What I'd like to know about W.Va. DEP

Department of Environmental Pollution (0.00 / 0)

From what we can gather from talking with employees and going to committee hearings is that they are at least 100 employees short of a full boat and the speculation is that our Gov. Manchin likes it that way, overworked and understaffed keeps the coal boys happy.  If they would just do their job it would help the WV treasury immensley with all the fines they could be handing out......WV could be the postcard for eco-tourism in the east if they put their mind to it....we can only dream.

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by: JBdem4usa @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 08:36:46 AM CDT

It's not a recent development, Clem. (4.00 / 1)

The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (aka "OHVEC") chronicled on Tuesday, September 4, 2001:

Unfortunately OSM has received little support from Congress in recent years. Likewise, WVDEP has been grossly underfunded and understaffed for years. Little money means little enforcement. As long ago as 1991, OSM threatened to take over WVDEP's approved state program because of inadequate staffing.

    In June 2000, to avoid federal takeover of the state program, U.S. Senator Byrd was able to garner $9.8 million, including $3.6 for hiring additional inspectors and other personnel. In July 2000 the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy served the OSM director with a notice threatening a lawsuit to compel OSM to take over the WVDEP program. To save his agency, Governor Underwood found a few million dollars in his contingency fund in September 2000.

    Inadequate staffing remains a serious problem for WVDEP.

Manchin's Press Secretary Sara Payne Scarbro ran the Governor's campaign before she issued her tepid propaganda about how well our state's agency oversees our environmental concerns. BTW It just so happens that she's also married to the executive director of WV's Democratic party, Derek Scarboro.

I intend to update Sara and Derek Scarbro's Wikipedia pages for all those who won't happen to read this right after I water my sister's houseplants and mow my neighbor's yard.

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by: One Citizen @ Tue Jul 07, 2009 at 13:45:20 PM CDT