In the age of climate change, flooding is a growing problem for many communities in Virginia, and it’s a big concern for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a group working to improve water quality in the Commonwealth. Peggy Sanner is its executive director here.
“Every time there is a flood on land, those floodwaters pick up pollution," she explains. "It then goes into our rivers and the bay.”
So she was delighted when Virginia joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative – a group that imposes limits on carbon dioxide emissions. Companies that go over those levels must buy carbon credits.
“When these emissions are sold, a significant amount of money comes back to the Commonwealth.”
And under former Governor Ralph Northam, Sanner says, the legislature reserved about half of it – about $200 million so far -- to help communities prevent or prepare for flooding.
“In Henrico, for example, the county secured some funds to help pumping systems so that sewage will no longer be discharged into the river in the case of a power outage.”
In the latest round of awards, 26 other communities also got funding to help predict, prevent or prepare for floods. Among them, Charlottesville, Covington, Buchannan, Chesapeake, Petersburg, Norfolk, Suffolk, Front Royal and Alexandria, Fairfax, Albemarle, Grayson and Tazewell Counties. Ironically, it was the governor’s office that announced awards, despite Glenn Youngkin’s stated opposition to RGGI. A spokesman noted “the impacts of flooding are felt across the commonwealth,” and Governor Youngkin “has ensured that resiliency and flood mitigation efforts are a priority,”
Sanner hopes state lawmakers will continue to support participation in the greenhouse gas initiative.
“There really is no other program funded at the level that we’ve seen thus far to help Virginia to address the threats of climate change, sea level rise, recurrent flooding.”
The state is still reviewing 32 proposals for $68 million to support nature-based programs that address flooding and reduce pollution of waterways.
