WVEC Action AlertMarch 5, 2008Demand Protection for West Virginia's Cleanest Streams! Today the House of Delegates in a vote of 67 to 32 passed changes to West Virginia's antidegradation plan that would truly protect the State's cleanest waters. Please contact members of the Senate and urge them to pass SB 373 as amended by the House today. The House bill gets rid of the Tier 2.5 category which was a compromise made with industry to avoid listing all reproducing trout streams as Tier 3. The House bill restores Tier 3 protection for the state's cleanest waters - our native brook trout streams - by allowing NO degradation on those waters! The House bill protects outstanding national resource waters on ALL public lands in West Virginia, and allows for protection of pristine streams on private lands through a nomination process. If the legislature passes this antidegradation rule as proposed it will finally signal a commitment by the state to protect it's cleanest waters from degradation as required by the Federal Clean Water Act. Please call your Senators today and ask them to support SB 373 as amended by the House of Delegates. 1 877 565-3447
|