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Landfills in Virginia Threaten Public Drinking Water Supplies
The proliferation of landfills in Virginia has raised serious concerns among the majority of our citizens for many years, particularly as the Commonwealth has become the dumping ground for other states.
Reasonable measures have been adopted into law to Protect Public Drinking
Water Supplies and Wetlands from these landfills, providing some level
of
comfort to nearby residents, as well as those downstream of the landfills.
HB
2192 - Del. Abbitt - would seriously undermine the State’s
ability to
protect water supplies and wetlands from potential contamination by
poorly-sited landfills, and would jeopardize public health and the
environment.
Problem:
This bill proposes to automatically reduce the required distance of any new or expanding landfill from a public water supply from 5 miles to 3 miles, and to further reduce the distance to only 500 feet (less than 1/10 of a mile) if current regulations and a few other measures are followed.
The bill would also automatically increase the acreage of wetlands impacted by landfills from 1.25 acres to 2 acres, and it would allow for much greater wetland impacts under certain conditions.
Such changes in the law would automatically allow broader siting of
landfills across Virginia, closer to Drinking Water Supplies and in
Wetlands that affect streams and groundwater quality, as well as significant
wildlife habitat.
Solution:
The State Senate needs to kill this legislation so that we can continue to protect our drinking water supplies from potential leaking landfills.
Action Needed:
Follow the link below to send a letter to your State Senator opposing HB2192.
Deadline for responding: Please take action by Wednesday, February 17, 2005..
To send a message, please click the link below:
http://virginia.sierraclubaction.org/r.asp?aacwc=3643124261314251972975
Earth Day 2006
Nukes
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