The American Rescue Plan Act, which President Joe Biden signed on March 11, could provide infrastructure funding solutions to the major pollution problems that plagued Richmond, Alexandria and Lynchburg, Virginia for more than a century. The three cities are jointly asking Governor Ralph Northam to allocate $ 1.4 billion to support these complex renovations, $ 883 million for Richmond, $ 500 million for Alexandria and $ 50 million for Lynchburg. The proposal has strong bipartisan support in the Commonwealth General Assembly ahead of its special August 2nd session.
Like many older cities in the United States (and around the Chesapeake watershed), Richmond, Alexandria, and Lynchburg have aging mixed water overflow (CSO) systems from the late 19th century that still drain areas within their corporate boundaries. During heavy rainfall, these CSOs bypass municipal sewage treatment plants and divert raw sewage directly into local waterways, in this case the James and Potomac Rivers. Solving the problem is difficult and expensive because it involves “rebuilding this part of the city from below,” as one civil engineer described the process.
Funding is a particular problem as city tollpayers alone cannot bear the enormous cost of repairing these centuries-old systems, which seemed like a good idea when they were built. Still, the Clean Water Act and the Chesapeake Bay Pollution Diet require all cities to eliminate these sources of pollution and public health problems. All three of these cities in Virginia have made some progress, with costs reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. The question is always how to pay for the full solutions and what the deadlines for completion should be.
Last year, the Bay Bulletin reported on a bill passed with bipartisan support by the Virginia General Assembly calling on Richmond to remove its exemptions by 2035 while “reporting annually on the progress and funding of the work.” Richmond’s problem is by far the biggest. Last year, James River Association CEO Bill Street gave that assessment of the challenge facing Richmond and the role of that legislation in helping the city meet it by 2035 and plan by 2027.
In response to the 2020 legislation setting the Richmond deadline, Secretary of State for Natural Resources Matthew Strickler has already recommended allocating $ 33.3 million from the Virginia federal COVID-19 aid package. The money would support significant improvements through 2027, but still fail to meet the 2035 deadline requirements. The proposed $ 1.4 billion capital investment from the American Rescue Plan Act, if passed, would solve three nasty centuries-old water pollution problems. The James Rivers and Potomac Rivers – and the Chesapeake Bay – hang in the balance with everyone who lives, works, and plays on these waterways.
– John Page Williams