Conservation West Virginia
By Chazz Printz.
Unfortunately, the West Virginia Senate has adopted the wholly undemocratic practice of advancing bills at the opening of the annual legislative session without public notice, referral to committee or debate. Senate Bill 171, passed unanimously on January 12, 2024, is the most recent of these. It is now with the House of Delegates. If it becomes law, SB 171 will usurp and prevent local land use planning and zoning authorities from regulating industrial operations which fall under the broad state definition of “agriculture.”
The bill appears to be a thinly disguised attempt by the Senate to override strong public and local government opposition to the relocation of a timber fumigation plant near Baker in Hardy County. The facility, proposed in 2023 by Allegheny Wood Products (“Allegheny”), would treat or fumigate timber harvested elsewhere and intended for shipment overseas with methyl bromide, a highly toxic chemical.