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CHarleston field office (CHFO)

The Charleston Field Office (CHFO) is responsible for the oversight of the West Virginia coal regulatory and abandoned mine land programs to ensure that surface coal mining operations, which includes the surface effects of underground coal mining operations and the reclamation of abandoned mine lands (mining operations conducted prior to August 3, 1977), are conducted in accordance with the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMRCA). The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is the regulatory authority for the surface coal mining regulatory program and also the designated agency for the abandoned mine land reclamation program. The Division of Mining & Reclamation is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the regulatory program and the Division of Land Restoration conducts all abandoned mine land reclamation which includes non-emergency, emergency, water supply and acid mine drainage set aside.

Oversight plans intended to measure the State's success in meeting the environmental protection goals of SMCRA for both the regulatory and abandoned mine lands programs have been cooperatively developed by CHFO and WVDEP. The plans, also known as performance agreements, identify the oversight topics to be reviewed and describe how oversight will be conducted. These documents may be updated or modified at any time to meet changing needs and conditions. The Regulatory Performance Agreement and AML Performance Agreement are available online or printed copies are available from the office on request.

Annual evaluation reports of the Regulatory and AML programs are prepared based upon the oversight plans. The 2009 West Virginia Annual Evaluation Report for the period of July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009, is available online or a printed copy is available from the office.

Comments regarding performance agreements, annual reports or other concerns are always welcomed and may be submitted by email to the general office address or by regular mail to the address below.

Published Reports (in PDF format)

The Charleston Field Office includes Area Offices in Beckley and Morgantown in addition to the Charleston Office.

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