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WV's new methane shutoff requirement in limbo

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  • GovernmentGovernment

  • Wednesday, May 22 2013 12:59 PM EDT2013-05-22 16:59:52 GMT
    Credit: MountainStateUniversity.edu
    Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has announced Karen Bowling of Beckley as Cabinet Secretary of The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, starting July 1.
    Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin has announced Karen Bowling of Beckley as Cabinet Secretary of The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, starting July 1.
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    The three locks on the upper Monongahela River will be open to recreational boaters this weekend during limited hours.
    The three locks on the upper Monongahela River will be open to recreational boaters this weekend during limited hours.
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    Helen Holt, now 99, was West Virginia's first female secretary of state. She received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from WVU during Sunday's commencement.
    Helen Holt, now 99, was West Virginia's first female secretary of state. She received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from WVU during Sunday's commencement.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A state mine safety requirement dealing with methane is in limbo a year after lawmakers approved it.

A provision in the 2012 mine safety law tightens the state's requirement for mining equipment to be automatically shut off when methane is detected. The Charleston Gazette reports that the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety still hasn't written rules needed to implement the provision.

One unresolved issue is defining when an automatic shutdown should occur. Another is establishing a schedule for when the monitoring and shutdown systems must be in place and operational.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is urging the board to reconvene and make writing the rules a priority.

 

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.