste management facilities including composting facilities, landfills, recycling centers, transfer stations, waste haulers and trash incineration facilities. Oversees bottle bill program. Once certifications are issued, staff inspects facilities and investigates and recommends enforcement for certification violations.

The Solid Waste Technical Assistance staff members review engineering plans for solid waste facilities as part of the permit process. They work with solid waste facility operators, towns, and solid waste districts to provide technical review, and assess the need for and types of hydrological studies required for solid waste facility sites. Implement solid waste planning and data management programs.

WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT
The Wastewater Management Division has a main office in Waterbury and has five regional offices around the state. Regulatory programs managed in the division include:

Wastewater System and Potable Water Supply
Direct Discharge (includes NPDES and pretreatment discharges)
Indirect Discharge
Residuals Management
Underground Injection Control
Site Technician Certification
Wastewater Treatment Facility Operator Certification

These programs all have compliance and enforcement components as well as permit issuance responsibilities. The division provides technical assistance and educational opportunities to wastewater treatment facility operators and site technicians and in cooperation with State, regional and national organizations the division supports and/or co-sponsors opportunities that enhance the technical abilities of regulated communities as well as the division's own engineering staff.

Within the Wastewater Management Division pages you will find the rules and regulations under which each program regulates activities, application forms, information about the training opportunities for the individuals the division licenses, lists of those individuals, information sheets and other related links.

Wastewater Management Division Sections:

Administration and Compliance Section: This section provides administrative and compliance tracking services support to other sections of the Division as well as to the Operator Certification Program and the Site Technician Program.

Discharging Treatment Facilities Section:

Permits: A discharge permit is required whenever an individual, municipality or company wants to discharge waste directly to the waters of the state. Some industries are also required to treat waste before sending it to a municipal wastewater treatment facility.
Operations and Management: This group performs oversight functions of municipally-owned wastewater treatment facilities, and of privately-owned treatment and pretreatment facilities. In addition to performing certification and training programs, periodic discharge sampling for permit compliance checks, and laboratory evaluations, this group also assists municipal officials in the proper budgeting of their wastewater facilities.

Indirect Discharge Permits: This section issues permits for land-based sewage treatment systems larger than 6,500 gallons per day, such as septic tank-leach field systems and treatment facility-spray field systems. In these systems, soils are part of the processes providing further treatment of the sewage.

Residuals Management: This section oversees the management of the state’s residuals, such as septage and wastewater sludge. Permits are required for treatment, storage, or disposal of these residuals and for the operation or construction of facilities that handle them.

Engineering Services: This section issues water supply and subsurface wastewater disposal permits required for all buildings other than single family homes and all permits for subdivisions, sewer line extensions, mobile home parks and campgrounds which have flows less than 6,500 gallons per day. Any subdivided lot under ten acres is regulated by this process. If the subdivision involves ten or more lots, it may be regulated by Act 250. Engineers in regional offices review applications and make permit decisions.

WATER QUALITY
The goal of the Water Quality Division is to maintain and enhance the quality of Vermont’s lakes, rivers, and wetlands to support healthy ecosystems and appropriate public uses. Division programs address many issues, including physical and chemical characteristics of surface waters, aquatic habitat, streamflow, stream morphology, invasive exotic species, and wetland and riparian zone protection.

Biomonitoring and Aquatic Studies Section: this section assesses the biological integrity of rivers and streams in Vermont. Activities include sampling both ambient aquatic macroinvertebrate and fish communities. The section also conducts studies in areas of special concern, such as acid rain, malformed frogs, and vernal pools.

The Hydrology Section seeks to protect or restore the natural condition of rivers and streams by addressing issues related to flow management, water level management in reservoirs and lakes, stream and riparian zone protection, the impacts of dams on rivers, and erosion control at construction sites and developed areas.

Lakes and Ponds Management and Protection Section monitors and seeks to improve the water quality of lakes and ponds. Staff provides assistance to municipalities, lake associations, and individuals. Staff also administer permits for aquatic nuisance control and for encroachments into lakes and ponds.

The Planning Section is responsible for river and stream water quality and aquatic habitat assessments, municipal surface water protection assistance, the basin planning process, the 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program, and the TMDL (total maximum daily load) program.

River Corridor Management Section supports and implements channel assessment and management practices that recognize a stream’s natural stability. The section also provides regulatory review and technical assistance for protection, management, and restoration projects that affect streams and rivers.

The Stormwater Section provides technical assistance and regulatory oversight to ensure that stormwater discharges are managed in a way that meets the requirements of the Vermont Water Quality Standards. The section is responsible for defining those discharges which are required to obtain a stormwater discharge permit and determining treatment and control requirements necessary to minimize the adverse impacts of stormwater run-off.

Wetlands Section identifies significant wetlands and protects wetland functions and values through education, project review, and enforcement.

WATER SUPPLY
The Water Supply Division protects public health by assuring safe, affordable drinking water and by managing the water resources which provide drinking water.

The Engineering and Financial Services Section administers the construction permits program for public water systems; manages the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Loan Program for system improvements; and the Capacity Development Program designed to help systems meet the provisions of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Operations and Compliance Section assures public water system compliance with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, Vermont statutes, and the Vermont Water Supply Rule. The section facilitates this assurance by way of providing water system operator education and training; conducting sanitary surveys; issuing operating permits, certifying operators; technical assistance; management of emergency events; and the investigation of contamination events and population disease outbreaks.

The Support and Planning Section is responsible for managing the long– and short-term strategic and financial planning for the Division; security and emergency response planning; support for the Division; and general outreach and education. This section also is responsible for the administration of the Intended Use Plan and budget management of the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

The Water Resources Section manages public water, source-related activities and groundwater protection such as source permits, well driller licensing and well completion reports, groundwater reclassification, drought assistance, investigation of potential sources of contamination and source protection planning and technical assistance.