[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E33]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WEST VIRGINIANS SUPPORT HEALTH, SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS

                                 ______


                         HON. NICK J. RAHALL II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 5, 1996

  Mr. RAHALL. Mr. Speaker, during the first session of this Congress, 
West Virginians were subjected to a legislative assault of 
unprecedented proportions as proposal after proposal was advanced by 
the Republican majority to gut virtually every major environmental, 
health, and safety law.
  From the standpoint of coalfield citizens in particular, 1995 was a 
year to remember. The protections coal miners receive from the Mine 
Safety and Health Administration came under siege by one Republican 
legislative proposal. The health care miners obtain from black lung 
clinics may no longer exist as a result of the Labor, HHS, and 
Education appropriation bill. The pensions and health care unionized 
coal miners receive continue to jeopardized by another Republican 
legislative proposal. The ability of coal miners to obtain black lung 
benefits was threatened by reductions in appropriations that may give 
rise to the closure of black lung field offices. And, the general 
welfare of coalfield citizens continues to be threatened by a 
Republican bill which would eliminate the ability of the Federal Office 
of Surface Mining to safeguard the coalfield environment, and the 
safety of coalfield citizens, from illegal surface coal mining 
practices.
  While these are issues particular to the coalfields, West Virginians 
also feel strongly about the integrity of environmental statutes which 
affect the Nation as a whole. Last year we saw come out of this body a 
rewrite of the Clean Water Act that would roll back decades of progress 
in bringing a better quality of life to our citizens through cleaner 
lakes and streams. We also saw reported to the full House an Endangered 
Species Act rewrite that purports to place in the hands of mankind the 
ability to determine which of the Lord's creatures may live, and which 
may perish into extinction.
  I am pleased at this time to include in the Record a summary of a 
survey conducted last October on the attitude of West Virginians toward 
environmental issues before the Congress. This survey, conducted by the 
Mellman Group, Inc., for the Environmental Information Center was 
recently brought to my attention by the West Virginia Chapter of the 
Sierra Club. The summary follows:

                                            The Mellman Group,

                                                 October 26, 1995.
     To interested parties.
     From the Mellman group.
     Re West Virginia voters' attitudes toward environmental 
         protection and regulatory reform.
       The Mellman Group, Inc. designed and administered this 
     telephone survey conducted by professional interviewers. The 
     survey interviewed 500 registered voters in West Virginia. 
     The survey was conducted between October 21-23, 1995. The 
     margin of error for this survey is +/-4.4 percentage points 
     at the 95% confidence level. The margin of error for 
     subgroups varies and is slightly larger.
       West Virginia voters are solidly in favor of maintaining 
     current levels of environmental protection. A majority oppose 
     current Congressional efforts to roll back environmental laws 
     and regulations, and they are specifically opposed to 
     loosening clean water regulations and reducing protections 
     for endangered species. These voters object to the notion 
     that they are over-regulated when it comes to the 
     environment. Rather, they believe environmental laws and 
     regulations have successfully protected public health and 
     safety and are worth their cost. Further, West Virginians do 
     not believe that we can afford to loosen environmental 
     standards because of prior success in cleaning up pollution. 
     Instead, these voters believe that if we loosen environmental 
     regulations it will turn back the clock on the advances we 
     have made in pollution control. They oppose a regulatory 
     reform package that would weaken any portions of the Clean 
     Air Act, the Clean Water Act or the Safe Drinking Water Act. 
     Similarly, these voters believe regulations to protect 
     endangered species are necessary and worth their costs. West 
     Virginians oppose legislation that would reduce protections 
     for endangered plants and animals. As we have seen in other 
     states, this support for environmental laws and standards 
     cuts across partisan, ideological, and demographic lines. 
     Finally, in substantial numbers, West Virginians will 
     retaliate at the polls against candidates who support 
     relaxing environmental regulations.

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