Skip to main content
University of Virginia logo
Environmental Resources

Environmental Impact Review (EIR)

As a state agency, UVA is required to submit Environmental Impact Reviews (EIRs) to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for all construction projects that exceed $500,000 in costs and have impacts outside of a building envelope. There are exclusions, but any project that is not strictly an interior renovation should check with Environmental Resources staff for a project specific evaluation on EIR requirements.

Environmental Resources will draft the EIR, send it around for internal review, and submit the EIR to the DEQ. Any responses from the DEQ will be coordinated through Environmental Resources.

Information required in order to draft the EIR includes:

  • Project Description
  • Site plans, drawings, elevations, etc.
  • State Budget Item (ex. 207-####-###), Project number, Work Order Number
  • Reason for the Project
  • Change in impervious surface – estimate increase or decrease in square feet
  • Description of stormwater management plans and design features
  • Change in landscaping – loss of trees, significant features that will be preserved, landscape plans for project
  • Impacts to pedestrian or vehicle traffic both during and after construction
    • Please provide a traffic study if one has been completed
  • Impacts to parking after construction
  • Known impacts to historic resources, if applicable
    • Will there be an archaeological survey or coordination with the Department of Historic Resources?
  • Please provide a geotechnical report if one has been completed
  • Please mention any environmentally friendly design features and whether the project is seeking LEED certification
  • Alternatives to the project that were considered and why they were rejected

All of the above information can be brief and sending existing project narratives or documentation to answer any or all of the above questions is encouraged. Information that can be supplied in an electronic format is preferred.

Please contact Jess Wenger at (434) 982-5540 for questions on UVA’s EIR submission process or for information on whether an EIR is required for a specific project.

Information about the EIR program can also be found on the DEQ’s website. DEQ has a 60-day review process and the project may not break ground until an EIR approval letter is received from the Governor's office. Initiating the EIR process during the preliminary design phase should allow adequate timing to complete the EIR before the project's start date.