2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 22. Environmental Resources › Article 6. Office of Oil and Gas; Oil and Gas Wells; Administration; Enforcement › §22-6-7. Water Pollution Control Permits; Powers and Duties of the Director; Penalties

(a) In addition to a permit for well work, the director, after public notice and an opportunity for public hearings, may either issue a separate permit, general permit or a permit consolidated with the well work permit for the discharge or disposition of any pollutant or combination of pollutants into waters of this state upon condition that such discharge or disposition meets or will meet all applicable state and federal water quality standards and effluent limitations and all other requirements of the director.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person conducting activities which are subject to the requirements of this article, unless that person holds a water pollution control permit therefor from the director, which is in full force and effect to:
(1) Allow pollutants or the effluent therefrom, produced by or emanating from any point source, to flow into the water of this state;
(2) Make, cause or permit to be made any outlet, or substantially enlarge or add to the load of any existing outlet, for the discharge of pollutants or the effluent therefrom, into the waters of this state;
(3) Acquire, construct, install, modify or operate a disposal system or part thereof for the direct or indirect discharge or deposit of treated or untreated pollutants or the effluent therefrom, into the waters of this state, or any extension to or addition to such disposal system;
(4) Increase in volume or concentration any pollutants in excess of the discharges or disposition specified or permitted under any existing permit;
(5) Extend, modify or add to any point source, the operation of which would cause an increase in the volume or concentration of any pollutants discharging or flowing into the waters of the state;
(6) Operate any disposal well for the injection or reinjection underground of any pollutant, including, but not limited to, liquids or gasses, or convert any well into such a disposal well or plug or abandon any such disposal well.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of this article or articles seven, eight, nine or ten of this chapter to the contrary, the director shall have the same powers and duties relating to inspection and enforcement as those granted under article eleven, chapter twenty-two of this code in connection with the issuance of any water pollution control permit or any person required to have such permit.
(d) Any person who violates any provision of this section, any order issued under this section or any permit issued pursuant to this section or any rule of the director relating to water pollution or who willfully or negligently violates any provision of this section or any permit issued pursuant to this section or any rule or order of the director relating to water pollution or who fails or refuses to apply for and obtain a permit or who intentionally misrepresents any material fact in an application, record, report, plan or other document files or required to be maintained under this section shall be subject to the same penalties for such violations as are provided for in sections twenty-two and twenty-four, article eleven, chapter twenty-two of this code: Provided, That the provisions of section twenty-six, article eleven, chapter twenty-two of this code relating to exceptions to criminal liability shall also apply.
All applications for injunction filed pursuant to section twenty-two, article eleven, chapter twenty-two of the code shall take priority on the docket of the circuit court in which pending, and shall take precedence over all other civil cases.
(e) Any water pollution control permit issued pursuant to this section or any order issued in connection with such permit for the purpose of implementing the "national pollutant discharge elimination system" established under the federal Clean Water Act shall be issued by the chief of the office of water resources of the division in consultation with the chief of the office of oil and gas of the division and shall be appealable to the environmental quality board pursuant to the provisions of section twenty-five, article eleven, chapter twenty-two and section seven, article one, chapter twenty-two-b of this code.