Bill > HB2980

This bill amends the Groundwater Protection Act to specifically cover karst terrain, which is a landscape formed primarily by the dissolution of soluble rock and characterized by features like sinkholes and subterranean drainage. The key provisions include: 1. Adding a definition of "karst terrain" to the Act, designating certain tax districts in West Virginia as containing this type of terrain. 2. Requiring that any agency action (e.g., permit, license, or approval) that may affect groundwater quality in karst terrain must include: a groundwater contamination risk assessment, a design proposal for appropriate storage and containment structures, and a water monitoring and contamination response plan. 3. Directing the Department of Agriculture, Bureau for Public Health, and Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate rules within one year to implement these new requirements, with potential exemptions for activities with de minimis effects on groundwater quality in karst terrain. The overall purpose is to provide additional protections for groundwater resources, particularly in areas with karst terrain that may be more vulnerable to contamination, as part of the state's broader groundwater management program.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=2980&year=2022&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill