H. B. 4759
(By Delegates Kominar and Cann)
[Introduced February 25, 2000; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section five, article two-a, chapter
five-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended, relating to expanding the authority of
the office of coalfield community development by allowing it
to offer assistance to facilitate the development of economic
or community assets.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section five, article two-a, chapter five-b of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2A. OFFICE OF COALFIELD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
§5B-2A-5. Powers and duties.
The office shall have and has and may exercise the following
duties, powers and responsibilities:
(1) To establish a procedure for developing a community impact
statement as provided in section six of this article and to
administer the procedure so established;
(2) To establish a procedure for developing and implementing
coalfield community development statements as provided in section
seven of this article and to administer the procedure so
established;
(3) To establish a procedure for determining the assets that
could be developed in and maintained by the community to foster its
long-term viability as provided in section eight of this article
and to administer the procedure so established;
(4) To establish a procedure for determining the land and
infrastructure needs in the general area of the surface-mining
operations as provided in section nine of this article and to
administer the procedure so established;
(5) To establish a procedure to develop action reports and
annual updates as provided in section ten of this article and to
administer the procedure so established;
(6) To determine the need for meetings to be held among the
various interested parties in the communities impacted by
surface-mining operations and, when appropriate, to facilitate such
the meetings;
(7) To establish a procedure to assist property owners in the
sale of their property as provided in section eleven of this article and to administer the procedure so established; and
(8) In conjunction with the division, to maintain and operate
a system to receive and address questions, concerns and complaints
relating to surface mining; and
(9) On its own initiative or at the request of a community in
close proximity to a mining operation, or a mining operation,
offer assistance to facilitate the development of economic or
community assets.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.