Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4726%20ENR.htm&yr=2016&sesstype=RS&i=4726
Timestamp: 2018-04-21 19:45:47
Document Index: 347807275

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HB 4726 Text
Enrolled Version - Final Version House Bill 4726 History
House Bill 4726
By Smith, R., Ireland, Phillips, Caputo, Eldridge, Anderson, Boggs, Evans, D., Ambler, Lynch, Zatezalo, Upson, Cadle, White, P., McCuskey and Storch
AN ACT to repeal §22-3A-1, §22-3A-2, §22-3A-3, §22-3A-4, §22-3A-5, §22-3A-6, §22-3A-7, §22-3A-8, §22-3A-9 and §22-3A-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §16-4C-6c of said code; to amend and reenact §22‑1‑7 of said code; to amend and reenact §22-3-2, §22-3-4, §22-3-13, §22-3-13a, §22‑3-22a and §22-3-30a of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto six new sections, designated §22-3-34, §22-3-35, §22-3-36, §22-3-37, and §22-3-38; to amend and reenact §22-11-6 of said code; to amend and reenact §22A‑1‑13, §22A-1-14, §22A-1-15, §22A-1-19, §22A-1-20, §22A-1-31 and §22A-1-35 of said code; to amend and reenact §22A-1A-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §22A-2-3, §22A-2-8, §22A-2-14, §22A-2-20, §22A-2-25, §22A-2-36, §22A-2-55, §22A-2-66 and §22A-2-77 of said code; and to amend and reenact §22A-7-7 of said code, all relating generally to coal mining; making findings; eliminating the Department of Environmental Protection Office of Explosives and Blasting and consolidating the remaining duties and responsibilities related to blasting to the Department of Environmental Protection Division of Mining and Reclamation; adding blasting oversight; providing that the Department of Environmental Protection to revise rules on hydrologic protection and stormwater runoff analyses on mining operations and to promulgate rules that conform with the federal regulations requirements to minimize the disturbances to the prevailing hydrologic balance at a mine site and in associated off-site areas; providing that cumulative hydrologic impact assessment may be conducted; requiring a statement of probable hydrologic consequences and to prevent flooding; modifying certain findings, ventilation requirements, and roof or rib requirements; requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to follow deadlines for approving or denying applications for site specific water quality criteria; providing that state mine rescue teams may serve as backup mine rescue teams for mines in this state; providing that the Board of Mine Health and Safety to have the authority to propose rules for the use of diesel equipment in the state’s mines; transferring certification authority to the Director of the Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training for mining emergency medical technicians; requiring the State Board of Appeals to allow evidence of testing procedures and test results be introduced through notarized affidavits from Medical Review Officers and testify if necessary; providing for telephonic testimony under oath; providing that the penalty for not reporting accidents in fifteen minutes to the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training be modified to up to $100,000; providing that the Director of Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training shall have the authority to modify assessed penalties and penalties may be modified by the State Board of Appeals based on a vote of two Board members; providing a method incase a miners’ wireless emergency communications device fails; and allowing company input into state supervisory training and how it is scheduled during the year.
That §22-3A-1, §22-3A-2, §22-3A-3, §22-3A-4, §22-3A-5, §22-3A-6, §22-3A-7, §22-3A-8, §22-3A-9 and §22-3A-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that §16-4C-6c of said code be amended and reenacted; that §22-1-7 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §22-3-2, §22-3-4, §22-3-13, §22-3-13a, §22-3-22a, §22-3-30a of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto six new sections, designated §22-3-34, §22-3-35, §22-3-36, §22-3-37, and §22-3-38; that §22-11-6 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §22A-1-13, §22A‑1‑14, §22A-1-15, §22A-1-19, §22A-1-20, §22A-1-31 and §22A-1-35 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §22A-1A-2 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §22A-2-3, §22A-2-8, §22A-2-14, §22A-2-20, §22A-2-25, §22A-2-36, §22A-2-55, §22A-2-66 and §22A-2-77 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §22A-7-7 of said code be amended and reenacted; all to read as follows:
(5) The Division of Water and Waste Management, which is charged, at a minimum, with administering and enforcing, under the supervision of the secretary, the provisions of articles eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty of this chapter
(a) At least thirty days prior to commencing blasting, as defined in section twenty-two-a of this article, an operator or an operator=s designee shall make the following notifications in writing to all owners and occupants of man-made dwellings or structures that the operator or operator=s designee will perform preblast surveys in accordance with subsection (f) of this section:
(1) For surface mining operations that are less than two hundred acres in a single permitted area or less than three hundred acres of contiguous or nearly contiguous area of two or more permitted areas, the required notifications shall be to all owners and occupants of man-made dwellings or structures within five tenths of a mile of the permitted area or areas;
(3) For permitted surface disturbance of underground mines, the required notifications shall be to all owners and occupants of man-made dwellings or structures within five tenths of a mile of the permitted surface area or areas.
(b) Any operator identified in subdivision (2), subsection (a) of this section that has already completed preblast surveys for man-made dwellings or structures within five tenths of a mile of the permit area and has commenced operations by the effective date of this section shall notify in writing all additional owners and occupants of man-made dwellings or structures within seven tenths of a mile of the proposed blasting site. Except for those dwellings or structures for which the operator secures a written waiver or executes an affidavit in accordance with the requirements of subsection (c) of this section, the operator or the operator=s designee must perform the additional preblast surveys in accordance with subsection (f) of this section. (c) An occupant or owner of a man-made dwelling or structure within the areas described in subdivision (1) or (2), subsection (a) of this section may waive the right to a preblast survey in writing. If a dwelling is occupied by a person other than the owner, both the owner and the occupant must waive the right to a preblast survey in writing. If an occupant or owner of a man-made dwelling or structure refuses to allow the operator or the operator=s designee access to the dwelling or structure and refuses to waive in writing the right to a preblast survey or to the extent that access to any portion of the structure, underground water supply or well is impossible or impractical under the circumstances, the preblast survey shall indicate that access was refused, impossible or impractical. The operator or the operator=s designee shall execute a sworn affidavit explaining the reasons and circumstances surrounding the refusals. The Division of Mining and Reclamation may not determine the preblast survey to be incomplete because it indicates that access to a particular structure, underground water supply or well was refused, impossible or impractical. The operator shall send copies of all written waivers and affidavits executed pursuant to this subsection to the Division of Mining and Reclamation.
(d) If a preblast survey was waived by the owner and was within the requisite area and the property was sold, the new owner may request a preblast survey from the operator.
(7) The date of the preblast survey and the date it was mailed or delivered to the Division of Mining and Reclamation.
(g) Except for additional preblast surveys prepared within one hundred twenty days of the effective date of this section, pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the preblast survey shall be submitted to the Division of Mining and Reclamation at least fifteen days prior to the commencement of any production blasting. The Division of Mining and Reclamation shall review each preblast survey as to form and completeness only and notify the operator of any deficiencies: Provided, That once all required surveys have been reviewed and accepted by the Division of Mining and Reclamation, blasting may commence sooner than fifteen days after submittal. The Division of Mining and Reclamation shall provide a copy of the preblast survey to the owner or occupant.
(h) The surface mining operator shall file notice of the preblast survey or the waiver in the office of the county clerk of the county commission of the county where the man-made dwelling or structure is located to notify the public that a preblast survey has been conducted or waived. The notice shall be on a form prescribed by the Division of Mining and Reclamation.
(i) The secretary shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code dealing with preblast survey requirements and setting the qualifications for individuals and firms performing preblast surveys.
(j) The provisions of this section do not apply to the extraction of minerals by underground mining methods.
(a) For purposes of this section, the term Aproduction blasting@ means blasting that removes the overburden to expose underlying coal seams and does not include construction blasting.
(b) For purposes of this section, the term Aconstruction blasting@ means blasting to develop haul roads, mine access roads, coal preparation plants, drainage structures or underground coal mine sites and does not include production blasting.
(c) For purposes of this section, the term Aprotected structure@ means any of the following structures that are situated outside the permit area: An occupied dwelling; a temporarily unoccupied dwelling which has been occupied within the past ninety days; a public building; a structure for commercial purposes; a school; a church; a community or institutional building; and a public park or a water well.
(3) For the third offense and any subsequent offense within one year of the first offense, or for the failure to pay any assessment set forth within a reasonable time established by the secretary, the surface mining operator=s permit is subject to an immediate issuance of a cessation order, as set out in section sixteen of this article. The cessation order shall only be released upon written order of the secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection when the following conditions have been met:
(5) No more than one offense may arise out of any one shot. For purposes of this section, “shot” means a single blasting event composed of one or multiple detonations of explosive material or the assembly of explosive materials for this purpose. One Ashot@ may be composed of numerous explosive charges detonated at intervals measured in milliseconds.
§22-3-34. Office of explosives and blasting terminated; transfer of functions; responsibilities, personnel and assets.
The office of explosives and blasting within the Department of Environmental Protection is hereby terminated, and its authority and functions are transferred to the Division of Mining and Reclamation. With this transfer, all records, assets, and contracts, along with the rights and obligations thereunder, obtained or signed on behalf of the office of explosives and blasting are hereby transferred and assigned to the Division of Mining and Reclamation. The secretary shall transfer from the office of explosives and blasting to the Division of Mining and Reclamation any personnel and assets presently used in the performance of the duties and functions required by sections thirty-four through thirty-seven of this article.
§22-3-36. Claims process for blasting.
(a) The Division of Mining and Reclamation shall establish and manage a process for the filing, administration and resolution of claims related to blasting.
(b) Claims which may be filed and determined under the provisions of this section shall be those arising from both of the following:
(1) Damage to property arising from blasting activities conducted pursuant to a permit granted under article three of this chapter; and
(2) The damage is incurred by a claimant who is the owner or occupant of the property.
(c) The claims process established by the Division of Mining and Reclamation shall include the following:
(1) An initial determination by the Division of Mining and Reclamation of the merit of the claim; and
(2) An arbitration process whereby the claim can be determined and resolved by an arbitrator in a manner which is inexpensive, prompt and fair to all parties.
(d) If the operator disagrees with the initial determination made by the Division of Mining and Reclamation and requests arbitration, then the following shall apply:
(1) Any party may be represented by a representative of their choice;
(2) At the request of the claimant, the Division of Mining and Reclamation shall provide the claimant with representation in the arbitration process, which representation shall not necessarily be an attorney-at-law; and
(3) If the claim is upheld, in whole or in part, then the operator shall pay the costs of the proceeding, as well as reasonable representation fees and costs of the claimant, in an amount not to exceed $1,000.
(e) Participation in the claims process created by this section shall be voluntary for the claimant. However, once the claimant has submitted a claim for determination under the provisions of this section, it is intended that the finding of the Division of Mining and Reclamation, if not taken to arbitration, shall be final. If arbitration is requested, it is intended that the results of such arbitration shall be final. The Division of Mining and Reclamation shall provide written notification to the claimant of the provisions of this subsection and shall secure a written acknowledgment from the claimant prior to processing a claim pursuant to the provisions of this section.
(f) The operator shall pay any claim for which the operator is adjudged liable within thirty days of a final determination. If the claim is not paid within thirty days, the secretary shall issue a cessation order pursuant to section sixteen, article three of this chapter for all sites operated by the operator.
(g) No permit to mine coal shall be granted unless the permit applicant agrees to be subject to the terms of this section.
(h) To fulfill its responsibilities pursuant to this section, the Division of Mining and Reclamation may retain the services of inspectors, experts and other persons or firms as may be necessary.
§22-3-37. Rules, orders and permits to remain in effect regarding blasting; proceedings not affected.
(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 prior to the enactment of this article shall remain in effect according to their terms until modified, terminated, superseded, set aside or revoked pursuant to this article, by 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 or certificate pending before the division are not affected by this enactment.
§22-3-38. Transfer of personnel and assets.
The secretary shall transfer to the Division of Mining and Reclamation any personnel and assets presently used to perform or used in the performance of the duties and functions required by sections thirty-four through thirty-nine of this article.
(2) For purposes of both this article and sections 309 and 505 of the federal Water Pollution Control Act, compliance with a permit issued pursuant to this article shall be considered compliance for purposes of both this article and sections 301, 302, 303, 306, 307 and 403 of the federal Water Pollution Control Act and with all applicable state and federal water quality standards, except for any standard imposed under section 307 of the federal Water Pollution Control Act for a toxic pollutant injurious to human health. Notwithstanding any provision of this code or rule or permit condition to the contrary, water quality standards themselves shall not be considered Aeffluent standards or limitations@ for the purposes of both this article and sections 309 and 505 of the federal Water Pollution Control Act and shall not be independently or directly enforced or implemented except through the development of terms and conditions of a permit issued pursuant to this article. Nothing in this section, however, prevents the secretary from modifying, reissuing or revoking a permit during its term. The provisions of this section addressing compliance with a permit are intended to apply to all existing and future discharges and permits without the need for permit modifications; and
(8) The secretary shall, within ninety days of receipt of any completed request for a site specific water quality criterion, approve or deny the request. Any denial or approval of an application shall detail the specific basis for the denial or approval and any revisions needed to the application. Any denial approval of a request may be appealed to the environmental quality board pursuant to section twenty-one of this article.
(c)(1) In order to qualify for appointment as a surface mine inspector, an eligible applicant shall submit to written, oral and practical examinations administered by the Mine Inspectors= Examining Board and furnish evidence of good health, character and other facts establishing eligibility as the board may require. The examinations shall relate to the duties to be performed by a surface mine inspector and, subject to the approval of the mine inspectors= examining board, may be prepared by the director.
(2) If the board finds after investigation and examination that an applicant is: (A) Eligible for appointment; and (B) has passed each required examination with a grade of at least seventy-five percent, or an overall combined average score of eighty percent, the board shall add the applicant=s name and grades to the register of qualified eligible candidates and promptly certify its action in writing to the director. The director shall then appoint one of the candidates from the three having the highest grades.
(c) Mine inspectors shall devote their full-time and undivided attention to the performance of their duties, and they shall examine all of the mines in their respective districts at least four times annually, and as often, in addition thereto, as the director may direct, or the necessities of the case or the condition of the mine or mines may require, with no advance notice of inspection provided to any person, and they shall make a personal examination of each working face and all entrances to abandoned parts of the mine where gas is known to liberate, for the purpose of determining whether an imminent danger, referred to in section fifteen of this article, exists in the mine, or whether any provision of article two of this chapter is being violated or has been violated within the past forty-eight hours in the mine. No other person shall, with the intent of undermining the integrity of an unannounced mine inspection, provide advance notice of any inspection or of an inspector=s presence at a mine to any person at that mine. Any person who, with the requisite intent, knowingly causes or conspires to provide advance notice of any inspection or of an inspector=s presence at a mine is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $15,000 or imprisoned in a state correctional facility not less than one year and not more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.
(e) An inspector shall require the operator or other employer to investigate all complaints received by the Office of Miners= Health, Safety and Training involving a certified person=s substance abuse or alcohol related impairment at a mine. Within thirty days following notification by the Office of Miners= Health, Safety and Training to the operator or other employer of the complaint, the operator or other employer shall file with the Director a summary of its investigation into the alleged substance abuse or alcohol related impairment of a certified person.
(D) Any evidence of the operator=s lack of good faith in abating significant and substantial violations at the mine;
(2) If, after review of the mine=s compliance record, the director determines that the mine has a history of repeated significant and substantial violations of a particular standard caused by unwarrantable failure to comply or a history of repeated significant and substantial violations of standards related to the same hazard caused by unwarrantable failure to comply and the history or histories demonstrate the operator=s disregard for the health and safety of miners, the director shall issue a closure order for the entire mine or area throughout which the director determines the dangerous condition exists and shall immediately issue an order requiring the operator of the mine or the operator's agent to cause immediately all persons, except those referred to in subdivisions (1), (2), (3) and (4), subsection (e) of this section, to be withdrawn from and to be prohibited from entering the mine or area throughout which the director determines the dangerous condition until a thorough inspection of the mine or area has been conducted by the office and the director determines that the operator has abated all violations related to the imminent danger and any violations unearthed in the course of the inspection.
(j) Definitions. B- For the purposes of this section only, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) AUnwarrantable failure@ means aggravated conduct, constituting more than ordinary negligence, by a mine operator in relation to a violation of this chapter of the code; and
(2) ASignificant and substantial violation@ shall have the same meaning as that established in 6 FMSHRC 1 (1984).
ARTICLE 1A. OFFICE OF MINERS= HEALTH, SAFETY AND TRAINING; ADMINISTRATION; SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
(a) Any hearing conducted after the temporary suspension of a certified person=s certificate pursuant to this article, shall be conducted within sixty days of the temporary suspension. The Board of Appeals shall make every effort to hold the hearing within forty days of the temporary suspension.
§22A-2-14. Safety inspections; removal of gases.
It shall be the duty of the mine foreman, assistant mine foreman or fire boss to examine all working places under his or her supervision for hazards at least once every two hours during each coal-producing shift, or more often if necessary for safety. In all mines such examinations shall include tests with an approved detector for methane and oxygen deficiency. It shall also be his or her duty to remove as soon as possible after its discovery any accumulations of explosive or noxious gases in active workings, and where practicable, any accumulations of explosive or noxious gases in the worked out and abandoned portions of the mine. It shall be the duty of the mine foreman, assistant mine foreman or fire boss to examine each mine within three hours prior to the beginning of a shift and before any miner in such shift enters the active workings of the mine.
§22A-2-77. Quarterly report by operator of mine; exception as to certain inactive mines.
On or before the end of each quarter, the operator of each mine, regulated under the provisions of this chapter or article three or four, chapter twenty-two of this code, shall file with the director a report with respect thereto covering the next preceding quarter which shall reflect the number of accidents which have occurred at each such mine, the number of persons employed, the days worked and the actual raw tonnage mined. Quarters are based on a calendar year. Such report shall be made upon forms furnished by the director. Other provisions of this section to the contrary notwithstanding, no such report shall be required with respect to any mine on approved inactive status if no employees were present at such mine at any time during the next preceding calendar month.
ARTICLE 7. BOARD OF MINER TRAINING, EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
(4) Selected policies and memoranda of the Office of Miners= Health, Safety and Training, the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety, the Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification, and from any safety analysis performed by the company.
(f) A mine foreman-fire boss who fails to complete the requirements of this section shall have his or her certification suspended pending completion of the continuing education requirements. During the pendency of the suspension, the individual may not perform statutory duties assigned to a mine foreman-fire boss under West Virginia law. The office shall send notice of any suspension to the last address the certified mine foreman-fire boss reported to the director. If the requirements are not met within two years of the suspension date, the director may file a petition with the board of appeals pursuant to the procedures set forth in section thirty-one, article one of this chapter and, upon determining that the requirements have not been met, the board of appeals may revoke the mine foreman-fire boss= certification, which shall not be renewed except upon successful completion of the examination prescribed by law for mine foremen-fire bosses or upon completion of other training requirements established by the board: Provided, That an individual having his or her mine foreman-fire boss certification suspended pursuant to this section who also holds a valid mine foreman-fire boss certification from another state may have the suspension lifted by completing training requirements established by the board.