[Sustain] Groundwater protection bill goes to governor

[Mato Ska]

Groundwater protection bill goes to governor


May 2008



U.S. Water News Online



MONTPELIER, Vt. --
It's up to Gov. Jim Douglas now whether to sign into law a bill that
would designate Vermont's groundwater aquifers a public trust like its
lakes and rivers and require a state permit for large withdrawals of
groundwater.


The Vermont House has passed legislation
that would require a permit for withdrawals of more than 40 gallons per
minute, or 57,400 gallons per day. Backers of the legislation said the
average Vermont family uses about 400 gallons a day.


The
public trust provision basically says groundwater is not owned by one
person but by and for all Vermonters, and that the state must manage it
as a public resource.