This bill aims to amend the West Virginia Water Pollution Control Act by removing existing caps on permit application and renewal fees. Specifically, it eliminates the maximum fee limits of $15,000 for initial applications and $5,000 for renewal applications, allowing the Department to establish a fee schedule based on the complexity of the permit review process. Additionally, the bill stipulates that the Department will not process any permit application until the required fee has been received.

Furthermore, the bill proposes to remove the cap on annual permit fees, which previously could not exceed $5,000, and allows the Secretary to void permits if the annual fee is more than 90 days overdue. The intent behind these changes is to enable the state to maintain its primary enforcement authority over the Clean Water Act programs, as mandated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, by adjusting fees accordingly. The bill also includes provisions for specific fees related to surface coal mining operations and requires the Secretary to file quarterly reports on the fees collected.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 22-11-10