Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 351.070(13) authorizes
the Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet to promulgate
administrative regulations he deems necessary and suitable for the proper
administration of KRS Chapter 351. KRS 351.025(1)(b) requires the Department
for Natural Resources to promulgate administrative regulations that establish
comprehensive criteria for the imposition and enforcement of sanctions against
owners and part-owners of licensed premises whose intentional violation of, or
order to violate, mine safety laws places miners in imminent danger of serious
injury or death. This administrative regulation establishes the criteria for
the imposition of civil monetary penalties and other consequences upon an
adjudication by the Mine Safety Review Commission that an owner or part-owner
of a licensed premises has committed this type of violation.
Section 1.
(1) If an owner or part-owner of a licensed
premises commits a first offense, as adjudicated by the Kentucky Mine Safety
Review Commission, the commission may impose a civil monetary penalty against
the owner or part-owner of not less than $2,500 and not more than
$10,000.
(2) If an owner or
part-owner of a licensed premises applies for a foreman's certificate, an
inspector's certificate, or any other certificate under KRS Chapter 351 and
Chapter 352, subsequent to a first offense adjudication by the Mine Safety
Review Commission that he intentionally violated, or ordered another person to
violate, a mine safety law which placed a miner in imminent danger of serious
injury or death, the Division of Mine Safety shall consider that adverse
adjudication during its consideration of the individual's application. The
Division of Mine Safety may grant or deny the application in accordance with
KRS Chapter 351 and the administrative regulations promulgated under that
chapter.
(3) If an owner or
part-owner of a licensed premises applies for a license to operate a coal mine
in the Commonwealth of Kentucky subsequent to a first offense adjudication by
the Mine Safety Review Commission that he intentionally violated, or ordered
another person to violate, a mine safety law which placed a miner in imminent
danger of serious injury or death, the Division of Mine Safety shall consider
that adverse adjudication during its consideration of the application. The
Division of Mine Safety may grant or deny the application in accordance with
KRS Chapter 351 and the administrative regulations promulgated under that
chapter.
(4) If an owner or
part-owner of a licensed premises commits a second offense, as adjudicated by
the Kentucky Mine Safety Review Commission, the commission may impose a civil
monetary penalty against the owner or part-owner of not less than $5,000 and
not more than $10,000.
(5) If an
owner or part-owner of a licensed premises applies for a foreman's certificate,
an inspector's certificate, or any other certificate under KRS Chapter 351 and
Chapter 352, subsequent to a second offense adjudication by the Mine Safety
Review Commission that he intentionally violated, or ordered another person to
violate, a mine safety law which placed a miner in imminent danger of serious
injury or death, the Division of Mine Safety shall consider that adverse
adjudication during its consideration of the individual's application. After
that second offense adjudication, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that
the applicant is not suitable to be certified in the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
and the applicant shall appear at a hearing before the Mine Safety Review
Commission and present evidence as to his suitability. The applicant shall bear
the burden of proof in the proceeding, in accordance with KRS 13B.090(7). The
Division of Mine Safety may grant or deny the application in accordance with
KRS Chapter 351 and the administrative regulations promulgated under that
chapter.
(6) If an owner or
part-owner of a licensed premises applies for a license to operate a coal mine
in the Commonwealth of Kentucky subsequent to a second offense adjudication by
the Mine Safety Review Commission that he intentionally violated, or ordered
another person to violate, a mine safety law which placed a miner in imminent
danger of serious injury or death, the Division of Mine Safety shall consider
that adverse adjudication during its consideration of the application. After
that second offense adjudication, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that
the applicant is not suitable to hold a mine license in the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, and the applicant shall appear at a hearing before the Mine Safety
Review Commission and present evidence as to his suitability. The applicant
shall bear the burden of proof in the proceeding, in accordance with KRS 13B.090(7). The division may grant or deny the application in accordance with
KRS Chapter 351 and the administrative regulations promulgated under that
chapter.
(7) If an owner or
part-owner of a licensed premises commits a third offense, as adjudicated by
the Kentucky Mine Safety Review Commission, the commission may impose a civil
monetary penalty against the owner or part-owner of not less than $7,500 and
not more than $10,000.
(8) Upon the
adjudication by the Mine Safety Review Commission of a third offense committed
by an owner or part-owner of a licensed premises, whether those offenses were
committed at the same mine or at more than one (1) mine, the owner or
part-owner shall not be eligible to obtain or hold any mine certificate or mine
license within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
(9) Penalties against owners or part-owners
of licensed premises, imposed pursuant to subsection (1), (4), or (7) of this
section, shall only be imposed for the individual acts of the owner or
part-owner, not for the acts of another.
(10) If an owner or part-owner of a licensed
premises is also a certified miner at the time of committing his first or
second offense, the Mine Safety Review Commission may additionally impose on
that owner or part-owner any nonmonetary penalties applicable to certified
miners pursuant to 805 KAR 8:030.