Today I watched and smelled thousands of gallons of basement water drain from downtown buildings that were polluted with fossil fuels from heating sources. All of this water will eventually end up in our rivers and lakes. 

Getting fossil fuels out of flood zones and replaced by cleaner sources is critical as Vermont rebuilds. The Clean Heat Standard that the Vermont Legislature just passed strives to help Vermont businesses and homes get off dirty fossil fuel heating sources.

The inundation of these fossil fuel-based heating systems provides an opportunity to upgrade to cleaner sources as we rebuild, while also reducing the carbon pollution that contributed to the climate chaos that caused so much damage.

Joslyn Wilschek

Montpelier