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Hi {contact.email_greeting},  Members of the National Guard test water during Operation Elk River — a mission in response to the chemical leak into the Elk River. Somehow, there’s only one full week of the 2026 Regular Legislative Session. This year has felt particularly challenging. Right now, we’re fighting against the passage of several bad bills, namely SB 641 and SB 686. SB 641 would weaken the protections of the AST Act of 2014. For many, the Freedom Industries leak into the Elk River still feels like yesterday. More than 300,000 residents lost access to clean drinking water for days, and some for weeks. The governor declared a state of emergency for nine counties. The Freedom Industries storage tanks were inadequate for methylcyclohexane methanol (MCHM), a chemical used to clean coal. MCHM is a known corrosive substance, something the storage tanks never could have safely contained. The resulting chemical contamination caused nausea, vomiting, eye irritation, and infections. 14 people were hospitalized following exposure. The Aboveground Storage Tank Act was passed unanimously in 2014 following the disaster. Just over a decade later, lawmakers have already seemingly forgotten how important this protective legislation is for West Virginia residents and businesses. Hundreds of thousands of residents were impacted, and could be again, if this legislation is weakened. SB 641, which loosens requirements on storage tank inspections, passed in the Senate this week and is now in the House. Can you take a minute to complete this action alert? Urge lawmakers to REJECT SB 641!  Longwall mining can cause home and building foundations to crack and shift, and can even permanently dry a person’s water well. Take action on SB 686 and protect surface owners. SB 686 would benefit coal companies that can’t get approval from every owner of a tract of land to longwall mine coal. If this legislation passes, coal companies will be able to mine with the approval of only 75% of surface owners. This is a grave assault on the rights of surface owners in West Virginia. Longwall mining can cause severe damage, cracking, and shifting of home and building foundations, damaging gas and water lines, drying water wells and ponds, and more. Lawmakers are choosing coal companies over constituents once again. There’s still time left to fight SB 641 and SB 686. Take action to protect surface owners here! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to make sure you don’t miss an upcoming action alert. Read more updates from the Capitol in this week’s legislative update. This week, we’re also highlighting another member organization — the Greenbrier River Watershed Association. The Greenbrier Watershed Association has been around since 1990, making a positive impact on the region ever since. West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, another WVEC member group, has a few great events coming up, and there are several environmental AmeriCorps positions open around the state. Help support our work by subscribing to and sharing our newsletter with friends and family, joining an environmental group near you, and donating to keep the fight going. We all have a role to play. What will yours be? Click an article title or thumbnail image to read the full article (text below is only an excerpt). |
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