Bill > HB2980

This bill amends the Groundwater Protection Act to specifically cover karst terrain, which is an area characterized by sinkholes, sinking streams, and subterranean drainage. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It defines "karst terrain" as areas in West Virginia designated by the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey to contain this type of landscape formed primarily by the dissolution of soluble rock. 2. It requires that any agency action, such as issuing a permit or license, for activities 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. It directs the Department of Agriculture, Bureau for Public Health, and Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate rules within one year to implement the new requirements for karst terrain, with the possibility of exempting activities with a de minimis effect on groundwater quality. 4. It maintains the existing groundwater certification process, where the Director of the Division of Environmental Protection reviews and approves or denies certification for any state, county, or local government approvals that may impact groundwater.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=2980&year=2021&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill