The rule has been attracting a great deal of public attention and input, including through a virtual public hearing held earlier this week. West Virginia citizens from across the state have voiced loud and clear they do not want more toxins allowed in our water.

During the committee meeting, Delegate Chad Lovejoy led questioning of WVDEP about the public input process and implications of the proposed water quality standards revisions on public health. Delegate Lovejoy also offered an amendment to strip out those updates that would make the state’s current standards less stringent. The amendment failed on a 16-8 vote. Delegates Pushkin, Zukoff, and Lovejoy spoke passionately in closing arguments about the need to protect our water and reject policy that would lead to increased exposure to cancer-causing chemicals.

The rule, without amendment, ultimately passed out of committee on a voice vote and has been bundled together with other WVDEP proposed rules into a single bill, HB 2382, that now is headed to the House floor for a full vote. It’s expected that the rule will be in amendment stage on the House floor on Friday, 3/5. Now is the time to let your Delegates know you oppose any revision to water quality standards that makes human health criteria less stringent.