Clean Water Act

In addition to SMCRA, The coal mining industry is subject to three separate regulatory programs established under the federal Clean Water Act:  The section 402 water discharge program, the section 404 “dredge and fill” program and the section 401 water quality certification programs.  In addition to the information below regarding the various regulatory programs under the Clean Water Act, more detail on the implementation of West Virginia’s water regulatory program is provided in a separate attachment that details recent revisions to those programs.