1. Executive Summary

This report was prepared by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on behalf of the State Air Pollution Control Board (SAPCB) for the Governor and General Assembly pursuant to § 10.1- 1307 H of the Code of Virginia. This report details the status of Virginia's air quality, provides an overview of the air division programs, and briefly summarizes federal and state air quality programs.

1.1. Air Quality in the Commonwealth

Air quality in Virginia continues to improve. Ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone in Virginia met United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in 2018.

1.2. Air Quality Policies in the Commonwealth

Policy initiatives affecting Virginia in the near future include a new Regional Haze analysis, 2015 ozone NAAQS Good Neighbor provisions under the Clean Air Act (CAA), and regulatory changes stemming from the South Coast Air Quality Management District v. EPA decision.(*1) Other significant policy efforts include the implementation of Virginia’s Environmental Mitigation Trust Agreement for State Beneficiaries (State Trust Agreement) that took effect October 2, 2017, in the case, In Re: Volkswagen “Clean Diesel" Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation. The State Trust Agreement is an element of the settlements resolving allegations that Volkswagen (VW) violated the Clean Air Act by the sale of approximately 590,000 diesel engine motor vehicles (model year 2009 to 2016) equipped with “defeat devices" in the form of computer software designed to cheat on federal emissions tests including approximately 16,000 vehicles in Virginia.

1.3. Summary of Annual Air Division Activities

Monitoring Locations: 38
Monitoring Instruments: 113
Minor Source Permits Issued: 154
PSD Permits Issued: 2
Vehicles Emission Inspection
Failures: 19,666
General Permits Issued: 31
State Operating Permits Issued: 7
Federal Operating Permits Issued: 4
Compliance Evaluations (all): 4174
On Site Inspections: 744
Enforcement Actions: 345
Vehicles Emission Inspections Performed: 836,387(*2)
Vehicle Emission Inspection Station Overt Audits: 447
Vehicle Emission Inspection Station Covert Audits: 148
Consent Orders Issued: 30
Civil Charges Collected: $844,823
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(*1) https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/217B6778AE3EC89C8525823600532AE0/$file/15-1115-1718293.pdf
(*2) Total includes tests performed at emissions inspection stations and on-road emissions (clean screen) tests.