 After a tumultuous six weeks, the General Assembly is about to pack up and leave town. Provided the budget conferees reach a deal amenable to both houses, the legislative session ends on Saturday. Budget Virginia Conservation Network and our affiliate members have focused our budget message on a $200 million bond proposed by Gov. Bob McDonnell. The bond package represents a significant investment in water quality that is necessary to keep Virginia on track with its commitments to restore rivers and Chesapeake Bay. The package includes more than $100 million to clear a backlog of wastewater treatment upgrades, $60 million to keep raw sewage from spilling into the James River from aging sewers, and $35 million for community stormwater grants. Because the bond package was included in both House and Senate versions of the budget, we are optimistic about its passage. Uranium Mining Even if lawmakers don’t reach a deal on transportation, they have achieved some significant breakthroughs this year. First and foremost, they wisely chose to keep the ban on uranium mining that has protected Virginians lives and property for 30 years. You can call the governor and encourage him to respect that decision by taking no further action on mining. If you know your legislator supported the ban on uranium mining, send him or her a handwritten thank-you note. This is significant victory of common sense and democracy over simplistic rhetoric and corporate largess. In addition, lawmakers can point to achievements in land protection, clean water, fisheries and clean energy. Land Conservation HB1398 will ensure that the $100 million allotted to land preservation via the state’s transferable tax credit for donated conservation easements goes to its intended purpose. If the full amount is not claimed in a given year, the remainder will be divided among grant programs including the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation, Civil War Sites Preservation Fund and local Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) matching grants. Water Quality HB2190, a bill VCN initially opposed, was amended at the 11th hour to do far less harm. VCN staff worked with local governments and representatives of stormwater engineering firms to broker a compromise with homebuilders. Though still more restrictive than necessary, the final bill gives local governments the flexibility they need to develop custom stormwater ordinances. Following passage of SB1279, water quality programs now administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation will be transferred to the Department of Environmental Quality. In theory, this will allow a more coordinated approach to runoff and point-source pollution alike. VCN will participate in a stakeholder process over the coming year to determine if Soil and Water Conservation Districts are also transferred to DEQ in the future. Fisheries HB2254 and SB1291 passed with support from Gov. Bob McDonnell and a majority of legislators, much to the surprise of General Assembly watchers who have grown accustomed to bitter feuds over menhaden management. These bills will enact harvest caps as required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Council, sparing Virginia from noncompliance penalties and sparing some of these critical forage fish from commercial nets. Like humans, osprey, rockfish and other predators also rely on menhaden. For the first time, Virginia’s management of the fishery will reflect the complexity of the coastal ecosystem. Clean Energy Clean energy entrepreneurs got a boost this year with the passage of a bill to allow aggregated net metering on farms (HB1695) and bills to allow up to 50 MW of renewable energy financed through third-party power purchase agreements, or PPAs (HB 2334/ SB 1023). Aggregated net metering will enable farmers to invest in wind, solar, or manure digesters and credit the electricity produced against the bills for their home, barn, office or other facility. Third-party PPAs will enable schools, churches and other Dominion customers to finance clean energy projects simply and quickly. This model has been particularly effective in scaling up the use of on-site solar power in other states and could do the same here in Virginia. VCN staff members worked hard on these bills, as well as another (HB 1695 and SB 1269) that did not pass, but for the first time won the support of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and both major utilities for a zero-carbon electricity standard. A complex piece of legislation stripped the incentives from Virginia’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which establishes clean energy goals for the commonwealth. The bill (HB 2261 and SB 1339) also stripped bonus payments for new fossil fuel plants, giving offshore wind a clear advantage under the law. The full impact of these significant changes remains to be seen, but VCN’s Energy Workgroup is already hard at work assessing the likely outcomes. We are proud of the role VCN has played in winning numerous conservation victories this year. Thank you for being a part of Virginia Conservation Network All the best,  Nathan Lott Executive Director | |
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Southside Va. legislator: McDonnell not taking up uranium mining anytime soon Gov. Bob McDonnell is focused on his big proposals in the General Assembly and won’t be taking up the issue of uranium mining anytime soon, a legislator who met with the governor Friday said. A greenway runs through it. Users can help bridge the gap in the Roanoke River Greenway. Greenways coordinator Liz Belcher said funding from individuals, corporations and foundations is necessary. To finish the trail in 2015, small, private amounts pooled together will help leverage larger grants to gain the needed $3 million. Companies signal interest in offshore Va. winds An energy company developing the nation's first offshore wind project is among the growing number of companies expressing interest in the federally designated wind-development area 27 miles off Virginia's coast. Additional articles available daily on the VCN twitter page (News). | |
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Monday, February 25, 2013
February 20, 2013 E-Newsletter: General Assembly
