Click here to watch the full committee hearing.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.),
Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee,
today hosted Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the EPW Committee, for a
field hearing in Beckley to examine the unique challenges that small,
disadvantaged, and rural communities face in accessing and maintaining drinking
water and wastewater services. Today’s field hearing is the first of a two-part
hearing series. The second hearing will take place tomorrow in Dover, Delaware.
During the hearing, Ranking
Member Capito and Chairman Carper questioned three West Virginia witnesses:
Wayne D. Morgan, Executive Director, West Virginia Infrastructure and Jobs
Development Council; Todd Grinstead, Executive Director, West Virginia Rural
Water Association; and Jason Roberts, Executive Director, Region 1 Planning
& Development Council.
“Hosting today’s field
hearing in Beckley gives our committee the opportunity to see and hear
firsthand how communities are addressing their water and wastewater
challenges,” Ranking Member Capito said. “I especially appreciate our
expert West Virginia witnesses and their testimonies speaking to the needed
investments in our water infrastructure and water workforce. The EPW Committee
worked closely together earlier this year in passing the bipartisan Drinking
Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act—legislation that addressed several
of the issues brought up today. I’m hopeful that today’s hearing underscores
the fact that the rural infrastructure needs of today—needs can be addressed
with the bipartisan infrastructure package—cannot and should not be
delayed.”
“It’s great to be back in my
hometown of Beckley to discuss something so essential—access to safe, reliable
water infrastructure,” Chairman Carper said. “As we heard from Senators
Capito and Manchin, as well as our excellent panel of witnesses, many small and
rural communities face real challenges when it comes to keeping their water
systems fully functional in the 21st Century. Earlier this year, Senator Capito
and I wasted no time getting to work on drinking and wastewater legislation.
Our bill became the foundation of the bipartisan infrastructure deal that we
led passage of in the Senate. I’m confident we will soon get this bill signed
into law and deliver much-needed infrastructure investments in West Virginia,
Delaware, and communities across our country.”
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