Southern Minerals Seeks Inactive Status for S401809 Permit Near Welch

Southern Minerals, Inc. filed an application with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection on January 16, 2026, seeking inactive status for Permit No. S401809, a mining permit located near Welch in the Browns Creek District of McDowell County. The company is listed at 356 S College Ave, PO Box 770, Bluefield, VA 24701, and the DEP regional office handling the request is at 1159 Nick Rahall Greenway, Fayetteville, WV 25840.

Written comments will be accepted through February 12, 2026, or 30 days from the date of publication. Comments must identify the applicant and application number and should be directed to the Inspection and Enforcement Supervisor at the DEP regional address above. A copy of the application will be available for public review at the DEP regional office until February 12, 2026, and can be accessed online at apps.dep.wv.gov/WebApp/_dep/Search/ePermitting/ePermittingApplicationSearchPage.cfm. The online link can be reached from computers at all West Virginia public libraries. Questions may be directed to the DEP at 304-574-4465.

Requests to place a permit on inactive status are administrative actions with practical consequences for nearby communities. In coal country like McDowell County, such filings can signal a pause in active work, shifts in truck traffic, or changes in local employment tied to surface-mining operations. They also raise questions of ongoing site monitoring, reclamation responsibility, and the timing of any future restart of work. Local residents and officials will want to assess what dormant status would mean for water quality, road use, and local contractors.

Public participation shapes how regulators weigh inactive-status petitions. Submitting targeted, fact-based comments that reference Permit No. S401809 and the applicant will ensure local concerns enter the DEP record. Residents without home internet access can use public library computers to view the application online or visit the DEP regional office in Fayetteville to review the paperwork in person.

What happens next is procedural: the DEP will accept and review public comments, retain the application on file at the regional office and online through the comment deadline, and then proceed under its regulatory framework. For McDowell County residents, the immediate action is clear: review the permit file, document any site-specific concerns, and file written comments by February 12, 2026. Public input at this stage is a direct way for the community to influence oversight and outcomes for the site near Welch.