By Taylor Kuykendall

Sierra Club officials say a new poll suggests West Virginia voters across the state are open to a change in the way the government regulates environmental threats in the wake of the spill of a chemical used in coal preparation.

The poll, conducted by Hart Research Associates, centers on questions designed to gauge the effect the chemical spill has had on voters' attitudes surrounding environmental regulations. The poll found that 73% of voters believe West Virginia has paid too little attention to environmental threats and 69% said they believe other serious incidents are likely to occur unless preventative action is taken.

Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, said during a Feb. 24 conference call announcing the results that some West Virginia citizens are still afraid of drinking their water two months after the Jan. 9 spill of a blend of 4-methylcyclohexane methanol, or crude MCHM, and polyglycol ethers, or PPH. The spill occurred just above a water intake along the Elk River that fed the water supply of 300,000 people in the Charleston, W.Va. area.

Hitt, a West Virginia resident, said watching developments in the latest spill and subsequent impact was like a "punch to the gut."

Hitt added, "Sadly, this is just the latest and one of the most egregious examples of the coal industry and some of their reckless practices putting expediency ahead of the safety of those who work for them and those who live around them."

According to the poll, most West Virginia voters support stronger environmental standards and enforcement action from the U.S. EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection.

"After years of outrageous industry rhetoric, it's crystal clear," said Jim Sconyers, chair of the West Virginia Sierra Club. "In West Virginia, we want clean water and air. These poll results show once and for all that regulation is not a dirty word here."

Coal industry says consider source of poll results

Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, said he had not yet seen the poll results but the summary of their findings "sounds like the results are what you would expect from the Sierra Club."

"The only thing you read about is when there is a problem," Raney said. "You don't read about the hundreds of opportunities where people are complying with the law. It's not news. People only hear about the problems, but the overwhelming majority, practically all of [coal operations], are complying with [the] very comprehensive and extensive Clean Water Act permitting program. "

Nearly two-thirds of West Virginia voters surveyed said the coal industry has some culpability in matters of air and water contamination, but only 40% said the industry bears some or a lot of responsibility for the spill of crude MCHM.

Raney said the spill happened at a chemical company, and "activists" are unfairly blaming the coal industry and unjustly pointing fingers by blaming the end user of a product.

"We're inspected, regulated, registered and certified in everything we do through a variety of permits and certifications, perhaps to a greater extent than almost anyone," Raney said of the coal industry.

Through its parent Chemstream Holdings Inc., Freedom Industries Inc., the company behind the spill, is controlled by J. Clifford Forrest, who also controls Pennsylvania-based Rosebud Mining Co. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Freedom is continuing through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, though the goal is toward abandoning the entity as an operating business.

Impacts of chemical spill could sway elections

Jay Campbell, senior vice president of Hart Research Associates, said the more than 500 people interviewed for the survey are statistically and demographically representative of West Virginia voters. Despite a "real affinity to the coal industry" that persists in the state, Campbell said, the chemical spill has seemingly shifted West Virginians' perceptions of environmental regulations.

"The idea that this was a major event, and a major problematic event, has really permeated throughout the state," Campbell said.

The poll found that 62% of West Virginia voters would be more likely to support a candidate who favors strong regulations and enforcement to protect water, air and health, while 58% of voters say they would be more likely to support a candidate who does not have a close relationship with the coal industry. The survey found 61% of West Virginians agree that coal industry and other corporate lobbyists have too much power to prevent regulations.

Raney said he is not sure why people think the industry has too much influence.

"Everybody I represent and everybody in the industry that I'm aware of wants to take West Virginia forward and make sure it progresses," Raney told SNL Energy. "A big part of that is the economy and jobs. We're doing everything we can to keep our people working. That's what we're primarily interested in."

The survey backs Raney's indication that West Virginians worry about jobs. The poll indicated that 59% of respondents agreed that new regulations could reduce jobs. However, the numbers also show that despite the potential impact on the economy, only 30% said they would support a candidate who believes that more regulations will only hurt jobs and the state's economy.

The study was conducted Feb. 4 through Feb. 7 and surveyed 504 registered voters across the state. The poll had a margin of error of 4.4%.