The 2019 West Virginia Environmental Council lobbying priorities include:
- Water protection including updating state water quality standards with EPA recommended human health criteria
- Advance renewable energy options including Power Purchase Agreements (PPA)
- Protect public lands, including prohibiting commercial logging in State Parks to preserve the integrity and intent of State Parks
- Promote the WV Future Fund: ensure that extractive industries pay severance tax to the fund, under the leadership of Ted Boettner of WV Center on Budget and Policy
- Election law updates: under the leadership of Julie Archer of WV Clean Elections Coalition
- Oil and gas issues including the Appalachian Storage and Trading Hub, orphan wells, and health study of fracking regions
Veteran lobbyist Karan Ireland is returning as lobby team coordinator, and new lobbyists Kayla Young and Ben Kessler will introduce themselves in the first 2019 legislative update this coming weekend.
