(a) Any person who violates any term or condition of a permit issued under this article, and the violation is found by the chief or review board to have rendered unmineable all or a portion of a workable coal seam, is subject to civil penalties, to be imposed and collected by the chief or review board in an amount not to exceed the reasonably expected net profit lost to the coal owner as a result. All penalties collected shall be transferred to the special reclamation fund as provided by section twenty-nine, article six of this chapter.
(b) Any person who violates any provision of this article, any of the rules promulgated by the chief or review board or any order of the chief or review board other than a violation governed by the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $1,000.
(c) Any person who, with the intention of evading any provision of this article, any of the rules promulgated by the chief or any order of the chief or review board, who makes or causes to be made any false entry or statement in any application or other document permitted or required to be filed under the provisions of this article, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $5,000, or imprisoned in the county jail not more than six months, or both fined and imprisoned.
(d) Any person who knowingly aids or abets any other person in the violation of any provision of this article, any of the rules promulgated hereunder or any order or final decision of the chief or review board or director, shall be subject to the same penalty as that prescribed in this article for the violation by such other person.
Structure West Virginia Code
Chapter 22. Environmental Resources
Article 21. Coalbed Methane Wells and Units
§22-21-1. Declaration of Public Policy; Legislative Findings
§22-21-4. Chief; Powers and Duties Generally
§22-21-5. Duties of the Coalbed Methane Review Board; Meetings; Notice, Powers and Duties Generally
§22-21-7. Consent and Agreement of Coal Owner or Operator
§22-21-8. Performance Bonds; Corporate Surety or Other Security
§22-21-10. Procedure for Filing Comments
§22-21-11. Objections or Comments to Coalbed Methane Wells by Coal Owner or Operator; Hearings
§22-21-13. Review Board Hearing; Findings; Order
§22-21-15. Drilling Units and Pooling of Interests
§22-21-18. Operation on Drilling Units
§22-21-19. Validity of Unit Agreements
§22-21-21. Dry or Abandoned Wells
§22-21-24. Existing Mining Rights