by Freeda Cathcart
Dems need to restore the $25 million high-hazard dam funds that former Governor Youngkin left out of his 2026-2028 budget. State code specifies the dam funds are supposed to be irrevocable, but the budget supercedes state code. Senator Salim’s budget amendment line item 362 #18s can return the funds.
Use this easy portal https://tinyurl.com/ReturnDamFunding to send emails to the Senate Finance Committee to inform them that public safety must be protected by returning the high-hazard dam funding.
Youngkin stunned his staff when he revealed that he had clawed back funds from essential flood resiliency programs. He removed $25 million from the high-hazard dam funds and $8 million from the VCAP (Virginia Conservation Assistance Program) funds. Delegate Krizek’s line Item 362 #18h returns the $8 million VCAP funds plus provides additional funds to help eliminate the waiting list for VCAP. Use this easy portal https://vaswcd.org/help-support-vcap/ to contact the General Assembly to support VCAP.
There’s speculation that Youngkin gutted funding for programs to give the illusion that his administration had created a surplus of funds on his way out the door. It’s well known that he has a hostile history with the RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) program. Youngkin either didn’t understand how RGGI benefitted the Commonwealth or didn’t care.
The RGGI (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) drives down greenhouse gas emissions which improves air quality and public health while also bringing in desperately needed revenue to help Virginia’s families with energy bills and communities with flood resiliency. RGGI brought in $827.7 million. The money collected was divided into an energy efficiency fund (50%, $413.9 million) and flood resiliency (45%, $372.5 million). The remaining 5% funded the administration of the program.
Even after a judge ruled that Youngkin unlawfully removed Virginia from RGGI, Youngkin and former AG Miyares appealed the ruling. Delegate Herring’s HB397 has passed the House and is already making its way through the Senate. Governor Spanberger knows the importance of reinstating RGGI and is expected to reinstate it.
The high-hazard dams are owned by Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD). The SWCDs are legally liable to maintain the dams that they own. The SWCD Directors are volunteer elected officials and are required to fulfill their SWCD’s responsibilities. SWCDs aren’t able to generate revenue. Therefore the SWCDs are dependable on the General Assembly to provide the funds to keep their dams in compliance with the federal Dam Safety Act.
If Hurricane Helene had been a hundred miles east, there are SWCD dams that would have failed and thousands of lives may have been lost. SWCDs are moving as quickly as possible to fix their dams.
Much more than enough revenue is going to start flowing when RGGI is reinstated to cover the return of the $25 million dam funding. This will allow SWCDs that have high hazard dams in need of repair to continue with the work of signing contracts with engineers and construction companies to repair the dams.
People are angry about how Republicans, like Youngkin, gut vital programs that compromise the safety and well being of the public. Then Republicans leave the dangerous chaos they caused to Dems to clean up.
When Dems restore the high-hazard dam funding, they will be protecting public safety while creating jobs in rural areas. It’s more than the right thing to do, it’s smart.
