West Virginia Code 22-11-15 – Orders of director to stop or prevent discharges or deposits or take remedial action; service of orders
If the director, on the basis of investigations, inspections and inquiries, determines that any person who does not have a valid permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this article is causing the pollution of any of the waters of the state, or does on occasions cause pollution or is violating any rule or effluent limitation of the board or the director, he or she shall either make and enter an order directing such person to stop such pollution or the violation of the rule or effluent limitation of the board or director, or make and enter an order directing such person to take corrective or remedial action. Such order shall contain findings of fact upon which the director based the determination to make and enter such order. Such order shall also direct such person to apply forthwith for a permit in accordance with the provisions of sections eight, nine and eleven of this article. The director shall fix a time limit for the completion of such action. Whether the director shall make and enter an order to stop such pollution or shall make and enter an order to take remedial action, in either case the person so ordered may elect to cease operations of the establishment deemed to be the source of such discharge or deposits causing pollution, if the pollution referred to in the director's order shall be stopped thereby.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-11-15
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Board: means the environmental quality board, provided in article three, chapter . See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- Director: means the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection or his or her designee. See West Virginia Code 22-1-2
- Effluent limitation: means any restriction established on quantities, rates and concentrations of chemical, physical, biological and other constituents which are discharged into the waters of this state. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- Establishment: means an industrial establishment, mill, factory, tannery, paper or pulp mill, mine, colliery, breaker or mineral processing operation, quarry, refinery, well and each and every industry or plant or works in the operation or process of which industrial wastes, sewage or other wastes are produced. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- Pollution: means the man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological and radiological integrity of the waters of the state. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- 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
- waters: means any and all water on or beneath the surface of the ground, whether percolating, standing, diffused or flowing, wholly or partially within this state, or bordering this state and within its jurisdiction, and includes, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, natural or artificial lakes, rivers, streams, creeks, branches, brooks, ponds (except farm ponds, industrial settling basins and ponds and water treatment facilities), impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, watercourses and wetlands. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
The director shall cause a copy of any such order to be served by registered or certified mail or by a law-enforcement officer upon such person. The director shall also cause a notice to be served with the copy of such order, which notice shall advise such person of the right to appeal to the board by filing a notice of appeal, on the form prescribed by the board for such purpose, with the board, in accordance with the provisions of article one, chapter twenty-two-b of this code.