The director shall review each application for a well work permit and shall determine whether or not a permit shall be issued.

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Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-6-11

  • Director: means the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection as established in article one of this chapter or other person to whom the secretary has delegated authority or duties pursuant to sections six or eight, article one of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
  • Office: means any office, division, board, agency, unit, organizational entity or component thereof within the Department of Environmental Protection. See West Virginia Code 22-1-2
  • Person: means any natural person, corporation, firm, partnership, partnership association, venture, receiver, trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, fiduciary or other representative of any kind, and includes any government or any political subdivision or any agency thereof. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
  • Plat: means a map, drawing or print showing the location of a well or wells as herein defined. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
  • Well: means any shaft or hole sunk, drilled, bored or dug into the earth or into underground strata for the extraction or injection or placement of any liquid or gas, or any shaft or hole sunk or used in conjunction with such extraction or injection or placement. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1
  • Well work: means the drilling, redrilling, deepening, stimulating, pressuring by injection of any fluid, converting from one type of well to another, combining or physically changing to allow the migration of fluid from one formation to another or plugging or replugging of any well. See West Virginia Code 22-6-1

No permit shall be issued less than fifteen days after the filing date of the application for any well work except plugging or replugging; and no permit for plugging or replugging shall be issued less than five days after the filing date of the application except a permit for plugging or replugging a dry hole: Provided, That if the applicant certifies that all persons entitled to notice of the application under the provisions of this article have been served in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, with a copy of the well work application, including the erosion and sediment control plan, if required, and the plat required by section six of this article, and further files written statements of no objection by all such persons, the director may issue the well work permit at any time.

The director may cause such inspections to be made of the proposed well work location as to assure adequate review of the application. The permit shall not be issued, or shall be conditioned including conditions with respect to the location of the well and access roads prior to issuance if the director determines that:

(1) The proposed well work will constitute a hazard to the safety of persons; or

(2) The plan for soil erosion and sediment control is not adequate or effective; or

(3) Damage would occur to publicly owned lands or resources; or

(4) The proposed well work fails to protect fresh water sources or supplies.

The director shall promptly review all comments filed. If after review of the application and all comments received, the application for a well work permit is approved, and no timely objection or comment has been filed with the director or made by the director under the provisions of section fifteen, sixteen or seventeen of this article, the permit shall be issued, with conditions, if any. Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede the provisions of sections six, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen and seventeen of this article.

The director shall mail a copy of the permit as issued or a copy of the order denying a permit to any person who submitted comments to the director concerning said permit and requested such copy.

Upon the issuance of any permit pursuant to the provisions of this article, the director shall transmit a copy of such permit to the office of the assessor for the county in which the well is located.