According to the Associated Press, the amended bill designed to toughen existing penalties against mine protestors was unanimously approved Tuesday and will advance further towards passage.

The damage to, or removal of, any equipment from a coal facility that could be included in the promotion of miner health or safety would be a felony and those people charged could receive up to three years in jail along with a $10,000 fine.

An initial version of the bill was a bit more hard-edged, involving a $500-1000 fine for trespassing on mine property.

Trespassing on private property in West Virginia is currently punishable by a $100 fine.

The former bill would have also made coal mine graffiti a felony, with those charged serving up to one year in jail.

West Virginia mines are no strangers to anti-coal demonstrations.

Several active environmental groups regularly take on the issue of mountaintop removal mining by protesting operations and chaining themselves to equipment or each other.

One gathering at the Patriot Coal Hobet mine last July shut down the operation for three hours and resulted in the arrests of 20 individuals.

No injuries to miners or demonstrators were reported during the incident.

The protest was organized by an anti-coal group the Radical Action for Mountain Peoples' Survival, which it said was formed to increase awareness of mining practices that were endangering the health and safety of the region’s residents.