Something to Think About
D Mi h l
Don Michael, WVFB Di t of Governmental Aff i
Director f G
t l Affairs
Many questions continue
to be raised concerning
the Aboveground Storage
Tank Act established by
Senate Bill 373. The topic
was addressed during a
recent meeting of the Joint
Legislative Oversight
Commission on State
Water Resources, held in
conjunction with the May Legislative Interims in
Charleston. Scott Mandirola, Director of Water
and Waste Management for the WV Department
of Environmental Protection, provided an update
on DEP’s efforts in sharing information and
securing input from stakeholders as DEP works
to craft appropriate rules for implementing the
regulatory program addressed in the Aboveground
Storage Tank Act.
Details available on DEP’s website (www.dep.
wv.gov/tanks) include the final version of SB 373;
explanation of the new requirements and deadlines;
frequently asked questions; stakeholder comments to
assist with rule development; a “Do I need to register
my AST?” survey to help tank owners determine if
they actually need to register; tank registration via
DEP’s Electronic Submission System; inspection
and enforcement details and more. Per a May 28
DEP news release – “... In general, the law requires
all aboveground storage tanks located in the state
that are large enough to hold at least 1,320 gallons
of fluid, are in one place for more than 60 days and
are 90 percent or more above ground to be registered
with the DEP by Oct. 1...Because there are likely tens
of thousands of tanks that will be affected, the DEP is
working to revise its Electronic Permitting/Electronic
Submission System (ESS) to accept tank registrations
online so that the information collected can quickly
and easily be stored and accessed...Tank owners
who don’t currently use the ESS system will need
to sign up for a user ID in advance. In order to
ensure that the Oct. 1 registration deadline can be
met, tank owners are asked to request this ID as
soon as possible ...” Stay tuned!
On a lighter note, I recently had the privilege
to join Tyrell Childers (St. Marys agriculture
teacher) and Kevin Ellis (Antero Resources) in
judging Ritchie County Farm Bureau’s Annual
Flora Turner Memorial Youth Speech Contest.
Capturing first place from a field of seven
impressive speakers was Andrew Ashcraft,
speaking on “The Effects of Marcellus Shale
Drilling on WV Agriculture.”
Andrew received an iPad 2 donated by
Antero Resources. Additional winners/prizes
included: second place – Nic Tate (Kindle Fire
HD7 donated by Dominion Resources); third
place – Madison Johnson (iPad Mini donated by
Raiguel Funeral Home); fourth place – Abby
Burgess (iPod Nano donated by Warren and Lena
Haught of Whittle Corporation, and Phil and
Norma Davis of Davis Farms); and fifth place –
Austin Weekly ($50 cash prize donated by Cook
& Huffman LLC). Farm Bureau appreciates the
efforts of all who make this annual showcase of
future leaders a success.
One side note – Anna Cokeley, 2013 Ritchie
County FB Youth Speech Winner and second
place winner in Farm Bureau’s State Youth
Speech Contest, was recently announced as one
of five WVU Foundation Scholars for 2014. The
announcement noted, “The WVU Foundation
Scholarship rewards West Virginia high school
students who have shown extraordinary academic
ability, outstanding leadership skills, and true
community involvement – they are the best and
brightest of West Virginia’s future. The award
covers full tuition and fees, room and board,
personal expenses, and books for four years,
plus a $4,500 stipend for academic enhancement.
When paired with the PROMISE Scholarship, the
total value is approximately $80,000.”
Until next time, KEEP SMILING
FRIENDS, God bless you and your loved ones,
and God bless America.
West Virginia Farm Bureau News 5