This Week From Del Matt Fariss timesvirginian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from timesvirginian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Water Quality Standards and Natural Gas Pipelines
SB 1311 (McClellan) requires an applicant for a natural gas transmission pipeline greater than 36 inches (inside diameter) to submit in its application a detailed erosion and sediment control plan and stormwater management plan (Plan) subject to Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) review and approval. Upon receipt of such application, the bill directs DEQ to issue a request for information from the applicant about how the Plan will address activities in or related to upland areas. DEQ must consider such information in developing a draft certification or denial, and in issuing additional notice to the public. SB 1311 also prohibits DEQ and/or the State Water Control Board from expressly waiving certification of a natural gas transmission pipeline of greater than 36 inches inside diameter under § 401 of the federal Clean Water Act and requires a decision on a certification request within a reasonable time pursuant to federal law
[Webinar] Virginia Solar & Energy Storage 2021 Legislative Update - March 31st, 11:00 am - 11:30 am EST | Williams Mullen jdsupra.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jdsupra.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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BILLS STILL ALIVE
Don’t let the long list fool you. While the majority of the bills we’ve been following have either passed both chambers or seem well on their way to doing so, some of the most impactful bills are now dead, and others have been amended into meekness.
The entire category of Utility Reform got emptied out into the dumpster in Senate Commerce and Labor, which also killed Jeff Bourne’s “right to shop” bill that would have opened up the renewable energy market. They are all now found under “Dead and Buried” at the end.
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Virginia is, famously, a state that prides itself on being business-friendly. That makes it all the more interesting that a number of bills favoring consumers have made it through the House. Democrats have led the charge, but several of the bills earned bipartisan support even in the face of utility opposition.
This doesn’t guarantee their luck will hold. Democrats aren’t just more numerous in the House, they are also younger and more independent-minded than the old guard Democrats in control of the Senate. The second half of the session is going to be a lot more challenging for pro-consumer legislation.