The bill H.113 aims to declare Lake Memphremagog a "lake in crisis" due to significant environmental concerns, particularly related to phosphorus runoff that is causing excessive algal growth and posing threats to public health and natural resources. The bill emphasizes the lake's importance as a vital water source for over 175,000 people and an economic driver for the region. It proposes to eliminate the requirement that a municipality must demonstrate declining real property values for a lake to be designated as in crisis, thereby streamlining the process for addressing the lake's deteriorating conditions.

Key provisions of the bill include the establishment of a crisis response plan that will impose controls on effluent discharges into the lake's tributaries. The Secretary of Natural Resources will have the authority to designate lakes as in crisis based on specific criteria, including public health risks and environmental damage, without the previous requirement of reduced property valuations. The bill's effective dates are staggered, with the declaration of Lake Memphremagog taking effect immediately upon passage, while the revised criteria for lake designation will come into effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 10-1310, 10-1311(c), 10-1311