Southern Minerals Seeks Inactive Status for Browns Creek Permit Near Welch

Southern Minerals, Inc. filed an application on January 17, 2026 with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection seeking inactive status for Permit No. S400909, a permit associated with Browns Creek District near Welch in McDowell County. The filing was sent to the DEP's regional office at 1159 Nick Rahall Greenway, Fayetteville, WV 25840.

The notice makes clear that written comments identifying the applicant and the application number will be accepted by the Inspection and Enforcement Supervisor at the DEP regional address until February 12, 2026, or thirty days from the date of publication. A copy of the request is available at the DEP regional office through that same date and can be viewed online at the state’s ePermitting search page: apps.dep.wv.gov/WebApp/_dep/Search/ePermitting/ePermittingApplicationSearchPage.cfm. The online link can be accessed from public computers in all West Virginia public libraries. For questions, the DEP telephone number is 304-574-4465.

Requests for inactive status typically place a permit on a sort of regulatory pause, allowing an operator to maintain permit rights without active operations while continuing to be subject to oversight and reclamation obligations. For residents of Welch and the surrounding hollers, the application raises practical concerns about local jobs, site maintenance, water quality monitoring, and the long-term stewardship of formerly worked lands. In a county shaped by coal country cycles, changes in permit status can ripple through households that depend on mining-related work and services.

The DEP’s public comment window provides a formal avenue for families, neighborhood associations, environmental advocates, and local government officials to register concerns or support. Making the application record available at the regional office and online ensures community members can review the technical request and background documentation before submitting feedback to the Inspection and Enforcement Supervisor.

This filing comes amid broader trends affecting Appalachian mining communities, where decisions about active operations, temporary suspensions, and final reclamation intersect with economic adjustments and regulatory scrutiny. For McDowell County, the immediate next steps are practical: review the application in person or online, submit written comments by February 12, 2026, and contact the DEP at 304-574-4465 for procedural questions. How the DEP responds and whether Southern Minerals moves to reactivate, fully close, or pursue further administrative steps will determine the local impact in the months ahead.