Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/WVCODE/code.cfm?chap=22A&art=6&section=9
Timestamp: 2018-03-22 12:28:09
Document Index: 202530454

Matched Legal Cases: ['§22', '§22', '§22', '§22', '§22', '§22']

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§22A-6-2. Definitions.
Unless the context in which a word or phrase appears clearly requires a different meaning, the words and phrases defined in section two, article one of this chapter have, when used in this article, the meaning therein assigned to them. For the purpose of this article, "board" means the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety continued by section three of this article.
(4) The director shall cause proposed rules and a notice thereof to be posted as provided in section eighteen, article one of this chapter. The director shall deliver a copy of such proposed rules and accompanying notice to each operator affected. A copy of such proposed rules shall be provided to any individual by the director’s request. The notice of proposed rules shall contain a summary in plain language explaining the effect of the proposed rules.
The board shall review all reports and any recommended rules submitted by the director, receive any additional information it requests, and may, on its own initiative, investigate the circumstances surrounding a coal mining fatality or fatalities and ascertain the cause or causes of such coal mining fatality or fatalities. In order to investigate a coal mining fatality or fatalities, a majority of the board must vote in favor of commencing an investigation. Within ninety days of the receipt of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration’s fatal accident report and the director’s report and recommended rules, the board shall review and consider the presentation of said report and rules and the results of its own investigation, if any, and, if a majority of all voting board members determines that additional rules can assist in the prevention of the specific type of fatality, the board shall either accept and promulgate the director’s recommended rules, amend the director’s recommended rules or draft new rules as are necessary to prevent the recurrence of such fatality. If the board chooses to amend the director’s recommended rules or draft its own rules, a vote is required within one hundred twenty days as to whether to promulgate the amended rule or the rule drafted by the board: Provided, That the board may, by majority vote, find that exceptional circumstances exist and the deadline cannot be met: Provided, however, That under no circumstances shall such deadline be extended by more than a total of ninety days. A majority vote of the board is required to promulgate any such rule.
(1) The number of fatalities during the previous calendar year, the apparent reason for each fatality as determined by the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training and the action, if any, taken by the board to prevent such fatality;
§22A-6-5. Preliminary procedures for promulgation of rules.
(a) Prior to the posting of proposed rules as provided for in subsection (c), section four of this article, the board shall observe the preliminary procedure for the development of rules set forth in this section:
(1) During a board meeting or at any time when the board is not meeting, any board member may suggest to the Health and Safety Administrator, or such administrator on his or her own initiative may develop, subjects for investigation and possible regulation;
(2) Upon receipt of a suggestion for investigation, the Health and Safety Administrator shall prepare a report, to be given at the next scheduled board meeting, of the technical evidence available which relates to such suggestion, the staff time required to develop the subject matter, the legal authority of the board to act on the subject matter, including a description of findings of fact and conclusions of law which will be necessary to support any proposed rules;
(3) The board shall by majority vote of those members who are present determine whether the Health and Safety Administrator shall prepare a draft rule concerning the suggested subject matter;
(4) After reviewing the draft rule, the board shall determine whether the proposed rules should be posted and made available for comment as provided for in section four of this article;
(5) The board shall receive and consider those comments to the proposed rules as provided for in section four of this article;
(6) The board shall direct the Health and Safety Administrator to prepare for the next scheduled board meeting findings of fact and conclusions of law for the proposed rules, which may incorporate comments received and technical evidence developed, and which are consistent with section four of this article;
(7) The board shall adopt or reject or modify the proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law; and
(8) The board shall make a final adoption or rejection of the rules.
(b) By the concurrence of at least four members of the board, the board may dispense with the procedure set out in subsection (a) of this section or any other procedural rule established, except that the board shall in all instances when adopting rules prepare findings of fact and conclusions of law consistent with this section and section four of this article.
(c) Without undue delay, the board shall adopt an order of business for the conduct of meetings which will promote the orderly and efficient consideration of proposed rules in accordance with the provisions of this section.
(a) The Governor shall appoint the Health and Safety Administrator of the board for a term of employment of one year, and the Health and Safety Administrator employed on January 1, 2017 shall complete a three-year term until June 30, 2020, unless he or she is determined to have committed misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance as referenced herein. The Health and Safety Administrator shall be entitled to have his or her contract of employment renewed on an annual basis except where such renewal is denied for cause: Provided, That the Governor has the power at any time to remove the Health and Safety Administrator for misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance: Provided, however, That the board has the power to remove the Health and Safety Administrator without cause upon the concurrence of five members of the board.
(b) The Health and Safety Administrator shall work at the direction of the board, independently of the Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training and has such authority and shall perform such duties as may be required or necessary to effectuate this article.
(e) (1) Appropriations for the salaries of the Health and Safety Administrator and any other employees of the board and for necessary office and operating expenses shall be made to a budget account established for those purposes in the General Revenue Fund. Such account shall be separate from any accounts or appropriations for the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training.
(h) The administrator shall provide administrative assistance to the The State Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee, Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety, and serve as the legislative liaison for budgetary issues. The Administrator shall serve as an ex officio, nonvoting member on The State Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee.
(j) The administrator shall prepare and submit to the Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training, no less than on a quarterly basis, a report that summarizes the coal mine health and safety standard rules under consideration by the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety, as well as the meetings and meeting agendas of the board.
§22A-6-7. Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee; membership; method of nomination and appointment; meetings; quorum; powers and duties of the committee; powers and duties of the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety.
(a) The State Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee is continued, and commencing July 1, 2010, is a separate independent committee within the Department of Commerce. The purposes of this committee are to:
(1) Assist the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety in the development of technical data relating to mine safety issues, including related mining technology;
(2) Provide suggestions and technical data to the board and propose rules with general mining industry application;
(3) Accept and consider petitions submitted by individual mine operators or miners seeking site-specific rulemaking pertaining to individual mines and make recommendations to the board concerning such rulemaking; and
(4) Provide a forum for the resolution of technical issues encountered by the board, safety education and coal advocacy programs.
(b) The committee shall consist of two members who shall be residents of this state and who shall be appointed as hereinafter specified in this section:
(1) The Governor shall appoint one member to represent the viewpoint of the coal operators in this state from a list containing one or more nominees submitted by the major trade association representing coal operators in this state within thirty days of submission of such nominee or nominees.
(2) The Governor shall appoint one member to represent the viewpoint of the working miners of this state from a list containing one or more nominees submitted by the highest ranking official within the major employee organization representing coal mines within this state within thirty days of submission of the nominee or the nominees.
(3) The members appointed in accordance with the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection shall be initially appointed to serve a term of three years. The members serving on the effective date of this article may continue to serve until their terms expire.
(4) The members appointed in accordance with the provisions of subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection may be, but are not required to be, members of the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety, and shall be compensated on a per diem basis in the same amount as provided in section ten of this article, plus all reasonable expenses.
(c) The committee shall meet at least once during each calendar month, or more often as may be necessary.
(d) A quorum of the committee shall require both members and the committee may only act officially by a quorum.
(e) The committee may review any matter relative to mine safety and mining technology and may pursue development and resolution of issues related thereto. The committee may make recommendations to the board for the promulgation of rules with general mining industry application. Upon receipt of a unanimous recommendation for rule making from the committee and only thereon, the board may adopt or reject such rule, without modification except as approved by the committee: Provided, That any adopted rule shall not reduce or compromise the level of safety or protection below the level of safety or protection afforded by applicable statutes and rules. When so promulgated, such rules shall be effective, notwithstanding the provisions of applicable statutes.
(f) (1) Upon application of a coal mine operator, or on its own motion, the committee has the authority to accept requests for site-specific rule making on a mine-by-mine basis, and make unanimous recommendations to the board for site-specific rules thereon. The committee has authority to approve a request if it concludes that the request does not reduce or compromise the level of safety or protection afforded miners below the level of safety or protection afforded by any applicable statutes or rules. Upon receipt of a request for site-specific rule making, the committee may conduct an investigation of the conditions in the specific mine in question, which investigation shall include consultation with the mine operator and authorized representatives of the miners. Such authorized representatives of the miners shall include any person designated by the employees at the mine, persons employed by an employee organization representing one or more miners at the mine, or a person designated as a representative by one or more persons at the mine.
(2) If the committee determines to recommend a request made pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection, the committee shall provide the results of its investigation to the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety along with recommendations for the development of the site-specific rules applicable to the individual mine, which recommendations may include a written proposal containing draft rules.
(3) Within thirty days of receipt of the committee's recommendation, the board shall adopt or reject, without modification, except as approved by the committee, the committee's recommendation to promulgate site-specific rules applicable to an individual mine adopting such site-specific rules only if it determines that the application of the requested rule to such mine will not reduce or compromise the level of safety or protection afforded miners below that level of safety or protection afforded by any applicable statutes. When so promulgated, such rules shall be effective notwithstanding the provisions of applicable statutes.
(g) The board shall consider all rules proposed by the Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee and adopt or reject, without modification, except as approved by the committee, such rules, dispensing with the preliminary procedures set forth in subdivisions (1) through (7), subsection (a), section five; and, in addition, with respect to site-specific rules also dispensing with the procedures set forth in subdivisions (4) through (8), subsection (c), section four of this article.
(h) In performing its functions, the committee has access to the services of the coal mine Health and Safety Administrator appointed under section six of this article. The director shall make clerical support and assistance available in order that the committee can carry out its duties. Upon the request of both members of the committee, the Health and Safety Administrator shall draft proposed rules and reports or make investigations.
(i) The powers and duties provided for in this section for the committee are not intended to replace or precondition the authority of the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety to act in accordance with sections one through six and eight through ten of this article.
(j) Appropriations for the funding of the committee and to effectuate this section shall be made to a budget account hereby established for that purpose in the General Revenue Fund. Such account shall be separate from any accounts or appropriations for the office of miners' health, safety and training.
§22A-6-8. Effect of rules.
The standard rules and any rules promulgated by the board have the same force and effect of law as if enacted by the Legislature as a part of article two of this chapter and any violation of any such rule is a violation of law or of a health or safety standard within the meaning of this chapter.
§22A-6-9. Reports.
Prior to each regular session of the Legislature, the board shall submit to the Legislature an annual report upon the subject matter of this article, the progress concerning the achievement of its purpose and any other relevant information, including any recommendations it deems appropriate.
§22A-6-10. Compensation and expenses of board members.
Each member of the board not otherwise employed by the state shall be paid the same compensation, and each member of the board shall be paid the expense reimbursement, as is paid to members of the Legislature for their interim duties as recommended by the Citizens Legislative Compensation Commission and authorized by law for each day or portion thereof engaged in the discharge of official duties. In the event the expenses are paid by a third party, the member shall not be reimbursed by the state. The reimbursement shall be paid out of the State Treasury upon a requisition upon the State Auditor, properly certified by the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training. No employer shall prohibit a member of the board from exercising leave of absence from his or her place of employment in order to attend a meeting of the board or a meeting of a subcommittee of the board, or to prepare for a meeting of the board, any contract of employment to the contrary notwithstanding.
Study of Automatic shut-down of mining machines. -- The Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety is directed to conduct a study of the safety of installation of methane detection shut-off devices on machine extraction apparatus, including, but not limited to, long wall sheers and cutter heads. The office shall study the benefits and appropriateness of requiring the installation of these devices, to determine if there are safety benefits, and whether the office recommends to the Legislature that requirements regarding mandating these devises in underground mines is warranted. The office shall report to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance by December 31, 2011 with recommendations regarding whether it is appropriate to implement any requirements.
Study of whistleblower protections. -- The Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety is directed to conduct a study of the need to expand protections for whistleblowers and other miners who refuse to work in situations they perceive as unsafe in underground mines. The board shall study the benefits and appropriateness of requiring additional protections that will encourage miners to withdrawal from and report unsafe working conditions. The board shall investigate whether any pattern of retribution exists against these persons and, if so, make recommendations to the Legislature regarding implementing additional protections. The board shall report to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance by December 31, 2011, with recommendations regarding whether it is appropriate to implement any additional protections.
The Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety is directed to study the safety of working or traveling in bleeder or gob areas of a longwall panel or pillar section of a mine where only one travelable entry in and out of the area exists. The study shall consider what additional roof control or other measures, if any, should be implemented to ensure that underground miners who work or travel in bleeder or gob areas of a longwall panel or pillar section having only one travelable entry in and out of the areas are at least as safe as miners working in comparable areas with multiple travelable entries in and out of the areas. By December 31, 2012, the board shall report to the Legislature's Joint Committee on Government and Finance with recommendations regarding implementation of the findings of this study.
The Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety is directed to study the mandatory substance abuse screening policy and program requirements of article one-a of this chapter and make recommendations to the director regarding: (a) Establishment of guidelines to be employed by the Board of Appeals when administering disciplinary actions to certified persons pursuant to article one-a of this chapter; (b) requiring certification by the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training of persons who regularly work at mines who are not presently required to obtain certification; and (c) establishment of additional minimum requirements, parameters, methodologies and protocols to be integrated into the substance abuse screening policy and program requirements of article one-a of this chapter. By August 31, 2012, the board shall submit its report to the director. The director is authorized to propose for legislative promulgation, legislative rules pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code regarding the implementation of the findings of this study. These rules shall be initially promulgated as emergency rules by the director pursuant to the provisions of section fifteen, article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of the code by December 31, 2012, and shall include the establishment of certification requirements recommended by the board for persons who regularly work at mines that are not presently required to obtain certification and establishment of guidelines to be employed by the Board of Appeals when administering disciplinary actions to certified persons pursuant to article one-a of this chapter.