West Virginia's environmental organizations have secured an agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to address pollution levels in the state's waterways.
Caity Coyne reports for West Virginia Watch.
In short:
- Environmentalists in West Virginia have reached an agreement with the EPA to establish pollution limits for certain waterways, affecting approximately 100,000 residents.
- The agreement requires the EPA to set Total Maximum Daily Loads for pollutants in 11 streams by January 2025, following a lawsuit by local conservation groups.
- The move comes after years of frustration with the EPA's failure to comply with the Clean Drinking Water Act, aiming to reduce pollutants linked to coal mining.
Key quote:
"For far too long, West Virginia has failed to meet its obligations to protect our waters from coal mining pollution."
— Autumn Crowe, interim executive director for the Rivers Coalition
Why this matters:
The need for a Total Maximum Daily Load is triggered under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, which mandates states to identify waters not meeting water quality standards and develop TMDLs for them based on their priority ranking. While states are primarily responsible for developing TMDLs, the EPA plays a crucial role in reviewing and approving these plans.
