On Jan. 9, a chemical spill at Freedom Industries contaminated the water for hundreds of thousands of West Virginians. This spill was a result of the under-regulated, thriving coal industry in West Virginia.

The Environmental Protection Agency found that in the past year, 255 water sources across the United States have been contaminated by coal-fire power plant waste, making clean, drinkable water an increasingly limited resource.

In many cases, this damage is permitted due to the lack of regulation on chemical waste. Stricter regulations are necessary to prevent further damage and sustain a livable environment. Far left Democrats have been lobbying for such regulations for years. But their centrist counterparts in the party need to join the cause to overrule the Republican opposition.

Many U.S. environmental policies are designed to react to crises, rather than prevent them. The chemical spill in West Virginia could have been easily prevented through stricter regulations. But the necessary changes to the regulations are only being proposed after the fact.

The EPA’s current policy is 37 years old and only requires that a chemical be tested if it becomes evident that it is dangerous, according to The Washington Post. This policy is outdated and ineffective. It also does nothing to ensure the health and safety of people or the environment.

It appears that political leaders on both sides of the aisle are finally coming to this realization. The U.S. Senate has announced plans, with bipartisan support, to overhaul the existing legislation, according to EnvironmentandPolicy.com.

This is a step in the right direction because the outdated legislation is consistent with our general attitude toward under-regulating industries at the expense of the environment. It is absurd that it takes dramatic events such as this to bring even remote progress toward modernizing our environmental legislation. These environmental issues, regarding both preservation and health, have had an extremely difficult time receiving attention on a national scale.

Environmental crises can be difficult to predict, but it seems like the current and past Congresses, particularly on the Republican side, have been simply negligent. In light of potentially stricter regulations, the industries have a lot at stake. It is necessary to prioritize our health and our future instead of the wants of the industry. America is known for its innovation and creativity. It’s long past time we use these skills to create a sustainable and safe source of energy.

There seems to be a common trend: Environmental crises draw immediate attention, but little is done to prevent further issues. This lack of preventative and protective legislation is completely unacceptable. The immediate needs of industries should not be chosen instead of the long-term needs of our nation.

The lack of preventative measures is not exclusive to chemical spills, but rather a vast majority of environmental issues. We know too little about many of these problems, and it is difficult to predict the potential consequences of under-regulated industries. The electorate and politicians should take this uncertainty into careful consideration. It is too easy to consider the immediate needs of the industry and the economy and not push the potential long-term consequences to the end of the agenda.

This crisis, among many others, sheds light on the effects of industrialization and under-regulation.

Rachel Potter is a junior political science and sociology major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at [email protected].

 

Published on January 27, 2014 at 2:12 am