The General Assembly at its 1972 Session adopted House Joint Resolution No. 35, directing the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council to study the feasibility of creating a state agency to assist localities in determining the impact of industry locating in their communities.

Willard J. Moody, a member of the Senate, a member of the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council, and an attorney at law was appointed as chairman of a committee to make the preliminary study and to report to the Virginia Advisory Legislative Council. The following persons were selected to serve as members of the Committee with Mr. Moody: Walton G. Bondurant, Jr., attorney at law, Portsmouth; Russell M. Carneal, attorney at law and a member of the House of Delegates, Williamsburg; David S. Favre, attorney at law, Newport News; Abram Frink, Jr., member of Board of Supervisors, James City County, Williamsburg; Muscoe Garnett, President, Garnett Oil Company, Suffolk; Ashton C. Jones, Jr., Associate, Rucker Real Estate Company, Arlington; Allen O. Kinzer, Councilman, City of Radford; J. Joseph May, retired Senior Vice President, Bank of Virginia, Richmond; King Meehan, Executive Director, Peninsula Industrial Committee, Newport News; J. Randolph Perrow, Director of Area Development, Virginia Electric and Power Company, Richmond; George W. Summerson, Mayor, Abingdon; L. E. Ward, Jr., Executive Director, New River Valley Industrial Commission, Dublin; Chris H. Whiteman, President, Chris H. Whiteman and Associates, Richmond; and James R. Wilkins, President, J. R. Wilkins, Inc., Winchester. The committee met and organized, and elected Mr. Carneal Vice Chairman. The Division of Legislative Services, represented by Mr. E. M. Miller, Jr. and Ms. Jill M. Pope, served as secretariat to the Committee and made staff and facilities available for the study.

The Committee met on numerous occasions and considered various suggestions made by individual representatives of the Division of Industrial Development, the Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, the State Air Pollution Control Board, the State Water Control Board, the Division of State Planning and Community Affairs, and the various regional and local planning districts. The Committee held public hearings in Fairfax, Staunton, Williamsburg and Abingdon and considered the opinions expressed by local citizenry, resolutions adopted by the governing bodies of several localities and individuals representing various segments of industries within the Commonwealth. The hearings were well attended with some thirty-seven persons expressing their views and making suggestions to the Committee. After consideration of and debate on the proposed recommendations of the Committee, the Council now makes the following recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly of Virginia.