West Virginia Code 31-21-13 – Contaminated property
(a) If the DEP determines that conditions on a property transferred to the corporation under this article present an immediate threat to public health, safety and welfare, or to the environment, the corporation may not convey, sell, transfer, exchange, lease or otherwise dispose of the property until after a determination by the DEP that the threat has been remediated and/or eliminated and that conveyance, sale, transfer, exchange, lease or other disposal of the property by the corporation will not interfere with any of the DEP's response activities and will coordinate with the DEP regarding the corporation's activities at the property.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 31-21-13
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Corporation: means the West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation, a nonstock, nonprofit corporation to be established under the West Virginia Nonprofit Corporation Act, article two, chapter . See West Virginia Code 31-21-2
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- DEP: means the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection or any successor agency. See West Virginia Code 31-21-2
- Environmental acts: means the Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation Act set forth in article three, chapter . See West Virginia Code 31-21-2
- Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- 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) If the corporation has reason to believe that property held by the corporation may be the site of environmental contamination, the corporation shall provide the DEP with any information in the possession of the corporation that suggests that the property may be the site of environmental contamination.
(c) If property held directly or indirectly by the corporation is a site impacted by contamination, pollution, hazardous substances, hazardous or other wastes as defined in the environmental acts described in section four of this article, prior to the sale or transfer of the property under this section, the property is subject to all of the following:
(1) Upon reasonable written notice from the DEP, the corporation shall provide access to the DEP, its employees, its contractors and any other person expressly authorized by the DEP to conduct an investigation and/or response activities at the property. Reasonable written notice may include, but is not limited to, notice by electronic mail or facsimile, in advance of access as the DEP and corporation may agree.
(2) If the DEP determines it is necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare or the environment, the corporation shall place and record deed restrictions on the property as authorized under state environmental statutes.