COVINGTON – Loa Bennett sat in the back row of a chilled hotel conference room and quickly drew a sign that read “H2O above Strife.” She held it high as the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) discussed if it would approve a change to make regional pollution control standards voluntary instead of mandatory.

On Thursday, the commission approved the proposal with just two commission members opposing the change. Those commissioners are New York commissioner Douglas Conroe and federal commissioner George Elmaraghy.

Ohio commissioners Stuart Bruny, Laurie Stevenson and John Hoopingarner voted for the change. Kentucky commissioners C. Ronald Lovan, Charles G. Snavely and Jenean Hampton also voted to make the pollution control standards voluntary.

The decision came after a handful of concerned citizens and activists urged the commission to nix the change, warning what it could do to the health of the Ohio River.

The Cincinnati-based commission recommends water-quality standards to the eight states either in the Ohio River's path or in its watershed.

“We strongly disagree with today’s vote. We think it’s really a punch in the gut to the 5 million people who depend on the Ohio River for their drinking water, for their jobs and their way of life,” said Jordan Lubetkin, director of regional communications for the National Wildlife Federation.

In 2018 the commission faced a proposal that would have eliminated all regional pollution control standards. Members representing the eight states in the commission voted against that, which was an environmental win, Lubetkin explained.

More:Ohio River: Oversight group postpones decision on eliminating water-quality standards

“By making them voluntary, of course, that essentially says we don’t have standards,” he said.

The commission did approve an amendment to the standards change. The commission will review its programs that involve implementation of the pollution control standards for scientific or policy modifications. The amendment included language that the commission would get a report with the results from that review.

“You can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig,” said Lubetkin when asked about the amendment.

As the commission members discussed the proposal, Bennett sat still, silently holding her sign. Others approached the podium and advocated for mandatory protections.

“When did clean drinking water become an option?” asked Maria Truitt, a member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

Local teacher Joshua Kruer told the commission the decision would most impact their kids

“ORSANCO decided that the interests of polluters are more important than the health of give million Ohio River residents who rely on the river for drinking water,” said Cheryl Johncox, Sierra Club Organizer in a release.

PennFuture, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Pennsylvania weighed in as well.

“This decision by ORSANCO is mind-boggling, especially when considering more than 4,000 people spoke out against the proposal during a public comment period, and only nine people supported it,” said Matthew Stepp, vice president and chief of staff for PennFuture in a release. “With the federal government already set on dismantling environmental laws and protections, now is not the time to weaken regional water quality standards along the Ohio River.”

Commissioner Douglas Conroe from New York, who voted against the water quality oversight changes, urged the commission to not “fix a wheel that’s not broken.”

“We are responsible for the world that we create,” said Bennett.

Julia is the new Northern Kentucky government reporter through the Report For America program. Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at jfair@enquirer.com and follow her on twitter at @JFair_Reports