WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 2758

By Delegates Ridenour, Martin, Ward, Butler, Mallow, Roop, Jennings, Phillips, Maynor, Kump, and Kimble

[Introduced February 21, 2025; referred to the Committee on Energy and Public Works then the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §22-5-21, relating to prohibiting the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 5. AIR POLLUTION CONTROL.

§22-5-21. Prohibiting dispersion of chemicals or apparatus into the atmosphere to intentionally affect temperature, weather, or the intensity of sunlight.

(a) The Legislature finds that:

(1) It is documented that the federal government or other entities acting on the federal government's behalf or at the federal government's request, or non-government entities may conduct geoengineering experiments by intentionally dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere, and those activities may occur within the state of West Virginia;

(2) The risk to human health and environmental welfare from broad scale geoengineering is currently not well understood;

(3) The West Virginia Department of Environment Protection is responsible for monitoring air, soil, and water quality, and regulating industrial and agricultural emissions into the air, soil, and water within the state to ensure the safety of the public, while not impeding agriculture or commerce within the state; and

(4) It is the intent of the Legislature to protect the public health and welfare of West Virginians while allowing all authorized activities permitted under state law.

(b) The intentional injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight is prohibited.   

(c) This act takes effect within 30 days of passage.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the injection, release, or dispersion, by any means, of chemicals, chemical compounds, substances, or apparatus within the borders of this state into the atmosphere with the express purpose of affecting temperature, weather, or the intensity of the sunlight

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.