State of West Virginia secondary Archives: on Environment
Bob Wise:
Create cabinet Environment post; end tradeoff with economy
It was the prevailing wisdom in the last century, and in previous generations, that economic growth carried the price of environmental sacrifice. We in West Virginia often divided ourselves into two camps - energy on one side, environment on the other.
In so doing, we lost sight of a basic truth: we will share the future of West Virginia together. It is my goal to put behind us the era of divisiveness on the issue of West Virginia’s environment. All of us who love West Virginia - whether we work at
behind a desk or a dozer, at a coal mine or a corporate headquarters - love our hills, our rivers, our woods and our valleys. We can have a clean environment-and we can have good paying jobs. And there must be no higher economic development priority-
therefore-I ask you to elevate the Director of the Division of Environmental Protection to the post of secretary, and add this official to the Governor’s Cabinet to emphasize the importance of environmental protection.
Source: 2001 State of the State Address to West Virginia Legislature
Feb 14, 2001
Don Blankenship:
EPA is biggest polluter,moving jobs to unregulated countries
Don Blankenship said the Environmental Protection Agency has become "the biggest polluter in the world" by forcing U.S. jobs to carbon-spewing countries like China. "When you look at Trump's margin [of victory] and look at the fact that
I advocated his policies before he advocated his policies--I've long believed that trade policies are unfair and that regulations are stifling," the former coal titan said last week in an interview.
Source: Washington Times on 2018 West Virginia Senatorial race
Jan 1, 2018
Don Blankenship:
AdWatch: role of MSHA in mine disaster was covered up
Blankenship produced an ad that said the Obama administration's internal review of the Mine Safety and Health Administration's role in a deadly mine explosion was "fixed." The ad said the government's own documents revealed "Obama's deadliest cover-up."
Blankenship's spokesman claimed to have emails that proved the point, but said they would not share them.An extensive review of multiple government reports, plus a search through a database of thousands of news articles produced no supporting facts.
Source: Politifact AdWatch on 2016-18 West Virginia Senate race
Dec 11, 2017
Don Blankenship:
AdWatch: Year in prison for contaminating drinking water
The "Mountain Families PAC" targets Republican Senate hopeful Don Blankenship. The Republican establishment has launched an emergency intervention in the primary aimed at stopping coal baron Don Blankenship from winning the party's nomination.
Last week, the newly-formed super PAC began airing TV ads targeting Blankenship, who spent one year behind bars following a deadly 2010 explosion at his Upper Big Branch Mine. The national party isn't promoting its role in the group but its fingerprints
are all over it.
The 30-second commercials, which the group is spending nearly $700,000 to air, accuse Blankenship's company of contaminating drinking water by pumping "toxic coal slurry," even as the multimillionaire installed a piping system that
pumped clean water to his mansion. "Isn't there enough toxic sludge in Washington?" the narrator intones.
Blankenship last month issued a statement saying he was well aware of the possibility that party leadership could target him.
Source: Politico.com AdWatch on 2018 West Virginia Senate race
Apr 15, 2018
Jim Justice:
Invest $14M in tourism and revenue comes flying right back
Tourism is another wonderfully bright spot in West Virginia. In 2017, we had unbelievable growth. We greatly surpassed the natural growth. In 2018, it looks even stronger and stronger. Our hotel occupancy is up 11 percent.
You know, our increased prices in revenue in our hotels is up 13.4%, and I will be asking you for another $14,000,000, because every dollar we put in tourism comes flooding back to us. It's a multiplier effect.
It's just absolutely a cash register. We put the money in, it comes flying right back at us. We seeing this every month in our surpluses.
This is the state that ought to be the number one state in the nation as far as tourism.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature
Jan 9, 2019
Jim Justice:
EPA regulations have been difficult, overreaching, and wrong
The climate regulations imposed on the state have been difficult, overreaching and wrong, Justice said.
More can be done with clean coal technologies to make them more economically viable and keep coal as a vital fuel source, he said.
Source: Parkersburg News-Sentinel: 2016 West Virginia governor race
Oct 9, 2015
Jim Justice:
Paid $900,000 fine for poor pollution controls at mines
A coal company owned by West Virginia billionaire Jim Justice has agreed to pay a $900,000 fine for environmental violations and improve pollution controls at mines in Kentucky and other Appalachian states at an estimated cost of $5 million. The U.S
Environmental Protection Agency announced the settlement Friday with Southern Coal Corporation and 26 affiliated mining companies. Kentucky and many other states enforce federal clean water and mining rules, with federal oversight.
The Justice companies with pollution-discharge permits in Kentucky listed in the complaint are A&G Coal; Four Star Resources; Infinity Energy; Kentucky Fuel Corporation; Sequoia Energy; and Virginia Fuel. The settlement is separate from one Justice
reached with Kentucky in 2014 to clean up environmental problems. In that case, Justice admitted hundreds of violations at his company's mines in 8 counties. Justice owed $4.49 million in fines for the violations, but the state settled for $1.5 million.
Source: Lexington Herald-Leader on 2016 West Virginia Governor race
Sep 30, 2016
Jim Justice:
I love the outdoors, but regulatory agencies tell you no
So many times our regulatory agencies absolutely, no matter what on earth we try to do, they're there to tell you no. They're not there to tell us no. Now, I underline--underline, underline, underline--nobody loves the outdoors as much as me.
Nobody loves water as much as me. We're not going to break the law. We're got going to do anything to damage the environment to the very best of our abilities. Or our waters. But we are not going to just say no.
Source: 2017 West Virginia State of the State address
Feb 8, 2017
Jim Justice:
$60M upgrade to state parks
We sold $60,000,000 of excess lottery bonds to upgrade our state parks. We have absolutely been doing that. That's all underway right now. We're getting a tremendous response with our state parks, and there's just lots of good going on there.As far
as our DNR efforts we've made, you know, we have reestablished an Elk herd in West Virginia; we're extending deer seasons. We're doing so many things with our trout and our streams, and we're exposing this state in so many ways, it's unbelievable.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to West Virginia legislature
Jan 9, 2019
John Raese:
Abolish the EPA & the Department of Energy
Raese aggressively criticized the Obama administration on coal regulations, and environmental policy. He also wants to cut some federal programs that currently regulate the environment. "The Obama administration has been regulating coal out of existence.
Try to get a permit today, if you can," Raese said. "He doesn't want to burn fossil fuels, he's making coal priced so high that it's not competitive anymore," he said, "I'd like to abolish the Department of Energy, and I would also like to abolish the
EPA. I think they are both redundant."Manchin says all energy resources in the country should be developed, to stop dependence on foreign oil. He says regulatory practices from the Environmental Protection Agency are unfairly hurting
Appalachian coal mining. But he says a balance must be drawn to protect both industry and environmental interests. "There's a balance to be had, the economy and the environment has to work together," Manchin said.
Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
Michael Folk:
No new regulations on mountaintop mining
Q: Do you support increased regulations on mountaintop removal mining and disposal?A: No.
Q: Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
A: No.
Q: Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
A: No. Simply enforce current regulations!
Source: West Virginia State 2012 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Natalie Tennant:
Raise motor vehicle fees, but gradually, not $40M at once
Q: Would you have vetoed the bill raising motor vehicle fees to generate an additional $40 million for the highway fund?A: What leadership is about, is getting into bringing folks together. I would have done that certainly with the Division of Motor
Vehicles. This is a tough time for folks in West Virginia, and raising taxes, whether they're called taxes or fees, and in this case they were called fees, is difficult for folks. And I realize they hadn't been addressed in many years.
It could have been a gradual approach to be able to work that in. I would have worked to make sure that would have been addressed and address it also for the roads in a budget process.
Q: So you would have supported some increase in the fees?
A: Depending on what the level would have been. But it couldn't have been that high, as it was. It was such a stark increase from what it was.
Source: The Register-Herald: West Virginia gubernatorial profiles
Apr 25, 2011
Pat McGeehan:
No state funding for open space preservation
Q: Do you support increased regulations on mountaintop removal mining and disposal?A: No.
Q: Do you support state funding for improvements to West Virginia's energy infrastructure?
A: No.
Q: Do you support state funding for open space preservation?
A: No.
Q: Do you support enacting environmental regulations aimed at reducing the effects of climate change?
A: No.
Source: West Virginia Election 2012 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2012
Patrick Morrisey:
Led coalition against "Clean Power Plan"
Since becoming Attorney General, Morrisey has assembled a long list of conservative accomplishments. He quickly developed a reputation as a "go-to" leader against President Obama's unlawful and radical agenda.
He led a 27-state coalition in securing an unprecedented win against Obama's EPA and his so-called "Clean Power Plan" at the U.S. Supreme Court, saving many coal miners' jobs.
Source: 2018 West Virginia Senatorial website PatrickMorrisey.com
Oct 1, 2017
Patrick Morrisey:
EPA exceeds its authority on Clean Water & Cross-State Air
Morrisey has filed many amicus briefs challenging the EPA:- American Farm Bureau v. EPA: On Sept. 13, 2013, the US District Court said that the EPA had the authority under the Clean Water Act to impose a total maximum daily load (TMDL) standard
for pollutants. This is contrary to the argument by Morrisey's amicus brief which said that the "EPA's overreach in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL infringes states' traditional rights the Clean Water Act intended to protect."
- Mingo Logan Coal v. EPA:
On March 24, 2014, the Supreme Court rejected the argument in Morrisey's brief which said that the "EPA unlawfully vetoed permits issued by the US Army Corps of Engineers."
- Homer City v. EPA: On April 29, 2014, the Supreme Court said the EPA's Cross-
State Air Pollution Rule was a cost-effective allocation of emission reductions among upwind States. The Court rejected Morrisey's brief which claimed that the "EPA exceeded its authority when it promulgated the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule."
Source: Wikipedia on 2018 West Virginia Senate race
Feb 18, 2018
Paula Jean Swearengin:
West Virginia rivers and streams are constantly threatened
Q: What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? A:
West Virginia rivers and streams are constantly threatened by drainage, dumping, spills, and run-off from all of the industries who get tax and regulation breaks in the name of jobs.
Explosions, leaks, and five-day chemical fires have filled our air with toxins. Even worse, most of the companies guilty of these abuses are often headquartered out-of-state and are reporting record profits!
CEOs are raking in millions in salaries and bonuses at the expense of our health. Clean air and water should always be part of the cost of doing business.
Source: Ballotpedia statement for 2020 West Virginia Senate race
Apr 10, 2018
Woody Thrasher:
Eliminate unnecessary regulations, balance with conservation
Q: Do you support recent weakening of EPA regulations concerning air and water quality?
Thrasher: We should always eliminate unnecessary regulations and make West Virginia an attractive place to do business. But that must be balanced with conservation efforts to keep West Virginia an attractive place to make a living,
Source: Williamson Daily News on 2020 West Virginia governor race
Mar 24, 2020
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023