Governor Warner Signs Historic Legislation Protecting the Environment
Governor Warner Signs Historic Legislation Protecting the Environment
Budget includes funding for the Chesapeake Bay, water quality, parks, and land conservation
Governor Mark R. Warner today signed eight bills that significantly strengthen Virginia's ability to protect its environment and to conserve its natural resources. This legislation provides funding for the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, strengthens enforcement of environmental laws, and rewards companies and local governments that have outstanding environmental protection records.
"This has been the best environmental session in a generation, perhaps the best session ever," said Governor Warner. "A bipartisan coalition of legislators came together with the conservation community, local governments, and the business community to do the right thing for Virginia's environment."
The 2005 Assembly authorized significant new funding for environmental programs, including $50 million for the Chesapeake Bay, in addition to $32.4 million in the introduced budget (for a total of $82.4 million). Lawmakers also endorsed $4 million to address combined sewer overflow into the James River, $10 million for land conservation, and nearly $18 million for operation, maintenance, and capital improvements at state parks.
Note: Where bills are identical, only the first listed has been linked to bill text on the General Assembly site.
The legislation signed by Governor Warner includes:
SB 810 (Williams), SB 1235 (Quayle) and HB 2777 (Louderback), identical bills that provide for the $50 million for Bay Cleanup in FY 2005 in conjunction with the Budget and identify funding of Chesapeake Bay cleanup as a priority in future years.
SB 1275 (Watkins) and HB 2862 (Bryant), identical bills that establish a nutrient trading program for the Bay. The bill will allow small dischargers to buy credits from bigger dischargers to meet their state permit limits for nutrient discharges, rather than having to undergo extensive upgrades for minor improvements in water quality. This will allow scarce resources to be used for upgrades that will make the biggest environmental improvements.
SB 1088 (Watkins/Whipple) and SB 1089 (Watkins/Whipple). These two companion bills strengthen environmental compliance and enforcement. SB 1088, Environmental Excellence, improves environmental compliance by rewarding good actors' (companies and local governments with excellent environmental records) with more flexibility in compliance approaches. SB 1089 toughens penalties for violation of environmental laws and regulations and gives the Department of Environmental Quality significantly more authority to issue civil penalties for violation of water quality or air quality standards. Both bills were introduced at the request of the Governor.
SB 1141 (Hanger) This bill creates the Foundation for Virginia's Natural Resources to encourage collaboration and environmental stewardship among local governments, businesses, and communities.
"After decades of working on these issues, I am so pleased that the environment is being recognized as one of the significant core commitments of government," said Virginia Natural Resources Secretary W. Tayloe Murphy, Jr. "The legislation signed today, and the funding provided in the budget will go a long way towards protecting our natural resources."
Organizations represented at the bill signing that supported one or more of the bills signed today included the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the James River Association, the Virginia Municipal League, the Virginia Association of Counties, and the Virginia Farm Bureau.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Press_Policy/Releases/2005/Mar05/0324.htm