Category: Newsletter article
Individual articles for various ‘issues’ of newsletters (i.e., articles for a GREEN Newsletter or Legislative Update).
531 posts found, showing 20 per page
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 7, 2015
“Gutting the Aboveground Storage Tank Act”
The worst bill to hit the ground this week was H.B. 2574/S.B. 423, "Amending the Aboveground Storage Tank Act." It should read "Gutting the Aboveground Storage Tank Act." The Aboveground Storage Tank Act was created by last year's landmark S.B. 373, which passed both houses unanimously. More
Issues: Legislation, Regulation, Water
“Gutting the Aboveground Storage Tank Act”
The worst bill to hit the ground this week was H.B. 2574/S.B. 423, "Amending the Aboveground Storage Tank Act." It should read "Gutting the Aboveground Storage Tank Act." The Aboveground Storage Tank Act was created by last year's landmark S.B. 373, which passed both houses unanimously. More
Issues: Legislation, Regulation, Water
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 7, 2015
Update on Category A
Last week we told you about the DEP's proposed rule change to restore "Category A" (drinking water) protection to a portion of the Kanawha River from Belle to the Kanawha's confluence with the Ohio. The rule has been introduced as S.B. 167 and H.B. 2289. More
Issues: DEP, Water
Update on Category A
Last week we told you about the DEP's proposed rule change to restore "Category A" (drinking water) protection to a portion of the Kanawha River from Belle to the Kanawha's confluence with the Ohio. The rule has been introduced as S.B. 167 and H.B. 2289. More
Issues: DEP, Water
Newsletter article Rob Goodwin February 7, 2015
Coal Industry Took a Risk with Mountaintop Removal and Are Asking Legislature for a Bail Out
House Bill 2566, the Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015, should be called the Coal Industry Bail Out Act of 2015.Testimony from Alpha Natural Resources and the WV Coal Association this week before committees in the House and Senate could not have made the intent of this act clearer. The proposal is an effort through deregulation to cut costs in a struggling industry. A major component of the bill is to create a permit shield that will attempt to enable the coal industry to escape the liability in clean-up costs of hundreds of miles of streams it has polluted through the misguided risky practice of Mountaintop Removal. More
Issues: Coal, DEP, Pollution, Water
Coal Industry Took a Risk with Mountaintop Removal and Are Asking Legislature for a Bail Out
House Bill 2566, the Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015, should be called the Coal Industry Bail Out Act of 2015.Testimony from Alpha Natural Resources and the WV Coal Association this week before committees in the House and Senate could not have made the intent of this act clearer. The proposal is an effort through deregulation to cut costs in a struggling industry. A major component of the bill is to create a permit shield that will attempt to enable the coal industry to escape the liability in clean-up costs of hundreds of miles of streams it has polluted through the misguided risky practice of Mountaintop Removal. More
Issues: Coal, DEP, Pollution, Water
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 7, 2015
The Aluminum Rule Change is Baa-ack…
You may recall that a couple of years ago, the DEP proposed a rule change that would calculate allowable levels of aluminum in streams based on the water's hardness. During the 2014 legislative session, the Senate asked the DEP to pull the rule change, because legislators didn't think it would be a good idea to vote for dirtier water so soon after the Freedom Industries spill. More
Issues: Aluminum, Coal, DEP, Water
The Aluminum Rule Change is Baa-ack…
You may recall that a couple of years ago, the DEP proposed a rule change that would calculate allowable levels of aluminum in streams based on the water's hardness. During the 2014 legislative session, the Senate asked the DEP to pull the rule change, because legislators didn't think it would be a good idea to vote for dirtier water so soon after the Freedom Industries spill. More
Issues: Aluminum, Coal, DEP, Water
Newsletter article Conni Lewis February 7, 2015
What I know about coal and the industry
At Thursday's public hearing on the "Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015", I was proud to see environmentalists and the UMWA stand together in opposition to an assault on safety, our shared environment and, in fact, hope for the future. It's a shame that it's necessary to even have such a hearing, a shame that the coal industry even wants these changes and a shame that the industry wants people and our waters to pay the price for their actions. Environmentalists and coal miners shouldn't be adversaries, but it is in other people's interests to make it seem that way. More
Issues: Coal, Water
What I know about coal and the industry
At Thursday's public hearing on the "Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015", I was proud to see environmentalists and the UMWA stand together in opposition to an assault on safety, our shared environment and, in fact, hope for the future. It's a shame that it's necessary to even have such a hearing, a shame that the coal industry even wants these changes and a shame that the industry wants people and our waters to pay the price for their actions. Environmentalists and coal miners shouldn't be adversaries, but it is in other people's interests to make it seem that way. More
Issues: Coal, Water
Newsletter article John Christensen February 7, 2015
Net Metering Bills take on new meaning this week
We had some good news as well as some bad news this week on the Net Metering protection front. First the good news, HB 2001, the companion bill to SB 1, the first two bills introduced in the 2015 WV Legislative session, passed out of both bodies, clean and untouched except for the addition of the section on Net Metering as found in the AREPS law (that was 99% repealed), and was signed by the governor to be one of the first completed pieces of legislation. We were hoping that would be the end of the story. Not so fast. There are still two Net Metering (as amended) bills out there to watch (SB 1 and HB 2201) and negotiate and repair or kill. More
Issues: Net metering, Renewable energy
Net Metering Bills take on new meaning this week
We had some good news as well as some bad news this week on the Net Metering protection front. First the good news, HB 2001, the companion bill to SB 1, the first two bills introduced in the 2015 WV Legislative session, passed out of both bodies, clean and untouched except for the addition of the section on Net Metering as found in the AREPS law (that was 99% repealed), and was signed by the governor to be one of the first completed pieces of legislation. We were hoping that would be the end of the story. Not so fast. There are still two Net Metering (as amended) bills out there to watch (SB 1 and HB 2201) and negotiate and repair or kill. More
Issues: Net metering, Renewable energy
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 7, 2015
Come to our press conference on Monday! & other important calendar items
Members of the WV Safe Water Roundtable are organizing a press conference to express our deep concern about the number of bills that propose to weaken water protections. We need lots of clean water fans in the room to demonstrate that citizens are alarmed about this! The press conference will be Monday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the McManus conference room (252M), on the hallway near the House chamber. Be there! More
Issues: Eday, Water
Come to our press conference on Monday! & other important calendar items
Members of the WV Safe Water Roundtable are organizing a press conference to express our deep concern about the number of bills that propose to weaken water protections. We need lots of clean water fans in the room to demonstrate that citizens are alarmed about this! The press conference will be Monday, February 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the McManus conference room (252M), on the hallway near the House chamber. Be there! More
Issues: Eday, Water
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 7, 2015
Additional Reading
Last month the EPA released a scientific report called "Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters" that demonstrates the importance of small streams and wetlands to downstream water quality. The report is based on current scientific research, specifically 1,200 publications from peer-reviewed scientific literature. More
Issues: Climate change, Coal, Water
Additional Reading
Last month the EPA released a scientific report called "Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters" that demonstrates the importance of small streams and wetlands to downstream water quality. The report is based on current scientific research, specifically 1,200 publications from peer-reviewed scientific literature. More
Issues: Climate change, Coal, Water
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 1, 2015
Update on AREPS Repeal/Net Metering
First of all, in case you missed it: the Gazette’s Ken Ward got his hands on the Coal Association’s “West Virginia Coal Legislative Program 2015” and put it up on the Gazette’s website here. As you can see near the top of page 8, repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard was part of coal’s “program;” they assert that “the . . . thresholds of 15% by 2020 and 25% by 2025 could negatively affect the coal burn in West Virginia.” More
Issues: Net metering
Update on AREPS Repeal/Net Metering
First of all, in case you missed it: the Gazette’s Ken Ward got his hands on the Coal Association’s “West Virginia Coal Legislative Program 2015” and put it up on the Gazette’s website here. As you can see near the top of page 8, repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard was part of coal’s “program;” they assert that “the . . . thresholds of 15% by 2020 and 25% by 2025 could negatively affect the coal burn in West Virginia.” More
Issues: Net metering
Newsletter article Rob Goodwin February 1, 2015
WVDEP Budget and Civil Penalties
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection presented its budget last week to the House Finance Committee. The most substantive part of the discussion following the presentation from Secretary Huffman was a request from Del. Nancy Peoples Guthrie, who asked Secretary Huffman to provide to the committee information regarding when the last time civil penalties maximums were adjusted. Secretary Huffman agreed to provide that information to the committee, but volunteered the information that surface mining civil penalties have never been increased since the regulations were first established decades ago. More
Issues: DEP
WVDEP Budget and Civil Penalties
The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection presented its budget last week to the House Finance Committee. The most substantive part of the discussion following the presentation from Secretary Huffman was a request from Del. Nancy Peoples Guthrie, who asked Secretary Huffman to provide to the committee information regarding when the last time civil penalties maximums were adjusted. Secretary Huffman agreed to provide that information to the committee, but volunteered the information that surface mining civil penalties have never been increased since the regulations were first established decades ago. More
Issues: DEP
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 1, 2015
Support Category A Protection for Our Waters
The DEP has proposed a rule change that would restore "Category A" protection for the Kanawha River. If the rule change is approved, West Virginia American Water would have the option of placing a second intake on the Kanawha near WVAW's Charleston treatment plant. More
Issues: Water
Support Category A Protection for Our Waters
The DEP has proposed a rule change that would restore "Category A" protection for the Kanawha River. If the rule change is approved, West Virginia American Water would have the option of placing a second intake on the Kanawha near WVAW's Charleston treatment plant. More
Issues: Water
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 1, 2015
A Little More about Coal’s Wish List
Elsewhere in this issue of Green, we’ve mentioned the Coal Association’s Legislative Program 2015. Another item we'd like you to note is the Association's "request" regarding Aboveground Storage Tanks (p. 8), which reads, in part: ". . . it is clear the Association should work to amend the statute to exempt as many tanks at coal mining operations from most of the provisions of the statute as possible." More
Issues: Coal
A Little More about Coal’s Wish List
Elsewhere in this issue of Green, we’ve mentioned the Coal Association’s Legislative Program 2015. Another item we'd like you to note is the Association's "request" regarding Aboveground Storage Tanks (p. 8), which reads, in part: ". . . it is clear the Association should work to amend the statute to exempt as many tanks at coal mining operations from most of the provisions of the statute as possible." More
Issues: Coal
Newsletter article Jim Kotcon February 1, 2015
Energy Efficiency is Good for West Virginians. Amend Com Sub HB 2004.
HB 2004 amends the WV Air Pollution Control Act (22-5-20) to require legislative approval for any state plan to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants. The Committee Substitute also eliminates the language, 22-5-20-(c) (4), that directs a state plan include counting emissions from power plants that closed recently, as well as reductions in emissions from energy efficiency programs. More
Issues: Coal, Energy, Energy efficiency
Energy Efficiency is Good for West Virginians. Amend Com Sub HB 2004.
HB 2004 amends the WV Air Pollution Control Act (22-5-20) to require legislative approval for any state plan to regulate carbon dioxide emissions from electric power plants. The Committee Substitute also eliminates the language, 22-5-20-(c) (4), that directs a state plan include counting emissions from power plants that closed recently, as well as reductions in emissions from energy efficiency programs. More
Issues: Coal, Energy, Energy efficiency
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe February 1, 2015
Join Us for E-Day! and other important stuff . . .
E-day is scheduled for February 18th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the lower rotunda. Then join us that evening at 6:00 for our annual awards dinner at the women's club. For more information contact Marium Bria: mariumbria@gmail.com. More
Issues: DEP, Eday
Join Us for E-Day! and other important stuff . . .
E-day is scheduled for February 18th, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the lower rotunda. Then join us that evening at 6:00 for our annual awards dinner at the women's club. For more information contact Marium Bria: mariumbria@gmail.com. More
Issues: DEP, Eday
Newsletter article Bill Price January 25, 2015
Dismantling Silos
This past Friday and Saturday, I went to the Peoples’ Concerned about Chemical Safety’s conference entitled “Looking Forward”. The goals of the conference were to have residents have conversations about local chemical safety, look at how solutions that have worked elsewhere, and to be a part of local solutions to prevent water contamination. And there’s that common thread again….water contamination. More
Issues: Coal, MCHM, Water
Dismantling Silos
This past Friday and Saturday, I went to the Peoples’ Concerned about Chemical Safety’s conference entitled “Looking Forward”. The goals of the conference were to have residents have conversations about local chemical safety, look at how solutions that have worked elsewhere, and to be a part of local solutions to prevent water contamination. And there’s that common thread again….water contamination. More
Issues: Coal, MCHM, Water
Newsletter article Rob Goodwin January 25, 2015
Can Young Innovation and Entrepreneurship Change the Course of the 2015 Regressive Legislature?
There is one thing that repealing the WV Alternative Energy and Renewal Portfolio Standard (SB1), legislation limiting flexibility in the creation of a State Clean Power Plan HB2004 / SB4, and mandating state DHHR, DNR, DEP rules are no more stringent than federal rules (HB2269) have in common. They are priority bills at the top of the 2015 Legislature’s agenda closing doors for opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship. More
Issues: DEP, Energy, Energy efficiency, Renewable energy
Can Young Innovation and Entrepreneurship Change the Course of the 2015 Regressive Legislature?
There is one thing that repealing the WV Alternative Energy and Renewal Portfolio Standard (SB1), legislation limiting flexibility in the creation of a State Clean Power Plan HB2004 / SB4, and mandating state DHHR, DNR, DEP rules are no more stringent than federal rules (HB2269) have in common. They are priority bills at the top of the 2015 Legislature’s agenda closing doors for opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship. More
Issues: DEP, Energy, Energy efficiency, Renewable energy
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe January 25, 2015
Repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standards Act Passes both Houses
In last week’s “Update,” we told you that both legislative chambers had produced committee substitutes for S.B. 1 and its companion bill H.B. 2001; these are bills that propose to repeal West Virginia’s Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard (AREPS). Both committee substitutes retain the net metering provision of the AREPS. More
Issues: Renewable energy
Repeal of the Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standards Act Passes both Houses
In last week’s “Update,” we told you that both legislative chambers had produced committee substitutes for S.B. 1 and its companion bill H.B. 2001; these are bills that propose to repeal West Virginia’s Alternative and Renewable Portfolio Standard (AREPS). Both committee substitutes retain the net metering provision of the AREPS. More
Issues: Renewable energy
Newsletter article Ken Ward January 25, 2015
Debate highlights W.Va.’s inaction on energy diversity, efficiency
As lawmakers move to dismantle West Virginia’s six-year-old alternative-energy law, they tout their action as another effort to help the state’s declining coal industry. However, state records show that the 2009 law actually does little to hurt the coal industry and maybe even less to really promote alternatives like wind energy or solar power. West Virginia’s coal-heavy utilities say they have been — and will continue to be — able to meet the law without adding new renewable generation. More
Issues: Coal, Energy, Energy efficiency
Debate highlights W.Va.’s inaction on energy diversity, efficiency
As lawmakers move to dismantle West Virginia’s six-year-old alternative-energy law, they tout their action as another effort to help the state’s declining coal industry. However, state records show that the 2009 law actually does little to hurt the coal industry and maybe even less to really promote alternatives like wind energy or solar power. West Virginia’s coal-heavy utilities say they have been — and will continue to be — able to meet the law without adding new renewable generation. More
Issues: Coal, Energy, Energy efficiency
Newsletter article Vickie Wolfe January 25, 2015
Here’s a Great Idea–Let’s Shoot Ourselves in Both Feet!
Friday saw the introduction of H.B. 2269, whose purpose “is to require rules of the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Natural Resources and Department of Commerce be no more stringent than corresponding federal law or regulations.” Now, most of you who are reading this newsletter probably understand the relationship between “statutes” and “rules,” but here’s a thumbnail explanation. More
Issues: DEP, Regulation
Here’s a Great Idea–Let’s Shoot Ourselves in Both Feet!
Friday saw the introduction of H.B. 2269, whose purpose “is to require rules of the Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Natural Resources and Department of Commerce be no more stringent than corresponding federal law or regulations.” Now, most of you who are reading this newsletter probably understand the relationship between “statutes” and “rules,” but here’s a thumbnail explanation. More
Issues: DEP, Regulation