Sludge Watch ==> $281M approved to reduce pollution in Chesapeake Bay

[maureen.reilly at sympatico.ca]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Seems like they could use some of that money to stop letting sewage sludge 
and wastewater contaminate their waterways there in Viriginia...

......................................................................

Virginia Approves Historic Bay Funding
Thursday, June 22, 2006
By: CBF Staff

An Unprecedented $281 Million Approved for Reduction of Pollution in the Bay 
and Virginia Waterways

The Virginia General Assembly has approved an unprecedented $281 million to 
reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia  rivers. The funding the 
largest single appropriation for clean water in Virginia history is part of 
a two-year $74 billion state budget adopted by the legislature this week. 
The budget still must be reviewed by Governor Tim Kaine, but no changes are 
expected in the clean water funding.

“This is huge step forward for the Commonwealth and the Chesapeake Bay,” 
said CBF Virginia Executive Director Ann Jennings. “Everyone who depends 
upon clean water should be grateful for the leadership shown by the Virginia 
House of Delegates, the state Senate and Gov. Kaine.”

Much of the $281 million will go toward modernizing sewage treatment plants 
and helping farmers reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in and out of 
the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The historic funding is the result of months of hard work by CBF staff, 
members and partners, including Float Fishermen of Virginia, Friends of the 
Rappahannock, Friends of New River, Friends of the Rivers of Virginia, 
Friends of the North Fork Shenandoah River, Friends of the Roanoke River, 
James River Association, Northern Neck Land Conservancy, Potomac River 
Conservancy, Potomac River Smallmouth Club, Potomac Riverkeeper, Rivanna 
Conservation Society, Shenandoah Valley Pure Water 2000 Forum, Virginia 
Conservation Network and Virginiaforever.

The Virginia budget also contains $50,000 to help subsidize CBF’s field 
education program in Virginia, which annually takes some 15,000 students and 
teachers onto local streams, rivers and the Bay to learn about water quality 
issues.