Donate Now
Want to help Keep West Virginia Wild? One of the easiest ways to support West Virginia is to make a donation. Click here to make a donation.
Help Congress Stop Mountaintop Removal
The Stream Protection Rule was developed by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) over the course of seven years during the Obama administration. The rulemaking was an effort to better protect public waterways from mountaintop removal and other destructive coal mining practices. The rule would have updated the 1983 Stream Buffer Zone Rule.
Take the Pledge to end mountain removal mining (via I Love Mountains).
After years of drafting and refinements, the rule took effect in January 2017 before being revoked by Congress in February through the Congressional Review Act. President Trump signed the legislation rescinding the rule, and the 1983 version is now once again in effect.
Also, the Clean Water Act was enacted by Congress to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters,” and prohibited the dumping of material into waterways for the purpose of waste disposal. In 2002, the Secretary of the Army changed the definition of “fill material” in order to include mining waste. Since debris from mountaintop removal is no longer considered “waste,” coal companies are dumping millions of tons of mine waste into streams.
Representatives Frank Pallone and Christopher Shays introduced a bill that reestablishes the original intent of the Clean Water Act: to protect our waterways, not give industry permission to pollute and bury them. By the end of the 109th congress of 2006, the bill had 77 co-sponsors.
Take Action
Why Take Action? Keeping WV Wild simply can’t do it alone. We need the help of everyone that loves West Virginia if we’re going to Keep WV Wild. And helping out doesn’t need to take up a lot of your time. The organization strives to make it easy for you to make a difference and there are a variety of ways you can help. If you love West Virginia and would like to join in the effort to preserve its beautiful natural attributes, there are numerous ways you can help. For starters, ask your Representative to co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 2169.
On May 4, 2007, the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 2169 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives and is currently co-sponsored by the 93 representatives listed below. Because Representatives from around the country have received thousands of letters from people like you, the list is growing all the time.
The Clean Water Protection Act is necessary to protect clean drinking water for many of our nation’s cities. It is also necessary to protect the quality of life for Appalachian coalfield residents who face frequent catastrophic flooding and pollution or loss of drinking water as a result of mountaintop removal.
You can help build and strengthen support for the Clean Water Protection Act right now.
Click here to send an email asking your Representative to co-sponsor the Clean Water Protection Act.
Not sure who your Representative is? Click here to find out.
WV Government Contacts
West Virginia Dept of Environmental Protection
1356 Hansford Street
Charleston, WV 25301
Phone: 304.558.5929
Fax: 304.558.6576
Governor Joe Manchin
State Capitol Complex
Charleston, WV 25305
Toll free: 1.888.438.2731
Phone: 1.304.558.2000
Fax: 1.304.342.7025
governor@wvgov.org