Third Week of 2019 WV Legislative Session
Easy Action for Clean Water
Each week of the legislative session, we’ll share digest of the latest water policy news and actions you can take.
At the top of each digest, you’ll find the easy action of the week, it only takes a few minutes and it is the most urgent call to action. This week, we’re asking you to contact members of the WV Senate Judiciary Committee. Ask them to protect public health by updating West Virginia’s human health criteria with the most recent science.
Easy Action: Click here to send a letter to the Senate Judiciary.
Senate Judiciary Committee to Take Up Water Quality Standards
This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on updates to West Virginia’s water quality standards (SB 167). Their vote follows a unanimous decision by the Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee to restore updated human health criteria for 60 toxins. These updated protections had previously been removed from the bill at the urging of industry. Learn more here.
Industry is lobbying hard to remove the updated protections. Industry already convinced one legislative committee to remove the protections and they can do it again if your Senators don’t hear from you.
It’s critical you contact the Senate Judiciary Committee now and ask them protect public health by adopting updates to West Virginia’s human health criteria recommended by the WVDEP and the Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee.
Tracking Water Policy
Beyond water quality standards, we are tracking a number of other bills that have water quality implications. We’ll provide you updates on these bills as they move through the legislature. Head over to WV Rivers’ policy webpage where you’ll find a handy tool to help track the bills below.
WV SB404: Altering sediment control during commercial timber harvesting operations
Introduced on 1/23/2019. Now in Senate Natural Resources Committee.
WV SB430: Authorizing DHHR propose rules for completing or updating source water protection plans
Introduced on 1/25/2019. Now in Senate Government Organization.
WV SB167: DEP rule relating to requirements governing water quality standards
Introduced on 1/10/2019. Now in Senate Judiciary.
WV SB413: Creating Adopt-A-Stream program
Introduced on 1/24/2019. Now in Senate Government Organization.
WV HB2334: Establishing an industrial water extraction fee
Introduced on 1/11/2019 now in House Energy.
WV HB2337: Assessing the health impact of any new, or modification to, rule proposed by the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection
Introduced on 1/11/2019. Now in House Health and Human Resources
WV HB2073: Implementing the recommendations of the studies required by the Natural Gas and Horizontal Well Control Act
Introduced on 1/9/2019. Now in House Energy.
Upcoming Events
February 7: Join WV Rivers and allied organizations for Environment Day at the Legislature. E-Day features speakers and citizen lobbying for on environmental policy. Email ktyner@wvrivers.org if you are interested in attending. Afterwards, head over to the Empty Glass for E-Council’s Green Jam benefit. Learn more.
