Which agencies regulate safety standards for West Virginia surface coal mines, and what is the operator's obligation to follow them?

• A. West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection; monitor air quality and noise.
• B. Occupational Safety and Health Administration; provide annual training.
• C. West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training and MSHA; operators must comply with applicable safety regulations, provide required training, enforce rules, and keep records.
• D. Only MSHA; operators must comply with federal rules and keep records.

Answer: (C)

Safety standards for West Virginia surface coal mines come from a joint state-federal framework: the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training administers the state program, while MSHA provides federal mine safety and health standards and enforcement. Operators must comply with the applicable safety regulations from both agencies, provide required training to miners, enforce rules on the job site, and keep the required records. This means following state-specific rules as well as any federal MSHA standards that apply, ensuring training is completed and documented, and maintaining the necessary records as part of ongoing compliance.