WEST VIRGINIA (WOAY) – Congress is taking action on the Wyoming County water crisis by introducing an amendment to a current bill that will hopefully improve the lives of countless West Virginians.
“There are American citizens living in Wyoming County and McDowell County without access to clean water. The people of communities like Bradshaw and Oceana turn on their kitchen sinks and their bathtubs and their washing machines, only to have them fill up with brown, rancid-smelling water,” Congressman Riley Moore said in a committee meeting on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, U.S. Representative Riley Moore, along with Congresswoman Carol Miller, announced that they had introduced an amendment to a current bill that addresses drinking water violations in counties such as Wyoming and McDowell, and he was pleased to announce that it had passed a key first step.
“I wanted to highlight the work that I did with Chairman Simpson on part of an amendment that was included in that manager’s amendment,” Congressman Moore said. “Myself and Carol Miller worked on language to shine a light on the ongoing water crisis that is going on in West Virginia today.”
The amendment, sponsored by Rep. Riley Moore and supported by Rep. Carol Miller, passed the House Appropriations Committee.
The amendment specifically directs the EPA to brief Congress on the federal resources available to communities within Wyoming County, McDowell County, and the surrounding areas.
“But my amendment requires the Environmental Protection Agency to break through the logjam,” Moore said. “A lot of finger pointing has been going on, and to break through that logjam, the various government agencies to get to the bottom of the situation.”
For residents, acknowledgement from Washington D.C. is long awaited after years of being plagued with contaminated tap water.
Congressman Moore is scheduled to speak with WOAY in an exclusive interview this Friday. He is expected to provide additional insight on amendment, the EPA directive, and discuss next steps moving forward.
