Vermont push for clean water is vital, and good for economy

We have learned that we are able to achieve the greatest benefits for Vermonters when we work together to get this done. The Clean Water bill working its way through the Vermont General Assembly is a great example of this approach to protecting and restoring Vermont’s environment and economy.

Vermont’s economy has grown over the years. Unfortunately, the pollution flowing into our lakes and waterways has kept pace with this growth. Whether it was clearing most of the state’s forests to raise sheep in earlier centuries, the steady increase in the dairy industry, or, more recently, added development in Vermont’s communities, the combined impact on the land has led to soil erosion and polluted stormwater spilling into rivers.

Each of these trends, while boons to the economy, resulted in greater levels of sediment and pollution flowing into our waters.

As the Vermont Legislature considers a comprehensive clean water bill, we see this as our continued effort to balance promoting prosperity and maintaining environmental integrity. We have learned from our past and recognize that the state’s long-term economic future depends upon a clean environment.

Data show that pollution in Lake Champlain and other water bodies hurts Vermont’s economic health. Vermont receives $2.5 billion from tourism each year, with a large share of that, some $300 million, coming from activity in and around Lake Champlain. Lake Champlain anglers alone spent nearly $72 million on fishing and related activities in 2012. Nutrient pollution and the resulting cyano-bacteria outbreaks (those blue-green algae blooms) present a serious threat to all of this lake-based economic activity.

If you need confirmation that this threat is real, ask Chuck Lowe and his staff at the Bayside Pavilion restaurant on St. Albans Bay.

Chuck and his team have experienced the economic challenge from declining water quality. Late July and August should be peak summer tourism season and a busy time at Bayside. Instead, many people who have rented homes nearby say that the blue-green algae will deter them from returning to this part of Vermont when they pick a vacation spot.

Bayside is not alone in suffering the economic impacts of water pollution. Many lakefront homes in that area have been on the market for years, and homeowners there have begun to push for a reappraisal of their property values.

The clean water initiative under consideration by the Vermont Legislature will be an important step toward cleaning up Vermont’s waters. The initiative provides increased oversight and enforcement targeted at the key sources of water pollution — agricultural lands, developed lands, town and state roads, and unstable river banks. The proposal also includes nearly $8 million of new investments in water quality efforts, most which would be targeted toward partners of state government doing real work on the ground to reduce pollution.

Along with environmental solutions, the clean water initiative includes many economic benefits, including additional jobs for Vermonters. It is estimated that, for every $36,000 invested in road projects, a new job is created. One dollar of water and sewer infrastructure investment increases private output in the long term by $6.35, according to a study by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

The jobs created in helping to clean Vermont’s waters are significant, but they are only the beginning. The overall value of a clean and welcoming Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, Connecticut River and their watersheds cannot be overstated. The health of these rivers and lakes is vital to the future of the state. We cannot ignore the decline in Vermont’s water quality, and we owe it to our children and future generations to restore the lakes and rivers to a healthy level.

The clean water initiative is Vermont’s opportunity to ensure a healthier, more prosperous future for the state. Let’s get it right.

Patricia Moulton is secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. Deb Markowitz is secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. Comment here, or email letters to news@stowereporter.com.