Press Release

February 18, 2008

Contact: Gordon Simmons, UE Local 170, 304-395-6294
              Patricia Feeney, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, 304-360-2110        

State Workers Rally for Wages, Revenue, Environmental Enforcement 

CHARLESTON, W.Va.--  West Virginia public workers and their supporters rallied Monday in the State Captiol to demand benefit protections, living wages, and better enforcement of state environmental regulations.  Speakers called for a legislative audit of the state Department of Environmental Protection to determine why the DEP has missed out on millions, and potentially billions, of dollars in state revenue by not collecting fines from polluters.

“If we are missing out on revenue for our state, then we are missing a chance to provide competitive wages to our states workers,” said Gordon Simmons of the UE Local 170, “We cannot afford to allow these lost millions to go unnoticed.  How many raises?  How many jobs could be provided if the DEP was collecting fines from law-breakers?”

According to a DEP report, the state agency has maintained an average of over 100 job vacancies for 10 years, and recent news reports have revealed the DEP to be four to five years behind on reviewing water pollution reports. 

“I am here because I want to help the DEP to do their job,” said Donna Branham, a member of OVEC from Mingo County.  “The governor's budget has tied the hands of well-intentioned people, and we are here to ask the legislature to help us untie their hands.  It isn’t fair to the workers or to the citizens of this state for our agencies to continue to be slighted while polluters and other law-breakers run free.”

Members of the West-Virginia-based group OVEC, and State Workers are coming together to pursue more environmental enforcement.

“We need more support for those charged with protecting our state’s public health, air, and water,” said  Luther Payne, an OVEC member from Fayette County.  “It is time we stop treating the people who are committed to this state as second class citizens.  We have to stop paying them second-class wages.”

“We need the DEP to do their job, which means we have to properly equip them with personnel and resources,” said Simmons.  “We have to ask, where is the money that could be going to better wages, better benefits, and a more effective agency?  Right now, it’s in the hands of the polluters. It’s time we take it back.”

A DEP oversight hearing is set for 10 a.m. Feb. 20 in the Energy Industry and Mining Committee, Room 208 West in the State Capitol building. Concerned citizens will hold a press conference at 9:30 that morning on the steps just outside the Senate Chamber.

“We are asking the DEP to fill the jobs, do the investigations, and collect the fines,” added Branham.  “If they would collect all those fines, imagine how rich our state would be.”