West Virginia Code 22-11-19 – Emergency orders
Whenever the director finds that any discharge, release, escape, deposit or disposition of treated or untreated sewage, industrial wastes or other wastes into any waters within this state, when considered alone or in conjunction with other discharges, releases, escapes, deposits or dispositions, constitutes a clear, present and immediate danger to the health of the public, or to the fitness of a private or public water supply for drinking purposes, the director may, with the concurrence in writing of the commissioner of the bureau of public health, without notice or hearing, issue an order or orders requiring the immediate cessation or abatement of any such discharge, release, escape, deposit or disposition, and the cessation of any drilling, redrilling, deepening, casing, fracturing, pressuring, operating, plugging, abandoning, converting or combining of any well, or requiring such other action to be taken as the director, with the concurrence aforesaid, deems necessary to abate such danger.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 22-11-19
- 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
- Code: means the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended. 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
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by printing, engraving, writing, or otherwise. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
- Industrial wastes: means any liquid, gaseous, solid or other waste substance, or a combination thereof, resulting from or incidental to any process of industry, manufacturing, trade or business, or from or incidental to the development, processing or recovery of any natural resources. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- Other wastes: means garbage, refuse, decayed wood, sawdust, shavings, bark and other wood debris and residues resulting from secondary processing. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
- Sewage: means water-carried human or animal wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments or other places, together with such groundwater infiltration and surface waters as may be present. 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
- Well: means any shaft or hole sunk, drilled, bored or dug into the earth or into underground strata for the extraction or injection or placement of any liquid or gas, or any shaft or hole sunk or used in conjunction with such extraction or injection or placement. See West Virginia Code 22-11-3
Notwithstanding the provisions of any other section of this article, any order issued under the provisions of this section is effective immediately and may be served in the same manner as a notice may be served under the provisions of section two, article seven, chapter twenty-nine-a of the code. Any person to whom such order is directed shall comply therewith immediately, but on notice of appeal to the board shall be afforded a hearing as promptly as possible, and not later than ten days after the board receives such notice of appeal. On the basis of such hearing, and within five days thereafter, the board shall make and enter an order continuing the order of the director in effect, revoking it, or modifying it. For the purpose of such appeal and judicial review of the order entered following an appeal hearing, all pertinent provisions of article one, chapter twenty-two-b of this code shall govern.