Government Considering W.Va. Site For Mine Safety Lab
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The federal government is considering a West Virginia site for a new research center and testing laboratory for underground mine safety.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is interested in a 460-acre tract straddling the Randolph-Pocahontas County line near Mace.
If developed, plans call for a 164,000-square-foot underground safety test lab with above-ground office and storage buildings.
Federal officials are looking to replace the Lake Lynn Experimental Mine, located in a limestone quarry near Fairchance, Pennsylvania. That site operated until 2012, when the landowner opted not to sell or extend the lease.
After a public comment period ends on April 5, a final environmental impact statement will be completed, and a decision will be made on whether to build at the West Virginia site.
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