Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate Natural Resources & Energy amends H-479, removes municipal-appeal language and orders ANR report on surface-water discharges
Summary
The Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on May 20 approved amendments to H-479 that remove proposed municipal zoning appeal changes and require the Agency of Natural Resources to report by Nov. 15 on permitting and funding for direct surface-water discharges of domestic wastewater.
The Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee on May 20 approved an amendment to H-479 that removes language expanding municipal zoning appeals and adds a requirement that the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources submit a report by Nov. 15 on steps, funding sources and recommendations for permitting new direct surface-water discharges of domestic wastewater.
L.J. Cassidy of the Legislative Council told the committee that draft 1.1 of the committee amendment contains two main changes: removal of bill language related to municipal zoning appeals and new reporting language asking the Agency of Natural Resources to investigate permitting steps and available funding. "So today, you have draft 1.1 of a committee amendment to H-479," Cassidy said, describing the amendment as addressing standing for municipal appeals (sections 14–16) and a related municipal-zoning hearing requirement in section 17.
Cassidy said the second change in the amendment is a report requirement for the Agency of Natural Resources. The amendment asks ANR to "submit a report to the General Assembly investigating the steps currently necessary to permit new surface water direct discharges of domestic wastewater in Vermont, identifying funding sources available to support the construction of such projects, and any recommendations for improving or streamlining the process," with a Nov. 15 deadline included in the amendment text.
Committee members discussed other items in the draft, including Brownfields language and moving data from a LURVE study; no additional changes were recorded in the transcript. The committee voted to adopt the proposed amendment to draft 5.1; recorded yes votes on that roll call included Senator Beck, Senator Bonhart, Senator Hart and Senator Williams. The committee then voted to recommend H-479 as amended; recorded yes votes on that motion included Senator Beck, Senator Longberg, Senator Logan, Senator Thompson and Senator Watson. The motions' movers and seconders were not specified in the transcript.
The committee chair and staff said members may receive an additional amendment and that the panel could meet again the following morning; staff asked members to watch email or text and said any meeting would be scheduled "not before 9:30 a.m."
