SB 163 fails to protect West Virginians with the best science

Delegates Sammi Brown, John Doyle, Barbara Fleischauer and Mike Pushkin spoke in favor of updated human health protections.

Late Friday, the House Judiciary Committee passed out the water quality standards rule (SB 163) without updates to human health protections. Delegate Barbara Fleischauer put forth a valiant effort to present and pass an amendment to include the updated protections, but it was voted down on a divided voice vote. That amendment was co-sponsored by Delegates Sammi Brown and Mike Pushkin – thank you to these clean water champions!

Delegate Pushkin spoke to why he could not support the bill as-is with the outdated standards, and other delegates joined him in voting no on the bill. Now the bill heads to the House floor for a full vote, perhaps on as early as Monday. You can encourage your delegates to oppose a bill that fails to include updated human health protections for our water.

Prior to the vote, Delegate John Doyle, submitted a petition to the committee on behalf of WV Rivers. The petition contains the names of 1,099 individuals who have spoken out for updated drinking water protections through our action alerts. Throughout the course of the legislative session, folks have sent a total of 38,498 letters to West Virginia’s legislators! It’s clear that West Virginians want protective, science-based water quality standards.

Contact your delegates, today. Let them know that SB163 fails to protect West Virginians with the best science available. You can use the button below to send a message to all WV delegates, or better still, make a phone call or send a personal email by contacting your delegate directly.