West Virginia State Democratic Party

West Virginia Democratic Party Platform

Environment

Democrats know that there is no more solemn responsibility than that of stewards of God's creation. The West Virginia Democratic Party is committed to providing a clean and healthy environment for all of our citizens.

The natural beauty of our state is a great source of pride for West Virginians, and encourages tourism from individuals outside our borders. Our parks and trails are the playground of the people - there for average families to enjoy with camping, hiking and riding all terrain vehicles. The Democratic Party supports initiatives such as the Water Resource Management Act and the program to report emissions of greenhouse gases, which will insure that these parks and trails maintain their beauty for future generations.

Our greatest economic assets are our mountains, water and natural resources. West Virginia is blessed with abundant low-cost sources of coal. It is no longer a choice between the economy and the environment. Our continued prudent use of these valuable resources will insure that future generations will enjoy both a quality environment and local job security. The Democratic Party supports initiatives such as the voluntary Environmental Excellence Program which promote, reward and encourage superior environmental performances by businesses that exceed existing standards for health and the environment.

The Democratic Party recognizes that with the increase in population comes an increase in construction. We must protect the health of our citizens by monitoring the development of orchards and farmlands, which may be contaminated by arsenic and other substances.

We must protect our environment in ways that are practical and achievable. The Democratic Party is committed to keeping the current environmental initiatives and resources intact, so that our land, water and citizens are not adversely affected by budgetary constraints or the diversion of funds from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to other agencies.

The West Virginia Democratic Party believes that communities, environmental interests, and state agencies should work together to protect our resources, our health and our state.