WEST virginia legislature
2022 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 458
By Senators Smith and Jeffries
[Introduced January 20, 2022; referred to the Committee on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §22-2-10, relating generally to establishing and implementing a program to explore and capitalize on the potential for recovering valuable and strategically important rare earth elements and critical materials from acid mine drainage.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 2. ABANDONED MINE LANDS AND RECLAMATION ACT.
§22-2-10. Ownership of Substances Derived from Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage.
The DEP may promulgate such emergency, interpretive, legislative, and procedural rules as the secretary deems to be useful or necessary to carry out the purpose of this article and to implement the intent of the Legislature.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish clear legal right to title of chemical compounds, elements, and substances that are derived from the treatment of acid mine drainage on mined lands.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.