West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Experiences Growth
Largely due to increased revenues from drilling permit fees, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has nearly doubled its staff in the last two years. Metro News reports that the DEP cites this growth as allowing them to be more responsive to both the public and the oil and gas industry. An additional change that the DEP expects to have significant impact on the industry is the implementation of an e-filing system for drilling permit applications. The e-filing system is expected to improve the efficiency of the permitting system for both the DEP and the companies seeking permits.