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Victory for Clean Water in West Virginia: Take Action to Keep the Momentum Flowing!
In a landmark victory, the Sierra Club, the West Virginia Rivers Coalition, and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy have reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address the longstanding issue of ionic toxicity pollution in West Virginia streams caused by coal mining.
What's Happening?
Mountaintop removal mining and other forms of surface coal mining harm streams by producing high levels of ionic toxicity pollution. This pollution can increase the “conductivity” – or salinity – of freshwater streams, making the water too salty for aquatic life to survive and disrupting entire ecosystems. Ionic toxicity can also impact communities by affecting drinking water quality and increasing water treatment costs.
What's Next?
The proposed consent decree, published in the Federal Register, requires the EPA to develop Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) for ionic toxicity pollution for 11 high-priority West Virginia streams by January 15, 2025. A TMDL is a “pollution budget” designed to restore streams that are not meeting all of the uses protected by the Clean Water Act. In this case, the streams at issue are “biologically impaired” because of the effects of ionic toxicity on aquatic life in the streams.
Why Does It Matter?
For too long, West Virginia has resisted the Clean Water Act's requirements to address high-conductivity ionic toxicity pollution from coal mines, which harms streams and leads to violations of water quality standards.
Take Action Now!
- Sign our petition to show your support for clean water in West Virginia.
- Spread the word on social media using #CleanWaterWV
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