Here are some of the environmental priorities that made it into the final budget as well as some missed opportunities and setbacks as passed in the conference report and signed into law:
Water Quality
Water Quality Improvement Fund: $314 million
This is the full allocation proposed by the legislature, but $26 million less than Governor Northam’s outgoing budget.
Virginia’s Agricultural Cost-Share Program for Best Management Practices: $256.5 million
This was the full proposed appropriation.
Combined Sewer Overflow: $165 million
This was the full allocation from Gov. Northam and the Senate.
Urban and Community Forestry: $0
This item was zeroed out from as much as $6 million of proposed funding to expand urban tree canopy.
Stormwater Local Assistance Fund: $25 million
This is a reduction from Gov. Northam’s $100 million to help localities manage stormwater runoff.
Wastewater Nutrient Removal: $72 million
This is an increase over the original $69 million proposal.
PFAS: $380,000
Includes $60,000, reduced from $600,000, to help the Virginia Department of Health to continue studying the occurrence of forever chemicals in the Commonwealth’s public drinking water, and $320,000 to the Department of Environmental Quality to support surface and groundwater testing for PFAS.
Polystyrene (Styrofoam) Ban: Budget Language
Delays the agreed-upon ban on styrofoam food packaging by five years.
Environmental Literacy: $350,000 (budget amendment)
Derelict Boat Removal: $3 million (budget amendment)
Land Conservation
Virginia Land Conservation Foundation: $32 million
This is an increase from Gov. Northam’s $30 million but less than the Senate’s proposed $52 million.
Virginia Farmland Preservation Fund: $1.75 million
This is a reduction from as much as $8 million.
Virginia Battlefield Preservation Fund: $9.75 million
This is an increase in funding from a baseline of $2 million.
Multi-use Trails: $93 million
This is a historic level of funding but a reduction from as much as $233 million in proposed funding.
Preservation, Historic Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color Sites: $5 million
This is a reduction in funding from $10 million.
Tribal Land Preservation: $0
This was zeroed out from an initial proposed $12 million.
Transportation and Land Use
Rail: $791.1 million
This is only a slight reduction in funding from $798 million.
Public Transit: $1.5 billion
This is only a slight reduction in funding from $1.52 billion.
Virginia Housing Trust Fund: $150 million
This is a reduction in funding from $300 million.
Electric Vehicles – Rebates: $0
A budget amendment providing $40 million each year for EV rebates was rejected.
Electric Vehicles – Infrastructure: $0
Budget amendments providing $10M per year for the Virginia Rural EV Charging Network Program and $15M for VDOT to establish a grant program to expand EV infrastructure in rural and underserved localities were rejected.
Driving Decarbonization Grant Fund: $0
A budget amendment providing $20 million each year for this program was rejected.
Air Quality Monitoring: $0
This is a reduction from $5.5 million of funding to protect roadside communities.
Climate and Clean Energy
Low-to-Moderate-Income Solar Loan: $0
Reduced from as much as $30 million to help expand clean energy.
RGGI Funding Diversion: $36.4 million
Directed $11.4 million to the Town of Hurley for disaster relief and $25 million to the new Resilient Virginia Revolving Loan Fund.