2025 Regular Session

SB 823

Clarifying and separating duties between Division of Emergency Management and DEP

Law

Jurisdiction

West Virginia

Session

2025 Regular Session

Official source

Chamber

Senate

Session

2025 Regular Session

Jurisdiction

West Virginia

Bill overview

This bill aims to clarify and separate the roles and responsibilities between the West Virginia Division of Emergency Management and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Specifically, it delegates the investigation of industrial facility and well/pipeline emergency events to the Department of Environmental Protection and establishes a process for reporting these incidents. The bill also outlines penalties for non-compliance and directs the collection of fines to the Hazardous Waste Emergency Response Fund.

Key provisions

Delegates investigation of industrial facility and well/pipeline emergency events to the Department of Environmental Protection.
Establishes a reporting requirement for pipeline operators and well operators to the Mine and Industrial Accident Call Center within 15 minutes of an incident.
Defines key terms related to industrial facilities and emergency events.
Specifies civil penalties for failure to report incidents, with potential waivers under certain circumstances.
Directs the collection of penalties to the Hazardous Waste Emergency Response Fund.
Requires the Division of Emergency Management to promulgate rules implementing the bill.
Clarifies that the Division of Emergency Management’s role is focused on emergency response, while the Department of Environmental Protection handles investigations and enforcement.
Establishes a process for appealing civil penalties imposed by the Department of Environmental Protection.

Who is affected

Positions across the state

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

No arguments in favor have been submitted.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

No arguments opposed have been submitted.

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Legislative history

2025-03-20Senate

Filed for introduction

2025-03-20Senate

To Government Organization

2025-03-20Senate

Introduced in Senate

2025-03-20Senate

To Government Organization

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

3/26/2025SenateVoice vote
Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Vote map

Senate districts

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0 districts with vote data

Nay

Yea

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

3/26/2025SenateVoice vote
Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Recorded roll calls

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SB 823

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Positions across the state

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Vote map

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Recorded roll calls

Bill text

Notable changes

Positions across the state

Passage without roll call

Vote map

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Recorded roll calls