By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Legislature passed 293 bills during the 2021 legislative session that ended at the stroke of midnight Saturday.
Just eight of them were energy or environmental bills, according to the Legislature’s website.
Fifty-four out of 62 pieces of legislation fitting that bill didn’t pass. A plethora of priorities fell by the wayside.
Chief among those goals for West Virginia environmentalist groups was a boost in funding for the state Department of Environmental Protection’s cash-strapped Office of Oil and Gas.
“That’s one thing that is really regrettable to see die when in the Legislature. So many members were very well aware of the problems and seemed to have a strong interest in addressing it,” West Virginia Rivers Coalition Executive Director Angie Rosser said…
