Mines and Mining

Passed

P HB680

Biofuels Production Fund and Grant Incentive Program; established. Establishes the Biofuels Production Fund (the Fund) and the Biofuels Production Grant Incentive Program (the Program) to administer the Fund. The Program offers grants to producers of neat biofuels, which are defined as either biodiesel fuels or ethanol fuels that are not mixed with traditional fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel. To be eligible for a grant the producer must produce in excess of 10 million gallons of neat biofuels within the Commonwealth in a calendar year using feedstock originating domestically within the United States. The producer must commence eligible sales on or after January 1, 2007, and pre-existing producers are only eligible if their production increases over prior calendar year levels by at least 10 million gallons of neat biofuels. Producers that qualify for a grant under the program may be granted $0.10 per gallon for neat biofuels produced in the given calendar year. If moneys in the fund are not sufficient to pay all qualified applicants, disbursements from the Fund shall be made on a pro-rata basis. The Program and Fund would expire on December 31, 2016. The payment of grants is subject to an appropriation to the fund.
Patron - Wittman

P HB1443

Wireless communication in underground coal mines. Requires that the emergency response plan prepared by operators of underground coal mines include a mine emergency communication plan. The bill authorizes the Chief of the Division of Mines to require periodic updates of the emergency response plan. The bill also specifies that anyone going underground shall have available an adequate supply of self-rescue devices. The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is directed to assess the effectiveness of wireless communication and mine locator systems and report its findings and recommendations to the committees of oversight. The bill contains an emergency clause.
Patron - Phillips

P SB513

Pooling of interests in drilling units, conflicting claims. Requires the designated operator of a drilling operation operating under a pooling order to file with the Virginia Gas and Oil Board a petition for disbursement of escrowed funds upon the discovery of the identity and location of any unknown owner, provided that the owner's claim is not contested. The petition for disbursement shall be placed on the first available Board docket. Funds shall be disbursed within 30 days after the Board's decision and receipt by the Department of all documentation is required by the Board.
Patron - Puckett

Failed

F HB1423

Biofuels Production Fund and Grant Incentive Program; established. Establishes the Biofuels Production Fund (the Fund) and the Biofuels Production Grant Incentive Program (the Program) to administer the Fund. The Program offers grants to producers of neat biofuels, which are defined as either biodiesel fuels or ethanol fuels that are not mixed with traditional fuels such as gasoline or diesel fuel. To be eligible for a grant the producer must produce in excess of 10 million gallons of neat biofuels within the Commonwealth in a calendar year using feedstock originating domestically within the United States. Producers that qualify for a grant under the program may be granted $0.20 per gallon of neat biofuel produced in the given calendar year at a 50 percent cost share of up to 80 million gallons. Therefore a producer meeting the maximum production limit under the program of 80 million gallons would be eligible for an $8,000,000 grant. The Program and Fund would expire on December 31, 2016. This bill was incorporated into HB 680.
Patron - Barlow

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