By David Beard, The Dominion Post
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A controversial Department of Environmental Protection water pollution rule dealing with human health criteria is back before the Legislature and no less contentious than it was when it began its journey in 2018.
A virtual public hearing on the proposed rule drew 32 people to testify Monday morning, with 24 opposing it and eight supporting it.
House Judiciary held the hearing on HB 2398, which would authorize the DEP to put the rule into effect.
The water quality rule in question deals with waste discharge permits. The Department of Environmental Protection first took it up in 2018. It proposed to update the 60 human health water quality parameters within the rule for such pollutants as aluminum, arsenic, copper, barium and manganese — to conform to the most recent Environmental Protection Agency recommendations…
