West Virginia Voters on the Elk River Spill and Environmental Protections

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1 West Virginia Voters on the Elk River Spill and Environmental Protections Key Findings from a Representative Statewide Survey among 504 West Virginia voters* Conducted February 4-7, 2014 for the Sierra Club * Margin of error = ±4.4 percentage points

2 Voters say this spill is a wakeup call that things need to change. West Virginia has paid too little attention to addressing threats to our air and water and protecting the safety and health of the public. The Elk River spill is a wakeup call that things must change. Agree Strongly agree 42% 73% Disagree 20% Other serious incidents like the Elk River spill will occur unless some action is take to prevent them. The Elk River spill was an isolated incident. 26% 69% 2

3 Change in part means voters want candidates who will support environmental regulations. Which candidate would you prefer? Candidate who favors strong regulations and enforcement to protect the water, air, and health of West Virginians and to prevent future incidents like the recent chemical spill 62% Candidate who says having more regulations and enforcement will only hurt jobs and West Virginia's economy 30% Democrats Independents Republicans Prefer pro-regulation candidate 79% 67% 44% Prefer anti-regulation candidate 17% 26% 47% 3

4 Voters believe that stronger regulations would have prevented the spill. Stronger regulations and better enforcement of existing regulations: 68% Stronger regulations/better enforcement would have prevented the chemical spill Feel strongly 59% 20% Democrats 79% Independents 71% Republicans 57% Would have prevented the chemical spill Feel strongly 15% Would NOT have prevented the chemical spill 4

5 Voters want state AND federal agencies to have a role in setting standards. 66% of voters say that the WV Department of Environmental Protection should have stronger standards and enforcement (including 60% who feel strongly about this). 57% say that the US Environmental Protection Agency should have stronger standards and enforcement (53% feel strongly). 5

6 West Virginians do not simply want better enforcement in the abstract they solidly endorse specific changes in policy. Support for Proposals to Strengthen Clean Air and Water Regulation and Enforcement Strongly support Total support Oppose Require that all facilities that pose a contamination threat to water supplies be inspected regularly 82% 97% 2% Strengthen state water-quality standards to reduce the pollution that can be released into the water 65% 87% 9% Increase the involvement of the US Environmental Protection Agency in making sure that environmental regulation and enforcement is effective in West Virginia 43% 67% 29% 6

7 Voters hold the coal industry responsible for air and water contamination generally, if not for the Elk River spill specifically. The chemicals that spilled into the Elk River are part of the process used by the coal industry to process coal after it is mined. Does the coal industry have any responsibility for the spill? Coal industry has a lot of responsibility Coal industry has no responsibility Thinking not specifically about the chemical spill, but about air and water contamination in West Virginia in general, does the coal industry have responsibility for contamination of air and water in West Virginia? Coal industry has some responsibility Coal industry has just a little responsibility 57% 65% 40% 33% 44% 14% 19% 10% 7

8 Culpability aside, West Virginians see coal companies as having too much power in state politics. The coal industry and other corporate lobbyists have too much influence in West Virginia politics, which gives them too much power to prevent common-sense protections and regulations Agree 61% Disagree 26% Which candidate would you be more likely to support? Candidate who is independent of the coal industry Candidate with close ties to the coal industry 30% 58% Democrats 69% Independents 59% Republicans 51% 8

9 The Key Takeaways West Virginians see the Elk River spill as a major wakeup call and a clear indication of the need for change. They do not see the DEP and EPA as meddlesome bureaucracies; voters actually want more involvement from these agencies, not less. Voters desire for change extends to the types of candidates they are looking for: candidates who will favor strong regulations and enforcement and who will be independent of the coal industry. 9