Environmental Groups Meet at West Virginia Summit
Representatives from a dozen West Virginia environmental groups convened in Morgantown on September 24 and 25, 2022 for a discussion of the proper strategy for the movement over the next few years. The Summit was convened by the West Virginia…
Conservation West Virginia Supports Rep. David McKinley in the May 10 Republican Primary
Because of population loss, West Virginia’s three Congressional districts have been consolidated into two. The new 2nd District covers roughly the northern half of the state and pits two incumbent Republican Congressmen against one another…
2022 Legislative Recap: One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
The West Virginia Legislature ended its 2022 regular session at midnight March 12, 2022. Altogether, the Legislature passed 293 bills. Sixty-two bills introduced were energy or environment related. Only 8 of them passed. Some of the unsuccessful…
Can the Environment Survive the West Virginia Legislature? Week 1.
Think of the period between January 12 and March 12 as hunting season. The prey? West Virginia’s precious environment. The hunters? All those willing to undervalue and sacrifice the environment for a few extra dollars here or there. …
The New Civilian Climate Corps
Immediately upon assuming office, President Biden issued an executive order addressing his climate objectives. Prominent among these was the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps to tackle climate change resiliency and provide job training…
The Future of Carbon Capture
Carbon capture is a term used to describe a group of technologies that either remove carbon directly from the air or scrub it from waste gas as fossil fuels are burned. In either case, the carbon “captured” is buried or used in the manufacture…
What is Karst, and Why Should We Care?
When I was a first-year student at the University of Virginia I was required to take a science course. The choices were physics, chemistry, biology or geology. “Rocks” is what the students called geology and it was reputed to be the least…
West Virginia Legislature Ignores the Environment (Almost)
Every year at this time, those of us interested in environmental preservation and conservation take stock of what the West Virginia Legislature has done for, or to, the environment. Sadly this process usually results in the same conclusion. …
Consent Decree Requires Verso to Clean Up Potomac River Pollution from Luke MD Paper Mill
In 2019 a fisherman noticed black seepage from Verso’s paper mill at Luke Maryland into the North Branch of the Potomac River. The seepage turned out to be “black liquor” from the papermaking process coming from several sources along…
House Committee Advances Bill Deregulating Storage Tanks to House
The House Health and Human Services Committee on Friday, March 4 sent a bill exempting above-ground storage tanks from regulation even though located on the banks of rivers and streams close to public water intakes. The vote by 13 Republicans…
