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

ProPublica · Jonathan Mingle and John Dillon · 2026-11-04 15:00 UTC

Vermont kicked off an ambitious effort in 2015 to clean up waterways and meet tougher EPA restrictions. But after a decade and nearly a billion dollars spent, potentially toxic algae still lingers in Lake Champlain. What happened?

Reporting Highlights

- Falling Behind: After a decade and nearly a billion dollars, the EPA says Vermont is “not on track” to meet its phosphorus reduction goals.

- Some Parts Getting Worse: Seven of Lake Champlain’s 15 sampling stations have exceeded the EPA’s annual phosphorus limits every year since 2015.

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