The U.S. Office of Surface Mining
announced Monday evening it will examine five aspects of West Virginia
The decision announced in a news
release follows a petition filed earlier this year by nearly 20 advocacy groups
which said the state Department of Environmental Protection isn’t doing its job
and is ignoring federal law.
The federal agency said it will
look at five of the groups’ complaints including flooding impacts, alleged
violations of the Clean Water Act, water pollution from selenium and the
handling of soil.
“The analysis we shared with the
petitioners today represents the next step in a process prescribed by the
regulations that implement SMCRA,” said OSM Director Joe Pizarchik in the news
release. “OSM will conduct its evaluations in a fair, transparent manner.”
The environmental, civic and religious groups originally asked
that 19 areas be looked at and it requested OSM seize control of the DEP
program.
