4 state laws that will make a difference for the Potomac River
/Potomac Conservancy’s 2024 State Legislative Preview
As winter’s chilly conditions set in, many animals along the Potomac River hibernate or slow down to conserve their energy — but not Team Potomac! Our crew of river rats is out in full force this season fighting for clean water.
On January 10, state representatives in Maryland and Virginia kick off their annual legislative sessions. Potomac Conservancy will be on the ground with clean partners in Annapolis and Richmond every day during the session, advocating for important laws that will protect and restore the health of the Potomac River, the source of drinking water for 5 million people. Encouragingly, conservation bills often unite leaders on either side of the river aisle because clean water is a top priority for everyone.
Like all bodies of water, the Potomac is only as healthy as the lands that surround it. That’s why policy change at the local and state levels is an important part of our clean water strategy. Our movement urges leaders to pass bipartisan land-use laws that strengthen our community’s natural defenses against pollution and climate impacts.
The good news: We’re making a difference! Environmental laws have drastically reduced pollution in our region, and as a result, we’ve seen the Potomac River’s health grade improve from a dismal D to a B in the last 12 years!
2024 State Legislative Preview
Maryland: The Clean Water Justice Act
Greenbelt Lake at Buddy Attick Park in Greenbelt Maryland
Shallow dive: This bill will make it easier for private citizens to sue in Maryland Court to stop illegal pollution or compel a state agency to act.
Deep dive: If passed, the bill would restore the Clean Water Act’s (CWA) public enforcement capabilities to the state, important rights that were lost under the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v EPA. The Sackett decision dramatically reduced the scope of federal CWA jurisdiction, and now countless wetlands and streams that used to be subject to federal protections are left to the states to protect — or not. The public lost a critical environmental right to bring suit in federal court to enforce the CWA for harm to the wetlands and streams. This bill would restore judicial rights to the public at the state level in Maryland.
The potomac on a sunny day
Maryland: The Whole Watershed Act
Shallow dive: This act will improve and restore severely degraded ecosystems in Maryland.
Deep dive: This bill would create a pilot program to select and improve five polluted streams across the state through coordinated, comprehensive investments and conservation efforts. The bill builds off a successful partnership model in Pennsylvania designed to rapidly delist waterways included on the EPA's impaired waters list. Additionally, the bill creates a licensing program for waterway restoration practitioners.
Person hiking
Virginia: Great Outdoors Act
Shallow dive: This bill is a $200 million request that prioritizes investments in outdoor recreation.
Deep dive: This bill guarantees significant resources are allocated to reinforcing the protection of Virginia’s outdoor recreation offerings, creating new returns on investment that should benefit both the environment and the economy.
Virginia: Wetlands Protection Strategy Work Group Legislation
Virginia wetland
Shallow dive: This bill will fund an important study of Virginia’s wetland protection policies and practices, and examine ways to make them more effective.
Deep dive: Virginia’s wetlands serve as natural sponges that absorb excess rainwater, reduce pollution, and keep our waterways and wildlife healthy. Experts are increasingly calling for greater wetlands protections because they are an effective natural defense against flooding caused by rising waters and high-impact storms.
Potomac Conservancy supports legislation to create a Virginia Wetlands Protection Strategy Work Group that would study Virginia’s current wetland protection policies and practices, and identify ways to bolster the conservation efforts moving forward. The work group would consist of state agency officials, as well as stakeholders representing environmental policy organizations.
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