Mike Tony

Aboveground storage tanks nearest to public water intakes that would be exempted from state oversight under a bill passed by the West Virginia Senate last week have averaged over one release per month and are operated by some of the region’s largest industrial companies, according to state data obtained by the Gazette-Mail. The tanks have a combined capacity of over 2.75 million gallons of brine, oil, gas, crude oil and other hydrocarbon mixtures. They had 41 releases of crude oil, petroleum, wastewater and other substances from January 2022 through January 2025, per Department of Environmental Protection data obtained by the Gazette-Mail via a Freedom of Information Act request. The gas and oil industry-backed Senate Bill 592, approved in a 25-7 vote by the Republican-supermajority Senate on March 14, would exempt tanks closest to public water intakes from mandated evaluations and certifications and roll back other water safety protection measures. If enacted, SB 592 would be the latest in a long history o

Federal regulators have determined a Taylor County mine operator’s safety failures caused an incident that left a Preston County man dead last year.

West Virginia has the nation’s highest percentage of public water systems with drinking water violations, according to a new Gazette-Mail analysis of federal data. But Gov. Patrick Morrisey has prioritized scrutiny of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee after it excluded West Virginia University from the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament over going after water polluters.

The West Virginia Senate has passed legislation that would further weaken measures designed to prevent water crises in response to the 2014 Elk River chemical leak that contaminated the drinking water supply of 300,000 people. The Senate in a 25-7 Friday vote passed Senate Bill 592, which now goes before the House of Delegates. If enacted, the gas and oil industry-backed SB 592 would exempt oil and gas tanks closest to public water intakes from mandated evaluations and certifications and roll back other water safety protection measures.

West Virginia leaders react to EPA plans to attack environmental regulations

A West Virginia panel of legislators has approved further weakening measures designed to prevent water crises in response to the 2014 Elk River chemical leak that contaminated the drinking water supply of 300,000 people. The West Virginia Senate Energy, Industry and Mining Committee on Monday advanced gas and oil industry-backed Senate Bill 592 to the full Senate, green-lighting an exemption for oil and gas tanks closest to public water intakes from mandated evaluations and certifications and other water quality protection rollbacks. SB 592 is designed to benefit the oil and gas industry by lessening inspection costs for tank operators. The exemption from required evaluations and certifications by registered professional engineers or other approved individuals for gas and oil tanks nearest to public water intakes under the 2014 Aboveground Storage Tank Act SB 592 would enact has gained traction before, passing the House of Delegates in 2021 and 2022 before stalling in the Senate.

Work to protect public health in WV disrupted amid federal staff limbo under Trump

The West Virginia Senate has passed legislation targeting nonpayment of royalties from oil, natural gas or natural gas liquids production. The Senate on March 7, 2025 unanimously approved Senate Bill 22, which would set a penalty for nonpayment of royalties under oil and natural gas leases during production from conventional vertical wells. Led in sponsorship by Senate President and former Energy, Industry and Mining Committee Chair Randy Smith, R-Preston, SB 22 now goes before the House of Delegates. Under SB 22, any lessee or operator who fails to pay a royalty payment for mineral production to a lessor under the terms of a lease or other agreement within six months of the payment due date would be liable for three times the market value of the extracted minerals. The lessee or operator also would be liable for attorney’s fees.

Full WV House to consider industry-backed measure to allow increased water pollution

A Raleigh County coal mine where a mine worker was fatally injured last week has a long history of safety and environmental violations. Billy Shawn Stalker, 46, of Elkhorn City, Kentucky, died after injuries sustained from a rib roll accident at the Black Eagle Mine in Pettus, Raleigh County, the Governor’s Office told the Gazette-Mail Wednesday. The fatal incident occurred February 28 at the underground mine controlled by Tennessee-based Alpha Metallurgical Resources Inc., according to federal Mine Safety and Health Administration records. Stalker’s death comes amid concern among miner advocates over potential staff MSHA cuts and expectations of more relaxed safety oversight under the Trump administration.