Video Link to Press Conference: http://ow.ly/VFCQ50By7dH
The Legislative Rule Making Committee meets tomorrow, 9/23, to discuss the Water Quality Standards Rule 47CSR2. This rule would weaken 13 of the human health criteria, making them less stringent than our current standards.
“West Virginia has had more than our fair share of toxic spills, including the horrible 2014 Freedom spill, which deprived over 300,000 of drinking water. We have the third-highest rate of cancer in the country. Since 2017, some industries have been trying to convince the Legislature to delay or reject most of the 95 updates proposed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to its human health criteria, which were based on science. The proposed new rule would delay and weaken drinking water protections yet again. It is ironic that what some industries want us to reject are recommendations of EPA officials in the Trump administration. This is not a game. We should be strengthening, not weakening our drinking water requirements, by adopting, at a minimum, all of the EPA’s recommendations. to protect human health.”
– Barbara Evans Fleischauer, WV House of Delegates (D-51)