Introduced Version
House Bill 2062 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 2062
(By Delegate Manypenny)
[Introduced February 13, 2013; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §22-6A-6a, relating
to requiring a study of the environmental and health impacts
of shale gas development be performed; setting forth minimum
requirements of the study; and requiring reports be made.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §22-6A-6a, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 6. NATURAL GAS HORIZONTAL WELL CONTROL ACT.
§22-6A-6a.
Study of the human and environmental health impacts of
shale gas development.
_____(a) The secretary shall initiate a study with the School of
Public Health at West Virginia University for the purpose of studying the human and environmental health impacts, if any, of
shale gas development.
_____(b) The study shall include, but not be limited to, the
effects of all potential pollutants from shale development on human
and environmental health.
_____(c) At a minimum, the potential pollutants to be evaluated as
a part of this study include, but are not limited to, fracking
fluid stored in containers, flowback mud and fluids, fracking
chemicals not to be limited to volatile organic compounds,
naturally occurring radioactive materials and total dissolved
solids, fugitive air pollutants from flareoffs, leaking methane and
its components from all possible areas of escape and fracking
chemicals and trihalomethanes in water wells near gas wells.
_____(d) The study shall also include potential pollutants as
awareness of potential pollutants surface resulting from the study
required in this section or in the scientific community.
_____(e) The study required by this section shall begin by May 1,
2013. The researchers from West Virginia University shall submit
study progress reports, with preliminary findings as these occur,
to the secretary on a quarterly basis annually. The secretary shall
submit reports to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance
beginning December 1, 2013, and every six months thereafter until
the study is completed and a final report is submitted.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to
require a study of the
environmental and health impacts of shale gas development be
performed. The bill sets forth minimum requirements of the study.
The bill also requires reports be made.
This section
is new; therefore, it has been completely
underscored.