DEP tells feds they erred in issuing Justice coal mine enforcement takeover threat

DEP tells feds they erred in issuing Justice coal mine enforcement takeover threat

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has told federal authorities they were out of line in issuing a pending threat to take over enforcement on a permit for one of U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va.’s many coal mines with a long history of environmental violations. The DEP on Monday defended its oversight of the Justice family-controlled No. 45 Mine in McDowell County in a letter to the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamatio…