For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017

Contact:
Lee Francis | Communications Manager
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org

 

Virginians re-elected a proven environmental leader

FAIRFAX – Today, Virginia voters headed to the polls and re-elected Mark Herring to a second term as attorney general.

A proven environmental leader, in his first term as attorney general, Herring fought for restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, defended the Clean Power Plan in federal court, helped secure the largest environmental settlement in our state’s history, and paved the way for tighter controls over fracking at the local level and for our state’s first carbon reduction effort.

“Tonight, Virginians made the right choice by returning Mark Herring to another term as our attorney general, and we congratulate him on well-deserved victory,” said Michael Town, executive director of Virginia LCV. “We endorsed Mark because, time after time, he’s put conservation first, and we have full faith that with him as our attorney general for the next four years, we’ll be able to further protect the commonwealth’s clean air, clean air and open spaces, while fending off attacks on our environment coming from the Trump White House.”

Virginia LCV’s electoral arm, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Political Action Committee, invested more than $4 million in the 2017 election cycle, overall, the most in the organization’s history, including an extensive ground campaign that knocked on upwards of 350,000 doors to both persuade undecided voters and turn voters out on Election Day. More information on Virginia LCV PAC’s electoral efforts is available here.

About us:

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.

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For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017

Contact:
Lee Francis | Communications Manager
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org

 

FAIRFAX – Today, Virginia voters elected Ralph Northam as the 73rd Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A proven environmental leader with almost a decade of public service to Virginians protecting our clean water, air and land resources, Governor-elect Northam made acting on climate change and protecting the environment top issues in this race, a clear contrast to an opponent with deep ties to big polluters and parallel policies to those of President Trump. As one of only two gubernatorial races across the nation, and the only one that was competitive, this race was closely watched as a referendum on Trump and bellwether for the American electorate.

“Virginians have spoken, and they wisely chose a leader who will protect the air we breathe, water we drink, and special places across the commonwealth, rejecting in the process the toxic policies coming out of Washington D.C. We wholeheartedly congratulate Governor-elect Northam on a well-deserved victory tonight,” said Michael Town, executive director of Virginia LCV. “We look forward to working with this administration over the next four years to grow our clean energy economy, safeguard clean water, and preserve our beautiful land resources for future generations of Virginians, while pushing back against radical attacks on the environment at the federal level.”

Virginia LCV’s electoral arm, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters Political Action Committee, invested more than $4 million in the 2017 election cycle, overall, the most in the organization’s history, including an extensive ground campaign that knocked on upwards of 350,000 doors to both persuade undecided voters and turn voters out on Election Day. More information on Virginia LCV PAC’s electoral efforts is available here.

About us:

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.

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For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017

Contact:
Lee Francis | Communications Manager
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(804) 225-1902 | lfrancis@valcv.org

RICHMOND – Today, multiple news outlets reported the Trump Environmental Protection Agency’s intent to move forward with formally repealing the Clean Power Plan and replacing it with a weaker rule that favors fossil fuel interests.

Released in its final form in 2015, the Clean Power Plan (CPP) was our nation’s first move to cut carbon emissions from power plants with a goal of a 32 percent reduction by 2030 from 2005 levels. Virginia was among the states defending the CPP in a legal challenge led by now-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, who was at the time of the challenge Oklahoma’s Attorney General.

“Sadly, today’s news is not surprising but further proves the lengths Trump’s EPA will go to in order to favor industry over the health of American families. Freezing the implementation of the Clean Power Plan wasn’t enough – they needed to write a new rule especially for polluters,” said Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters. “Fortunately, states like Virginia have seen the writing on the wall, which is why we decided to go it alone on cutting harmful carbon pollution. The continuing assault on clean air coming from Washington only makes our work addressing climate change and building a clean energy economy here in the commonwealth more critical – and we aren’t backing down.”

In an executive directive released in May, Governor Terry McAuliffe instructed his Department of Environmental Quality to come up with a draft regulation that cuts carbon pollution from power plants and allows Virginia to trade carbon allowances with other states. DEQ has a deadline of Dec. 31, 2017 to present its draft regulation to the State Air Pollution Control Board for its action and consideration.

About us:

Established in 2000, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues. For more information, visit www.valcv.org.

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RICHMOND – Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters released its 2017 General Assembly Conservation Scorecard, which ranks state legislators based on their votes on environmental issues during this year’s legislative session and is the only comprehensive tool in the state to determine how well Virginia’s legislature is protecting our environment when they’re in Richmond.

The 14 bills scored in the Senate and 13 in the House of Delegates run the gamut from transportation policy to expanding consumer access to solar power and combatting climate change, reflecting the full spectrum of issues we work on at the General Assembly each and every year.

As a whole, scores went up in the legislature, reflecting the bipartisan success the League had this year fighting for strong conservation protections. Among this year’s victories were the successful defeat of attempts to conceal the makeup of fracking chemicals from the general public, the passage of legislation requiring full, site-by-site assessments of coal ash storage facilities in Virginia and placing a moratorium on their closure until May 2018, and a bill that will help eliminate a perennial source of sewage pollution in the Chesapeake Bay.

“This year’s scorecard makes one thing clear: at a time of unprecedented partisan attacks on the environment coming from our nation’s capitol, lawmakers in Richmond can still come together to do the right thing for conservation,” said Michael Town, executive director of Virginia LCV. “While we’ve made progress, Virginia’s environmental challenges remain great. Legislators are beginning to listen to their constituents’ deep concerns about water quality and land preservation, but fighting powerful corporate interests still remains an uphill battle at the capitol. On no issue is this more obvious than protecting our communities from the effects of climate change and the toxic legacy of dirty energy.”

The Conservation Scorecard helps hold lawmakers accountable when they fail to vote on the right side of conservation and also showcases the many delegates and state senators who have prioritized our environment and have the record to prove it.

“Legislators like me look to Virginia LCV’s scorecard to not only gauge where we need to be on environmental issues, but where we need to push our colleagues in the General Assembly as well,” said Delegate John Bell, a back-to-back Legislative Hero. “All Virginians deserve access to protected lands, clean and safe drinking water, and clean air and it’s incumbent upon their representatives to safeguard these natural resources.”

The scorecard also acts as an important resource for our partners in Virginia’s environmental community, who we work alongside with every legislative session in securing legislative victories and defeating attacks on our natural resources.

“The Conservation Scorecard showcases where Virginia legislators stand on important policies that impact our natural resources,” said Mary Rafferty, executive director of the non-partisan, non-profit Virginia Conservation Network. “This year’s scorecard highlights the bipartisan leadership in Virginia working together with the conservation community to protect the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the places we love.”

Overall, 28 legislators (nine state senators and 19 delegates) earned a perfect 100 percent voting record, giving them the designation of “Legislative Hero” for 2017.

Virginia LCV 2017 Legislative Heroes

Sen. Creigh Deeds
Sen. Adam Ebbin
Sen. Mamie Locke
Sen. Louise Lucas
Sen. Monty Mason
Sen. Jennifer McClellan
Sen. Jeremy McPike
Sen. Chap Petersen
Sen. Jennifer Wexton

Del. John Bell
Del. Jennifer Boysko
Del. David Bulova
Del. Betsy Carr
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn
Del. Daun Hester
Del. Patrick Hope
Del. Mark Keam
Del. Kaye Kory
Del. Paul Krizek
Del. Alfonso Lopez
Del. Dolores McQuinn
Del. Michael Mullin
Del. Kathleen Murphy
Del. Ken Plum
Del. David Toscano
Del. Mark Sickles
Del. Marcus Simon
Del. Vivian Watts

Another 16 delegates and nine state senators earned scores between 75 and 99 percent, making them Legislative Leaders for 2017.

Virginia LCV 2017 Legislative Leaders

Sen. George Barker
Sen. Rosalyn Dance
Sen. Barbara Favola
Sen. Janet Howell
Sen. Lynwood Lewis
Sen. Dave Marsden
Sen. Dick Saslaw
Sen. Lionell Spruill
Sen. Scott Surovell

Del. Lashrecse Aird
Del. Lamont Bagby
Del. Jeffrey Bourne
Del. Cliff Hayes
Del. Steve Heretick
Del. Charniele Herring
Del. Matthew James
Del. Mark Levine
Del. Joe Lindsey
Del. Bob Marshall
Del. Cia Price
Del. Sam Rasoul
Del. Rip Sullivan
Del. Luke Torian
Del. Roslyn Tyler
Del. Jeion Ward

In addition to these honors, Virginia LCV presented Senator Richard Stuart with a separate “2017 Legislative Leadership Award” in recognition of his leadership on a number of conservation issues this year, including leading the charge to keep raw sewage out of the Chesapeake Bay, fighting efforts to shield fracking chemicals from public disclosure, and supporting landmark coal ash legislation. Virginia LCV also presented Governor Terry McAuliffe with the League’s inaugural “John B. Jaske Virginia Conservation Legacy Award,” recognizing the governor’s leadership on environmental issues over his term.

About us:

Established in 2000, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues.

Candidate has the record, experience to protect Va.’s environment against Trump

RICHMOND – Citing a long and extensive record working to protect our environment, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters today announced its endorsement of Ralph Northam for Governor.

Throughout his career as a State Senator and in his current capacity as Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor, Northam, an Eastern Shore native, has been a staunch defender of the Chesapeake Bay. He has also worked to expand clean energy and address climate change while maintaining the strongest stance against offshore drilling of any statewide office holder in Virginia. Northam is also the best candidate in this race to protect the land conservation incentives and programs that preserve working farms, historic sites and scenic lands across the state.

Overall, Virginia LCV understands Northam will hold the line against the radical Trump administration, which has zeroed out Bay cleanup funding, wants to open up our coast to drilling, and attacked commonsense regulations that protect clean air and water.

“As a physician, Ralph knows climate change is having real, harmful impacts on our public health, and as an Eastern Shore native, he realizes that sea level rise too big a problem just to ignore,” said Michael Town, Executive Director of Virginia LCV. “His opponent in this race, however, would join Virginia lockstep with a president who just phoned the Mayor of Tangier Island to tell him not to worry about his sinking homeland.”

“Ralph Northam has the experience, the background, and the proven record to lead Virginia forward, not backwards, when it comes to protecting special places across the commonwealth and safeguarding the air we breathe and water we drink,” said Roy Hoagland, Board Chairman of Virginia LCV. “We are proud to stand behind him and look forward to working with the Northam administration to further the progress we’ve made over the past four years.”

As a non-partisan organization, Virginia LCV invites candidates from both parties to complete its questionnaire, the first step in our endorsement process which comes prior to vetting, interviews and a vote by the Board of Directors. Northam’s opponent declined to participate in this process.

About us:

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues.

For immediate release:
Wednesday, June 7

RICHMOND – Today, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters announced its endorsement of Mark Herring for re-election as Virginia’s Attorney General. The endorsement is the League’s first backing of a statewide candidate so far in the 2017 election cycle.

In making its endorsement, Virginia LCV looked to Attorney General Herring’s strong record defending the environment from corporate polluters and standing up for solutions to the climate crisis, as well as maintaining Virginia’s long-held ban on uranium mining and empowering localities to protect their communities from the impacts of fracking. More specifically, Herring secured the largest-ever environmental settlement in state history, went to court to defend the Clean Power Plan, and successfully defended the landmark Chesapeake Bay cleanup plan.

Michael Town, executive director of Virginia LCV, issued the following statement in making today’s endorsement:

“In a time when we can no longer depend on environmental leadership at the federal level, it’s vital that we have a strong backstop here in Virginia who will stand up for our environment and public health. Over the past four years as Attorney General and even longer as a state senator, Mark Herring has been dedicated to protecting clean air, clean water, and protected lands. We need this type of leadership more now than ever. This is why Virginia LCV proudly endorses Mark for his re-election bid and looks forward to working with him for another four years.”

As a non-partisan organization, Virginia LCV invites candidates from both parties to complete our questionnaire, the first step in our endorsement process which comes prior to vetting and a potential vote by our Board of Directors. Attorney General Herring’s opponent declined to participate in this process.

About us:

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues.

Withdrawal from Paris comes as state advances its own carbon strategy

RICHMOND – Multiple news outlets on May 31 reported President Trump plans to withdraw the United States from the landmark Paris climate change agreement, an Obama-era global accord aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the most urgent environmental and public health threat of our time through cooperation across national borders.

In response, Michael Town, executive director of Virginia LCV, issued the following statement:

“At the same time Virginia and Governor McAuliffe are leading to address one of the world’s greatest threats, our president has decided to put his head firmly in the sand. Sadly, this irrational, knee-jerk decision should not come as a shock to anyone who has watched this administration as it has worked to undermine and unravel much of the progress we’ve made in addressing climate change and protecting special places across the country, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. This only means that here in Virginia, we will work harder than ever to advance clean energy and cut our carbon footprint in a way that grows our economy and protects Virginians’ public health.”

About us:

The Virginia League of Conservation Voters serves as the political voice of the state’s conservation community, working to make sure Virginia’s elected officials recognize that our natural heritage is an environmental and economic treasure for all. Virginia LCV works with conservation leaders across Virginia and strives for a conservation majority in state government. We secure good public policies on the state level and hold public officials accountable for their positions on environmental issues.

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In 2013, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters worked hard to elect Terry McAuliffe as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 72nd Governor due to a strong environmental platform that prioritized conservation of our state’s clean water resources and open spaces as well as taking bold action to address climate change and grow our clean energy sector.

Now in the final months of his term, Virginia LCV presented Gov. McAuliffe with the inaugural “John B. Jaske Virginia Conservation Legacy Award,” which bears the namesake of the League’s longtime board member and chairman, in recognition of McAuliffe’s environmental leadership over the past four years. Virginia LCV’s Interim Chair Roy Hoagland, Executive Director Michael Town, and the late Jaske’s wife, Pam Jaske, presented the Governor with the award during the League’s annual Legislative Recognition Event, held Sunday, May 21 in Upperville, Va.

What follows is just a short-list of McAuliffe’s environmental achievements to date:

• Just this past week released a directive to the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a market-based approach that will cap climate-disrupting emissions from new and existing power plants. This is the biggest step Virginia has ever taken  to address climate change and the end-result was the culmination of a months-long process, which began last summer via Executive Order 57 and took into account input from multiple stakeholders.
• Reinstated the state’s Climate Commission, instituted Virginia’s first Solar Development Authority, secured millions of dollars in federal resiliency funding for the Commonwealth, and negotiated adding climate impacts to the Chesapeake Bay agreement.
• In conjunction with the office of Attorney General Mark Herring and the Department of Justice, led the largest pollution settlement in Virginia history and the eighth largest nationwide for decades of mercury pollution in the Shenandoah Valley by DuPont.
• Signed transfer of deed for Fort Monroe to the National Parks Service, paving the way for this historic site to become a National Monument and oversaw the expansion of Virginia’s state parks to include Crow’s Nest and Natural Bridge, among other properties.
• Held a strong position against fracking in the George Washington National Forest.
• Maintained more of an open door for Virginia LCV than any previous Governor, including weekly meetings during session, and the appointment of a Virginia LCV Board member to the state’s Air Pollution Control Board.
• Signed letter urging President Trump to honor the Paris Agreement.
• Successfully defended the moratorium on Uranium Mining, which faced legislative and legal threats during his term.
• Halted the McDonnell administration’s deeply flawed Route 460 plan and implemented a transportation funding mechanism to prevent future boondoggles.
• Adopted the largest conservation funding budget ever for both water quality programs and land conservation efforts and worked to ensure any cuts to the state’s Land Preservation Tax Credit program were budgetary and not statutory.
• Vetoed legislative efforts to extend the state’s costly and ineffective coal tax credits and also rejected legislative attacks against the Clean Power Plan.
• Championed and had officials in his administration lobby in support of our positions on clean energy, water quality, funding, coal ash management and fracking.
• Placed a one-year moratorium on coal ash closure permits, dismantling Dominion Power’s coal ash plans in the process and allowing time to fully assess the threat these sites pose to our water quality and develop safe plans for long-term closure.
• Successfully transformed the argument pitting strong environmental stewardship against economic growth into a dynamic where protecting the environment goes hand in hand with growing jobs in Virginia with regards to the Chesapeake Bay, agriculture, land conservation and parks, tourism, and clean energy development.

For these reasons and more, Virginia LCV is honored to present McAuliffe with the first-ever John B. Jaske Virginia Conservation Legacy Award.