| By Bob Weaver
International trade laws will likely hamper
West Virginia's efforts to regulate water distribution
by companies such as the German
conglomerate hoping to buy West
Virginia-American Water Company.
The sale of the once public held utilities, mostly built by taxpayer money, will likely mean the state will lose
control of the water systems, which will be invoking international trade treaties and laws negotiated by the U. S.
government.
Disputes could be directed to international trade courts for resolution.
The further privatizing of the water systems could mean conglomerate decision-making might restrict expansion of public water
in rural areas, unless they are very profitable. The notion of "water rights," and the right to have inexpensive, life-giving drinking
water has long been a public issue.
Attorney General Darrel McGraw
asked the state Public Service
Commission to temporarily vacate an
order permitting the utility's New
Jersey-based parent to be sold to
Thames Water.
Thames is a British subsidiary of the
German corporation RWE.
Shiney Varghese, who coordinates a water
project for the nonprofit Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy in
Minneapolis,
says McGraw is right to worry about
the state losing control of its water supply.
Corporate executives say it causes no more impact than the sale of electric power, timber and coal to larger business
corporations, a history well-known to West Virginia. Water is a significant business commodity.
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