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.

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Contact:

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

 

RICHMOND – Today, Governor McAuliffe issued Executive Directive 11 instructing the Department of Environmental Quality to develop a state-based regulation to cut carbon emissions from Virginia power plants in a way that allows Virginia to trade carbon allowances through a multi-state trading program and caps carbon at levels that correspond with other participating states with carbon limits.

The directive follows a months-long process that began with Executive Order 57, which convened a workgroup to look into ways to cut carbon emissions and grow the clean energy economy in Virginia. As outlined in the directive, DEQ has until the end of 2017 to present the proposed regulation to the state Air Pollution Control Board for its consideration.

In response, Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“Virginia LCV has advocated for strong action to address climate change throughout Governor McAuliffe’s candidacy and term as Governor. Today’s initiative is the bold step forward we’ve been waiting for and we thank the administration for standing up to make sure Virginia does its part to address the climate crisis.

“This initiative recognizes the threat climate change poses to the environment, but more importantly, Governor McAuliffe recognizes that addressing climate change needs to be done in a way that improves peoples’ lives. In cutting the commonwealth’s carbon footprint we’re also bringing new jobs to the state in the clean energy sector – a central focus of the new Virginia economy this administration has tried so hard to build over the past few years.”

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Virginia LCV calls on statewide candidates, officials to reject plans to drill in Virginia waters

RICHMOND – Today, President Trump released an executive order that puts offshore drilling in Atlantic waters off Virginia’s coast back in contention. This directive reverses the Obama administration’s moratorium on leasing for oil and gas exploration, which came after heated opposition up and down the East Coast from coastal communities that would bear the brunt of the impact from a spill.

In response, Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“In this, only his latest attack on the environment, President Trump has put one of Virginia’s largest economies at severe risk. Tourists simply do not flock to stay in hotels next to oil-covered beaches, explore parks coated in black tar, or eat in restaurants forced to serve seafood from across the globe because the local fisheries have vanished.

“Putting the Atlantic back into play makes all of these horrible scenarios a possibility, which is why there was a moratorium in the first place – communities up and down the East Coast recognized the clear risk offshore drilling posed to their economic health and livelihood.

“This is one reason Virginia voters should pay close attention in November. Will the next Governor be complicit in the reckless, shortsighted energy policy coming out of D.C. or do everything they can to protect our economy by keeping drilling off our coast off limits and growing the clean energy sector?”

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RICHMOND – During yesterday’s reconvened session, the General Assembly voted to approve Governor McAuliffe’s amendments to Senate Bill 1398, which addressed shortcomings in the legislation that would have allowed Dominion Power to obtain permits to close coal ash storage facilities prior to disclosing pertinent information to state agencies regarding ongoing pollution issues, suitability for long-term storage and options for closure.

Under the amended bill, Dominion will have to complete site assessments by December and the earliest the utility could obtain a permit is May 2018, which provides enough time to choose the best path forward for closing these facilities and protecting water quality from toxic heavy metals in the process.

In response to yesterday’s action, Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“Yesterday, our legislature followed Governor McAuliffe’s lead by standing up in a big way to protect Virginians’ access to clean water and to safeguard communities against the harmful impacts of toxic coal ash currently stockpiled on the banks of major rivers and tributaries in the Bay watershed. But to be clear, this is simply the first step in effectively addressing this threat to the environment and public health. Dominion Power would be wise to continue to not stand in the way of ensuring the best possible results from this process. The ball is now in their court and we will be watching the assessment process closely.”

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RICHMOND – Today, President Trump released an executive order dismantling key clean air protections that protect public health as well as multiple Obama-era efforts to combat climate change, including the signature Clean Power Plan.

This latest assault on clean air via executive order follows on the heels of Trump’s proposed budget, which zeroed out funding for climate change research, international outreach and coordination on the climate crisis, and many programs aimed at curbing domestic greenhouse gas emissions.

In response to today’s action, Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“President Trump may believe that fighting climate change is ‘stupid,’ but at the end of the day, he’s the one with his head in the sand. Whether it’s rising seas flooding Norfolk neighborhoods and military bases or drought and severe weather threatening southside farmers and rural communities, climate change impacts all Virginians.”

“Climate policies like the Clean Power Plan are a win-win for the American people – less harmful air pollution alongside lower electric bills and increased economic opportunities. Overturning this rule sends us in the wrong direction and makes it clear that Trump is more interested in doing polluters’ bidding than protecting the public health of real Americans.”

“Here in Virginia, we must hold the line against President Trump’s dangerous and reckless policies. Governor McAuliffe has the opportunity to be a bulwark against this attack on clean air by implementing a strong plan to cut carbon pollution in the Commonwealth while creating thousands of clean energy jobs. When climate policy at the federal level is headed backwards, Virginia can and must keep moving forward.”

RICHMOND – Today, Governor McAuliffe amended Senate Bill 1398 to address shortcomings in the legislation that would have allowed Dominion Power to obtain permits to close coal ash storage facilities prior to disclosing pertinent information to state agencies regarding ongoing pollution issues, suitability for long-term storage, and options for closure.

Under the amended bill, the earliest Dominion could obtain a permit is May 2018, which provides enough time to fully evaluate these sites and to choose the best path forward for closing these facilities and protecting water quality from toxic heavy metals in the process.

In response to today’s action, Michael Town, Executive Director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:

“Today, Governor McAuliffe stood up for the people of the Commonwealth by ensuring cleaner water, but the General Assembly still has to act. Without this amendment, Virginians could have to deal with the fallout from band-aid solutions to a very real, very dangerous environmental threat. On April 5, we urge the full General Assembly to do the right thing for their constituents. Dominion Power should not be allowed to play Russian roulette with our water quality, and I hope between now and May 2018, they focus their energy on evaluating coal ash sites instead of lobbying against clean water protections that keep communities safe.”

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About Virginia LCV: 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.

RICHMOND – The Virginia League of Conservation Voters today unveiled scores for Virginia’s congressional delegation released this morning as part of the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) 2016 National Environmental Scorecard.

The 2016 Scorecard scores votes cast during the second session of the 114th Congress. It includes 17 votes in the Senate and 38 House votes, setting a new record for the most votes scored in the House and reflecting that, under Speaker Paul Ryan, the U.S. House remains the most anti-environmental in history. Nationally, the average House Republican score for 2016 was 5 percent, while the average House Democrat score was 94 percent.

In Virginia, three House members and both U.S. Senators earned a score of 80 percent or greater on the 2016 Scorecard, while the remainder of the congressional delegation earned an abysmal score of 5 percent or less. The average U.S. House score in 2016 for Virginia was 28 percent and the average U.S. Senate score was 94 percent.

The Scorecard is available in both English and Spanish at scorecard.lcv.org.

“Virginia’s congressional delegation, as a whole, can and must do better. The partisan rift on environmental issues is unacceptable when protecting clean air and water is so important to the daily quality of life and public health of all Virginians – regardless of where they fall on the political spectrum,” said Virginia LCV’s Executive Director Michael Town. “We encourage our champions to continue to stand up for the environment and urge those who missed the mark to start doing the right thing – Virginia voters are watching.”

“2016 saw a relentless assault on both bedrock environmental protections and recent progress even as we experienced the hottest year on record – for the third year in a row – and world leaders came together on Earth Day to sign the historic climate agreement reached in Paris,” said LCV President Gene Karpinski. “Fortunately, President Obama and our allies in Congress beat back the vast majority of these attacks and stood up for the health of our families, communities of color on the frontlines of climate change, and the international consensus to take action on climate.”

Virginia Congressional Delegation Scores

U.S. Senate

Name	Party	Score
Tim Kaine	D	100
Mark Warner	D	88

U.S. House of Representatives

District	Name	Party	Score
1	Rob Wittman	R	0
2	Scott Rigell	R	5
3	Bobby Scott	D	100
4	Randy Forbes	R	0
5	Robert Hurt	R	3
6	Bob Goodlatte	R	0
7	Dave Brat	R	0
8	Don Beyer	D	100
9	Morgan Griffith	R	0
10	Barbara Comstock	R	3
11	Gerry Connolly	D	100

The number of environmental champions in Congress continues to grow, and they are becoming more vocal and effective than ever before. Our environmental allies stood up for clean air and water, public lands, climate science, wildlife, and more. They fought for the health of our families and voted against the interests of Big Polluters, and with President Obama, were able to fight off the seemingly endless parade of attacks on environmental protections in Congress.

The 2016 Scorecard is being released at a time when attacks on the environment are already coming fast and furious from polluter allies in both the Trump administration and Congress. While the attacks contained in the 2016 Scorecard were largely prevented from becoming law thanks to opposition in the Senate and the President’s veto pen, those attacks serve as a preview of what’s at stake now that polluters have an ally in the White House who can be expected to sign these anti-environmental pieces of legislation should they reach his desk.

Indeed, both houses of Congress have already passed a resolution eliminating the Stream Protection Rule using the radical Congressional Review Act (CRA) legislative tool, and the House has passed a similar measure voiding the Bureau of Land Management’s Methane and Waste Reduction Rule—both of which are the subject of votes in the 2016 Scorecard.

For over 40 years, the National Environmental Scorecard issued by LCV has been the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental, public health, and energy issues. For more information, visit http://scorecard.lcv.org.