§ 1387. Findings; purpose; Clean Water Initiative

(a)(1) The State has committed to implementing a long-term Clean Water Initiative to provide mechanisms, staffing, and financing necessary to achieve and maintain compliance with the Vermont Water Quality Standards for all State waters.

(2) Success in implementing the Clean Water Initiative will depend largely on providing sustained and adequate funding to support the implementation of all of the following:

(A) the requirements of 2015 Acts and Resolves No. 64;

(B) federal or State required cleanup plans for individual waters or water segments, such as total maximum daily load plans;

(C) the Agency of Natural Resources' Combined Sewer Overflow Rule;

(D) the operations of clean water service providers under chapter 37, subchapter 5 of this title; and

(E) the permanent protection of land and waters from future development and impairment through conservation and water quality projects funded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund authorized by chapter 15 of this title.

(3) To ensure success in implementing the Clean Water Initiative, the State should commit to funding the Clean Water Initiative in a manner that ensures the maintenance of effort and that provides an annual appropriation for clean water programs in a range of $50 million to $60 million as adjusted for inflation over the duration of the Initiative.

(4) To avoid the future impairment and degradation of the State's waters, the State should commit to continued funding for the protection of land and waters through agricultural and natural resource conservation, including through permanent easements and fee acquisition.

(b) The General Assembly establishes in this subchapter a Vermont Clean Water Fund as a mechanism for financing the improvement of water quality in the State. The Clean Water Fund shall be used to:

(1) assist the State in the implementation of the Clean Water Initiative;

(2) fund staff positions at the Agency of Natural Resources, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, or Agency of Transportation when the positions are necessary to achieve or maintain compliance with water quality requirements and existing revenue sources are inadequate to fund the necessary positions; and

(3) provide funding to clean water service providers to meet the obligations of chapter 37, subchapter 5 of this title. (Added 2015, No. 64, § 37, eff. June 16, 2015; amended 2019, No. 76, § 3.)