Enforcement

Many advocates believe that in order to improve the quality of Vermont’s environment, we do not necessarily need to impose stricter laws. Rather we must actively enforce that laws that are already on the books. Indeed, VNRC believes that enforcement of Vermont’s environmental laws has been negligible in some circumstances, and inconsistent in many others.
Read More

Ski Area Development

VNRC continues to play an active role in protecting sensitive alpine areas from large-scale ski area development. VNRC has an instrumental participant in the Act 250 permit process for massive ski area expansion to ensure that permitting guidelines are met before, during and after permits are issued.
Read More

VNRC Uncovers Illegal Discharge at Jay Peak

In late September 2005, VNRC received a phone call from a concerned citizen who observed discharges from construction sites at Jay Peak Ski Resort. Construction at the resort appeared to be depositing excessive sediment and muddy water to tributaries of the Jay Branch, which ultimately leads to Lake Champlain. VNRC staff visited the site and documented serious water quality problems being caused by the resort’s uncontrolled runoff. The results were nothing short of alarming.
Read More

VNRC Report: Rivers and Streams under threat, ANR failing on enforcement

Construction contractors and the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) are failing to keep Vermont’s surface waters free of polluting runoff from construction sites. An on-the-ground review by the Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) in the summer of 2007 revealed that developers across Vermont who are constructing single family residences, residential subdivisions, and linear projects as well as commercial properties are routinely violating the federal Clean Water Act and that ANR is failing to bring enforcement actions for those violations.
Read More