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I received an email response to my recent diary on "What I'd like to know about W.Va. DEP." Here's a paraphrased version of their email. I pass it along as an anonymous unverified tip.
The Office of Legal Services (OLS) will have only 4 attorneys left after one of the attorneys retires at the end of July. As recently as 1-2 years ago, there was a staff of 10 attorneys in that department. The Chief of the OLS has asked to replace positions as people leave, but has not been given permission. People who have been there a while say this office was even bigger (15? attorneys) in the past.
Also, three of the seven spots on the Surface Mine Board are vacant (two from June retirements). Gov. Manchin was not announced any plans for filling these spots yet.
I certainly welcome clarification from the W.Va. DEP if any of this information is inaccurate.
I've heard several times in passing that the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection is far from fully staffed. I'd like to know, is this true?
How many unfilled positions are there at the W.Va. DEP? What is the history of unfilled positions in the department?
The more I learn about Secretary Randy Huffman's DEP, the more I can see why some people suggest turning over its operation to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Last week W.Va. Department of Environmental Protection (sic) Secretary Randy Huffman was on Capitol Hill boasting about his department's surface water runoff regulation approach.
This week the Obama administration U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement sent him back with homework. They want the W.Va. DEP to do a better job.
Who knows, with enough Federal pressure we may go from having a DEP with regulations that might help with surface water run-off issues to one that actually follows through and enforces surface water run-off regulations.
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