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Environmental

The Virginia Department of Transportation works to balance environmental issues with transportation needs. Environmental issues are considered in planning, delivering, operating and maintaining the transportation infrastructure. 

    Environmental Division

    Facilitating environmental compliance in transportation planning, development, construction, and maintenance.

    Environmental Division

    Program areas

    VDOT's Environmental Division is organized into several program areas of expertise.

    Program areas

    Technical guidance and resources

    Environmental resources and technical guidance for staff, contractors, localities and other partners

    Technical guidance and resources

    Environmental contacts

    Environmental Contacts for Central Office and VDOT District Environmental Offices

    Environmental contacts

    Environmental program areas

    VDOT’s highway projects are a part of transportation program that meets strict federal air quality standards, helping Virginians to continue to breathe easier. Our air experts deliver project level air studies and play an important role in regional and statewide air quality planning. Project-level air studies being completed on behalf of VDOT must comply with all current federal and state air quality requirements. 

    The Virginia Department of Transportation provides the following resources that together were designed to help streamline the preparation of project-level air quality analyses and ensure that they will meet all applicable regulations and guidance and the needs of the department.  

    Air links  

    Virginia’s natural environment is a key consideration when planning and building roads. VDOT implements numerous engineering and science-based solutions to avoid and compensate for impacts to threatened and endangered species. We support the continued survival of endangered species by creating habitat and reducing construction related impacts to flora and fauna.

    Biological Resources links

    The Virginia Department of Transportation's cultural resources program is managed out of the Central Office in Richmond, with teams of archaeologists and architectural historians serving in four regions around the commonwealth. The program’s focus is on complying with federal and state historic preservation mandates, such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Section 106) and its implementing regulation, 36 CFR Part 800. In doing so, VDOT consults with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and other parties to determine if a transportation project or activity will affect buildings, structures, districts, objects, and sites listed in, or eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places.

    VDOT often must conduct field studies to identify such resources, and it’s not uncommon for the public to encounter VDOT archaeologists or architectural historians performing investigations. VDOT recognizes the importance of history and historic preservation to Virginia and seeks to avoid or minimize impacts to our heritage when possible.

    Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires that the effects of “undertakings” (such as transportation projects) involving federal funds or using federal licenses or permits be taken into account through a consultative process defined in 36 CFR 800. VDOT carries out that process, on behalf of its federal partners (such as the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Tennessee Valley Authority) through a programmatic agreement tailored for the needs of Virginia’s transportation program.

    Cultural Resources links

    The goal of the Environmental Compliance Inspector (ECI) Program is to strengthen VDOT’s compliance with all environmental commitments to protect the environment as VDOT builds, operates and maintains highways.  Environmental commitments are the conditions that VDOT accepts or offers to meet legal or regulatory requirements for avoidance, minimization or compensation for effects on environmental resources.  The ECIs review and document how VDOT is implementing commitments, assessing the compliance with the commitments and resolving any inconsistencies with the commitments to promote project compliance. 

    The Facility Environmental Compliance Program assists VDOT’s maintenance facilities (e.g.  Area Headquarters, Residencies, District Complexes and Storage Lots) in maintaining compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. Areas of oversight include Facility Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs), Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plans (SPCC Plans), and Facility Good Housekeeping and Pollution Prevention (GHPP). The program maintains the Facility Waste Management and Pollution Prevention Guide (WMPPG), updates and maintains a rigorous training program, and implements a regular cycle of assessments and inspections for these facilities.

    VDOT protects the public by carefully managing hazardous materials in all phases of project development, construction, and maintenance. We are committed to working with state and federal environmental agencies and other stakeholders to help ensure that appropriate precautions are employed for all hazardous materials issues.   

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Program at VDOT is managed out of the Central Office in Richmond, with teams of NEPA practitioners across the commonwealth in each of the nine construction districts. The Program’s focus is on reviewing the potential environmental impacts of transportation projects, and ensuring that decision makers have the information they need regarding those impacts as they plan, design, construct and maintain transportation projects in Virginia.

    For project actions meeting specific criteria that are classified as Categorical Exclusions (CEs), VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have established a programmatic agreement (PA) for the manner in which these projects are reviewed under NEPA.  The Virginia PA for Categorical Exclusions, which was executed on Aug. 24, 2022, establishes the process for completing categorical exclusions for federal-aid highway projects.

    NEPA Programs links

    Noise is an important consideration in the development of federal-aid projects. Accordingly, VDOT developed a noise policy that requires the evaluation of noise mitigation, where applicable, to potentially reduce highway traffic noise levels. To do so, VDOT performs noise studies identifying how a project may affect noise sensitive receptors adjacent to the project corridor and the effects of noise reducing measures such as a noise barrier. To protect citizens and provide consistency in the application of noise abatement measures, the Virginia Department of Transportation adopted a State Noise Abatement Policy (SNAP), based upon Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) noise regulations (23 CFR 772). The SNAP was established in 1989 and was revised in 1997.

    In response to new technology and industry practices, FHWA proposed changes to the federal noise abatement policy and regulation. As a result, the final rule was published on July 13, 2010, with an effective date of July 13, 2011. The final rule requires each state department of transportation to revise its noise policy to be in accordance with the federal noise regulations. Due to these changes, the SNAP was updated. The updated SNAP was approved by the FHWA on March 15, 2011, and subsequently approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board on June 15, 2011. The SNAP has an effective date of July 13, 2011.

    Noise links

    VDOT is working to create a more sustainable transportation system that balances social, economic, and environmental concerns. VDOT’s Office of Transportation Sustainability (OTS) is driving practical solutions to transportation-related greenhouse gases, increasing the resilience of transportation infrastructure and operations, and maximizing the beneficial use of transportation right of way.

    Resiliency

    VDOT has developed a Resilience Plan to formalize a framework for incorporating resilience into transportation planning, project development, delivery, operations, maintenance and asset management. The link to the Resilience Plan can be found below. 

    Land Stewardship

    VDOT's Virginia Transportation Research Council published technical guidance on measures to reduce collisions with large animals, namely, white-tailed deer and black bear.  Wildlife crash countermeasures are useful to consider not only in the project scoping process for new road projects but also for existing roads in areas with frequent wildlife crashes.  The technical guidance discusses methods and data sets to check to determine if an area is a high risk for deer crashes, determining the appropriate large mammal crash countermeasure to consider, and underpass design enhancements that can be considered to accommodate deer and bear passage, among other best practices.

    Technical guidance and resources

    Environmental Instructional and Informational Memoranda (IIM) provide staff, contractors, or other third parties with the required method, process, specifications or orderly way of accomplishing a function or task or set of actions or operations which have to be executed in the same manner in order to achieve intended results. VDOT assumes no responsibility for any incorrect outcomes or damage resulting from the use of this information. For questions on Environmental I&IM, email ENV.IIM@vdot.virginia.gov.

    Air and Noise

    Cultural Resources

    Environmental Division

    Environmental Procedure Management 

    NEPA

    The Environmental Division within the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is responsible for ensuring VDOT’s and localities compliance with state and federal environmental laws, regulations and executive orders for the successful development and delivery of any transportation project. By regulation, the Federal Highway Authority (FHWA) retains NEPA approval on all federally funded projects, requiring that VDOT oversee compliance with NEPA and related federal actions on its behalf, even if a project is administered by a local government. These areas include National Environment Policy Act (NEPA), Threatened and Endangered species (T&E), and Cultural Resources (CR). The below documents are available to provide localities examples of NEPA, T&E and CR project packages for locally administered projects.

    Please be advised that as of May 15, 2024, LAP environmental form requirements have changed. Please reference IIM-ED-1202 for more details while Chapter 15 of the LAP manual is updated to reflect these changes.

    NEPA 

    Cultural Resources 

    Threatened and Endangered Species (T&E)

    In October 2021, the Environmental Division launched the first in a series of environmental certification modules for consultants working on VDOT projects and/or locally administered projects. These modules are available on the VDOT University (VDOTU) website. The modules review policies, practices, and guidance for completing environmental tasks, and they highlight VDOT’s expectations of consultants in order to have an efficient, consistent and defensible statewide program.

    Per IIM-ED-110, the environmental certification requirement applies to consultant staff who are reviewing and/or responding to consultant environmental documents and deliverables for VDOT and/or locally administered projects. RFPs, or related solicitations, which include environmental services shall require that the proposed subject matter practitioners provide a copy of the certificate they received upon completing all of the applicable certification modules on VDOTU.

    Contact environmental.certification@vdot.virginia.gov with any questions about the Environmental Certification program.

    Modules currently available in VDOTU are listed below:

    • NEPA (as of October 2021) 
      • Consists of 8 modules
    • Cultural Resources (as of June 2022)
      • Consists of 5 modules
    • Air Quality (as of April 2024)
      • Consists of 4 modules
    • Noise Analysis (as of April 2024)
      • Consists of 5 modules

    Cultural Resources links

    Environmental Certification links

    Locality Administered Projects links

    NEPA links

    Environmental forms link

    VDOT Environmental contacts

    We employ a diverse group of interdisciplinary environmental experts who function as a critical component of the VDOT team. VDOT's Environmental Division includes a staff of subject matter experts in Central Office and each of VDOT’s nine districts that are critical to transportation project delivery. 

    Chris Swanson, PE
    Director - VDOT’s Environmental Division
    chris.swanson@vdot.virginia.gov
    804-786-6839

    Scott Smizik
    Assistant Division Director
    scott.smizik@vdot.virginia.gov
    804-306-0920

    Chris Berg
    Assistant Division Director
    christopher.berg@vdot.virginia.gov
    804-786-0650

    Joe Felton
    Assistant Division Director
    joe.felton@vdot.virginia.gov
    804-839-0964

    Bristol District
    Laura Beth Hale
    laura.hale@vdot.virginia.gov
    870 Bonham Road
    Bristol, VA 24203
    276-698-0085

    Culpeper District
    Rick Crofford 
    rick.crofford@vdot.virginia.gov
    1601 Orange Road
    Orange, VA 22701
    540-718-2679

    Fredericksburg District
    Heather Williams 
    heather.williams@vdot.virginia.gov
    87 Deacon Road
    Fredericksburg, VA 22405
    540-899-4209

    Hampton Roads District
    Melissa Wolford 
    melissa.wolford@vdot.virginia.gov
    7511 Burbage Drive
    Suffolk, VA 23435
    757-956-3184 

    Lynchburg District
    Kevin Bradley 
    kevin.bradley@vdot.virginia.gov
    4210 Campbell Ave.
    Lynchburg, VA 24501
    434-856-8288

    Northern Virginia District
    John Muse 
    john.muse@vdot.virginia.gov
    4975 Alliance Drive
    Fairfax, VA  22030
    703-259-1215

    Richmond District
    Palmer Stearns 
    palmer.stearns@vdot.virginia.gov
    2430 Pine Forest Drive
    Colonial Heights, VA 23834
    804-609-5346

    Salem District
    Robin Simpson  
    robin.simpson@vdot.virginia.gov
    731 Harrison Ave.
    Salem, VA 24153
    540-387-5432

    Staunton District
    Elizabeth Jordan
    elizabeth.jordan@vdot.virginia.gov
    811 Commerce Road
    Staunton, VA 24402
    540-414-1221 (cell)

    Environmental inquiries

    The purpose of the Environmental Inquiries inbox is to provide members of the public with the opportunity to submit questions or comments regarding existing public-facing Environmental Division governance. For example, if a question or comment is submitted about existing Environmental Division governance to the Environmental Inquiries inbox, the appropriate department staff would assess the comment and determine if updates to existing governance were required or if a response to the inquiry would suffice.

    The Environmental Inquiry inbox does not serve as an avenue to request documentation that would be categorized "public records" under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). "Public records" can be electronic documents, hardcopy documents, handwritten notes, electronic recordings, etc. Note that VDOT is required to provide any records in its possession that are responsive to a request, but this does not require VDOT to draft any new documents to answer questions. To submit a FOIA request, please see the VDOT FOIA webpage.

    The table below is to document requests that are sent to the Environmental Inquiries inbox. Inquires can be sent to VDOTENVInquiry@vdot.virginia.gov.

    Requestor Request date Environmental program area/topic Request Response Response date
               

    Table last updated: 9/8/2025

    Last updated: September 26, 2025

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