Proposed bill would put a priority on clean drinking water in W.Va.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS/WVAH) — Lawmakers were at the capitol today in support of a bill that would affect what goes into the state’s drinking water.

The Clean Drinking Water Act of 2020 has been introduced in the Legislature to address pollution in drinking water from a class of chemicals known as PFAs or "forever chemicals" because they take a very long time to break down.

The bill looks at the affects these chemicals have on the body -- leading to cancer and death -- and works to regulate then in our waterways.

Delegate Evan Hansen, D-Monongalia, is a lead sponsor of the bill and said states are having to take matters into their own hands to protect their citizens.

“In an ideal world, the federal EPA would take the lead on this and come up with national standards but unfortunately they have been dragging their feet,” Hansen said. “That has forced state after state to take matters into their own hands.”

The bill requires facilities that have recently used the chemicals to monitor their discharges. It would also create a chemical response team in the state.

“We’re taking a systematic approach to identify and reduce the sources of these chemicals so that we can ensure that tap water is clean,” Hansen said in a news release.

Sen. William Ihlenfield, D-Ohio, the bill’s other lead sponsor, said it’s time for the state to quit choosing between business and clean water.

“We don’t have to choose between a robust industrial economy and clean water,” Ihlenfeld said in a news release. “We can have both, and this is a great first step in making sure that our residents have safe water to drink, without overburdening our manufacturing businesses.”

As of now, these chemicals are not regulated at the state or federal level.