# Vermont Has Spent Nearly a Billion Dollars to Clean Up Lake Champlain. But the Green Slime Keeps Coming Back.

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/vermont-has-spent-nearly-a-billion-dollars-to-clean-up-lake-champlain-but-the-green-slime-keeps-coming-back/
- Published: 2026-11-04T15:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T09:06:26+00:00
- Original publisher: ProPublica (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.propublica.org/article/lake-champlain-algae-bloom-cyanobacteria-water-pollution-vermont
- Topics: Politics

## Key points

- Lake Champlain’s toxic algae blooms keep returning.
- Vermont has spent nearly $1 billion on water cleanup.
- The state has reached 35% of its 2036 target.

## Summary

Despite nearly a billion dollars in spending, Vermont is falling behind its Lake Champlain cleanup targets as recurring cyanobacteria blooms continue to affect the lake. The pollution threatens drinking water, closes beaches and harms pets and local businesses, while the state’s progress has prompted a warning from federal regulators.

Phosphorus from farms, stormwater and sewage fuels the blooms, which can make people ill through contact or ingestion. Vermont has achieved an estimated 35% of its cleanup goal halfway through the timetable to 2036; the EPA says the state must more than double its annual pace to get on track. Volunteers, including island resident Jeff van den Noort, are monitoring conditions around the lake.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.