ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATOR LAWSUIT EPA threatened with lawsuit over WV waterways
Reported by: Associated Press
Web Producer: Heath Harrison
Reported: Jan. 28, 2013 3:47 PM EST
Updated: Jan. 29, 2013 11:21 AM EST
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Morgantown, Monongahela County
, West Virginia
Environmental groups that have spent years suing coal companies over water pollution are now threatening to sue federal regulators for failing to ensure adequate enforcement of the Clean Water Act.
They've notified the Environmental Protection Agency of intent to sue the agency within 60 days for failing to make sure state regulators are doing their jobs.
The environmentalists claim the state Department of Environmental Protection isn't adequately protecting waterways. They also claim the Legislature weakened state water-quality standards to favor the coal industry and protect mountaintop removal mining.
Neither the EPA nor the DEP immediately commented Monday.
The groups argue that EPA should have rejected as inadequate a list of polluted streams that the state recently submitted.
They say the EPA has the power to rein in state agencies' abuses.
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Associated Press
