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Introduced
🔗 Link to West Virginia website 🔗 Link to Legiscan

West Virginia : 2025 Regular Session : BILL  HB2758

Prohibiting geo-engineering

affecting temperature  geo-engineering  into the atmosphere

Bill Details

The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight

Bill summary (AI generated) 

Bill Summary:

The proposed bill aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by introducing a new section, designated §22-5-21, which explicitly prohibits certain geoengineering activities within the state. It establishes that, notwithstanding any other law, individuals may not intentionally inject, release, or disperse any chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight.

Key Provisions:

- Geoengineering activities that involve the injection, release, or dispersion of chemicals into the atmosphere for the purpose of impacting temperature, weather, or sunlight intensity are explicitly prohibited.
- The bill also outlines the potential risks associated with geoengineering, noting that the implications for human health and the environment are not well understood.
- The West Virginia Department of Environment Protection is tasked with monitoring and regulating air, soil, and water quality and ensuring public safety in the context of these new restrictions.
- The act will take effect within 30 days of its passage.

The overall objective of the legislation is to safeguard public health and the environment while allowing for permissible activities as defined under state law.

History

The bill was filed for introduction on February 21, 2025, and was subsequently assigned to the House committees for Energy and Public Works and Judiciary. It has been introduced in the House and referred to the Energy and Public Works Committee for further consideration. Currently, the next steps involve discussions and potential votes within these committees. The bill is still active, and its future will depend on these further legislative proceedings.
  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 Filed for introduction
  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 To Energy and Public Works then Judiciary
  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 Introduced in House
  • Fri 21 Feb 2025 To House Energy and Public Works

Bill text (HTML)

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 2758

By Delegates Ridenour, Martin, Ward, Butler, Mallow, Roop, Jennings, Phillips, Maynor, Kump, and Kimble

[Introduced February 21, 2025; referred to the Committee on Energy and Public Works then the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §22-5-21, relating to prohibiting the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

 

ARTICLE 5. AIR POLLUTION CONTROL.

§22-5-21. Prohibiting dispersion of chemicals or apparatus into the atmosphere to intentionally affect temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight.

(a) The Legislature finds that:

(1) It is documented that the federal government or other entities acting on the federal government's behalf or at the federal government's request, or non-government entities may conduct geoengineering experiments by intentionally dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere, and those activities may occur within the state of West Virginia;

(2) The risk to human health and environmental welfare from broad scale geoengineering is currently not well understood;

(3) The West Virginia Department of Environment Protection is responsible for monitoring air, soil, and water quality, and regulating industrial and agricultural emissions into the air, soil, and water within the state to ensure the safety of the public, while not impeding agriculture or commerce within the state; and

(4) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect the public health and welfare of West Virginians while allowing all authorized activities permitted under state law.

(b) The intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight is prohibited.   

(c) This act takes effect within 30 days of passage.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.