House Approves Stormwater Legislation In Effort To Put Compromise Into Law

Concerned that a compromise over new stormwater regulations is in jeopardy, the House of Delegates voted over the weekend to impose the compromise through legislation.

The compromise — reached earlier this month through difficult negotiations among environmentalists, lawmakers, builders and county officials — is currently locked in a joint General Assembly committee, and the committee chairman is threatening to block the compromise because he believes environmentalists gave up too much.

Under the stormwater regulations that are currently set to go into effect in May, builders have been concerned that projects that are underway — but do not yet have final permits — could be forced to go back to comply with new, stricter regulations, potentially costing millions of dollars. Many county officials have also been critical of the stricter regulations, warning that the rules could undermine their Smart Growth redevelopment efforts by making it prohibitively expensive to launch projects in older existing neighborhoods.

The compromise extends deadlines for complying with the new stormwater regulations and outlines alternatives for builders. Some environmental groups, including the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, have supported the compromise, but others have opposed it.

The ultimate goal of the stormwater regulations is to help the state reach a federally-mandated deadline of 2020 for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay. The stormwater regulations would significantly curtail the amount of nitrogen pouring into the Bay, according to state environmental officials.

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