The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has referred violations by Fones Cliffs developer, Virginia True Corporation, to the Virginia Attorney General's Office for enforcement. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) had called for a significant penalty for these violations. CBF Virginia Assistant Director and Senior Attorney Peggy Sanner released the following statement.
"We applaud DEQ's decision to refer the case to the Attorney General in response to the destructive actions taken at Fones Cliffs. We urge consideration of a substantial penalty for damage to the cliffs, a Virginia treasure.
"After public promises to protect the environment, the developer flagrantly bulldozed 13 acres atop the cliffs. Even after being ordered to stop work, the developer delayed for months before installing required sediment and erosion controls. Predictably, rains this year on exposed land have led to massive erosion of the cliffs and discharged sediment pollution into the Rappahannock."
