Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation

The meeting commenced with the adoption of the December 2, 2025 Clean Water Board Meeting minutes through the consent agenda. Key discussions included a review of the Clean Water Fund Operating Statement as of January 2026, noting a decrease in Meals and Rooms tax revenue for SFY26 and SFY27 and a proposed adjustment to the Contingency Reserve. The Board also reviewed the Governor Recommended State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2027 Clean Water Budget, which involved a reduction in funding for Municipal Pollution Control Grants, passing a motion to recommend the use of the Contingency Reserve as detailed in the Operating Statement. Additionally, an overview of legislative session priorities was provided, covering bills related to the beverage container redemption system (H119), a chloride contamination reduction program (S29 and H86), and a broad water quality bill (S224). The process for the SFY 2028 Clean Water Budget was previewed. Announcements included Secretary Moore's upcoming departure and the succession of Misty Sinsigalli to her Board seat, and summarizing next steps for budget authorization and future meetings.

The February meeting served to reconcile the Board's December recommendation with fiscal updates from the emergency board in January, and to discuss potential adjustments from the governor's recommended budgeting process. Key discussions included a review of the Clean Water Fund operating statement, updates to revenue projections based on the January economist consensus report which showed decreases in meals and rooms tax revenue, and a proposed adjustment to the contingency reserve to offset these downgrades. The Board also received an update on legislative priorities, specifically H119 regarding redirection of beverage container redemption system funds, S29/H86 concerning a chloride contamination reduction program, S224 addressing various water quality provisions, and H632, the housekeeping bill. Furthermore, the timeline and process for the upcoming State Fiscal Year 2028 budget development were reviewed, emphasizing enhanced engagement strategies, including a proposal for at least one annual in-person board meeting.

This inaugural meeting served as a kickoff for the subcommittee, including member introductions to facilitate understanding of each member's background and role. Key discussion points included an overview of the work conducted by the main Vermont Climate Council to set up the framework for the initial Climate Action Plan, summarizing progress made thus far. The group also reviewed their role and responsibilities for the coming year, which involves reviewing the existing Climate Action Plan actions, assessing progress, identifying gaps, incorporating new scientific data, and prioritizing existing actions to guide focused implementation toward the final plan submission, due at the end of calendar year 2025. A significant technical discussion covered the review of a study related to agricultural emissions tracking and accounting, confirming that current standards align generally with previous subcommittee recommendations, while also noting areas for technical improvement in accounting for manure storage emissions and sequestration.

The meeting involved a detailed review of the legislative history concerning greenhouse gas emission reduction mandates and inventory requirements, specifically focusing on sections 578 and 582 of the state statutes, including amendments from the Global Warming Solutions Act. Key discussion points revolved around potential conflicts between statutory language requiring emission reductions that account for energy use outside state boundaries (including out-of-state electricity consumption) and the methodology currently used in the greenhouse gas emissions inventory, which primarily focuses on in-state or 'burner tip' emissions for sectors like transportation and thermal energy. There was also an analysis of the life cycle emissions accounting provision added in 2011, noting that it mandates developing a rule for life cycle accounting but may not explicitly require its inclusion in the official inventory which must remain compatible with the 2007 baseline inventory that excluded such analysis.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the agenda and the minutes from the previous meeting held on November 12th. Key discussions centered on an update from Jane regarding the Climate Council's work on finalizing the Climate Action Plan (CAP). The subcommittee's work on their documents is concluding, with final versions and redlines being prepared for the upcoming Climate Council meeting on Tuesday. The council meeting will transition to adopting components of the CAP, specifically focusing on sections related to Building Resilience and Adaptation, Natural Working Lands Pathways for Sequestration and Storing Carbon, and Mitigation Pathways for Agriculture. Future subcommittee meetings, including one scheduled for December 17th, will address post-plan implementation and ARCA funding recommendations, with a general expectation that the group's future role and composition will be determined by the Council.