West Virginia Code 22-12-8 – Groundwater certification
(a) To ensure a comprehensive, consistent and unfragmented approach to the management and protection of groundwater, including evaluation of the cumulative effects of all activities that have the potential to impact on groundwater, the director shall oversee and coordinate the implementation of this article by each of the groundwater regulatory agencies through a groundwater certification program as hereby established.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-12-8
- Director: means the director of the Division of Environmental Protection or such other person to whom the director has delegated authority or duties pursuant to sections six or eight, article one of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 22-12-3
- Groundwater: means the water occurring in the zone of saturation beneath the seasonal high water table, or any perched water zones. See West Virginia Code 22-12-3
- Groundwater certification: means an assurance issued by the director of the Division of Environmental Protection that a permit or other approval issued by a state, county or local government body regarding an activity that affects or is reasonably anticipated to affect groundwater complies with all requirements of this chapter, the legislative rules promulgated pursuant to this chapter in accordance with chapter twenty-nine-a of this code and any other requirements of state law, rules or agreements regarding groundwater. See West Virginia Code 22-12-3
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(b) Every state, county or local government body which reviews or issues permits, licenses, registrations, certificates of other forms of approval, or renewal thereof, for activities or practices which may affect groundwater quality shall first submit to the director for review and approval an application for certification. Such application shall include a copy of the approval proposed by such body, including any terms and conditions which have been imposed by it. Upon receipt of this application, the director shall act within thirty days to determine whether to waive or exercise his or her certification powers. If no decision is made or communicated by the director within said thirty day period, groundwater certification is approved. If the director decides to exercise his or her certification powers, he or she may utilize additional time, not to exceed an additional sixty days, to further review the materials submitted or to conduct such investigations as he or she deems necessary.
(c) The director may waive, grant, grant with conditions, or deny groundwater certification. Groundwater certification, and all conditions required under such certification, shall become a condition on any permit, approval or renewal thereof, issued by any state, county or local government body. Where appropriate, the director may provide general groundwater certification for or may waive certification for classes or categories of activities or approvals.