Lake Champlain Lakekeeper Agricultural Water Pollution The Circ Vermont Yankee

Vermont is naturally beautiful with its green mountains, open fields and, for the most part, compact villages. It is a living example of how to balance development and a healthy environment. Vermont is also a leader in the adoption of progressive environmental laws, from its “no billboards law” to its nationally-renowned Act 250, which ensures that citizens and communities have a strong voice in land use decisions that affect the environment.

But Vermont is at a crossroads. Sprawling development threatens to pave rural landscapes and endangers our quality of life. Polluted runoff from agricultural lands and poorly planned suburban development dumps excessive levels of phosphorus and toxic substances into our waters, including Vermont’s “great lake,” Lake Champlain. More driving and increased electricity use are spurring climate change and acid rain, threatening Vermont’s skiing and maple syrup industries.

Since 1966, CLF has been advocating on behalf of concerned Vermonters to create innovative solutions for our region's most significant challenges.

CLF's current Vermont initiatives and cases include:

• Lake Champlain Lakekeeper: Saving Lake Champlain from a phosophorus pollution crisis through the establishment of a Lakekeeper position, and a combination of public advocacy, legal action and detective work.
• Agricultural Water Pollution: Advocating for the immediate implementation of federal pollution discharge permits for water pollution from VT's industrial farms.
• The Circ: Advocating for practical, low-cost, and modern transportation solutions instead of continued spending on the sprwal-inducing Chittenden County Circumferential Highway.
• Vermont Yankee: Involved in proceedings that will determine whether the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant will be given permission to operate for an additional 20 years.

Vermont accomplishments and victories:

• Pushed the Vermont legislature to double its energy efficiency budget.
• Championed the critical issue of efficiency into the Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCo) energy debate; the Public Service Board adopted many CLF recommendations in creating a new system for transmission planning that better incorporates energy efficiency and local generation to avoid or delay future transmission projects.
• Intervened in hearings before the Vermont Public Service Board to illustrate the clean air benefits of the proposed East Haven Wind Farm.
• Secured significant commitments from Lowe's Home Centers, Inc. to prevent and clean up stormwater pollution associated with its development activities in the Potash Brook watershed.
• Analyzed eleven years of VT's environmental enforcement data from the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and found serious deficiencies in the state’s enforcement record. CLF's report urged for greater accountability, resources, and transparency for the environmental enforcement program by passing a series of recommended reforms.
• Campaigned for larger protected tracts of VT forest by working with a wide array of supporters and the Vermont Wilderness Assocation.
• Developed and supported policies that would make it easier for Vermonters to make a living in agriculture. Many of these policies have been implemented, including a permanent farm viability enhancement program, a better coordinated "buy local" initiative, more sustained and targeted farmland protection, and the creation of a program to better utilize federal funds that are available to assist beginning farmers.
• Advocated for smart growth in VT by joining the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative (VSGC), a coalition that fosters decisions and a culture that support compact settlements, separated by rural countryside, with access for all Vermonters.
• Ensured that Vermont's "Act 250 reform" retained strong environmental protections and allowed for continued citizen involvement in the land use decisions that affect their communities.
• Led efforts with the Vermont Smart Growth Collaborative and local citizens to highlight the sprawl problems of a proposed middle-of-nowhere school. Vermont voters in the towns of Wilmington & Whitingham defeated the proposal, securing an important victory for the communities.