West Virginia

Manchin offers condolences to the Fort Hood community

Nov. 6, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In conjunction with presidential proclamation lowering U.S. flags, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has ordered all state flags to be lowered to half-staff immediately in honor of the victims of the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas.

The flags shall remain at half-staff until Tuesday, Nov. 10, at sunset.

Gov. Manchin also issued this statement of condolence:    » read more »

Taxpayers have until Nov. 30 to take advantage of the tax savings

Nov. 5, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va.— West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin today reminded West Virginians that the last day to take advantage of the State’s second ENERGY STAR® Sales Tax Holiday is Nov. 30, 2009.

Since Sept. 1, West Virginians will not have to pay sales and use tax on certain ENERGY STAR® qualified products valued at $5,000 or less. Tangible personal property for use in a trade or business is not subject to this sales tax holiday.    » read more »

11/03/09 -- U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (W.Va.) announced today the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded more than $10-million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for energy efficiency projects and conservation activities.

“This funding will support investments in state-wide and local-level energy solutions to help strengthen West Virginia’s economy and create jobs at the local level,” said Rahall.    » read more »

November 3, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that more than $38 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being awarded to 4 states to support energy efficiency and conservation activities. Under DOE’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, these states – Alaska, Kansas, Utah and West Virginia - will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.    » read more »

October 30, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today applauded the inauguration of a new carbon capture and sequestration project at the AEP Mountaineer Power Plant in New Haven, West Virginia.

“This path-breaking carbon capture and storage project, championed by American Electric Power and Alstom, signifies that coal is poised to be a clean, competitive 21st Century fuel,” said Byrd.    » read more »

Statement from Sierra Club Director of Environmental Quality Ed Hopkins

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today moved to veto a Clean Water Act permit for the nation’s largest proposed mountaintop removal coal mining site, the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia.

In response the Sierra Club's Director of Environmental Quality, Ed Hopkins, issued the following statement:    » read more »

October 16, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today announced that the Department of Homeland Security has awarded a contract in the amount of more than $2.75 million to BrooAlexa Design Joint Venture, LLC, of Dunbar, West Virginia, to begin the initial planning and development for the construction of new dormitories at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advanced Training Center in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.    » read more »

Oct. 15, 2009 -- CHARLESTON -- West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, along with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the West Virginia Division of Highways, this week announced the awarding of 26 projects as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act totaling approximately $6.3 million.

These grants will provide West Virginia communities with funding assistance for the design and development of non-traditional projects such as improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists through the construction of sidewalks and trails.

Listed by county, grant recipients for 2009 ARRA funding include:

BERKELEY
$329,000 to the City of Martinsburg for the Martinsburg Town Square Pedestrian Plaza

BROOKE
$200,000 to the City of Wellsburg for the Wellsburg Sidewalks 2009    » read more »

10/15/09 -- During a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, on which he serves as the Vice Chairman, Rep. Rahall asked, “Administrator Jackson, I would ask you, for the record, whether you believe that clarity and certainty is the goal in EPA’s reviews of coal mining permits? There are concerns that EPA is not providing clear cut direction – that coal operators are not being told what requirements they need to comply with and there is fear there are no clear rules of the game by which to seek mining permits.”    » read more »

10/13/09 -- Furthering his commitment to ensuring the future of coal mining jobs and the vitality of West Virginia’s mining communities, U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (WV-3) on Tuesday – in advance of a planned public forum hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in Charleston – called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Corps to provide surety and fairness in the review of surface coal mining permits.    » read more »

Pew project calls on agencies to deliver performance-driven results

Oct. 7, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin today announced West Virginia is taking the next step toward more responsible government by operating more efficiently and transparently to deliver better services while saving money.

During a meeting of about 150 cabinet secretaries and agency leaders at the State Culture Center today, the governor reaffirmed his commitment to effective planning, budgeting and results-driven government, that is backed by a year-long project with the Pew Center on the States.    » read more »

October 01, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today announced the award of a contract in the amount of more than $20.068 million to BBL Carlton, LLC, of Charleston, West Virginia, to construct a new C-130 fuel system/corrosion control hangar and shops for the West Virginia National Guard facilities at Yeager Airbase in Charleston. Byrd had the funding included in the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009, which was signed into law in March.    » read more »

West Virginia Continues to Lead Collision Likelihood List

Bloomington, Ill., Sept. 28, 2009 – The number of vehicles on U.S. roadways has grown by 7 percent over the last five years. But the number of times those vehicles have collided with deer has swelled by much more than that.

Using its claims data, auto insurer State Farm estimates 2.4 million collisions between deer and vehicles occurred in the U.S. during the two-year period between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2009 (100,000 per month). That’s 18.3 percent more than five years earlier. To put it another way, one of these unfortunate encounters occurs every 26 seconds (although they are much more likely during the last three months of the year and in the early evening).

MORE DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS    » read more »

Sept. 16, 2009 -- CHARLESTON, W.Va. – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced today that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded $11,058,877 in unemployment insurance (UI) modernization incentive funds to West Virginia.

This money will help pay the unemployment benefits funded by the state’s unemployment compensation trust fund.

"These funds will help offset the expense of unemployment benefits for West Virginia’s employers," said Manchin. "This is another example of our efforts to provide relief to both small and large businesses and workers in the current economy.”

West Virginia qualified for a portion of its share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) funds by allowing workers to use their most recent earnings when applying for benefits.    » read more »

September 15, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., today announced the award of a $9.7 million Department of the Army contract to Alliant Techsystems (ATK) located at the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory (ABL) in Rocket Center. The monies will be used for the continued production of fuses for the M-228 Practice Grenade. The practice grenade simulates the performance of the lethal hand grenade, including weight and fuse function to provide the soldier with realistic training in a safe environment.    » read more »