W. Va. Code § 22A-2-76
This is the official text of W. Va. Code § 22A-2-76, part of West Virginia’s Va. Code — part of the compiled statutory law of West Virginia, published by the state as "Va. Code." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§22A-2-76. Reopening old or abandoned mines.
Official statutory text
No person, without first giving to the director ten days' written notice thereof, shall reopen for any purposes any old or abandoned mine wherein water or mine seepage has collected or become impounded or exists in such manner or quantity that upon the opening of such mine, such water or seepage may drain into any stream or watercourse.
Such notice shall state clearly the name or names of the owner or owners of the mine proposed to be opened, its exact location, and the time of the proposed opening thereof.
Upon receipt of such notice, the director shall have his or her representative present at the mine at the time designated in the notice for such opening, who has full supervision of the work of opening such mine with full authority to direct the work in such manner as to him or her seems proper and necessary to prevent the flow of mine water or seepage from such mine in such manner or quantity as will kill or be harmful to the fish in any stream or watercourse into which such mine water seepage may flow directly or indirectly.
Such notice shall state clearly the name or names of the owner or owners of the mine proposed to be opened, its exact location, and the time of the proposed opening thereof.
Upon receipt of such notice, the director shall have his or her representative present at the mine at the time designated in the notice for such opening, who has full supervision of the work of opening such mine with full authority to direct the work in such manner as to him or her seems proper and necessary to prevent the flow of mine water or seepage from such mine in such manner or quantity as will kill or be harmful to the fish in any stream or watercourse into which such mine water seepage may flow directly or indirectly.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in West Virginia?
Find a West Virginia lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.