The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) applauds the Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to deny a permit to Newport News for a reservoir in King William County.

“The Corps reached the only legally responsible conclusion it could,” said CBF Virginia Executive Director Joseph H. Maroon. “The facts show the reservoir isn’t needed and its adverse environmental impacts are unacceptable. A permit is not legally justified. This is the right decision for the environment, the Chesapeake Bay and the region.”

The Corps’ Norfolk District Engineer, Col. Allan B. Carroll, recently notified Newport News of his position on denial of the permit because independent studies have determined the city greatly overestimated its projected water needs. The new studies show a 100 percent overestimation by the city. There is simply no fundamental necessity for the reservoir.

“We applaud Col. Carroll’s leadership and courage in the face of intense pressure,” Maroon said. “He and his staff in the Norfolk District Office are to be commended for basing this decision on science and the law rather than politics.”

CBF also questioned calls to reverse the decision, including that of Governor Gilmore. The Governor this week sent a letter urging the Corps to conform its permit to the State Water Control Board’s 1997 reservoir permit. However, CBF noted that subsequent to the Water Control Board’s decision on the permit referenced by the Governor, independent studies concluded Newport News inflated its water needs. Moreover, the state’s position overlooks the fact that Newport News objects to the conditions of the Water Board’s permit and is suing the state to challenge it.

Building the King William reservoir would require the flooding of 437 acres of wetlands, the largest single permitted loss in Virginia history. Wetlands trap and filter pollutants, prevent erosion and flooding, and provide habitat for important plants and animals. More than half of the Chesapeake Bay’s wetlands have been destroyed since Colonial times, and their protection and restoration are critical to restoring the Bay. Because of wetlands’ importance, Virginia has committed to a no-net-loss policy, and Governor Gilmore has pledged to increase Bay wetlands by the end of his term in office.

“The substantial loss of the wetlands alone would be a significant setback for Bay restoration efforts in Virginia,” Maroon said. “In short, the Corps of Engineers has recognized there are other alternatives to the King William reservoir that will meet the water needs of Newport News without needlessly destroying wetlands, plants and animals and Native American culture.”