Securing important stormwater controls.

• Position: Vermont - Brief article

IN A CRUCIAL VICTORY FOR VERMONT'S waterways, CLF and Lowe's Home Centers, Inc. agreed to settle three lawsuits that address stormwater runoff into Potash Brook--a tributary of Lake Champlain. When implemented, the settlement will end five years of litigation over runoff from a proposed Lowe's store in South Burlington, Vermont.

One of the most significant water pollution problems nationwide, stormwater runoff occurs when dangerous pollutants from pavement, rooftops and lawns flow into waterways. This runoff severely degrades water quality, damages fish habitat and aquatic flora, and undermines recreational use. Lake Champlain has been riddled with negative effects of stormwater pollution such as toxic algae blooms, as sprawling development has increased throughout the basin.

In accordance with the settlement, Lowe's will implement state-of-the-art stormwater runoff controls, monitor stream conditions for ten years, and upgrade its...