Despite Potomac Sewage Spill, Virginia Budget Proposals Underfund Clean Water

Virginia lawmakers on Sunday rolled out competing proposals for the Commonwealth’s two-year budget starting July 1 that shortchange key investments in wastewater facilities and programs aimed at cutting water pollution at a time when the region can least afford it.

Local leaders are still grappling with the fallout just over a month after approximately 243 million gallons of sewage spilled into the Potomac River following a pipeline breach, underscoring risks from aging sewage systems across the region.

The proposals approved by the House and Senate money committees, respectively, fall short of the state’s own assessments of what is needed to cut pollution in Virginia waters and provide residents with the resources to develop climate-smart initiatives and programs that would help shore up the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

Wastewater Facilities

Investments in wastewater plants and combined sewage systems help update aging infrastructure, preventing spills like the recent one in the Potomac River and other pollution.

House lawmakers added almost $189 million in wastewater funding to take investments up to $329.5 million for the state share of wastewater treatment plant improvements. The Senate version proposed an additional $200 million for wastewater treatment facilities. Unfortunately, both proposals fall short of the funding needed to fully upgrade our wastewater systems. The ongoing modernization of these plants has greatly helped cut pollution to the Bay.

The House and Senate versions also include $50 million for the city of Richmond’s combined sewer overflow project aimed at cutting pollution into the James River. Delegate Betsy Carr had offered a budget amendment that would have provided $200 million over the next two years for that effort.

Pollution

The House budget plan reduces funding for the Virginia Agricultural Cost-Share Program, which helps farmers install projects that reduce pollution to local waterways.

The House and Senate budget proposals do not include language for the Pay-for-Outcomes program, which incentivizes innovation in restoration efforts by paying only for verified pollution reductions. CBF has called on lawmakers to fully fund the program and make it permanent.

House lawmakers included $2 million and Senate legislators $8 million for the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program, which helps private property owners and community groups install nature-based projects that cut stormwater pollution. CBF had advocated to increase funding for the program to at least $8 million over the biennium.

Climate Resilience

The House and Senate are both pushing budget language to get Virginia back in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state program the Commonwealth withdrew from in 2023 that cuts carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

House and Senate lawmakers included $43.5 million for the Stormwater Local Assistance Fund, which provides grants for stormwater design with an eye toward cutting water pollution. CBF had advocated for $50 million.

Menhaden

House Appropriations Committee lawmakers included $2 million to fund menhaden research in the Bay, which would help fill critical data gaps into research as timing for federally supported research remains uncertain. Del. Carr has championed this effort as a way to get much-needed science on the health of the menhaden population in the Bay.

Atlantic menhaden, a critical forage fish in the Bay, serve as a food source for striped bass, redfish, humpback whales, and birds like osprey and bald eagles. Their abundance directly affects commercial and recreational fisheries, tourism, and coastal communities.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation Virginia Policy Manager Jay Ford released the following statement:

“The budget proposals legislators unveiled this week fall short of the commitment Virginia just made in December under the revised Bay Agreement. The Commonwealth’s own assessments call for more robust clean water investments in Virginia farmers and wastewater infrastructure.

“At a time when everybody is rightfully concerned about the ongoing aftermath of the Potomac River spill, we should be focused on investing in clean water programs. This budget comes up short.

“We are grateful to lawmakers of both houses for reinstating the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program and for investing the staffing and resources needed to begin addressing PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, in the Commonwealth.

“Given the lack of action on much-needed menhaden legislation thus far, we are grateful that the needed science funding is proposed in the House budget. The long-overdue effort is the only way we can ensure not only a robust ecosystem but also a healthy economic outlook for all of those that depend on a thriving population of menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay for their livelihood.

“Governor Spanberger and the legislature have a historic opportunity to set the Commonwealth up for success in the coming years when it comes to protecting our natural resources. As the budget process moves forward, we urge lawmakers to increase their clean water investments.”