The mapping of all coal mines shall be supervised by a competent engineer or land surveyor. The work of such engineer or land surveyor shall be supervised by either a civil engineer or a mining engineer certified by the board of registration for professional engineers, which exists by authority of section four, article thirteen, chapter thirty of this code, or a licensed land surveyor approved by the board of examiners of land surveyors as provided by section three, article thirteen-a of said chapter thirty. To each map supervised by the engineer or land surveyor there shall be affixed thereto the seal of a certified or professional engineer or licensed land surveyor, which shall be identical to the design authorized by the board of registration for professional engineers, as provided in section sixteen, article thirteen of said chapter thirty or board of examiners of land surveyors as provided by section eleven, article thirteen-a of said chapter thirty. Every map certified shall have the professional engineer's or land surveyor's signature and certificate, in addition to his or her seal, in the following form:
"I, the undersigned, hereby certify that this map is correct and shows all the information, to the best of my knowledge and belief, required by the laws of this State, and covers the period ending __________________________________________________________
___________________________ P. E.
(Either Civil or Mining Engineer
or Land Surveyor)."
The operator of every underground coal mine shall make, or cause to be made, an accurate map of such mine, on a scale of not less than one hundred, and not more than five hundred feet to the inch. The map of such mine shall show:
The operator of every underground coal mine shall extend, or cause to be extended, on or before the first day of March and on or before the first day of September of each year, such mine map thereof to accurately show the progress of the workings as of the first day of July and the first day of January of each year. Such map shall be kept up to date by temporary notations, which shall include:
Such map shall be revised and supplemented at intervals prescribed under the federal act on the basis of a survey made or certified by such engineer or surveyor, and shall be kept by the operator in a fireproof repository located in an area on the surface chosen by the operator to minimize the danger of destruction by fire or other hazard.
Such map and any revision and supplement thereof shall be available for inspection by a federal mine inspector, by mine health and safety instructors, by miners in the mine and their representatives and by operators of adjacent coal mines and by persons owning, leasing or residing on surface areas of such mines or areas adjacent to such mines, and a copy of such map and any revision and supplement thereof shall be promptly filed with the office of miners' health, safety and training. The operator shall also furnish to persons expressly entitled thereto under the federal act, upon request, one or more copies of such maps and any revision and supplement thereof. Such map or revision and supplement thereof shall be kept confidential and its contents shall not be divulged to any other person, except to the extent necessary to carry out the provisions of the federal act and this chapter and in connection with the functions and responsibilities of the secretary of housing and urban development.
Surveying calculations and mapping of underground coal mines which were or are opened or reopened after the first of July, one thousand nine hundred sixty-nine, shall be done by the rectangular coordinate traversing method and meridians carried through and tied between at least two parallel entries of each development panel and panels or workings adjacent to mine boundaries or abandoned workings. These surveys shall originate from at least three permanent survey monuments on the surface of the mine property. The monuments shall be clearly referenced and described in the operator's records. Elevations shall be tied to either the United States geological survey or the United States coast and geodetic survey bench mark system, be clearly referenced and described on such map.
Underground coal mines operating on the first of July, one thousand nine hundred sixty-nine, and not using the rectangular coordinate traversing method shall, within two years of such date, convert to this procedure for surveying calculations and mapping. Meridians shall be carried through and tied between at least two parallel entries of each development panel and panels or workings adjacent to mine boundaries or abandoned workings. These surveys shall originate from at least three permanent survey monuments on the surface of the mine property. The monuments shall be clearly referenced and described in the coal mine operator's records. Elevations shall be tied to either the United States geological survey or the United States coast and geodetic survey bench mark system, be clearly referenced and described on such map.
The operator of such underground coal mine shall, by reasonable proof, demonstrate to the director or to any federal mine inspector concerned, at any time, that a diligent search was made for all existing and available maps and survey data for the workings on the adjoining properties. The operator shall further be able to show proof to the director or to any federal mine inspector concerned, that a suitable method was used to insure accuracy in the methods used in transposing other workings to the map of such mine.
There shall be an archive of underground coal mine maps maintained at the office of the director. The archive shall:
Whenever an operator permanently closes or abandons an underground coal mine, or temporarily closes an underground coal mine for a period of more than ninety days, he or she shall promptly notify the office of miners' health, safety and training and the federal mine inspector of the district in which such mine is located of such closure. Within sixty days of the permanent closure or abandonment of an underground coal mine, or, when an underground coal mine is temporarily closed, upon the expiration of a period of ninety days from the date of closure, the operator shall file with the office of miners' health, safety and training and such federal mine inspector a copy of the mine map revised and supplemented to the date of the closure. Such copy of the mine map shall be certified by a certified or professional engineer or licensed surveyor as aforesaid and shall be available for public inspection.
Any person having a map or surveying data of any worked out or abandoned underground coal mine shall make such map or data available to the office of miners' health, safety and training to copy or reproduce such material.
Any person who fails or refuses to discharge any duty imposed upon him or her by this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars.
W. Va. Code § 22A-2-1