Charleston, WV (WoWK) – A legislative template that senators at West Virginia State Capitol passed on Friday, led to turmoil among environmental groups in the mountain state this week.
The law deals with above -ground camp tanks, but some believe that it could have devastating effects on drinking water in West Virginia.
“I remember where I was on January 9, 2014,” said Democrat Senator Joey Garcia. “I remember a licorice smell in the air this afternoon here in Charleston.”
This smell was the result of a chemical spill of a warehouse tank that contaminated the ELK flow and left 300,000 West virginians without water.
Shortly after this incident, the legislature passed the Upper Eardish camp.
A draft law that was adopted in the Senate with a vote of 25 to 7 changes this law.
“The committee replaces the Senate Bill 592 the authority of the Upper Eardish Camp Tank Act by determining the number of inspections that can be requested from the DEP under certain circumstances,” said Republican Senator Chris, Chris, from Monononia County.
The legislation frees warehouse tanks in “zones of critical concern” from the inspection by third parties such as the DEP and instead enables self -inspection.
Republican Senator Bill Hamilton voted against the bill.
“During the last session, when this code was changed, it was generally agreed that tanks in the” zone of critical concern “had to be regulated in order to ensure the protection of drinking water,” said Hamilton, who represents Upshur County. “This calculation would put these sources of drinking water in danger.”
Rose does not agree with Hamilton and says that the invoice simply corrects an overreaction to the chemical spill of 2014.
“How does more bureaucracy for industry help to enforce laws if you already have them that you already have?” There are some larger companies that also have these tanks, but they should not be punished for something that has not done their industry. “
Monday in the State Capitol, environmental groups spoke against the legislative template, which is now in the Committee on Energy and Public Works in the House.
