Funding to support Bristol Virginia’s landfill remediation efforts survived the final cut of Virginia’s embattled biennial budget.
On Monday, the General Assembly approved a two-year spending plan that includes $26.5 million to aid with work to resolve environmental issues with the city’s landfill. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the compromise budget Monday afternoon.
“The city would like to thank Virginia lawmakers, especially Gov. Glenn Youngkin and our local representatives, Sen. Todd Pillion and Del. Israel O’Quinn, for ensuring this critical funding remained in the final budget,” the city said in a written statement.
Gov. Youngkin proposed allocating $35 million but that was negotiated down to the final amount. Funds are expected to be available after the new fiscal year begins July 1.
Pillion, R-Abingdon, was one of the Senate budget conferees and he praised the plan in a statement, “I’m proud of the bipartisan deal that we were able to reach which secures significant investments for Southwest Virginia and the entire Commonwealth with no tax increases.”
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The city has completed a series of improvement projects at the landfill and expects to conclude additional work in the upcoming year. Last fall the city borrowed over $30 million in short-term general obligation bonds to fund much of that work. The state funding will allow the city to repay much of that borrowing on schedule.
“The state support will minimize the long-term financial impact on city residents by greatly reducing the need to borrow additional funds to resolve the existing environmental and odor issues at the quarry landfill,” according to the statement.
“The city and its staff have worked tirelessly to advocate for and secure the additional funds and we sincerely appreciate the patience and support of our residents as crews continue work to complete the remaining remediation efforts at the quarry landfill,” according to the statement.