{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/45.2-1644.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/45.2-1644.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/45.2-1644.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/45.2-1644.html"}],"law_id":75577,"edition_id":1,"section_id":75577,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1644","catch_line":" Safety in coalbed methane gas, oil, and geophysical operations","history":"1997, c. 421, \u00a7 45.1-361.42; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","full_text":"The Director shall inspect permitted coalbed methane well and related facility operations to ensure the safety of persons on permitted sites. If an inspection reveals any hazardous condition that creates an imminent danger, the Director shall issue a closure order pursuant to \u00a7 45.2-1629 requiring the area to be cleared or the equipment removed from use, except for (i) work necessary to continue to vent methane from an active underground mine if such work can be done safely and (ii) any work necessary to correct or eliminate the imminent danger. The Director shall lift the closure order when he finds that the imminent danger has been corrected or eliminated. If an inspection reveals any other condition that creates a risk to the safety or health of any person on the permitted site, the Director shall notify the Department of Labor and Industry for actions under Title 40.1, as applicable.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":271486,"text":"The Director shall inspect permitted coalbed methane well and related facility operations to ensure the safety of persons on permitted sites. If an inspection reveals any hazardous condition that creates an imminent danger, the Director shall issue a closure order pursuant to \u00a7 45.2-1629 requiring the area to be cleared or the equipment removed from use, except for (i) work necessary to continue to vent methane from an active underground mine if such work can be done safely and (ii) any work necessary to correct or eliminate the imminent danger. The Director shall lift the closure order when he finds that the imminent danger has been corrected or eliminated. If an inspection reveals any other condition that creates a risk to the safety or health of any person on the permitted site, the Director shall notify the Department of Labor and Industry for actions under Title 40.1, as applicable.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15425,"edition_id":1,"name":"Regulation of Gas and Oil Development and Production","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13430,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:54:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:54:49","permalink":{"id":224797,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15425,"identifier":"3","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13430,"edition_id":1,"name":"Virginia Gas and Oil Act","identifier":"16","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13429,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:53","permalink":{"id":224675,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13430,"identifier":"16","token":"45.2\/IV\/16","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/16\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13429,"edition_id":1,"name":"Gas and Oil","identifier":"IV","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12713,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:53","permalink":{"id":224673,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13429,"identifier":"IV","token":"45.2\/IV","url":"\/45.2\/IV\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12713,"edition_id":1,"name":"Mines, Minerals, and Energy","identifier":"45.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":222539,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12713,"identifier":"45.2","token":"45.2","url":"\/45.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":58734,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1629","catch_line":" Duties, responsibilities, and authority of the Director","url":"\/45.2-1629\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1629","metadata":false},{"id":67412,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1630","catch_line":" Powers, duties, and responsibilities of the Inspector","url":"\/45.2-1630\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1630","metadata":false},{"id":69690,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1631","catch_line":" Permit required; gas, oil, or geophysical operations; coalbed methane gas wells; environmental assessment","url":"\/45.2-1631\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1631","metadata":false},{"id":65415,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1632","catch_line":" Notice of permit applications and permit modification applications required; content","url":"\/45.2-1632\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1632","metadata":false},{"id":71051,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1633","catch_line":" Bonding and financial security required","url":"\/45.2-1633\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1633","metadata":false},{"id":71561,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1634","catch_line":" Gas and Oil Plugging and Restoration Fund","url":"\/45.2-1634\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1634","metadata":false},{"id":86870,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1635","catch_line":" Expiration of permits","url":"\/45.2-1635\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1635","metadata":false},{"id":77799,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1636","catch_line":" Abandonment or cessation of well or corehole operation; plugging required","url":"\/45.2-1636\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1636","metadata":false},{"id":76183,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1637","catch_line":" Objections to permits; hearing","url":"\/45.2-1637\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1637","metadata":false},{"id":83420,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1638","catch_line":" Appeals of Director's decisions to the Board","url":"\/45.2-1638\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1638","metadata":false},{"id":84931,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1639","catch_line":" Persons required to register; designated agents","url":"\/45.2-1639\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1639","metadata":false},{"id":59598,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1640","catch_line":" Report of permitted activities and production required; contents","url":"\/45.2-1640\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1640","metadata":false},{"id":81636,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1641","catch_line":" Developing a gas or oil well as a water well","url":"\/45.2-1641\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1641","metadata":false},{"id":60443,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1642","catch_line":" Orphaned Well Fund; orphaned wells","url":"\/45.2-1642\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1642","metadata":false},{"id":78314,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1643","catch_line":" Interference by injection wells with groundwater supply","url":"\/45.2-1643\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1643","metadata":false},{"id":75577,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1644","catch_line":" Safety in coalbed methane gas, oil, and geophysical operations","url":"\/45.2-1644\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1644","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78314,"structure_id":15425,"section_number":"45.2-1643","catch_line":" Interference by injection wells with groundwater supply","url":"\/45.2-1643\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1643","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/45.2-1644\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1997. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 421<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":58734,"section_number":"45.2-1629","catch_line":" Duties, responsibilities, and authority of the Director","order_by":null,"url":"\/45.2-1629\/"}],"permalink":{"id":224859,"object_type":"law","relational_id":75577,"identifier":"45.2-1644","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1644","url":"\/45.2-1644\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/45.2-1644\/","token":"45.2\/IV\/16\/3\/45.2-1644","dublin_core":{"Title":" Safety in coalbed methane gas, oil, and geophysical operations","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 45.2-1644","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Director<\/span> shall inspect permitted coalbed methane well<\/span> and related facility operations to ensure the safety of persons on permitted sites. If an inspection reveals any hazardous condition that creates an imminent danger, the Director<\/span> shall issue<\/span> a closure order<\/span> pursuant to \u00a7 45.2-1629<\/a> requiring the area to be cleared or the equipment removed from use, except for (i) work necessary to continue to vent methane from an active underground mine<\/span> if such work can be done safely and (ii) any work necessary to correct or eliminate the imminent danger. The Director<\/span> shall lift the closure order<\/span> when he finds that the imminent danger has been corrected or eliminated. If an inspection reveals any other condition that creates a risk to the safety or health of any person on the permitted site, the Director<\/span> shall notify the Department<\/span> of Labor and Industry for actions under Title 40.1, as applicable.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n SAFETY IN COALBED METHANE GAS, OIL, AND GEOPHYSICAL OPERATIONS (\u00a7 45.2-1644)\n\nThe Director shall inspect permitted coalbed methane well and related facility\noperations to ensure the safety of persons on permitted sites. If an inspection\nreveals any hazardous condition that creates an imminent danger, the Director\nshall issue a closure order pursuant to \u00a7 45.2-1629 requiring the area to be\ncleared or the equipment removed from use, except for (i) work necessary to\ncontinue to vent methane from an active underground mine if such work can be\ndone safely and (ii) any work necessary to correct or eliminate the imminent\ndanger. The Director shall lift the closure order when he finds that the\nimminent danger has been corrected or eliminated. If an inspection reveals any\nother condition that creates a risk to the safety or health of any person on the\npermitted site, the Director shall notify the Department of Labor and Industry\nfor actions under Title 40.1, as applicable.\n\nHISTORY: 1997, c. 421, \u00a7 45.1-361.42; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}