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Citizens go to DC to Support Clean Water Legislation
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by Bill Price | 2007

The Clean Water Protection Act has 83 co-sponsors but none of them represent West Virginia!

In May, over 100 people from 19 states gathered in Washington DC to lobby for more co-sponsors for the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2169). Over 100 lobby meetings were attended by people from the coalfields and others letting Congress know that this bill, while simple, is very important to many around the country. Thanks to the efforts of those who took time from their busy schedules, the HR 2169 now has 83 Members of Congress on this legislation.

Three of the meetings are of interest to people in WV. During the time in DC, meetings were held with all three WV Representatives or members of their staff. Those meetings did NOT result in Representative Rahall, Capito, or Mollohan signing on. In the meeting with lead staff person with the Natural Resources Committee which Congressman Rahall chairs, attendees were told that the Congressman views Mountain Top Removal as a “Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act enforcement issue”. Certainly no one can say that SMCRA has ever been enforced, but that does not mean that HR 2169 should not also be passed.

Although the Natural Resources Committee is not the committee where this piece of legislation will be taken up, the fact that Congressman Rahall has not cosponsored HR 2169 is affecting whether or not other Representative will cosponsor. In several of the meetings with representatives from other states, Members of Congress stated that they were in favor of the bill, but were reluctant to co-sponsor a bill when WV’s own Members, particularly Congressman Rahall, had not done so. Mr. Rahall is a key to getting more co-sponsors and ultimately passing this legislation. Simply put, HR 2169 would change the definition of waste back to the original intent of the Clean Water Act so that it would include mining fill.

While not abolishing the practice of Mountain Top Removal, it would make the method difficult. It would protect streams from being used as waste dumps for mountains that are being blasted away. Representative Rahall, as well as Members Capito and Mollohan need to hear from YOU about how YOU feel about HR 2169.

Rep. Rahall contact info is as follows: Mailing address: Congressman Nick Joe Rahall, II, 2307 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D. C. (202) 225-3452. Huntington phone is (304) 522-6425. Logan phone is (304 752-4934. Bluefield phone is (304) 325-6222. Beckley phone is (304) 252-500