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by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Public Utility Commission today opened an investigation into whether Vermont Gas Systems violated its 2013 permit by burying its pipeline at a depth of less than 4 feet in 18 locations in New Haven. The company's Certificate of Public Good (CPG), issued on December 23, 2013, authorized the construction of the pipeline from Chittenden County to Addison County and required that the pipeline be buried at least 4 feet deep within electric transmission corridors for safety reasons.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, July 10 Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos was chosen by a bi-partisan group of his peers as President-elect of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) at the Summer Conference in Indianapolis. NASS serves as a medium for Secretaries across the country to share ideas and best practices in the development of public policy as it relates to elections and voting, business services and policy relating to state archival work and records management.

Vermont Business Magazine The Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday approved legislation to fund the Veterans Affairs Administration (VA), staving off “devastating” cuts proposed by the Trump Administration to a facility in Vermont and securing additional resources for Vermont veterans. It was the first markup session on one of the 12 annual Appropriations bills that fund the government to be co-led by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in his new role as Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Agency of Natural Resources announced Thursday that Blakeman’s Towing and Recovery, an automotive towing and recovery business located in Tunbridge, was fined $25,000 for operating in violation of state salvage yard and land use laws, and hazardous waste management regulations. Salvage yards provide important waste management services to Vermonters by reusing and recycling a range of materials from automobiles and scrap metal to hazardous waste like battery acid and vehicle fluids. Hazardous materials can have severe impacts if released to the environment, including contaminating soils, groundwater and drinking water, and degrading public health. Because of this risk, salvage yards are responsible for operating in compliance with laws that protect public health and the environment.

Vermont Business Magazine New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) recently donated $2500 to the Williston Community Food Shelf (WCFS) for the Summer Bag Program. The donation will cover all the expenses to provide two additional bags of “kid friendly” food per month to families with children during summer vacation. The extra bags of food are meant to help bridge the gap created when free breakfast and lunch programs available at the schools become unavailable during the summer.

“The Williston Community Food Shelf is very grateful to have you, and NEFCU, as our Community Partner. Together, we are making a difference,” noted WCFS President, Virginia B. Morton, in a letter of thanks.

Vermont Business Magazine National Life Group’s fourth annualDo Good Fest, presented by The Point, will feature alternative rock bandGusterand three other bandson Saturday. Burlington-basedKat Wrightwill kick off the free music festival at4 pm, followed byDwight & Nicolealso of Burlington at 5, and New England fan favoriteThe Adam Ezra Groupat6 pm.Guster takes the stage at7:30 pmand the show will close with a spectacular fireworks display.

Senator Patrick Leahy Senate Trumpcare 2.0 is just as bad as earlier versions and in some ways is worse. This remains a stumbling, shameful and craven exercise to pass a tax bill in the guise of a health care bill. The ‘mean’ House bill the President described keeps getting meaner. Lost to many in the White House and on Capitol Hill is the fact that these are decisions that literally mean health or illness and life or death to countless people.

Vermont Business Magazine The Kinney Drugs Foundation is donating $250,000 to provide supportive spaces for families in the Robert E and Holly D Miller Building at the University of Vermont Medical Center, which will contain 128 new single-patient rooms. Completion of the building is expected in the Fall of 2019. Patients in the Miller Building will experience enhanced quality of care due to the privacy, space for families, and healing environment single-bed rooms provide. Studies show that facilities designed with the needs of patients and families in mind result in better outcomes and a better experience overall. Currently, only thirty percent of patient rooms at the UVM Medical Center have one bed.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) issued the following statement Thursday after Senate Republicans released the revised version of their plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act: "The revised Republican 'health care' plan is an absolute disaster that will inflict severe economic pain on millions of Americans. That is why it is opposed by virtually every major health care organization in this country – by doctors, nurses and hospital administrators. Make no mistake about it, thousands of Americans every year will die unnecessarily if this legislation is passed.

Vermont Business Magazine Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee Thursday offered a $1.6 billion amendment that would have supported the health care of thousands of veterans across the country and bolstered the Department of Veterans Affairs. The amendment, which was offered by Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), was rejected in Committee by a vote of 15 to 16.

Democrats said in a press release that the amendment was the first of a series to be offered by the Appropriations Committee Democrats to demand parity in budget priorities and show what Congress can and should be doing to invest in the American people and create jobs.

Vermont Business Magazine An increase in power outage information along with higher price satisfaction are the top drivers of the sixth consecutive year of improved customer satisfaction with residential electric utility companies, according to the JDPower 2017 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study,released today. Green Mountain power scored second highest in the East region for utilities its size.

"Green Mountain Power is excited to announce it has achieved the second highest score for mid-sized utilities in the East Region in JDPower’s 2017 electric utility residential customer satisfaction study. Companies in the midsize utility segment serve between 100,000 and 499,999 residential customers. Last year GMP achieved the top score in the study, demonstrating continued excellence,"said Kristin Carlson, GMPVice President Strategic & External Affairs.

Vermont Business MagazineYou can tell a lot about a farm by looking closely at the soil. That's why the new, statewide program to recognize Vermont's most environmentally friendly farmers will be based on soil-sampling and monitoring. Today, Governor Phil Scott announced the pilot launch of the new Vermont Environmental Stewardship Program (VESP), which will use soil-based analysis to identify farmers who are going above and beyond to protect our natural resources.