About
Welcome to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. Our agency is committed to protecting and improving the environmental quality of
life for all of West Virginia's citizens. We should never forget the role that our beautiful scenery and rich mineral deposits played in the
development of this state and its heritage. The plentiful gas deposits brought a glass industry that still thrives today. West Virginia's
glass blowing and its artisans are known throughout the world for quality and craftsmanship. The discovery of rich coal and oil deposits
helped settle this land, bringing people from all walks of life and from every point on the map. West Virginia's coal was shipped by rail
throughout the northeast allowing development of other areas of the country. The rail lines used to ship our coal also helped build an
infrastructure in the state that connected many small towns together allowing other commerce to flourish. Just as we should never forget
our wonderful past, we must look to and protect our resources for future generations. Using our knowledge of the industry and the laws
governing these resources, responsible management is being achieved.
This web site is dedicated to providing you with the best and most current information on environmental issues that may affect you and your
neighbors. It is an interactive site that allows you to communicate your thoughts and needs to me, the directors of each division or the
chief of each program office. I encourage you to visit often and to get involved with the issues that determine our environmental future.
West Virginia has been blessed with mountains and the natural resources they contain. As citizens, we are responsible for determining
how these resources are to be used so that our quality of life, and that of future generations, is enhanced. Please join me and the
800 WVDEP employees who are working to improve our water and air quality, resource recovery processes, waste management, abandoned
mine land reclamation, and brownfields remediation.