West Virginia Code Chapter 22. Environmental Resources § 22-1-11. Saving provisions

(a) All orders, determinations, rules, permits, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, waivers, bonds, authorizations and privileges which have been issued, made, granted, or allowed to become effective by the governor, any state department or agency or official thereof, or by a court of competent jurisdiction, in the performance of functions which have been transferred to the director or to the division, and were in effect on the date such transfer occurred continue in effect, for the benefit of the division, according to their terms until modified, terminated, superseded, set aside, or revoked in accordance with the law by the governor, the secretary, the director, or other authorized official, a court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law.

(b) Any proceedings, including notices of proposed rule making, or any application for any license, permit, certificate, or financial assistance pending before any department, division or other office, functions of which were transferred to the division are not affected by the transfer. Orders issued in any such proceedings shall continue in effect until modified, terminated, superseded, or revoked by the governor, the secretary, the director, by a court of competent jurisdiction, or by operation of law. Nothing in this subsection prohibits the discontinuance or modification of any such proceeding under the same terms and conditions and to the same extent that such proceeding could have been discontinued or modified if the division had not been created or if functions or offices had not been transferred to the division. The director is authorized to propose legislative rules in accordance with the provisions of chapter twenty-nine-a of this code for the orderly transfer of proceedings continued under the provisions of this subsection.

(c) Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, the creation of the division and the subsequent transfer of functions to it do not affect suits commenced prior to the effective date of the creation or any transfer of functions or offices to it, and in all such suits, proceedings shall be had, appeals taken, and judgments rendered in the same manner and with like effect as if the creation or transfer had not occurred.

(d) No suit, action or other proceeding commenced by or against any officer in the official capacity of such individual as an officer of any department, division or other office, functions of which were transferred to the division abates by reason of such transfer. No cause of action by or against any department, division or other office, functions of which were transferred to the division, or by or against any officer thereof in the official capacity of such officer, abates by reason of the transfer.

(e) If, before the transfer, any department, division or other office, or officer thereof in the official capacity of such officer, was a party to a suit, and any function of such department, division or other office, or officer was transferred to the secretary, the director or other officer of the division, then such suit shall be continued with the secretary, the director or other appropriate officer substituted or added as a party.