By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A bill that would exempt some oil and gas waste tanks close to water intake points from regulation under the Aboveground Storage Tank Act that passed in response to the 2014 Elk River chemical spill will draw additional scrutiny from lawmakers and concerned citizens before it can advance further in the House of Delegates.
The House Energy and Manufacturing Committee voted to advance the bill to the full House Tuesday after more than an hour of legislator discussion and expert testimony. The committee also voted against a move by Delegate Ed Evans, D-McDowell, to first refer the bill to the House Health and Human Resources Committee because of the potential health effects of the proposal.
But the bill was referred to the Health and Human Resources Committee anyway Wednesday, after House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, recommended doing so under a House rule that allows the speaker to refer measures to an additional committee.
“That is the right move to make,” said West Virginia Rivers Coalition Executive Director Angie Rosser, who has helped mobilize opposition to the bill, citing concerns that it would substantially increase the risk of drinking water contamination throughout West Virginia…