Virginia Lawmakers Highlight Environmental Victories

In a press conference Tuesday, Virginia Democratic leaders underscored environmental accomplishments from the 2024 General Assembly session and expressed support for returning Virginia to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). 

The state’s two-year budget includes support for flood protection, conserving the state’s disappearing trees, continued investments in beloved species like oysters, and reducing pollution to critical waterways. 

In addition, thanks to new legislation from this year’s General Assembly session, Virginians will be protected from toxic pavement sealants, local leaders can conserve more trees, and homes and businesses will enjoy more state coordination to safeguard against flooding and sea level rise. 

The budget agreement did not include a provision to reinstate Virginia’s into the carbon emission reduction program known as RGGI, which ended in 2023 after two years of Virginia’s participation. Lawmakers said Tuesday that they were committed to return Virginia to RGGI.

These decisions come at a pivotal time for the Chesapeake Bay and the communities that live and depend on the watershed. The General Assembly session comes to a close as Virginia and other states are expected to miss many of the 2025 deadlines for Chesapeake Bay restoration goals. 

Highlights of this year’s General Assembly session included: 

Pollution Reduction  

• Toxic Pavement Sealant Ban 
• In a significant victory for water quality protection and Virginians’ health, Virginia will ban a harmful toxic sealant commonly used to coat driveways.  House Bill 985, patroned by Delegate Kathy Tran, D-Fairfax, prohibits any pavement sealant with a PAH concentration greater than one percent by weight. These products contain high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that can harm people, birds, amphibians, fish, mammals, and plants.  
• Building off last year’s historic investment in farmers, the budget slates $231 million for Virginia’s agricultural cost-share program. The program supports practices like fencing cattle out of streams, and planting streamside trees, among the most cost-effective steps Virginia can take to restore the Chesapeake Bay and improve water quality.  
• A $20 million investment for a pilot Pay for Outcomes Program, where pollution reduction projects with verified, successful results are compensated.   
• Legislators recommended $400 million in bond funding for upgrades at wastewater treatment plants, which are essential to continuing progress in reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution.   

Tree Conservation   

• With the state losing tree canopy at an alarming rate, the budget includes $1.16 million in funding to study the Commonwealth’s loss of trees and ways to expand tree canopy. In addition, approved bills (HB 459, SB 121, HB 309, SB 461) give localities the ability to preserve trees before they’re cut down, or restore them after they’ve been lost to construction. 

Climate Resiliency    

• The budget maintains the $100 million that the Governor proposed for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund (CFPF). Communities from Southwest Virginia to Fairfax to the Eastern Shore have used the CFPF for projects that protect homes and businesses from flooding.    
• The budget also includes $1 million over the biennium to create the Office of Commonwealth Resilience, which will help coordinate climate adaptation efforts across Virginia government as we build towards a Climate Ready Commonwealth.   

Tackling Invasive Species & Rebuilding Keystone Species   

• The budget proposes $11 million over the biennium for oyster restoration and replenishment activities. This funding is vital to thriving waterways and local economies that until recently had long suffered from overharvesting, pollution, and disease.    
• Strengthening the blue catfish industry also received support from lawmakers. The final budget for this initiative includes $500,000 over the biennium. A robust commercial fishery for blue catfish will help reduce their predatory pressure on other commercial and recreationally important fishery species.    

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

“The victories for the environment were many in this year’s General Assembly session. Expanding and protecting tree canopy, continuing the progress of wastewater treatment plant upgrades, and supporting practices in farms and wastewater treatment plants that reduce harmful pollution flowing into our waterways are all key steps to healthier and more sustainable Virginia communities.” 

“While we are deeply disappointed that Virginia’s budget excluded a mandate to return the state to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, we are heartened by legislators’ commitment to Virginia’s future RGGI participation. Sea level rise and flooding isn’t going anywhere. The program not only reduced carbon emissions, but helped shift Virginia to becoming a Commonwealth resilient to the realities of climate change. Getting Virginia back into RGGI will complement the critical climate resiliency investments in this year’s budget.”