For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022
Contact:
Lee Francis | Deputy Director
Virginia League of Conservation Voters
(434) 989-3197 | lfrancis@valcv.org
RICHMOND – Today, at a regular meeting of the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board, Acting Natural Resources Secretary Travis Voyles announced the Administration’s plans to begin a process to repeal our participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by the end of 2023.
To date, our membership in this program has returned nearly $400 million to our state that helps protect communities from the dangers of extreme flooding and sea level rise, and helps cut electricity costs for low-income families – all while cutting pollution from power plants. Ending our participation in this program would eliminate this critical source of funding while taking us backwards on climate change, putting vulnerable communities at greater risk and threatening our health and safety.
In response to this action, Michael Town, executive director of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters, issued the following statement:
“Glenn Youngkin appears to care more about playing politics and raising his national profile in conservative circles than doing the right thing for Virginia communities. If Youngkin succeeds in taking us out of this program he will be robbing our state of hundreds of millions of dollars that help protect our communities from flooding and lower electric bills – all while letting big polluters off the hook. Virginia LCV will continue to work with our allies in the State Senate to defend this vital climate action program, hold this Administration accountable, and elect the next Conservation Majority in 2023 to block the extreme Youngkin agenda.”
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.
###