MONTPELIER- Representative Larry Labor is a member of the Vermont House Committee on the Environment, Fish and Wildlife. There are occasions when committee’s leave the hallowed grounds of their committee rooms. Representative Labor said they’ve engaged in two site visits and another was scheduled for this week.
The Committee traveled to the VanDeWeert Farm in Addison, and to Casella’s recycling plant in Colechester. The third field trip will be to Dead Creek in Addision. The reason for these site visits is for Committee members to observe stormwater runoff and mitigation as it flows into Lake Champlain.
“All the visits are for the education of Committee members regarding guidelines and performance standards for pollution control, and methods of recycling options as well as stormwater runoff into Lake Champlain,” Representative Labor said.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) through the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are working to reduce runoff from agricultural fields and urban areas into the lake. The goal is to reduce the amount of phosphorus and sediment that flows into the lake.
Phosphorus is a nutrient that fertilizes aquatic plants and algae. High levels of phosphorus lead to oxygen depletion, algae bloom, and water quality issues. Excessive growth of aquatic plants affects recreational activities and contaminates drinking water sources.
At the local level, the Committee took testimony from Charleston resident Peggy Stevens and others on H.113. This bill will designate Lake Memphremagog as a lake in crisis, highlighting contaminants in the lake that affect water quality. Proponents of the bill want one of the criteria that establishes a lake in crisis designation removed. That criteria relates to property values. If property values decline, the trend can be used to confirm the lake is in crisis. Stevens testified there shouldn’t be such a correlation. Water quality should be the primary factor, not housing sales.
“It was good testimony,” Representative Labor said. He added that ANR Secretary Julie Moore testified as well. She does not support H.113.
“ANR is in control,” Representative Labor said. “I’m not sure what comes next; the bill is still on the wall.”
Miscellaneous Agriculture Subjects
S.124 is a bill related to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. The Committee recently received the bill from the Senate. They will review the bill in light of recent testimony delivered by the Conservation Law Foundation, Lake Champlain Committee, and the Vermont General Council for Agriculture, Food and Markets.
The Committee took testimony on H.283, which regulates the use of wake boats on Vermont’s lakes. Last year DEC promulgated rules designating 30 lakes in Vermont as open for wake boats and wake sports. Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, and Wallace Pond are international bodies of water and are regulated by federal agencies. Fifteen of the lakes are located in the Northeast Kingdom; 10 are designated pristine waters.
Representative Leanne Harple of Glover testified on the bill, which would allow municipalities the right to regulate wake boat activities. Representative Labor said she gave solid testimony.
This bill proposes to require the Secretary of Natural Resources to delegate authority to regulate the use of State waters to a municipality when the municipality is adjacent to the water subject to delegation, the municipality requests the delegation to promote the public good by restricting or prohibiting wake boats on the water for which it is seeking delegation, and the municipality accepts the delegation by creating or amending a bylaw or ordinance for regulation of the water. The bill will not be taken up by the Committee, as the legislative session ends in a few weeks.
Newport City Representative Woody Page and Representative Labor are sponsoring a health care bill that creates a pathway for survival of small, acute-care rural hospitals. The bill will prohibit the Green Mountain Care Board from implementing recommendations contained in a consultant’s report on hospital transformation until July 1, 2026. Other elements of the report can be developed. The goal is to stabilize small, rural hospitals and preserve access to hospital services, rather than eliminating the services. The bill will explore opportunities for other health care insurers to offer plans in Vermont.
A provision of the bill will develop a plan to place medical students and residents in clinical rotations at critical access hospitals and consider opportunities to offer scholarships and loan repayment programs for students to encourage careers in rural medicine.
This bill will not be taken up this session, Representative Labor said.
H.292 is a bill related to land application and the sale of biosolids containing PFAS. The goal is to ban the application or sale of biosolids, sewage sludge, and similar waste in which the presence of PFAS chemicals are detected. The bill will prohibit landfills from accepting the sludge if PFAS levels exceed 12 ppt, the state’s standard for hazardous waste.
This bill will be discussed during the 2026 legislative session.
H.286 will require DEC’s Water Supply Rule to be amended to establish a maximum contamination level of zero parts per trillion for PFAS substances in drinking water.
This bill proposes to require the Secretary of Natural Resources to amend the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Water Supply Rule to establish a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of zero parts per trillion for PFAS.
The bill will eliminate PFOS, one of several PFAS related chemicals monitored by the EPA, from compounds in Vermont. Representative Labor said exceptions currently exist for fire-fighting foam at airports and equipment for firefighters.
Representative Labor said there is no suitable alternative to fire fighting foam with PFAS in it at this time.