Section 20. Terms defined

"Board" means the State Water Control Board.

"Conciliation" means a process in which a neutral facilitates settlement by clarifying issues and serving as an intermediary for negotiations in a manner that is generally more informal and less structured than mediation.

"Department" means the Department of Environmental Quality.

"Director" means the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality or his designee.

"Dispute resolution," "dispute resolution procedure," or "dispute resolution proceeding" means any structured process in which a neutral assists disputants in reaching a voluntary settlement by means of dispute resolution techniques such as mediation, conciliation, early neutral evaluation, nonjudicial settlement conferences, or any other proceeding leading to a voluntary settlement conducted consistent with the requirements of this chapter. The term includes the orientation session.

"Dispute resolution program" means a program that offers dispute resolution services to the public that is run by the Commonwealth or any private for-profit or not-for-profit (including nonprofit) organization, political subdivision, or public corporation, or a combination of these.

"Dispute resolution services" includes screening and intake of disputants, conducting dispute resolution proceedings, drafting agreements, and providing information or referral services.

"Mediation" means a process in which a mediator facilitates communication between the parties and, without deciding the issues or imposing a solution on the parties, enables them to understand and to reach a mutually agreeable resolution to their dispute.

"Mediator" means a neutral who is an impartial third party selected by agreement of the parties to a controversy to assist them in mediation. As used in this chapter, this word may refer to a single person or to two or more people.

"Neutral" means a person who is trained or experienced in conducting dispute resolution proceedings and in providing dispute resolution services. As used in this chapter, this word may refer to a single person or to two or more people.

"Orientation session" means a preliminary meeting during which the dispute resolution proceeding is explained to the parties and the parties and the neutral assess the case and decide whether to continue with a dispute resolution proceeding or adjudication.

"Party" means an interested person who has chosen to be and who is eligible to be a disputant in a dispute resolution proceeding. An interested person is eligible if he (i) has attended a public meeting or public hearing on the permit or regulation in dispute and is therefore named in the public record, (ii) is the applicant for the permit in dispute, or (iii) is the department.

"Person" means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a government body, a municipal corporation, or any other legal entity.

"Virginia Water Control Law" means Chapter 3.1 (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.), Chapter 3.2 (§ 62.1-44.36 et seq.), Chapter 24 (§ 62.1-242 et seq.), and Chapter 25 (§ 62.1-254 et seq.) of Title 62.1 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 17, Issue 16, eff. July 1, 2001; amended, Virginia Register Volume 31, Issue 21, eff. July 30, 2015.

Statutory Authority

§ 10.1-1186.3 of the Code of Virginia.