A. No person shall intentionally disturb, disconnect, bypass, impair, or otherwise tamper with methane monitors or other devices capable of detecting the presence of explosive gases used in an underground coal mine. If the methane monitor is installed on a face cutting machine, continuous miner, longwall face equipment, loading machine, or other mechanized equipment used to extract or load coal as required pursuant to 30 CFR Part 75.342, and the monitor or the equipment malfunctions, the monitor may be disconnected or bypassed for the purposes of removing the monitor or the equipment in order to make necessary repairs to the monitor or the equipment. Any other methane monitor may be disconnected, bypassed or removed.

B. Any person convicted of a violation of this section shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.

History

1993, c. 247, § 45.1-65.1; 1994, c. 28.