With little more than a month before its initial report is due, Gov. Joe Manchin's new commission on post-mining development for mountaintop removal sites has scheduled its first meeting.

Commission members are set to gather on Monday in a Capitol conference room, according to a public notice issued last week.

Manchin announced creation of the panel in late January, but did not appoint any of its members until late April.

Lara Ramsburg, the governor's communications director, said the appointments were delayed primarily by administration work during the legislative session.

Lawmakers ended their regular session on March 16. Manchin appointed 13 commission members on April 21 and four more on May 1, according to Secretary of State records.

Among five commission appointees listed as "public members" by the governor's office were two coal industry lobbyists and former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer.

Manchin formed the commission with an executive order that followed up on comments the governor made during his 2008 State of the State address.

The governor suggested in the speech that mined lands could be used for "renewable energy projects such as biomass, solar and wind." Manchin also said he was "committed to examining the legal barriers that restrict" such developments.

Manchin staffers have been unable to explain what those legal barriers are, and Randy Huffman, now Manchin's DEP Secretary, said that the problem isn't so much "legal barriers" as it is a failure by coal companies to come up with post-mining development plans.

Current law already requires coal operators to submit post-mining development plans in order to obtain strip mining permits unless they plan to return mined land to its approximate original contour, or AOC.

But for years, the AOC rule was generally ignored, in large part because it was never clearly defined by the state or the federal Office of Surface Mining. As a result, mining operators leveled thousands of acres of Southern West Virginia, for the most part without submitting development plans or following through with post-mining construction of factories, schools, strip malls, public parks or other community projects.

In his executive order, Manchin noted a "lack of coordination among key stakeholders has resulted in multiple reclaimed surface mine sites that do not materially contribute to the economic base of the local and state economies."

With little more than a month before its initial report is due, Gov. Joe Manchin's new commission on post-mining development for mountaintop removal sites has scheduled its first meeting.

Commission members are set to gather on Monday in a Capitol conference room, according to a public notice issued last week.

Manchin announced creation of the panel in late January, but did not appoint any of its members until late April.

Lara Ramsburg, the governor's communications director, said the appointments were delayed primarily by administration work during the legislative session.

Lawmakers ended their regular session on March 16. Manchin appointed 13 commission members on April 21 and four more on May 1, according to Secretary of State records.

Among five commission appointees listed as "public members" by the governor's office were two coal industry lobbyists and former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Stephanie Timmermeyer.

Manchin formed the commission with an executive order that followed up on comments the governor made during his 2008 State of the State address.

The governor suggested in the speech that mined lands could be used for "renewable energy projects such as biomass, solar and wind." Manchin also said he was "committed to examining the legal barriers that restrict" such developments.

Manchin staffers have been unable to explain what those legal barriers are, and Randy Huffman, now Manchin's DEP Secretary, said that the problem isn't so much "legal barriers" as it is a failure by coal companies to come up with post-mining development plans.

Current law already requires coal operators to submit post-mining development plans in order to obtain strip mining permits unless they plan to return mined land to its approximate original contour, or AOC.

But for years, the AOC rule was generally ignored, in large part because it was never clearly defined by the state or the federal Office of Surface Mining. As a result, mining operators leveled thousands of acres of Southern West Virginia, for the most part without submitting development plans or following through with post-mining construction of factories, schools, strip malls, public parks or other community projects.

In his executive order, Manchin noted a "lack of coordination among key stakeholders has resulted in multiple reclaimed surface mine sites that do not materially contribute to the economic base of the local and state economies."

The governor asked his study commission to develop a "more concrete framework" to re-evaluate currently undeveloped mine sites and plan the use of future mine sites.

Manchin gave the group until July 1 to submit an initial report and another year to come up with a final set of recommendations.

The panel includes the secretaries of Environmental Protection, Commerce and Transportation, along with state Housing Development Fund director Joe Hatfield. The coal industry, environmental groups, economic development groups, landowners and the United Mine Workers each got one member on the commission.

Manchin also appointed five "public members," including West Virginia Coal Association lobbyist Jason Bostic and Paul Hardesty, a lobbyist for several coal companies.

The other public members were Timmermeyer, Berkeley County land surveyor Mike Shepp and Chris Jarrett, the former president of West Virginia-American Water Co.

Commerce Secretary Kelley Goes, the chairwoman of the commission, did not return a phone call Thursday.

But Ramsburg said it is not surprising that coal industry officials were put on the commission.

"People who are around coal can bring something to the table," she said. "It's not like they're making regulations. This is an advisory group more than anything else."

Vivian Stockman of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition said that the coal industry membership raises questions about the commission.

"With this cast of characters categorized as 'public members,' you can bet public interest will not be served and you can bet the public won't be hearing the truth about so-called reclamation and post-mining land use."

The commission's first meeting is 1:30 p.m. Monday in Conference Room 6A of Building 6 at the Capitol Complex.

To contact staff writer Ken Ward Jr., use e-mail or call 348-1702.