Those who live in West Virginia are glad to be able to look out on unspoilt mountains and lakes. They are glad that the aim of the West Virginia State Senate is to protect the environment for the people who live in West Virginia. If you want to read it for yourself then take a look at http://www.legis.state.wv.us/WVCODE/22/code/WVC%2022%20%20-%20%201%20%20-%20%20%201%20%20.htm. You should just be able to click through the link and see what has been agreed in the past with its high aims and lofty ideals.
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West Virginia code 22 also set up a Department of Environmental Protection. The proviso at the start of the regulations setting up this department does hinder it in some measure. The Department is to be in the general interest of West Virginia and to promote the general welfare of the state of West Virginia without sacrificing social and economic development. That seems to hinder the work of the department where there could be the production or storage of toxic chemicals in a rural environment or there is building of factories or homes in an area that is unique in terms of its ecosystem or animal life.
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Sometimes environmental issues are short-lived and only important for a time. This is one of those short-lived issues but it could come back at any time to haunt us, or our families. There are a number of lessons that we can learn about how to get an environmental issue to the top of the local, State or Federal Agenda.

In June 1988 some tubes of blood were washed up on the shoreline of New Jersey. Immediately there was concern, especially as some of the blood contained the HIV antibody and one had hepatitis B. The information about this find was passed to the media in a press conference and the media went wild about this contaminated blood on our shores. Shortly afterwards 141 vials of blood were found and tested, it was found that in 5 of them the blood was HIV positive.
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