WVEC Action Alert

March 10, 2005

Urgent Action Alert

Future of EQB on the Line

The House Judiciary Committee will meet tomorrow morning, Friday, March 11, at 9:00 AM to consider a bill that will let the Department of Environmental Protection determine the state’s water quality standards, instead of the independent Environmental Quality Board.

Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee (see contact information below) and ask them to oppose dirty water and vote against the Committee Substitute for HB 2889. We realize time for action is short, but we just learned this was on the fast track this afternoon.

Background:

The bill under consideration is the Committee Substitute for HB 2889, and it would transfer the EQB’s rulemaking authority to the DEP, allowing DEP to decide just how clean (or how dirty) our water will be.

This version of HB 2889 would also strip EQB of its responsibility for approving “re-mining” variances, again transferring that authority to DEP.   EQB would continue to exist only as an appellate board – hearing appeals of DEP permits.   In addition, one provision of this bill could possibly result in decisions on variances and other policy matters being decided in closed meetings.

Under current law the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) promulgates West Virginia’s water quality standards. Currently the board consists of five members, all of whom must have “expertise in water husbandry,” they are appointed by the governor, they serve staggered three-year terms so all are not appointed by the same governor, only three can be of the same political party, and none can work for any company that gets NPDES permits from the DEP.

The EQB is the closest thing we can get to an “independent” board in this state.   All of its deliberations and decisions are made in full public view and with full and open public notice and comment.   Even though it is greatly underfunded, EQB has in the past had excellent and knowledgeable technical, legal and clerical staff.

Folks, if you have any doubts about the EQB, you only need to ask yourself one question:   do you trust DEP, no matter who is the governor, to protect and preserve clean water for the citizens of West Virginia?

We simply MUST save the EQB!  

So please call any and all House Judiciary Committee members tonight or first thing in the morning and urge them to vote against the Committee Substitute for HB 2889.

The toll-free number to reach your Delegates’ and Senators’ offices is 1-877-565-3447. Or you can find your legislator’s direct capitol number at the web site www.legis.state.wv.us .

For more information contact Don Garvin at either DSGJR@aol.com or (304) 533-2969.

NOTE ABOUT WVEC ACTION ALERTS: We know you receive a lot of email, so it is the policy of the West Virginia Environmental Council to send you our Action Alerts only when the issues are truly important and only when there is specific important action you can take to help. Thanks for your help and support.

House Judiciary Committee:

Jon Amores, Chair:                 340-3252          jamores@mail.wvnet.edu
Kevin Craig, Vice-Chair:         340-3248         kcraig1@mail.wvnet.edu
Tim Armstead, Minority Chair:    340-3124          timarmstead@att.net
John Overington, Minority Vice-Chair:    340-3148     john@overington.com

Tom Azinger:   340-3202          tazinger@mail.wvnet.edu
Bonnie Brown:   340-3178       bbrown1@mail.wvnet.edu
Mike Caputo:   340-3367          caputo@mail.wvnet.edu
Joe DeLong:   340-3161           jdelong@mail.wvnet.edu
John Ellem:   340-3394             jellem@mail.wvnet.edu
Bill Hamilton:   340-3167         bhamilt@mail.wvnet.edu
William Hartman:   340-3396   whartman@wvnet.edu
Greg Howard:   340-3121         ghoward@mail.wvnet.edu
Lidella Hrutkay:   340-3156     lhrutkay@mail.wvnet.edu
Marshall Long:   340-3120        mclong@mail.wvnet.edu
Virginia Mahan:   340-3106      vmahan@mail.wvnet.edu
Cliff Moore:   340-3152            cmoore@mail.wvnet.edu
Jim Morgan:   340-3123            jamorgan@mail.wvnet.edu
Dave Pethtel:   340-3149          dpethtel@mail.wvnet.edu
John Pino:   340-3114               jpino@mail.wvnet.edu
Robert Schadler:   340-3191     rschadler@adelphia.net
Kelli Sobonya:   340-3175        ksobonya@mail.wvnet.edu
William Stemple:   340-3116    wlstempl@mail.wvnet.edu
Robert Tabb:   340-3274           rtabb@mail.wvnet.edu
Richard Thompson:      340-3274          rthompsn@mail.wvnet.edu
Carrie Webster:   340-3184       cwebste1@mail.wvnet.edu