Sunday, February 5th is “crossover” at the Virginia General Assembly – the day that bills introduced in one chamber must pass in their original chamber and “cross over” to be voted on by the other. No new bills will be introduced or considered after crossover. It’s important to note that if bills remain in committee and have not been passed by the full chamber floor by Sunday evening, then they will be considered dead and no further action can be taken on the bill.

Data centers consume massive amounts of resources, and we don’t fully know just how bad the consequences will be. Photo by Hugh Kenny, Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC).

Make sure to read “Bill of the Day: Data Centers’ Impact on the Environment” to see a full list of all the data center bills that went through this year’s General Assembly and learn more about how data centers consume massive amounts of resources.

Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, hosting 70% of global internet traffic. The data center industry is growing very large and very fast, but the Commonwealth does not currently have any regulatory oversight of data center development. Because of this, data center reform is wanted by many Virginia environmental advocates.

SJ240, a bill to study the impact of data centers, passed the Senate Rules committee this morning in front of a packed room of local advocates. It’s now headed to the Senate floor. SB1078, which would have prevented data centers from being built next to national and state parks, was killed this morning.

Gold mining pit. Photo courtesy of VaLCV.

Cyanide spills in mining are common and result in ruined drinking water, the destruction of ecosystems, and massive fish kills.

A gold mining impact study found that the use of cyanide in metals mining is particularly dangerous to our soil and water health. Legislators are now considering banning this dangerous chemical to avoid contamination of Virginia’s ground and surface water.

Wisteria is a common invasive species. Photo by Hollee Freeman.

The Cinderella story of the 2023 General Assembly session is of the fight to curb invasive species and promote native plants throughout the Commonwealth. After similar bills faced a quick defeat in the 2022 session, new-and-improved bills have come back stronger than ever and are, so far, sailing through the House.

HB1998 and HB2096 seek to raise awareness of problematic invasive plant species and more. Supporting native landscapes provides many economic and ecological benefits, including:

• Supporting beneficial wildlife
• Reducing landscape maintenance costs
• Mitigating stormwater runoff and flooding
• Displacing problematic invasive species’ populations

To see all of the bills we’ve taken a stance on for this year’s General Assembly and their status, you can check our Bill Tracker.

Help us continue to advocate for strong conservation policy for Virginia’s natural resources and public health with a donation. We appreciate your support!