After two weeks of negotiations between more than 50 countries, the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) ended last Friday without establishing a High Seas Treaty — once again leaving more than two-thirds of the global ocean unprotected. But important progress was also made, which the Only One community of supporters has helped push for. World leaders are closer than ever before to finalizing the treaty, and there’s reason to be optimistic that the next negotiation will be the last step in the nearly two-decades–long process. We can’t let up the pressure now, and we need you with us! Can you help build momentum for the coalition to protect the High Seas by sharing our petition with your network? We’re just shy of our goal of 75,000 signatures.
Add your name if you believe in a future for West Virginia with cleaner streams, rivers, and air — where our kids and grandkids are healthy and able to enjoy our traditions.
As West Virginians, we live close to the land. It's part of our cultural heritage, our family traditions, and our way of life. We farm the earth and take pride in the vegetable gardens grown in our backyards. We take our families on vacation in our state’s scenic public parks. We hunt in the mountains for squirrel, whitetail deer, bear, and turkey. We forage the hillsides for ginseng, ramps, and edible mushrooms. And we fish in our freshwater rivers and streams. We value these Appalachian traditions that are passed down through the generations. But those traditions are in danger of being lost unless we take action.
Take fishing, for example. In too many of our rivers, we cannot safely eat the fish we catch because of toxins in the fish tissue. The cause? A shocking amount of air and water pollution has made it necessary to issue statewide fish consumption advisories.
Excessive pollution in our environment is putting our cultural heritage and family traditions at risk. Now, large corporations — most from outside West Virginia — want to double down and bring five new or expanded toxic industrial projects into our communities.
Pollution infringes on our rights — and our wallets
West Virginians have the right to clean air, drinkable water, healthy catch, and a safe future for our families. But if another wave of industrial facilities set up shop in our communities, burning out-of-state trash and using new, untested processes, we’ll be stuck with polluters stealing these rights from us for decades to come.
This pollution is costly. Not only do we see our healthcare bills go up from inhaling toxins every day, but the corporations spewing pollution get millions of dollars in tax breaks from our state government — which means that their profits come out of West Virginians’ pockets. Our state already bears more than its share of industrial facilities; this is not the way to create good, healthy jobs that can provide for our families.
What’s more, these facilities hurt other businesses in town, and the few jobs they create are often temporary. Between 2008 and 2021, 22 Appalachian counties with similar industrial facilities lost a combined 10,339 jobs, and almost 50,000 residents relocated.
Governor Justice has the power to keep toxic companies out of our communities and invest in a healthier future for our state. We deserve good-paying jobs, but not at the expense of our health and our environment. Join us, and tell him to speak up and stop more toxic polluters from coming to West Virginia.
