May 2023 - News - lists.frackcheckwv.net

WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) ~ What a Name!
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 19 May '23

19 May '23

# [WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research (WISER) ~ What a Name!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/19/wvu-institute-for- sustainability-and-energy-research-wiser-what-a-name/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/401AF379-E5AF-431B-BD58-584C93BDE66F-300x200.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/401AF379-E5AF-431B-BD58-584C93BDE66F.jpeg) Sustainability and Energy Research are related but distinct …. **WVU Energy Institute transforming to serve emerging energy trends** . . From an [Article posted by WVU Today](https://wvutoday.wvu.edu/stories/2023/05/17/wvu-energy-institute- transforming-to-serve-emerging-energy-trends), May 17, 2023 . . West Virginia University, a leader in energy research and innovation, is repositioning the institutes within its Research Office to best meet industry- wide transitions. **The Energy Institute will transform into the WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research ( WISER), effective July 1, with Sam Taylor as its director. Taylor will build the new Institute on the foundation of the Energy Institute laid by James Wood.** Vice President for Research Fred King said the revamping of the Institute into WISER is more than just a name change. “This restructuring is part of the University’s transformation to stay ahead of trends in the real world,” King said. “It’ll better enable us to support and engage at an R1 level when it comes to sustainability and energy transition. While it appears we are evolving, we also still want to stay true to the history and tradition of energy in the state.” WISER will serve as the University’s coordinating institution for energy and sustainability research by collaborating with stakeholders across campus, the state and the globe to stimulate energy and environmental economic development in West Virginia and beyond. Taylor will assume his new leadership role after serving as assistant director of strategic partnerships and technology with the Energy Institute since 2017. As director of WISER, Taylor will also oversee the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium. In recent years, Taylor has worked with policymakers, government entities and environmental groups on pressing energy issues. “WISER will align the talents and efforts of the Energy Institute toward a vision of sustainability, including energy, while seeking to understand and respect what that means for residents of West Virginia and the larger region,” Taylor said. “As a West Virginia native, I understand that adaptation, resilience and independence are ‘core values’ of this region, and we need to structure our work, using the capabilities of West Virginia University, to support these values. To do this effectively, we must focus on relationships.” Taylor’s expertise covers energy development, energy geosciences including geothermal, hydrogen storage and carbon dioxide storage, transportation energy utilization, renewable and nonrenewable energy research, clean energy and advanced energy technologies. **In another restructuring move, the West Virginia Water Research Institute will shift from the Energy Institute and operate as its own entity reporting directly to the Research Office, also effective July 1.** For more than 30 years, WVWRI has focused on environmental restoration including mine land reclamation, brownfields redevelopment and watershed restoration. **WVWRI is led by Director Paul Ziemkiewicz, who has raised the profile of the group to an international level with its innovations in treating acid mine drainage and extracting rare earth elements.** Recently, a research team headed by Ziemkiewicz was awarded $8 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to begin designing, constructing and operating a pre-commercial demonstration facility for separating and refining rare earth elements and critical minerals. Rare earth element technologies, which power everything from smartphones to the nation’s missile guidance system, could serve as a game changer for the environment and the domestic economy. “Since acid mine drainage is the principal pollutant in the state, we’ve devoted a lot of our attention toward making sure that agencies, citizen watershed associations and industry have the tools and policies in place to turn dead streams into recreational fisheries,” Ziemkiewicz said. “About seven years ago, with the help of the U.S. Department of Energy, we started developing a way to treat acid mine drainage while economically recovering rare earth elements and critical materials.” With DOE support and in collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, WVWRI has a full-scale demonstration facility near Mount Storm. Ziemkiewicz said he hopes to replicate that model across the country to eventually create a commercially viable rare earth supply chain that could provide the materials needed for advanced, green technologies and defense production. “The team at WVWRI is excited about this new organizational model which will streamline relationships with the WVU administration and the faculty,” he said. “We’ve built a successful organization and generate over $6 million in research funding each year. We look forward to developing new research lines for what, arguably, is one of the nation’s premier water research institutes.” -WVU- URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/19/wvu-institute-for- sustainability-and-energy-research-wiser-what-a-name/>

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Western Wildfires Resulting in Costly Damages & Widespread Air Pollution
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 18 May '23

18 May '23

# [Western Wildfires Resulting in Costly Damages & Widespread Air Pollution](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/18/western-wildfires- resulting-in-costly-damages-widespread-air-pollution/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/D58B4038-C032-473D-B47D-8EF8F6EA463C.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/D58B4038-C032-473D-B47D-8EF8F6EA463C.jpeg) Widespread fires do extensive local damages then regional disruption and long range pollution **A third of the West’s burned forests can be traced to fossil fuel companies** . . . From the [Article by Kate Yoder, The Grist Online Magazine](https://grist.org/accountability/study-a-third-of-the-wests-burne… forests-can-be-traced-to-fossil-fuel-companies/), May 16, 2023 . . . The American West has always had forest fires — just not like this. Blazes are spreading further and burning longer, incinerating towns and exposing millions of people to noxious smoke. While a century of fire suppression and other land management choices contribute to the severity, climate change is a key factor fueling these fires, roughly doubling the acreage burned over the last 40 years. A new study takes this connection one step further, making the case that a significant chunk of burned forests — nearly 20 million acres — can be traced back to major fossil fuel companies. The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters on Tuesday, is the first to quantify how corporate emissions have made wildfires worse. Experts say the new research could help advance growing efforts to take polluters to court and hold polluters accountable for climate- fueled disasters. “These companies should be held accountable for their fair share of the damages that they’ve caused,” said Carly Phillips, a coauthor of the new study and a research scientist at the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “They lied and engaged in this orchestrated campaign of deception for years, and it didn’t have to be this way, right?” Researchers from the Union of Concerned Scientists and the University of California, Merced, found that 37 percent of forest burned across the western United States and southwestern Canada since 1986 can be linked to carbon pollution from 88 of the world’s largest oil, gas, and coal companies. That group includes Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell; state-owned oil producers like Saudi Aramco and Gazprom; and cement manufacturers. Researchers considered emissions directly emitted by these companies’ operations as well as the indirect emissions from the products they sold. Since 2017, cities and states have filed around 20 lawsuits against fossil fuel companies based on state laws that prohibit deceptive advertising, seeking money to adapt to the effects of climate change. The suits were set in motion by investigations showing that Exxon, Shell, and coal companies had known about the dangers of skyrocketing carbon emissions for decades, but publicly downplayed the threat. After years of delays, the Supreme Court declined to get involved in these cases last month, clearing the way for them to proceed — potentially to jury trials. The study comes as spring fires scorch western Canada during an unusually hot and dry spring, with about 1 million acres burning across the province of Alberta. An early heat wave pushed temperatures above 90 degrees in parts of the typically temperate Pacific Northwest over the weekend, with Seattle and Portland breaking heat records at least three days in a row. The same heat dome is expected to fan the flames of nearly 90 fires burning across Alberta. It’s hard to draw a direct line between global warming and wildfires. But recent advances in “attribution science,” the field that identifies climate change’s role in heat waves, droughts, rising seas, and other phenomena, have made it possible to quantify its effect on fires. The new study relies on a key risk factor called the “vapor pressure deficit,” a measure of how “thirsty” the atmosphere is. Hotter temperatures cause moisture to be pulled out of vegetation, turning forests into tinderboxes just waiting for a spark. To figure out how companies’ emissions contributed to fire-danger conditions in the West, researchers built on a previous study that linked emissions from 88 big fossil fuel producers to rising temperatures. Then they compared two models of how dry forests would be under different climate scenarios — one modeled on the real world, and the other excluding the emissions associated with the 88 companies. “The major contribution of this study is to connect all of the dots between specific sources of human-related carbon emissions and recent increases in forest fire activity,” said Philip Higuera, a professor of fire ecology at the University of Montana who was not involved in the study. “Most of the links have been well known for a long time, but this is the first study to connect the dots, quantitatively.” Exxon and BP did not respond to Grist’s request to comment in time for publication. Jessica Wentz, a fellow at Columbia University’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, thought the findings could be used to support existing lawsuits, or provide the impetus for other local governments to file their own. Wentz said the research might be relevant to a case in Colorado, where the city and county of Boulder, along with San Miguel County, sued Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil, seeking millions of dollars to update their infrastructure to withstand climate change. “That’s the one lawsuit where wildfire-related damages are forefront and central,” Wentz said. Translating the research to a specific court case could prove thorny, though. The study looked at a large region, the whole North American West, and the aggregate of 88 companies’ emissions. It’s possible that attorneys could use the new research to calculate wildfire risk over a smaller area — say, Boulder County — but it would require some extrapolation. For calculating damages, a court might want to see a more fine-grained analysis, Wentz said. “It’s really a totally open question of how courts will look at the evidence, and just how granular will plaintiffs need to be in terms of providing scientific data to support their claims. We just don’t know yet.” In a way, the long delays in these climate court cases have actually given some ammunition to cities and states looking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable. The extra time has allowed the science of climate attribution to mature, so that if these cases end up going to trials, cities and states have more evidence to support their case. “It’s sort of a weird silver lining,” Wentz said. xxx URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/18/western-wildfires-resulting-in- costly-damages-widespread-air-pollution/>

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Advanced Plastic Recycling is Highly Suspect of “Greenwashing”
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 17 May '23

17 May '23

# [Advanced Plastic Recycling is Highly Suspect of “Greenwashing”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/17/advanced-plastic- recycling-is-highly-suspect-of-%e2%80%9cgreenwashing%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/89DCC529-5B45-4289-84A8-7A8946645A72-300x156.png)](… content/uploads/2023/05/89DCC529-5B45-4289-84A8-7A8946645A72.png) American Chemistry Council (ACC) promotes crazy stuff! **Stop chemical recycling, processes that can generate even more pollution** . . From the [Climate Reality Project](https://www.climaterealityproject.org/action/stop-chemical- recycling/), May 16, 2023 . . “Advanced recycling” and “chemical recycling” are the two new greenwashed terms in town. The process primarily involves converting plastic into fuel. A pretty expensive and roundabout way of burning fossil fuels, if you ask us. **The chemicals industry is lobbying hard to get two types of these plastic- to-fuel incinerators - pyrolysis and gasification - exempt from regulations under the Clean Air Act. And the American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently announced it would try to introduce legislation that would promote these false solutions to our plastic waste crisis.** This is incredibly dangerous, given that the US EPA reportedly found that pollution from an associated plastic-based fuel poses a one-in-four risk of cancer. Letting these incinerators escape the Clean Air Act would particularly harm the low-income communities and communities of color where most pyrolysis and gasification facilities exist, and where they are likely to be sited in the future. It would also set a terrible precedent, encouraging other polluting industries to pursue their own special exemptions. Take action now. Demand that your representatives call on the Biden Administration to reject these proposed exemptions under the Clean Air Act and vote NO on any such legislation that promotes these false solutions to our plastic waste crisis. >>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>> **See Also:** [RECYCLING LIES: “CHEMICAL RECYCLING” OF PLASTIC IS JUST GREENWASHING INCINERATION](https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/chemical- recycling-greenwashing-incineration-ib.pdf), Natural Resources Defense Council [NRDC], February 2022 <https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/chemical-recycling-greenwashing- incineration-ib.pdf> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/17/advanced-plastic-recycling-is- highly-suspect-of-%e2%80%9cgreenwashing%e2%80%9d/>

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SPEAK UP NOW! ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline is Dangerous & Unnecessary
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 16 May '23

16 May '23

# [SPEAK UP NOW! ~ The Mountain Valley Pipeline is Dangerous & Unnecessary](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/16/speak-up-now-the- mountain-valley-pipeline-is-dangerous-unnecessary/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/740FFEC0-875A-4660-B523-75515D6FDFDD-300x112.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/740FFEC0-875A-4660-B523-75515D6FDFDD.jpeg) At 42 inches in diameter, the MVP exceeds size of installed long distance gas pipelines **SUBMIT COMMENTS ON M.V.P. BECAUSE NOW IS THE CRITICAL TIME** From the [West Virginia Rivers Coalition](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlast…, May 16, 2023 Earlier this month, West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin introduced The Building American Energy Security Act of 2023. This legislation changes how federal agencies handle energy projects and takes the dangerous and unprecedented step of requiring agencies to issue all permits within 30 days for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), without further public involvement and without judicial review. **Make no mistake: No project should be exempt from full protections afforded by cornerstone laws like the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, which the MVP has a long history of violating.** While there is much debate over the need for permitting reform to aid in our energy transition, this provision is reckless and unfair. Still, together, we can send a united message to our leaders to protect West Virginians and our right to fair and equal treatment under the law. **Today, we are calling on our supporters to contact President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to tell them that fast-tracking fossil fuel projects puts our communities and the planet at risk. Can we count on you to take action with us today?** [Tell our leaders in Washington: Reject the unjust approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.→](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlas… After you've signed your name and added your comments, could you forward the link to your family and friends to ask them to use their voices to stand with West Virginians’ rights to fair and equal protections? Together we have built a powerful coalition. With your continued support, we'll keep growing our numbers to protect access to clean water. [Thank you for taking action today. Add Your Voice!](https://wvrivers.salsalabs.org/baesa/index.html?eType=EmailBlastCon… >> _In Solidarity, WV Rivers Coalition_ [WEST VIRGINIA RIVERS COALITION](https://wvrivers.org) 3501 MacCorkle Ave SE #129 | Charleston, West Virginia 25304 304-637-7201 | wvrivers(a)wvrivers.org URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/16/speak-up-now-the-mountain- valley-pipeline-is-dangerous-unnecessary/>

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WASHINGTON POST: “Climate, Technology and Sustainability”
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 15 May '23

15 May '23

# [WASHINGTON POST: “Climate, Technology and Sustainability”](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/15/washington- post-%e2%80%9cclimate-technology-and-sustainability%e2%80%9d/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/6E810319-1788-429B-904F-7377A9D6BA1C-300x168.jpg)](… content/uploads/2023/05/6E810319-1788-429B-904F-7377A9D6BA1C.jpeg) Notice the time slot being 9:00 to 10:00 AM **UPCOMING EVENT ~ Washington Post Live ~ Tuesday, May 16 @ 9:00 to 10:00 AM** From “Coming Up This Week” in the Sunday Edition, May 14, 2023 Scientists, companies and governments worldwide are racing to find innovative solutions to limit carbon emissions. **On Tuesday, May 16 at 9:00 a.m. ET, Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus, Evelyn Wang, director at the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and leading conservation experts join Washington Post Live for a series of conversations about the role of innovation, technology and federal policy in addressing climate change.** Watch Live: wapo.st/climatemay16virtual All Washington Post Live programs feature closed captioning. [BE SURE TO REGISTER HERE](https://washpostlive.splashthat.com/) (WaPo.st/wpl) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/15/washington- post-%e2%80%9cclimate-technology-and-sustainability%e2%80%9d/>

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MICRO-PLASTICS ~ Something Needs to be Done, Sooner not Later!
by Frack Check WV: Diana Gooding 14 May '23

14 May '23

# [MICRO-PLASTICS ~ Something Needs to be Done, Sooner not Later!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/14/micro-plastics-something- needs-to-be-done-sooner-not-later/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/6BB43EAB-6386-4DEA-9488-7841635EF5D9.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/6BB43EAB-6386-4DEA-9488-7841635EF5D9.jpeg) Microplastics particles range in size to microns, literally invisible **70+ US Lawmakers Demand EPA Boost Regulation of Microplastic Pollution** From an [Article by Julia Conley, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/epa-regulation-on-microplastics), July 11, 2023 "As plastic pollution saturates our planet and our bodies, the Biden administration should take every reasonable step to protect our environment and public health," said Rep. Lloyd Doggett. Citing extensive research which has shown recently that microplastics are ubiquitous in the environment, more than 70 U.S. House members on Friday wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency to demand stronger regulation of the microscopic particles that are used in everyday household items and have been linked to respiratory diseases and cancers. **Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) led lawmakers including Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) in writing the letter, which notes that under the Clean Water Act, the EPA can and should "use its existing statutory authorities to address the growing prevalence of microplastic pollution" across the country.** Currently, the lawmakers said, it is largely being left up to individual states to decide whether to regulate microplastics, leading to "troubling disparities… regarding basic protections." In Doggett's home state, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality last year "quickly abandoned" a proposal to require "chemical companies to have internal processes restricting accidental releases of plastic pollution," while California residents are benefiting from a statewide effort led by the California Ocean Protection Council to reduce microplastics in marine environments. "Federal action should encourage high standards to mitigate microplastics in natural environments, which can ultimately make their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe," wrote the lawmakers. **The letter points to a 2020 study which found that scientists discovered microplastic pollution in some of the world 's most remote places, including Mount Everest, and research from 2021 which suggested the average adult ingests 320,000 microplastics each year.** **As Common Dreams reported last year, a team of researchers in the U.K. found tiny microplastic particles lodged in the lungs of 11 out of 13 patients at a hospital, with the most common microplastic found being polypropylene—commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, and kitchen utensils.** A draft report on microfiber pollution from the EPA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) found that microplastics "have the potential to impact human reproductive, respiratory, digestive, nervous, and urinary systems," noted Doggett and the other lawmakers on Friday. "Plastic pollution is not just affecting our oceans and marine life—it's flowing in our bloodstreams and lingering on nearly every object we touch," said Doggett in a statement. "Regulating microplastics as hazardous waste will protect our health and our environment." The lawmakers wrote that they are "encouraged" by the EPA and NOAA's draft report and accompanying federal plan for preventing microfiber pollution, but called on the agency to take steps under the Clean Water Act — whose "whole purpose is to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into our waters" — to mitigate microplastics in the environment. **The letter calls on EPA Administrator Michael Regan to:** >> Issue national drinking water regulations for microplastics modeled on proposed rules for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), using the Safe Drinking Water Act regulatory process to establish enforceable limits on the number of microplastics in water; >> Officially recognize microplastics as hazardous and toxic materials, rather than solid waste, so they can be regulated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; >> Establish effluent limitations for industrial and general stormwater runoff to contain zero microplastic; >> Publish the final version of the EPA/NOAA joint report on microfiber pollution and pursue the recommended actions with an urgent timeline; and >> Increase research and outreach within the EPA's Trash Free Waters program to improve our understanding of microplastics. "Plastics are riddled with toxic chemicals, but their tiny size allows microplastics to infiltrate our environment, our food chain, and our bodies unnoticed," said Anja Brandon, associate director of U.S. plastics policy at Ocean Conservancy. "Who doesn't wish we had taken action on lead, DDT, or PFAS earlier? We need to be treating microplastics the same way we treat other pollutants." "These are actions that the EPA can and must take now," said Brandon, "to address this growing threat." >>>>>>>……………………>>>>>>>…………………>>>>>>> **See Also:** [Microplastics Research, US EPA](https://www.epa.gov/water- research/microplastics-research), April 14, 2023 Plastics have become ubiquitous in natural and built environments which has caused concern regarding potential harms to human and aquatic life. Microplastics (plastic particles ranging in size from 5 mm to 1 nm) and nanoplastics (plastic particles smaller than 1 nm) have been found in every ecosystem on the planet from the Antarctic tundra to tropical coral reefs. The wide range of particle sizes, densities, and compositions pose a challenge for researchers because there is not a single method that can be used to characterize the wide variety of micro and nanoplastic particles. There is a pressing need to develop and standardize collection, extraction, quantification, and identification methods for micro/nanoplastics to improve reliability, consistency and comparability across studies. EPA research addresses plastic pollution in the aquatic environment by establishing reliable and reproducible approaches for sampling micro/nanoplastics, separating plastics from organic and inorganic interferences found in environmental samples, and extracting plastics without harsh chemicals or heat that further degrade plastic. Using state-of-art analytical chemistry instrumentation, researchers are working to determine appropriate analytical methods to characterize and quantify total microplastics in sediment and water samples, as well as the different types of plastic polymers. This research helps inform recommendations for best practices and standardized methodologies to characterize and assess the extent of micro and nanoplastics pollution in water. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/14/micro-plastics-something-needs- to-be-done-sooner-not-later/>

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The Ohio River is Actually West Virginia But Who Cares?
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 13 May '23

13 May '23

# [The Ohio River is Actually West Virginia But Who Cares?](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/13/the-ohio-river-is-actually- west-virginia-but-who-cares/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/44BCE0A7-41C1-4FFB-875E-604D261DF3D8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/44BCE0A7-41C1-4FFB-875E-604D261DF3D8.jpeg) BEWARE ~ The Ohio River received over 16,000 tons of toxic chemicals last year! **Ohio River named Second Most Endangered River** From an Article by [Heather Sprouse, Ohio Rivers Coordinator at West Virginia Rivers Coalition](https://wvecouncil.org/ohio-river-named-second-most- endangered-river/), May 12, 2023 **The Ohio River has been designated as the second most endangered river in the country. Each year, American Rivers, a national nonprofit, releases a report of our nation’s most endangered rivers, naming those that stand before decisions that will determine their fate. The Ohio River stands before such a moment of great decision.** West Virginia Rivers worked to partner with organizations that share our values to amplify the need for urgent action: Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Ohio River Valley Institute and Ohio Environmental Council. We see an opportunity to use this designation as a springboard for the urgent action we need to protect human and ecosystem health. The upper Ohio River watershed in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and eastern Kentucky drains from areas affected by environmental pollution due to a legacy of heavy industrialization. This legacy includes coal mining, fracked gas development, chemical production, and durable goods manufacturing. These forms of industrialization have resulted in significant discharges of toxic chemicals, including both legacy chemicals (such as mercury and dioxins) and chemicals of emerging concern (especially PFAS and Gen-X chemicals) as well as acid mine drainage. The best science shows us that these toxic pollutants have harmful, serious health impacts both to humans and ecosystems. We believe that the people facing the worst impacts of pollution and climate change know the solutions that they need to thrive. Impacted communities have identified common priorities: a just transition to a low-carbon economy with abundant good paying family-supporting jobs, a clean and healthy environment, access to nature-based recreation on our waters and in our public lands, ecosystem restoration and affordable access to safe drinking water. Each year the federal government invests hundreds of millions of dollars to restore our nation’s great waters, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. Currently, the Ohio River is not on the list of waters that receive this funding. In 2020 alone, the Great Lakes received more than $300 million dollars in federal restoration funds. This type of annual investment is needed to achieve goals in the Ohio River watershed that will prevent shared problems from getting worse and more expensive to fix. The Ohio River Basin Alliance (ORBA) has been working to develop an Ohio River Restoration Plan modeled after restoration successes in the Great Lakes. To inform the priorities of this plan, ORBA has partnered with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), of whom WV Rivers is the state affiliate. NWF has led listening sessions, virtually and in person, with community groups throughout the vast watershed- from New York to Alabama and onto the Mississippi River. In West Virginian, we have co-hosted 6 listening sessions: 2 virtually and 4 in-person (Wheeling, Parkersburg, Huntington and Williamson). ORBA intends to deliver a robust Ohio River Restoration Plan to Congress later this summer. The first draft is nearly complete. We are compiling the listening session data into a report that will be used to refine the priorities of the Restoration Plan. The Ohio River watershed is vast — it covers more than 200,000 square miles across 14 states and provides the primary source of drinking water for more than five million people. In addition to its cultural and historic importance, the river provides critical habitat for 150 species of fish and the watershed protects endangered species such as the candy and diamond darter, several species of mussels, and crayfish. The Ohio River is a vital, abundant resource for our communities and economies and yet, without federal investment, remains vulnerable. The recent chemical release resulting from the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio is a loud warning. The derailment resulted in harmful air pollution and hazardous butyl acrylate leaked into the Ohio River. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) led immediate monitoring efforts of the chemical plume as it made its way downriver, informing decisions by water utilities of how to respond. ORSANCO urgently needs additional federal funds to upgrade technical systems and increase staff capacity. Congress must act to protect human and ecosystem health by increasing funding for ORSANCO and adding the Ohio River to the list of our nation’s great waters that receive significant, sustained funding each year. These actions will provide communities with the resources they need to clean up and prevent pollution, increase tourism and small business development through nature- based recreation, rehabilitate ecosystems and safeguard clean, healthy drinking water for the millions who drink from the waters of the Ohio River watershed. [WHO CARES? Join the online Ohio Rivers listening session on May 24.](https://wvecouncil.org/events/on-line-ohio-river-listening-session/) URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/13/the-ohio-river-is-actually-west- virginia-but-who-cares/>

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“It Isn’t Easy Being Green!” ~ Blue Ammonia Isn’t Clean Ammonia!
by Frack Check WV: admin 12 May '23

12 May '23

# [“It Isn’t Easy Being Green!” ~ Blue Ammonia Isn’t Clean Ammonia!](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/12/%e2%80%9cit- isn%e2%80%99t-easy-being-green%e2%80%9d-blue-ammonia-isn%e2%80%99t-clean- ammonia/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/05E9D3ED-0D26-4DD2-A29A-E6684BF19767.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/05E9D3ED-0D26-4DD2-A29A-E6684BF19767.jpeg) Gray, blue or green? Ammonia is being studied to reduce GHG as well as with hydrogen, methanol, wind and sunshine! **Clean ammonia sets sail into an ocean of fossil fuels** From an [Article by Ari Phillips, Oil & Gas Watch](https://news.oilandgaswatch.org/post/clean-ammonia-sets-sail-into-an- ocean-of-fossil-fuels), May 3, 2023 Ammonia is generally associated with a technological breakthrough of the past. As the key building block of nitrogen-based synthetic fertilizers, it played a critical role in feeding a rapidly growing global population over the twentieth century. Now, some see ammonia as having the potential to make a sizeable impact in the transition away from carbon-intensive fossil fuels. For that to happen, the current production process will have to change, as the overwhelming majority of ammonia is produced from natural gas. The world currently produces about 175 million tons per year of fossil-fuel based ammonia mostly for use as fertilizer, and this releases vast quantities of greenhouse gases. As the demand for low-carbon energy sources grows, clean ammonia – referred to by advocates as either green or blue ammonia, depending on how it is produced – is expected to dramatically increase in production. Developers in the U.S. have proposed the construction of 15 new ammonia plants, mostly in Texas and Louisiana, to produce ammonia for fuel, according to public records and data available in the Oil & Gas Watch database as of May 1, 2023. “Green ammonia” is created from water, nitrogen from the air, and renewable energy like solar or wind to produce the ammonia molecule, NH₃, and is thus virtually carbon free. However, this process requires vast amounts of very pure water and large, albeit renewable, energy inputs. So-called “blue ammonia” is ammonia produced with natural gas and nitrogen from the air, but with the carbon footprint allegedly reduced through the capture and storage of the carbon dioxide emissions. Because carbon capture and sequestration technology is largely untested and unproven on a large scale, “blue ammonia” produced with natural gas is less climate-friendly than “green ammonia” made entirely with solar or wind power. The focus for many clean ammonia advocates is to use the hydrogen in ammonia to help produce clean hydrogen fuel, which burns without releasing any greenhouse gases. Ammonia is easier to ship in liquid form than hydrogen, which must be supercooled to form a liquid (an energy-intensive process). So the idea is to transport liquid ammonia on ships or via rail to manufacturing plants or other end users, and then convert ammonia to hydrogen fuel. Clean ammonia advocates also argue that ammonia can also be used as a fuel itself. Power companies in Asia are proposing to burn ammonia along with coal in power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The shipping industry is also interested in using it as a lower-carbon fuel to burn at sea. No matter the color, ammonia production and use comes with environmental tradeoffs. “There’s no silver bullet here,” said Trevor Brown, Executive Director of the Ammonia Energy Association. “We’re looking at solutions for fuel molecules that don’t cause climate change.” **Ammonia fuel project announcements** ~ An estimated 88 percent of the ammonia produced at 30 industrial facilities in the U.S. in 2021 was used as fertilizer or to make nitrogen-based fertilizer. And the fertilizer industry is growingly rapidly in the U.S., with companies planning to build nine new ammonia plants and expand three more to produce nitrogen fertilizer, according to a new EIP report, “The Fertilizer Boom.” The growth of the US fertilizer industry can be attributed, in part, to the availability of inexpensive natural gas extracted through hydraulic fracturing. Additionally, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has resulted in higher costs for nitrogen fertilizers produced in Europe and Russia, further driving demand for domestically-produced fertilizers in the U.S. Incentives made available through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act have spurred several companies to take steps to build “clean” ammonia plants that would make fuel, not fertilizer. To date, 15 new plants have been proposed. If just 8 of the 15 projects are built, ammonia energy production capacity could reach 27 million metric tons per year by 2030. Total ammonia production capacity in the US could reach 58.4 million metric tons per year—nearly tripling today’s production—if all the ammonia energy and fertilizer projects come to fruition. A table in the Article shows the locations and status of the proposed ammonia fuel projects. **Ammonia as a shipping fuel** ~ Some of these proposed projects would use ammonia as a fuel to be burned directly in ships, as an alternative to petroleum-based “bunker fuel” to drive their engines. The term “bunker fuel” as ship fuel dates back to the days when steam-powered ships were powered by coal, which was stored inside coal “bunkers” onboard the ships. “While I think ammonia will play a very significant role as a bunker fuel, we need to be careful with it,” said Brown of the Ammonia Energy Association. “What’s appealing are things like better energy efficiency and electrification. But those solutions can’t decarbonize shipping by themselves.” Paul Wolfram with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, who's been researching ammonia as a fuel source, said ammonia has about one third of the energy density of diesel fuel, so ships will sit lower in the water and require larger fuel tanks. He also said there’s significant potential for pollutant releases including ammonia (itself an air pollutant) and nitrogen oxides. He also worries about the leakage of ammonia from production facilities and during distribution, storage, and handling. “Powering all ships with ammonia, all else equal, would entail a quintupling of global ammonia production, and if even a small portion of this nitrogen escapes from the fuel production and use cycle, it could more than offset the global impacts of any agricultural nitrogen mitigation efforts,” he said. “Understanding the future for ammonia-energy will need dialogue between the various research communities to examine the relative importance of nitrogen vs. carbon mitigation, actual observed nitrogen releases in ammonia demonstrations and deployments, and other real-world data on costs and risks that will reduce some of the uncertainties we have today.” The shipping industry currently accounts for around three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization has called for curbing annual shipping-related emissions by at least 50 percent compared to 2008 levels by 2050. Ammonia advocates see ammonia bunker fuel as critical in lowering the industry’s carbon footprint because it is relatively energy-dense, does not require cryogenic temperatures to freeze (like hydrogen), and the global infrastructure already exists to produce, store, and transport ammonia. In the U.S., a Brooklyn-based startup company called Amogy is working to launch an ammonia-powered ship in New York that would be the first of its kind. The company recently secured $139 million in private venture capital funds to help work towards the commercialization of the company's ammonia-to- power technology, which cracks ammonia into hydrogen and nitrogen and puts the hydrogen through a fuel cell where the chemical energy is converted into electricity. Amogy has used this technology to power a 300-kilowatt semitruck and is in the process of designing a 1-megawatt version to power a retrofitted tugboat that formerly ran on diesel. Seonghoon Woo, CEO and cofounder of Amogy, said the maritime industry has shown great interest in ammonia. But he said a lot still needs to be done to educate policymakers and the general public about how the safe and efficient use of ammonia can support energy security and decarbonization efforts. He said with the shipping sector emitting about 1,000 million tons of carbon dioxide annually, or 13 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from global transport, it is important to utilize solutions such as green ammonia. “While there are always risks in any industry, there are over 100 years of experience in the making, transporting, and storing of ammonia,” said Woo. “Plus, as one of the most widely used commodities on the planet, regulations are in place to ensure it’s used safely. For us, safety is our number one priority.” **Photo in Article. A tanker ship refuels at sea. Ammonia could replace heavy oil, also known as bunker oil, as a fuel for ships.** Safety is very important when it comes to ammonia. Ammonia is highly flammable and corrosive, making it potentially risky as a source of bunker fuel for ships. Ammonia, itself a toxic form of nitrogen pollution that can be harmful to aquatic life if released into waterways. An Environmental Integrity Project analysis recently found that in 2021, 22 U.S. ammonia plants that manufacture nitrogen fertilizer discharged an estimated 3.9 million pounds of ammonia from their wastewater outfalls. Eighty-six percent of this ammonia was discharged into waterways that are near communities where more than 30 percent of people are considered low income or more than 40 percent are people of color. Planned ammonia manufacturing plants could add a considerable amount of this pollution to waterways, especially if EPA fails to update and strengthen outdated pollution control standards for the industry. Ammonia also contributes to nitrogen-fed algae blooms and low-oxygen dead zones, like the one that has persisted in the Gulf of Mexico. Spills of ammonia at sea or at port could also harm aquatic ecosystems. **“Ammonia is toxic and there are still many gaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to enable its safe use as a shipping fuel,” said Marie Cabbia Hubatova, Director of Global Shipping for the Environmental Defense Fund Europe.** “Much more research needs to be done to better understand the implications ammonia can have on the environment as well as human health. Moreover, ammonia engines are likely to produce NOx and nitrous oxide. A better understanding of the extent and technological options for its mitigation are imperative for its safe use.” She continued: “I think ammonia will play an important role in decarbonizing the shipping sector, but we need to fill the current gaps in knowledge in order to use it in a safe way.” **As this research plays out, new clean ammonia projects continue to pop up regularly. In early April, a blue ammonia project was announced for development on a reclaimed coal mining site in Mingo County, West Virginia. The proposed Adams Fork clean ammonia project will serve as the anchor for an Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub, and could produce up to 2.16 million metric tons per year of ammonia while controlling its carbon dioxide emissions with carbon capture and storage.** **West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin praised the announcement** , saying it will ensure the “Mountain State continues to be a leader in American energy innovation and support good paying, West Virginia energy jobs.” Manchin thanked the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, both passed during the previous session of Congress under Democratic leadership, for making the ammonia project possible. The Inflation Reduction Act combines an array of clean energy tax incentives, totaling an estimated $369 billion, meant to address energy security and climate change over the next decade, including generous tax credits for carbon capture and storage projects. URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/12/%e2%80%9cit-isn%e2%80%99t-easy- being-green%e2%80%9d-blue-ammonia-isn%e2%80%99t-clean-ammonia/>

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Growing LNG Awareness in Congress ~ Risks of Growth in Liquified Natural Gas
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 11 May '23

11 May '23

# [Growing LNG Awareness in Congress ~ Risks of Growth in Liquified Natural Gas](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/11/growing-lng-awareness-in- congress-risks-of-growth-in-liquified-natural-gas/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/FE3816E4-BA5C-43E2-B921-A426A90181A8.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/FE3816E4-BA5C-43E2-B921-A426A90181A8.jpeg) Join in with POWHR to limit dangerous pipelines in rugged terrain and thru rivers & streams **Some 44 Lawmakers 'Sound the Alarm' on Threat of LNG Expansion** . . From an [Article by Olivia Rosane, Common Dreams](https://www.commondreams.org/news/lawmakers-sound-alarm-on-lng- expansion), May 8, 2023 . . Senators and representatives have signed a letter calling on the Biden administration's Council on Environmental Quality to give "greater scrutiny" to the LNG supply chain from wellhead to shipping overseas. More than 40 U.S. lawmakers signed a letter Monday to "sound the alarm" on the recent expansion of liquefied natural gas infrastructure and capacity and call on the Biden administration to give "greater scrutiny" to the LNG supply chain from wellhead to shipping overseas. The legislators letter to the **Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory** comes amidst an uptick in LNG exports from the U.S. to Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Climate campaigners have warned that fossil fuel companies have used the war and subsequent energy crisis as an excuse to lock in more LNG infrastructure that could push the 1.5°C temperature goal out of reach and hasten more extreme climate impacts. "Our ability to combat the worst impacts of the climate crisis depends, to a significant degree, on whether the United States approves proposed LNG pipeline and export terminal projects on top of the already-substantial LNG infrastructure," the lawmakers wrote in the letter. "Even without including upstream leaks, the continued buildout of LNG infrastructure is at odds with the Paris climate goals and U.S. climate commitments." The CEQ is currently finalizing its **National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Guidance on Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Climate Change** , which would advise federal agencies on how to assess proposed infrastructure projects' contribution to the climate crisis, The Washington Post explained. The administration of former President Donald Trump issued a rollback in 2020 mandating that federal agencies considering projects under NEPA should not take their "indirect" climate impacts into account. While the Biden administration has already reversed this rule, it is now working on more detailed instructions. The lawmakers want to make sure these updated instructions consider LNG's true impact both on the climate and on frontline communities. "Existing LNG infrastructure already has a disproportionate impact on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and poor communities; this will only be exacerbated with the addition of the proposed projects. That's why it is important that frontline communities are meaningfully and proactively engaged throughout environmental reviews for LNG infrastructure," the letter writers continued. The effort was spearheaded by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) along with U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.). The lawmakers were joined by 40 of their colleagues from both houses, all Democrats except for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Merkley tweeted Monday that he was joining with Huffman, Grijalva, and Barragán "to sound the alarm on the great threat that continued expansion of liquefied fossil gas (LNG) infrastructure poses to our climate and future." **One major concern raised by the lawmakers is methane.** Federal agencies are still approving projects based on a Trump administration public-interest determination that compares LNG to coal-fired electricity without considering methane leaks from LNG infrastructure, the lawmakers noted. However, since methane traps around 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide during its first 20 years in the atmosphere, these leaks could make LNG even more damaging for the climate than coal. "Even without including upstream leaks, the continued buildout of LNG infrastructure is at odds with the Paris climate goals and U.S. climate commitments," the lawmakers wrote. A recent Greenpeace investigation found that LNG projects approved in the U.S. could emit more than the 2030 carbon budget allocated by the International Energy Agency to the entire LNG trade if policymakers are to limit warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. "An expansion of U.S. liquified natural gas infrastructure threatens more damage to our climate and communities," Rep. Barragán tweeted. \u201cAn expansion of U.S. Liquified Natural Gas infrastructure threatens more damage to our climate & communities.\n\u00a0\nI co-led a letter w/ @RepHuffman & @SenJeffMerkley asking the Biden Admin to ensure LNG environmental reviews fully account for its impact in our neighborhoods.\u201d — Nanette D. Barrag\u00e1n (@Nanette D. Barrag\u00e1n) _The lawmakers called on CEQ to develop a review process just for LNG, with participation from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, the Department of State, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), and others. This process should consider cradle-to-grave LNG impacts on both the climate and frontline communities._ In addition, they argued CEQ should make sure that agencies actually consider lifecycle emissions from LNG and set fair prices if it and the State Department decide to increase exports for emergency scenarios like the war in Ukraine. "We urge that the price of natural gas sold to our allies is sufficient to cover production and delivery costs, but no higher, so as to remove any potential for war-time profiteering and to remove the incentives to continue exports after the short-term foreign policy needs have expired," the lawmakers wrote. >>>>>…………………>>>>>>>………………>>>>> **See Also:** [POWHR ~ Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights ~ Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights (POWHR)](https://powhr.org/) is an interstate coalition representing individuals and groups from Virginia and West Virginia dedicated to protecting water, land, and communities from harms caused by the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, including the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). <https://powhr.org/> URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/11/growing-lng-awareness-in- congress-risks-of-growth-in-liquified-natural-gas/>

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WV Legislature of No Help ~ Toxic PFAS in Our Drinking Water
by Frack Check WV: Duane Nichols 10 May '23

10 May '23

# [WV Legislature of No Help ~ Toxic PFAS in Our Drinking Water](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/10/wv-legislature-of-no-help- toxic-pfas-in-our-drinking-water/) [![](https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp- content/uploads/2023/05/0C5B97A0-F6A3-404E-A3CF-E6FBBAC684BE.jpeg)](https:/… content/uploads/2023/05/0C5B97A0-F6A3-404E-A3CF-E6FBBAC684BE.jpeg) Latency periods vary for PFAS compounds and type of cancer **Even with new legislation, it could be years before drinking water in West Virginia is free of toxic ‘forever chemicals’** From the [Article by Allen Siegler, Mountain State Spotlight](https://mountainstatespotlight.org/2023/05/02/pfas-west-virginia- water-contamination/), May 2, 2023 State lawmakers passed the PFAS Protection Act to start controlling pollution in drinking water. While a step in the right direction, many are concerned that it prolongs health hazards for West Virginians. In the 1990s, when **Chuck Crookshanks worked as a teacher at Parkersburg South High** , a student told him about her family’s farm and how dozens of their animals had grown physical deformities. “Not only the livestock, but also other animals near it,” Crookshanks recalled. “Deer, frogs and anything else that was around it. It was pretty remarkable.” He said she was one of the first people he remembers raising concerns with the Washington Works plant in Parkersburg; a few years later, these concerns led to a mid-2000s high-profile lawsuit against chemical company DuPont, a lawsuit which linked the factory’s hazardous chemical pollution to diseases like kidney and testicular cancer. Those chemicals are now often grouped with a broader group of cancerous, man- made concoctions called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. And PFAS, from both past and present polluters, continue to concern Crookshanks. His house, between Ravenswood and the unincorporated town of Murraysville, is about 25 miles down the Ohio River from Washington Works. Crookshanks said his wife, Tammy, worries often about what invisible chemicals are present in the water from their well. “She brought it up probably in the last couple of weeks, wanting to get the water tested,” Crookshanks said. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it had reached a deal under the Clean Water Act for the plant, now owned by the Chemours Company, to address PFAS pollution. But the so-called “forever chemicals” have already been found in drinking water systems around the state. While state lawmakers passed a bill in March to take steps toward identifying and contemplating action for affected public water systems, the bill does not require the state’s Department of Environmental Protection or any other group to remove the chemicals from drinking water yet. As a consequence, experts believe it could be years before many West Virginians can drink tap water and be assured that it won’t increase their risk of diseases like cancer. “Why do you need another year or two years to figure that out when that’s been known for 22 years?” said **Robert Bilott, an attorney with Taft Stettinius & Hollister** who has led many lawsuits related to the chemicals. **Some monitoring, and some prolonged unknowns** ~ Although there is scientific consensus that they increase health risks, PFAS are still used ubiquitously by manufacturing companies. The chemicals are effective at keeping liquids from seeping through material, and they are commonly used in products like candy bar wrappers and waterproof clothes. When manufacturing plants use PFAS in their products, they can release them into the soil, water and air. All three methods risk contaminating people’s drinking sources, as chemicals released into the air can be absorbed by rain clouds and solid waste can seep into groundwater. While the amount of PFAS in water is often highest at sites near polluting factories, it’s not uncommon for the chemicals to contaminate places far from the original source, meaning even West Virginians who live away from factories could still have the chemicals in their water. “The thing about these forever chemicals is that they don’t break down,” said **Angie Rosser, the executive director of the West Virginia Rivers Coalition**. “They accumulate in our bodies and accumulate in the food chain.” The state’s new PFAS Protection Act intends to focus on contamination identified by a 2022 U.S. Geological Survey study of the state’s water treatment facilities. That study found nearly half of the facilities, many along the Ohio River or in the Eastern Panhandle, had at least one hazardous chemical above the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s recently-proposed regulations in their untreated water. For the sites with documented contamination, the bill tasks the DEP with coming up with action plans that identify the source of the pollution and propose ways to limit West Virginians’ exposure. It also lays out plans for the government agency to test the sites’ water after treatment. To combat future pollution, the bill requires West Virginia factories that discharge any PFAS into surface water to report that action to the DEP. It will limit the factories’ amount of pollution to the standards set by the federal government, and no more stringent, once they’re proposed and finalized. While the Legislature did not designate money for the effort, **DEP Deputy Director for External Affairs Scott Mandirola** said the department is applying for federal grants, like funds from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to develop the action plans. “Our focus is on doing what the Legislature is telling us to do,” Mandirola said. In the present, the bill doesn’t mandate any cleanup of PFAS in public drinking water. Some of that will likely come in the next two years, after the federal government finalizes its first-ever standards for the chemical under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Rosser worries about whether the action plans will prepare the WV-DEP to enforce the EPA’s future PFAS limits, but she thinks the bill will generate crucial data. “I would characterize it as a measured step,” she said. Others are concerned the step is too measured, missing key information about the ways in which PFAS can endanger West Virginians’ drinking water. While the bill will provide more information about public water sources, it won’t monitor private wells that many, like Crookshanks, depend on. In an email, bill lead sponsor Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said if the state was to test private water, it would have required an additional bill that involved the Department of Health and Human Resources. For Dr. Alan Ducatman, a WVU professor emeritus who has spent decades studying PFAS, that’s a big omission, as it’s how hundreds of thousands of West Virginians access water in their homes. “It’s hard to be confident that you know what’s going on if you’re worried about your personal water supply and can’t find that information,” Ducatman said. Aileen Curfman lives in Berkeley County and also uses well water in her home. As the co-chair of the Sierra Club’s Eastern Panhandle group, she’s aware of the impacts PFAS can have and of the high levels recorded near her. As such, Curfman recently paid hundreds of dollars to test her water for the poisons. “There would be a lot of folks who could not afford it,” Curfman said. It came back free from the hazardous chemicals. But if it hadn’t, she thinks she would have had to pay around $5,000 for a filter — something she thinks would have been necessary to ensure her water was safe to drink. **‘Getting the stuff out of the water’** ~ From Rosser’s understanding, the earliest that maximum PFAS drinking water contaminant levels would be enforced is 2025, meaning many West Virginians’ water will likely continue to be hazardous for the time being. Bilott, the attorney who has litigated many PFAS-related cases, believes West Virginia’s continued-prolonging of any chemical cleanup to be unnecessary and inhumane. “DEP was notified that these chemicals were getting into drinking water supplies 22 years ago,” he said. “They should already have been doing this.” Harry Deitzler, another attorney who has represented West Virginians harmed by PFAS, was dismayed that the state’s new oversight is limited to PFAS discharged directly into rivers and streams. From his experience in lawsuits he’s litigated, a major way the chemicals enter people’s drinking water is when they’re released into the air and enter the water cycle. Riley didn’t answer why the PFAS Protection Act didn’t address airborne pollution, instead responding that most air regulation comes from the federal government. When asked what state residents should do until enforcement takes effect, he said the “EPA is still trying to understand the science and impact related to PFAS. I recommend people educate themselves about the topic.” Bilott rejected the premise that the EPA is still trying to figure out the health impact of the chemicals, and he pointed to their health guidelines released last summer as evidence. He thinks rather than calling for West Virginians to educate themselves, the onus should be on the companies that caused the health hazards. “It shouldn’t be the burden of the impacted community to address that contamination,” Bilott said. To Ducatman, the professor emeritus with the WVU School of Public Health, there are many more steps both the WV-DEP and the state Legislature could take to protect residents’ health. Those include creating a robust effort to test private wells, prohibiting factories in the state from using PFAS unless the chemicals are essential and monitoring industrial pollution beyond self- reporting. Ducatman realizes that this type of effort could be costly, time-consuming and resource-intensive. But, from a public health standpoint, he sees it as crucial for West Virginians. “People’s health will improve,” Ducatman said. “Have no doubt about that. Getting the stuff out of the water is good for people.” **Support Mountain State Spotlight** ~ We are a nonprofit investigative newsroom that exists to give West Virginians the information they need to make our state a better place. As a nonprofit, we rely on your help to power our journalism. We are committed to lifting up voices that aren’t always heard and spotlighting solutions that are making a difference. >>>>>>>#######>>>>>>>#######>>>>>>>> **See Also:** [US EPA Takes Unprecedented Action to Tackle PFAS Water Pollution](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/may/06/us-epa-pfas- drinking-water-pollution-ohio-river), Tom Perkins, The Guardian, May 6, 2023 EPA has ordered chemical company Chemours to stop discharging high levels of toxic PFAS into the Ohio River at Parkersburg URL: <https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2023/05/10/wv-legislature-of-no-help-toxic- pfas-in-our-drinking-water/>

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