| Fill Construction & Coal Mining |
Coal extraction in West Virginia is accomplished generally by underground or surface mining (explained in section A). Both methods of coal extraction require the placement of fill structures, commonly referred to as “valley fills” in acknowledgment of the steeply-sloped terrain that exists in West Virginia, within CWA section 404 jurisdictional waters. Construction of these valley fills necessitates section 404 authorization from the Corps of Engineers (Corps).
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