Dear LWV-WV Members,

We're passing along this urgent action alert from our friends at the WV Rivers Coalition.

Urgent Action for Water Quality Standards - Act by 12/9

In preparation for the 2021 WV Legislative Session, the Legislative Rule Making Committee will meet on Wednesday, 12/9, and water quality standards are on the agenda.

The committee needs to hear from you TODAY about the importance of clean water! [1]

This is the second time we are sharing this action alert with you. In September, the Committee met and Water Quality Standards were on the agenda. But your messages got committee members attention and the Water Quality Standards Rule was removed from the agenda [2]. Your messages make a real difference! Please act today! [1]

You may recall that it was during a meeting of the Legislative Rule Making Committee in 2018 [3] that essential updates to human health protections were stripped from the 2019 proposed water quality standards rule. This act by the Rule Making Committee triggered years of industry-led delay tactics and attempts to weaken drinking water protections. All the while, West Virginia's water quality standards remained outdated.

Now, after years of delays, the Legislative Rule Making Committee will once again consider much needed updates to our water quality standards. We've reviewed the proposed water quality standards rule [4] and sadly, the rule would rollback protections for 13 toxins.

It is extremely important that members of the Legislative Rule Making Committee hear from you before they meet. Tell members of the committee that you oppose any weakening of water quality standards. [1]

Links: ------ [1] https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/rulemakingwqs/index.html [2] https://wvrivers.org/2020/09/rulemakingupdate [3] https://wvrivers.org/2018/11/wqs-4 [4] https://wvrivers.org/2020/07/wqs-7