Polluted Runoff: County Water Protection Ordinance Strengthened

The Albemarle County (VA) Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt the improvements to the county’s water protection ordinance that SELC helped initiate. As a result, there is now a limit on the amount of time that inactive areas of construction sites can be left as exposed dirt, stripped of all vegetation. Previously, there was no firm time limit for developers to stabilize these sites to prevent erosion; there will now be an enforceable deadline on each project.  These improvements will translate into a substantial decrease in the amount of dirt that would otherwise get washed off construction sites and into the local waterways.  We are hopeful that the unanimity of the vote indicates further positive outcomes as we advocate for other improvements in the county’s water-protection policies over time.