Solid Energy's board has approved a staged re-entry proposal and it's in the hands of Energy Minister Simon Bridges, RadioLive reports.
"I'm not prepared to put a timeline on this but we're moving as quickly as possible," Mr Bridges told NZ Newswire on Friday.
"In the end, any plan to explore the drift must be safe, because more lives can't be put at risk, technically feasible and financially credible."
Mr Bridges says he's considering the plan and taking advice from officials at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The plan has to be approved by the ministry's high hazards unit, and will need cabinet sign off.
Families of the 29 victims of the 2010 explosion have been trying for years to find a way into the mine to recover the bodies.
They worked with the government, health and safety experts and Solid Energy - which now owns the mine - on the re-entry plan.
It involves a seal being put in, allowing a team to go 2km up the mine's drift to the point where it collapsed.
It's thought most of the bodies are beyond that point, but families' spokesman Bernie Monk has previously said it's hoped some can be recovered.
The government has promised $10 million to help pay for the operation, if it gets final approval.
Friday 30 August 2013
http://news.msn.co.nz/nationalnews/8714893/pike-river-re-entry-another-step-closer
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