Senate passes bill to narrow inspections under Above Ground Storage Tank law after heated debate

The West Virginia Senate on Friday passed an engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 592, changing how the state regulates certain above-ground storage tanks and limiting the number of DEP inspections in some cases.

Supporters said the bill rolls back what they described as an overbroad regulatory response and relieves smaller producers and some industry operators of inspection requirements. Opponents said the changes reduce protections for drinking-water sources by removing many tanks from the law27s inspection and oversight provisions.

Senator from Upshur said the committee substitute "scales back the authority of the above ground storage tank act by setting limits on the number of inspections that can be required by the DEP in certain circumstances." He also described how the bill removes categories of tanks from…