West Virginians Want More Environmental Protections
From Ring of Fire:
A new, statewide poll finds that West Virginians support more environmental regulations and protections following the devastating chemical spill in the Elk River, which left tens of thousands without potable water. The study was conducted to “gauge West Virginians’ reactions to the Elk River chemical spill and to understand what impact, if any, the spill has had on their attitudes about environmental regulations,” the Sierra Club reports.
According to the poll, West Virginians feel that if the state does not take a different approach to environmental protection, they are likely to see more incidents like the January 9 chemical spill by Freedom Industries. Sixty-two percent of voters responding to the poll said they would be more likely to support a candidate who favors strong regulations and protections for water and air, while only 30 percent said they would be more likely to support a candidate who claims more regulations will hurt jobs and the state’s economy.
In fact, there is little evidence that increased regulations kill jobs, as industry groups and the politicians they sponsor would argue. While regulations may end some jobs, they also create jobs. “The effects [of regulations] on jobs are negligible,” Richard Morgenstern, author of a study detailing the effects of regulations on jobs and a former EPA employee who served from the Reagan-era to the Clinton-era, told ProPublica. “They’re not job-creating or job-destroying on average.”
You can read the full article here at Ring of Fire.
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