By Elizabeth E. Payne
A proposed bill, S.B. 582, would significantly diminish the state’s authority to regulate and enforce safety standards in coal mines. Critics say it undoes years of legislative progress toward protecting miners.
“It’s breathtaking in its scope,” Davitt McAteer, a mine safety expert, told the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
Among other changes, the industry-backed bill reduces the number and limits the scope of visits by state safety inspectors, limits the ability to cite violations unless “imminent danger” can be proven and targets individual employees rather than mine operators and companies when violations are discovered.
Another bill that changes how the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection measures water pollution passed through the state Senate on March 28 and is awaiting the governor’s signature. The current rules are based on the amount of pollution that can be allowed in a waterway during the lowest seven-day water flow over a ten-year period. The new bill, H.B. 2506, would set levels based on average stream flow.
The new regulation would allow more pollution to be permitted in waterways and was lobbied for by industry groups.
The state DEP also removed language from its permitting process that protected communities from noise and light pollution near compressor stations and other facilities. The change was undertaken at the request of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association.
Coal companies owned by Jim Justice, now the state’s governor, owe the state $4.4 million in unpaid back taxes.
Related Articles
Latest News
More Stories
Signs of Life
In the Nantahala National Forest, a team of biologists spotted Indiana bats, an endangered species that hasn’t been seen in North Carolina for the last 11 years.
‘First Line of Defense’
During Hurricane Helene and its aftermath, rural fire departments and other first responder hubs played critical roles in keeping their communities safe, even without power and cut off from outside support for days or weeks after the storm. Two years later, plenty of work remains to ensure these hubs have the resources they need to operate day to day and be ready when emergencies or natural disasters strike.
The Rocky Road — and Bridge — to Recovery
Hurricane Helene is estimated to have damaged nearly 7,000 private roads and bridges in Western North Carolina. Two years later, many restoration projects are complete, but the journey hasn’t been easy — and isn’t over for others.
After 20 Years, Letcher County Prison Proposal Is Still Alive, Though Obstacles Remain
A $605 million proposal for a federal prison on a former strip mine site in Letcher County, Kentucky, championed by U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, refuses to die, despite local opposition, a lack of support from the executive branch and numerous other obstacles.
The Washout and Rebuild
For nearly two years, residents of Unicoi County, Tennessee, have had to make do without a hospital after Hurricane Helene destroyed the rural hospital. Ballad Health, which owns the hospital, broke ground on a new location — in another floodplain — in August 2026.
The Shenandoah Salamander
The Shenandoah salamander is a woodland salamander, which has adapted to life at higher elevations away from water. This sparkling rarity lives among the dry leaves, cracked logs, and stony hillocks on the highest peaks of Shenandoah National Park.
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Leave a Comment