Last week the House passed a bill which would
require all new construction within 250 feet of a lake shoreline to get a
permit. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of
lake-shore development restrictions.
The
state of Vermont is hoping to improve water quality in Lake Champlain’s Missisquoi Bay basin, which has been the site of toxic
algae blooms, by reducing bacteria that flows into the bay and finding
solutions to suspected discharges in the towns of Enosburg Falls, North Troy, Richford and Swanton.
A House committee will hold a
hearing next week on a bill that calls for new protections for the shorelines
of lakes and ponds, including
buffer zones for new development to prevent polluting run-off. But some
property owners are concerned that the bill would infringe on their property
rights.
The Shelburne Fire Department has proposed purchasing a used
fire rescue boat to use on Lake Champlain for approximately
$36,000. If purchased, it would be the only firefighting boat in the area.
Jim Boni is the project manager for the NY Department of Transportation. He spoke with VPR’s Mitch Wertlieb about the future of the Lake Champlain Bridge.
Walter Freed and Brian Dubie join us from the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul, Minnesota to talk about the national ticket of McCain-Palin, and how Republican candidates in Vermont are approaching the November election.
Officials say elevated toxin levels have been
found in a blue-green algae bloom in Missisquoi Bay and that swimming and bathing in the water where it’s
present should be avoided.
The state of Vermont
has spent $85 million dollars in the last five years to clean up Lake
Champlain, but so far, we’ve seen little in the way of results. UVM
Lake Scientist, Mary Watzin speaks with VPR’s Jane Lindholm about the lake’s
complex ecosystem, and how pollution affects it.