CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia is taking in a deep breath of fresh air. At least that’s the opinion of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Governor Jim Justice announced a milestone Wednesday in which the air quality in West Virginia, for the first time since the agency started tracking, is within all acceptable particulate levels.
“The entire state of West Virginia is now meeting all US EPA health based national ambient air quality standards for the first time since EPA made their initial non-attainment designation under the 1970 Clean Air Act in 1978,” Justice told a small group of employees of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on Wednesday.
Justice appeared at the DEP headquarters alongside the U.S. EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Cosmo Servido.
Servido congratulated Justice and the DEP on the strong progress in air quality improvement. He was there to also announce other important news for the department involving the state’s water quality.
“I’m here to announce a $24 Million clean water state revolving fund grant to West Virginia. This grant, along with $5 Million in state matching funds, further capitalizes on the fund that provides low interest loans for the construction of waste water treatment facilities, storm water and estuary projects, and other water quality activities,” Servido said.
He added a day earlier the EPA awarded $11 Million to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources for drinking water projects around the state.
“It’s about collaboration and partnership. That’s what the Trump EPA represents. It’s collaborating and working with our state,” Servido said.