CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Governor Patrick Morrisey joined Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum Wednesday to formalize an amendment to the State-Federal Cooperative Agreement between the mountain state and the U.S. Department of the Interior.
According to a news release, the amendment expands West Virginia’s authority to regulate coal mining and reclamation activities on federal lands within its borders.
It also allows the state to regulate federal lands that contain coal leased by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
“This amendment strengthens the principle of cooperative federalism that underpins SMCRA,” Morrisey said. “West Virginia has long demonstrated that we can regulate responsibly while supporting the workers and communities that power our nation. By clarifying roles and reducing duplication, this agreement ensures greater efficiency, stronger accountability, and continued environmental protection. It allows decisions affecting West Virginia communities to be made closer to the ground by the people who understand our land, our workforce, and our economy.”
The revised agreement states that the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will assume primary responsibility for permitting, inspection, and enforcement activities for both privately owned and federally leased coal operations in the state.
“This agreement delivers on President Trump’s commitment to American Energy Dominance and cutting unnecessary red tape,” Burgum said. “By empowering West Virginia to take the lead, we’re streamlining regulations, boosting certainty for coal producers and supporting jobs and investment that strengthen our economy and energy security.”