Senate conservation committee advances wetlands, park, PFAS and other measures; tree preservation bill sent back for more work

The Senate Committee on Conservation, Natural Resources and Agriculture met in Richmond and advanced a series of environmental and land-use bills, including measures to create a state park, expand wetlands protections, require PFAS monitoring in the Occoquan Reservoir watershed and enable manufacturers to post batch-test results for toxic elements in baby and toddler foods.

Committee members voted to report or re-refer multiple bills to subsequent committees, while deferring further action on a permissive tree-preservation measure to allow stakeholders more time to negotiate.

Why it matters: The committee’s actions touch drinking-water safety, coastal and tidal wetland protection, state land acquisition and local land-use tools. Several items have fiscal implications — notably steps that could affect capital spending by Fairfax Water if PFAS sources are not reduced — and several measures were advanced to finance for budget review.

Most important actions and debate

PFAS in the Occoquan watershed: The committee advanced a bill directing industrial and certain stormwater dischargers in the Occoquan watershed to begin PFAS monitoring on a timetable set in the legislation, with DEQ authority to reopen permits if levels do not decline. Fairfax Water and local governments told the committee the reservoir is a unique, partially closed system where PFAS can accumulate and that meeting the new EPA drinking-water maximum contaminant level without source reductions could trigger large capital costs. Industry groups and airport authorities raised…