Berkeley County commissioners said state and county work has produced a new individual MS4 (municipal separate storm sewer system) permit that is expected to be issued immediately and that will not cover the entire county.

"Your individual permit is slated to be out the door today or tomorrow," Commissioner Cabot said, describing a permit the county has awaited for roughly three years. Cabot said the new permit will apply to the county's growth area and will exclude the Back Creek area, meaning property owners in that excluded area could be exempted from the county's stormwater management fee.

Commissioners and staff said the county pursued an individual permit rather than the new statewide general permit for two reasons: it would be easier to modify in the future as local conditions change, and the county preferred to wait and see how the statewide general permit works in practice before committing to it. County officials also credited follow-up and cooperation from West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection staff, particularly Secretary Harold Ward, and legal counsel for the stormwater district, Richard Lewis.

During the discussion commissioners recounted a multi-year, multi-level effort that included contacts with state and federal offices and local stakeholders. They said the county had pushed to reduce the geographic scope and the financial burden of the MS4 program, and described the outcome as the result of coordinated local and state engagement. No formal county action or vote on modifying fees was reported at the meeting; officials said staff and the stormwater district will handle the next administrative steps once the permit is issued.