On December 4, I traveled to Williamsburg to receive the annual Legislator of the Year Award given by the Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts. This Award is recognizes the conservation benefits of House Bill 2568, which I sponsored in the last session of the General Assembly

The legislation gives local government more authority to sanction developers who do not comply with the provision in building permits that require steps to prevent sediment runoff from development sites. Currently there are 166 local Erosion and Sediment Control Programs throughout Virginia

Sediment erosion from construction activities can be particularly harmful to our communities without proper protections in place. Polluting our waterways, flooding, and damaging downstream properties are a few examples. As a State Delegate representing a geographic area within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, I believe we need to do everything we can do minimize otherwise avoidable runoff into our waterways.

The legislation received support across party lines and among legislators from suburban, urban and rural areas. It is an example of legislators coming together to enact a common-sense solution to a common problem affecting all our citizens. I want to thank those local officials from across the state who make sure these local Erosion and Sediment Control Programs are effective, and I want to thank the Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts for the Award.