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The director of the federal Office of Surface Mining says he plans to approve a change in the end-dumping mining method in
West Virginia.
End dumping is the process that occurs when surface mining takes place, and what is not coal is dumped into a nearby valley,
from the top down. It has been called "valley fill." More than 500 miles of West Virginia streams have been filled by this
method.
West Virginia has had end dumping for years, but now the state legislature has approved a change in hopes of preventing
future floods caused by run off.
Federal OSM Director Jeff Jarrett says fills would start off being constructed from the bottom-up and then some
end-dumping would be permitted.
Jarrett sees the plan has a good compromise between state regulators and the coal industry.
The state Flood Study Task Force made a recommendation for a change in valley fill construction after determining runoff
from mining sites was a factor in major floods in West Virginia the last two years.
The coal industry has always denied a connection between their operations and flooding.
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