West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (dep)
Annual Report
Fiscal Year 2004 – 2005

For more than a decade, the Department of Environmental Protection has been the state’s environmental regulatory agency. Over time, the agency has evolved, focusing not only on the regulated community, but also the West Virginians we work hard to protect.

West Virginians deserve a healthy environment in all aspects—clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and clean soil on which to live. DEP also wants to promote a healthy environment by providing opportunities for industries to develop in an environmentally sound way.

DEP has programs in which to do just that. Our voluntary remediation and brownfields programs not only clean up contaminated sites, but also provide the opportunity for communities to redevelop them, providing infrastructure and jobs.

Our mining and reclamation and oil and gas programs oversee the extraction our valuable natural resources and ensure that the land is reclaimed for future generations to live on and protect.

DEP’s water resources and abandoned mine lands programs protect West Virginia’s waters, often restoring them back to health. The air quality division ensures that the air we breathe is suitable for residents and visitors alike.

DEP has nearly 800 employees responsible for making it all happen. For all West Virginians, and to the 39 million visitor’s to our state every year, we’re promoting a healthy environment.

Sincerely,
Stephanie R. Timmermeyer
Cabinet Secretary

I know a lot of people who would disagree with the dep’s claims of “environmentally sound” and “land is reclaimed for future generations to live on and protect.”

If you’re interested in learning about events, permits applications, public comment periods, or environmental emergencies in West Virginia, signup for the WV Department of Environmental Protection public notice mailing list here.

Read on for an example.

The following was sent to you because you are a Member of the DEP Public Notice mailing list.
===========================================================
Wednesday, November 15, 2006 @ 1:10 PM
===========================================================

Notice of Comment Period
Department of Environmental Protection

This mailing is to advise the public that we have received an application for reissuance of an Article 11/West Virginia National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for Jacks Branch Coal Company, PO Box 2066, Charleston, WV 25329, in order to operate the existing “Lady Dunn Preparation Plant Complex” including the 9D Strip (S008883), Lady Dunn Preparation Plant (O007582), Dunn Hollow Refuse Facility (S012782), Dunn Hollow & Staten Run Surface Mine (S600886) and Dunn Hollow Surface Mine (S007085) in the Coalburg, Stockton, Clarion, No. 5-Block, No. 6-Block and No. 7-block, seams of coal.

Application for reissuance of Article 11/WVNPDES permit: WV0093929

Jacks Branch Coal Company plans to discharge treated water from the above sources, untreated storm water runoff (from roads) and untreated water from a monitored abandoned deep mine into Burnett Hollow of/and Bullpush Fork of Smithers Creek, Barn Hollow and Martin Hollow of/and Hughes Creek, Staten Run, an unnamed tributary of/and Dunn Hollow, and West Hollow of/and the Kanawha River, all of the Kanawha River and is located 2.50 miles Northwest of London, WV, in Cabin Creek District of Kanawha County, Longitude 81° 19’ 39” and Latitude 38° 12’ 08” (Coordinates from USGS Topographic Map).

The Department of Environmental Protection is seeking information on private surface water intakes for human consumption located in the above listed receiving streams and located down stream of this operation. Please provide your name, phone number, mailing address, the name of the stream with the intake, and the physical location of the intake. This information needs to be submitted to the address below.

An anti-degradation review has been conducted. Tier 1 protection is afforded because effluent limitations ensure compliance with water quality criteria for all designated uses.

Please send any comments on the draft permit to the address below, postmarked on or before December 15, 2006, or thirty days from the date of publication, and reference the Article 11/WVNPDES permit number shown above. A copy of the Article 11/WVNPDES application, draft permit and fact sheet (if required) will be available for inspection and obtaining copies during normal business hours at the DEP Regional Office located at the address below. Comments may include a request for a public hearing. If a hearing is requested the comment must state the nature of the issues proposed to be raised in the hearing. A hearing may be held if DEP finds a significant degree of public interest, or if the hearing would clarify issues.

DEP Regional Office
116 Industrial Drive
Oak Hill, WV 25901
Phone: (304) 465-1911
Fax: (304) 465-0031

To view past notices of open public comment periods, please go to www.wvdep.org.

You are receiving this notice because you signed up to receive our mailings.
If you wish to be removed from this list, go to www.wvdep.org to remove your name.

===========================================================
To view past notices of open public comment periods or to unsubscribe from this Mailing List, login at:
http://www.wvdep.org//MLists2/