Vermont’s Clean Water Board has invested nearly a billion dollars over the past decade to improve water quality in Lake Champlain and its tributaries, yet the independent audit mandated by state law to evaluate the effectiveness of these expenditures was never conducted. The audit, required under the landmark 2015 Clean Water Act, was intended to determine whether state-funded projects were working and if agricultural regulations were being properly enforced. Despite a legislative deadline of January 2021, no outside environmental consultants submitted bids for the work, and the board did not reissue the request for proposals.
The missed audit occurs as Vermont approaches the halfway point of a 20-year cleanup initiative overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Lake Champlain has long struggled with phosphorus pollution from agricultural runoff, roads, and urban sewers, which contributes to toxic blue-green algae blooms. While the state has disbursed $928 million in combined state, local, and federal funds, the lack of an external review has raised questions among some lawmakers about whether the state is pursuing the most cost-effective strategies for water quality improvement.
What the Left Is Saying
Environmental advocates and some legislative leaders express concern that the absence of an independent audit leaves the public without objective data on whether the massive financial investment is yielding the promised ecological results. Former state Representative David Deen, who sponsored the 2015 Clean Water Act, stated he was dismayed to learn the audit had not taken place. "Personally, I find it amazing that they haven't done that audit and that somebody in the legislature did not hold them to account to conduct that audit," Deen said.
Proponents of stricter oversight argue that internal reporting mechanisms are insufficient substitutes for third-party verification. They note that while annual performance reports exist, an independent evaluation would specifically examine whether agriculture and natural resource agencies are enforcing regulations on farms, identified as the largest source of phosphorus in the lake. The failure to secure an audit is viewed by critics as a gap in accountability for a program with significant health and economic implications for the region's tourism industry.
What the Right Is Saying
State officials responsible for administering the cleanup efforts defend the existing oversight structure, arguing that the lack of an external audit does not equate to a lack of transparency or accountability. Douglas Farnham, chair of the Vermont Clean Water Board, acknowledged that an outside audit would be helpful but argued that current measures are adequate. "We’ve got enough eyes coming at it from different angles that I think that mutes the need for that comprehensive audit," Farnham said.
Farnham and other board members pointed to robust annual performance reports compiled by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as proof of ongoing scrutiny. Emily Bird, director of the DEC’s Water Investment Division, stated that the department’s website provides a lot of transparency regarding spending and results. Supporters of this view suggest that the administrative burden and complexity of the audit's scope, which reportedly deterred consultants from bidding, made the external review less practical than the existing internal tracking systems.
What the Numbers Show
Since 2016, Vermont has disbursed $928 million on water quality projects and programs. This total comprises $755 million in state funding and $173 million in local and federal dollars. For context, this expenditure is nearly equivalent to the amount Vermont has spent on paving and resurfacing state highways over the same period. The vast majority of these funds have been directed toward Lake Champlain, which faces persistent phosphorus pollution.
The audit was originally required to be submitted to the legislature by January 2021. The board issued a request for proposals in 2020 but received no responses. Lawmakers subsequently extended the deadline to 2023, but no external firms bid on the project again. The scope of the audit was described by board officials as too broad and complex for potential contractors. The state's cleanup effort is part of a 20-year mandate established by the EPA, placing the current status at approximately the midpoint of the required timeline.
The Bottom Line
The failure to conduct the mandated audit leaves a gap in independent verification of Vermont’s water quality strategies, despite the existence of internal state reports. While the Clean Water Board maintains that annual tracking by the DEC provides sufficient oversight, critics argue that an external review was necessary to assess cost-effectiveness and regulatory enforcement, particularly regarding agricultural runoff. With the 20-year cleanup timeline ongoing, lawmakers and environmental groups are likely to revisit the issue of independent evaluation to ensure the state’s substantial financial investment is producing measurable ecological benefits.