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Northam proposes spending package for clean water, conservation, Chesapeake Bay preservation

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam on Wednesday announced that his two-year budget proposal would include hundreds of millions of dollars for clean water and the preservation of the Chesapeake Bay.

“My budget will ensure that the Commonwealth lives up to its commitment and restores the natural bounty of the Chesapeake Bay,” Northam said in a statement. “By assisting farmers and localities implementing our Bay clean-up plan, my budget supports the economic, public health, recreation and quality of life benefits of a restored Bay for future generations.”

The budget proposal includes $286 million for the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund, which helps farmers and landowners to implement clean water and conservation procedures, Northam’s office said in the statement.

The proposal also includes $233.6 million to fix old and failing sewer and septic systems, which Northam’s office said would “address the inequities in clean water accessibility.”

There’s also $10 million for the Virginia Land Conservation Foundation and $5 million for the Office of Farmland Preservation.

Northam’s office said in the statement that a restored Chesapeake Bay would generate more than $8 billion a year in economic activity, through better commercial and recreational fishing, savings on wastewater treatment, increased property values and more.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal. In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial. But of all the construction projects Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, the area’s primary international airport, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.
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