WV deadline....The deadline is end of 2008 and in NR from Feb 29th we had Barret say that he anticipates the approval to be granted well ahead of the deadline. With the deadline moved to end of 2008 we might not see anything till Sept, Oct... At this point call me crazy but I'm picking August. It what Condron said is true and design is being changed to meet the regulations this will require re-evaluation and will drag on for a while. I think we will get some positive news out of China before anything happens on this side of the Pacific. I don't see the "excellent progress" mentioned below...
"....The company continues to make excellent progress with US federalMine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) approvals for ActiveMine.ACT has been working closely with an MSHA-approved, independentcertification lab that provides additional technical resources, withthe goal of speeding the approvals process.
MSHA requires thatall electronic components used in underground coal mines be approved as'intrinsically safe,' i.e. they will not create a spark or thermalignition of methane or coal dust.
"Based on the progress todate, we are confident that ActiveMine will receive MSHA approvals wellbefore the West Virginia and federal regulatory deadlines to installwireless communications and tracking systems in underground mines,"Barrett said....."
and
MetroNews - Monday, March 31, 2008The director of the state Office of Miners Health, Safety and Traininghas his sights set on a deadline for tracking systems to be installedin all of the state's underground mines.
"Hopefully if all goes well, we should have communication tracking inall of our mines by the end of this year," Ron Wooten recently toldMetroNews. He says it's not an unreasonable deadline and coal operatorsare working hard to get it done.
From this article it almost seems like even this later deadline is flexible. "If all goes well...." I can see the deadline moved to mid 2009. I anticipate installation and commissioning work to take a while for all mines present in West Virginia with regulators forced to issue fines or... move the deadline :)