DIRECTOR'S CORNER
Bay bonds and other priorities for the 2007 General Assembly session
DEQ Director David K. Paylor
The 2007 General Assembly will consider a host of legislative and budgetary actions this January, many of which will affect how Virginia protects its natural resources.
The Chesapeake Bay is once again taking center stage, and with good reason. Our nation’s largest estuary remains “impaired” or unhealthy, and Virginia has made a commitment along with other Bay-area governments to reduce the nutrient pollution that enters the Bay.
The Department of Environmental Quality, as the agency charged with permitting wastewater discharges, has helped make pioneering regulatory changes over the past half decade that will ensure reductions in point source nutrient pollution. The reductions will require that plants either build new facilities or improve their technology.
While the upgrades will move Virginia considerably closer to fulfilling its responsibilities to everyone who enjoys and depends on the Bay, this effort will require a significant financial investment. Estimates for the Commonwealth’s share of the construction projects range from $750 million to $1 billion. Although expensive, the upgrades will lead to long-term benefits that will far exceed the initial costs.
Depending on need, Virginia will pay 35 percent to 75 percent of eligible construction and equipment costs via the Water Quality Improvement Fund. However, localities need assurances that the money will be available in the future.
Governor Tim Kaine is seeking authority to issue $250 million in bonds to help finance the state’s share of wastewater treatment plant upgrades. These funds will help ensure that the Commonwealth upholds its financial obligations to localities.
The administration is also proposing several other actions, including asking the General Assembly to consider:
- Depositing $3.1 million in the first year to separate storm water and sewage pipes in Lynchburg and $6 million in the second year for the Lynchburg and Richmond systems. These two federally mandated projects will help reduce the amount of untreated sewage that flows into the James River during intense rainfalls.
- Adding $1.9 million to the Water Quality Improvement Fund for current projects at treatment plants.
- Providing support for more staff positions in the wetlands and solid waste programs at DEQ.
- Clarifying the Virginia Wetlands Protection law (without substantive changes) to indicate when a permit is required and what conditions apply for certain projects based on recommendations from several stakeholder groups.
- Changing the schedule that determines when citizens may nominate streams and other waters for closer monitoring by DEQ. The change will allow the agency to be more responsive to citizen requests.
The approval of the Bay bonds and the other proposed actions are crucial to ensuring that progress toward a cleaner environment will continue. Legislators will consider hundreds of topics during the next several weeks, and showing your support for environmental actions is as important as ever.
Let your representative know what measures are important to you. Visit the Virginia General Assembly website to find the contact information for your representative.