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West Virginia On Short Clock to Improve Water Standards

Release Date: 5/10/2000
Contact Information: Patrick Boyle (215) 814-5533

Patrick Boyle, 215-814-5533

PHILADELPHIA – The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency has notified West Virginia officials that the state is on a short clock to upgrade its water quality standards, or else the federal government will set the standards.

In a letter today to West Virginia’s Environmental Quality Board, EPA Regional Administrator Bradley M. Campbell said EPA is extremely disappointed that the board has not completed revisions needed to remedy prior disapprovals of state standards.

Under the U. S. Clean Water Act, Congress requires states to update water quality standards every three years, and EPA to approve or disapprove. The goal is to keep streams and rivers from deteriorating, and to improve them where possible. The West Virginia Environmental Quality Board missed its latest deadline of April 1, 2000.

Campbell acknowledged – without approving – the board’s proposal to propose changes to water quality standards by a new deadline of September 1, 2000, in time for enactment by the next session of the state legislature in February, 2001.

He stated in his letter to Environmental Quality Board Co-chairs Edward Snyder and Donald Tarter the board must file a resolution package as soon as possible, so as not to delay the rulemaking process another year.

The EPA letter suggested that West Virginia soon may join Alabama, California, Iowa and Kansas in getting federally promulgated water quality standards. Federal promulgation has begun in those states.

Under federal promulgation, the EPA might need to redirect federal funds to pay for work that it would be doing on behalf of West Virginia.

Campbell also said that he already has recommended to EPA Administrator Carol Browner that EPA set West Virginia’s rules for implementing antidegradation policy, since the state has failed to complete that task.

Antidegradation policy is a part of overall water quality standards. It classifies rivers and streams and prohibits further degrading of water quality. Implementation rules are procedures to apply the policy and resolve disagreements between various users of the stream.

West Virginia has an antidegradation policy, but has delayed for more than four years developing the rules that would implement the policy.


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